FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database mediawiki https://en.daoinfo.org/wiki/Main_Page MediaWiki 1.34.2 first-letter Media Special Talk User User talk FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database talk File File talk MediaWiki MediaWiki talk Template Template talk Help Help talk Category Category talk 0 1 1 2009-06-06T05:09:22Z MediaWiki default 0 wikitext text/x-wiki <big>'''MediaWiki has been successfully installed.'''</big> Consult the [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Contents User's Guide] for information on using the wiki software. == Getting started == * [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Configuration_settings Configuration settings list] * [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:FAQ MediaWiki FAQ] * [https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/mediawiki-announce MediaWiki release mailing list] bd962048d95fbb6b6b514885867811db20a5476b 4 1 2009-06-11T04:18:23Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <big>'''MediaWiki has been successfully installed.'''</big> Consult the [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Contents User's Guide] for information on using the wiki software. == Getting started == * [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Configuration_settings Configuration settings list] * [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:FAQ MediaWiki FAQ] * [https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/mediawiki-announce MediaWiki release mailing list] [[zh:首頁]] cebf9e082f5a34c1bbcf1cf1001b50eca8610748 9 4 2009-07-02T05:28:20Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTITLE__ <big>'''MediaWiki has been successfully installed.'''</big> Consult the [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Contents User's Guide] for information on using the wiki software. == Getting started == * [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Configuration_settings Configuration settings list] * [http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:FAQ MediaWiki FAQ] * [https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/mediawiki-announce MediaWiki release mailing list] [[zh:首頁]] 595b90ce41dc765afdf4943791195ad161655bd2 0 2 2 2009-06-08T08:56:20Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Poetry about Charms is a type of Daoist poetry. Its characteristic lies in the poetic expressive technique and the magical function of charms. Charms had been popular before th...' wikitext text/x-wiki Poetry about Charms is a type of Daoist poetry. Its characteristic lies in the poetic expressive technique and the magical function of charms. Charms had been popular before the foundation of Daoism. As words of prayer, early charms were signs or inner expressions of intense feelings. Therefore, "charms" correspond with "prayers" in meaning. At the very start "prayers" are endowed with the double function of procuring the good and banishing the evil. Praying orally for the descent of benevolent deities can procure the good, but another purpose is banishing the evil. Violent and commanding words are needed for this purpose. Hence oaths and curses became charms. For example, it is recorded in the chapter "North of the Wilderness" of The Book of Mountains and Seas1 that when Chiyou started military operations against the Yellow Emperor, the Yellow Emperor ordered the "responding dragon" to attack the wilderness in Jizhou. The "responding dragon" stored water. Then Chiyou asked the Earl of Wind and the Master of Rain to blow and rain hard. So the Yellow Emperor asked the heavenly maiden "Ba" to descend and stop the rain and thereupon he killed Chiyou. Afterwards, because Ba couldn't return to heaven, it did not rain. Then the Yellow Emperor ordered Shujun, who was in charge of the field, to drive away Ba and pray for rain to dispel the drought. Shujun commanded: The deity should go northward! First clear waterways! Dredge the trenches! This order is a charm. It sounds resolute and decisive, rhythmic and forceful. The sentence pattern is a combination of three-character and four-character verses, and the second and third sentences roughly rhyme. It can be regarded as a rudimentary poem about charms. With the frequent practice of praying and the popularity of poetry, charms gradually evolved to into a fixed rhythm anda well-balanced sentence pattern. And then four-character and five-character charms took shape. Such sentence patterns were adopted at the beginning of the foundation of Daoism. In the Wei, the Jin and the Northern and Southern dynasties, as a particular kind of Magical Arts2 , charms were regarded as important by Daoists. Charms inherited on the one hand, and imitated and innovated on the other hand. Along with the rapid increase of Daoist scriptures, new charms were produced in large number. It can be found from the Daoist scriptures of this period quoted in the Essential Secrets of the Most High3 that charms exist in almost all the Daoist scriptures on magical arts. The Jade Book of the Great Grotto4 of the Highest Clarity sect5 alone collects 39 charms. Although not all these charms are poems, it is certain that there are a considerable number of poems on charms. The major type of poetic charm that has been quite influential ever since the Wei and the Jin dynasties is the "Incantations of Perfect Writs6 ", i.e., the incantations of the Five Tablets in Perfect Script7 . These charms are composed in line with the five directions of East, West, South, North, and Center. In addition, the "Incantations of the Three August Ones8 " and the "Highest Clarity9 Incantations" are nearly equal to the "Incantations of Perfect Writs". During the development of Daoism, different kinds of poetry on charms interacted, producing variants on the basis of the three types. In Daoist poetry about charms, the names of deities are actually the key images. Each deity has his own story. When the deities' stories are condensed into allusions by the charm producers, the artistic conception of poetry about charms is created. Meanwhile, enhancing the atmosphere is an important aspect of poetry about charms. The poems used for asking deities to kill evil demons notably convey a militant mood. For example, the poems about charms in The Book of Divine Incantations of the Supreme Pervasive Abyss10 list various deities and weapons and depict the sight of lightning. They are just like soul-stirring descriptions of fighting. ce8abfc3cfb462cc8a78696b7fab18edd9c38b37 3 2 2009-06-08T09:25:07Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki Poetry about Charms is a type of Daoist poetry. Its characteristic lies in the poetic expressive technique and the magical function of charms. Charms had been popular before the foundation of Daoism. As words of prayer, early charms were signs or inner expressions of intense feelings. Therefore, "charms" correspond with "prayers" in meaning. At the very start "prayers" are endowed with the double function of procuring the good and banishing the evil. Praying orally for the descent of benevolent deities can procure the good, but another purpose is banishing the evil. Violent and commanding words are needed for this purpose. Hence oaths and curses became charms. For example, it is recorded in the chapter "North of the Wilderness" of The Book of Mountains and Seas1 that when Chiyou started military operations against the Yellow Emperor, the Yellow Emperor ordered the "responding dragon" to attack the wilderness in Jizhou. The "responding dragon" stored water. Then Chiyou asked the Earl of Wind and the Master of Rain to blow and rain hard. So the Yellow Emperor asked the heavenly maiden "Ba" to descend and stop the rain and thereupon he killed Chiyou. Afterwards, because Ba couldn't return to heaven, it did not rain. Then the Yellow Emperor ordered Shujun, who was in charge of the field, to drive away Ba and pray for rain to dispel the drought. Shujun commanded: The deity should go northward! First clear waterways! Dredge the trenches! This order is a charm. It sounds resolute and decisive, rhythmic and forceful. The sentence pattern is a combination of three-character and four-character verses, and the second and third sentences roughly rhyme. It can be regarded as a rudimentary poem about charms. With the frequent practice of praying and the popularity of poetry, charms gradually evolved to into a fixed rhythm anda well-balanced sentence pattern. And then four-character and five-character charms took shape. Such sentence patterns were adopted at the beginning of the foundation of Daoism. In the Wei, the Jin and the Northern and Southern dynasties, as a particular kind of Magical Arts2 , charms were regarded as important by Daoists. Charms inherited on the one hand, and imitated and innovated on the other hand. Along with the rapid increase of Daoist scriptures, new charms were produced in large number. It can be found from the Daoist scriptures of this period quoted in the Essential Secrets of the Most High3 that charms exist in almost all the Daoist scriptures on magical arts. The Jade Book of the Great Grotto4 of the Highest Clarity sect5 alone collects 39 charms. Although not all these charms are poems, it is certain that there are a considerable number of poems on charms. The major type of poetic charm that has been quite influential ever since the Wei and the Jin dynasties is the "Incantations of Perfect Writs6 ", i.e., the incantations of the Five Tablets in Perfect Script7 . These charms are composed in line with the five directions of East, West, South, North, and Center. In addition, the "Incantations of the Three August Ones8 " and the "Highest Clarity9 Incantations" are nearly equal to the "Incantations of Perfect Writs". During the development of Daoism, different kinds of poetry on charms interacted, producing variants on the basis of the three types. In Daoist poetry about charms, the names of deities are actually the key images. Each deity has his own story. When the deities' stories are condensed into allusions by the charm producers, the artistic conception of poetry about charms is created. Meanwhile, enhancing the atmosphere is an important aspect of poetry about charms. The poems used for asking deities to kill evil demons notably convey a militant mood. For example, the poems about charms in The Book of Divine Incantations of the Supreme Pervasive Abyss10 list various deities and weapons and depict the sight of lightning. They are just like soul-stirring descriptions of fighting. [[zh:咒語詩]] 4a236ac2a12f180be8f91ddddd376273c57dc95c 5 3 2009-07-01T05:24:42Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki Poetry about Charms is a type of Daoist poetry. Its characteristic lies in the poetic expressive technique and the magical function of charms. Charms had been popular before the foundation of Daoism. As words of prayer, early charms were signs or inner expressions of intense feelings. Therefore, "charms" correspond with "prayers" in meaning. At the very start "prayers" are endowed with the double function of procuring the good and banishing the evil. Praying orally for the descent of benevolent deities can procure the good, but another purpose is banishing the evil. Violent and commanding words are needed for this purpose. Hence oaths and curses became charms. For example, it is recorded in the chapter "North of the Wilderness" of The Book of Mountains and Seas(山海經 shanhai jing) that when Chiyou started military operations against the Yellow Emperor, the Yellow Emperor ordered the "responding dragon" to attack the wilderness in Jizhou. The "responding dragon" stored water. Then Chiyou asked the Earl of Wind and the Master of Rain to blow and rain hard. So the Yellow Emperor asked the heavenly maiden "Ba" to descend and stop the rain and thereupon he killed Chiyou. Afterwards, because Ba couldn't return to heaven, it did not rain. Then the Yellow Emperor ordered Shujun, who was in charge of the field, to drive away Ba and pray for rain to dispel the drought. Shujun commanded: The deity should go northward! First clear waterways! Dredge the trenches! This order is a charm. It sounds resolute and decisive, rhythmic and forceful. The sentence pattern is a combination of three-character and four-character verses, and the second and third sentences roughly rhyme. It can be regarded as a rudimentary poem about charms. With the frequent practice of praying and the popularity of poetry, charms gradually evolved to into a fixed rhythm anda well-balanced sentence pattern. And then four-character and five-character charms took shape. Such sentence patterns were adopted at the beginning of the foundation of Daoism. In the Wei, the Jin and the Northern and Southern dynasties, as a particular kind of Magical Arts (方術 fangshu), charms were regarded as important by Daoists. Charms inherited on the one hand, and imitated and innovated on the other hand. Along with the rapid increase of Daoist scriptures, new charms were produced in large number. It can be found from the Daoist scriptures of this period quoted in the Essential Secrets of the Most High (無上秘要 wushang miyao) that charms exist in almost all the Daoist scriptures on magical arts. The Jade Book of the Great Grotto (大洞玉經 dadong yujing) of the Highest Clarity sect (上清派 shangqing pai) alone collects 39 charms. Although not all these charms are poems, it is certain that there are a considerable number of poems on charms. The major type of poetic charm that has been quite influential ever since the Wei and the Jin dynasties is the "Incantations of Perfect Writs (真文咒 zhenwen zhou)", i.e., the incantations of the Five Tablets in Perfect Script (五篇真文 wupian zhenwen) . These charms are composed in line with the five directions of East, West, South, North, and Center. In addition, the "Incantations of the Three August Ones (三皇 sanhuang) and the "Highest Clarity (上清 shangqing) Incantations" are nearly equal to the "Incantations of Perfect Writs". During the development of Daoism, different kinds of poetry on charms interacted, producing variants on the basis of the three types. In Daoist poetry about charms, the names of deities are actually the key images. Each deity has his own story. When the deities' stories are condensed into allusions by the charm producers, the artistic conception of poetry about charms is created. Meanwhile, enhancing the atmosphere is an important aspect of poetry about charms. The poems used for asking deities to kill evil demons notably convey a militant mood. For example, the poems about charms in The Book of Divine Incantations of the Supreme Pervasive Abyss (太上洞淵神咒經 taishang dongyuan shenzhou jing) list various deities and weapons and depict the sight of lightning. They are just like soul-stirring descriptions of fighting. [[zh:咒語詩]] 8f85ccb64eb3c23e5f3991b83b4046791db6237a 6 5 2009-07-01T05:26:48Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki Poetry about Charms is a type of Daoist poetry. Its characteristic lies in the poetic expressive technique and the magical function of charms. Charms had been popular before the foundation of Daoism. As words of prayer, early charms were signs or inner expressions of intense feelings. Therefore, "charms" correspond with "prayers" in meaning. At the very start "prayers" are endowed with the double function of procuring the good and banishing the evil. Praying orally for the descent of benevolent deities can procure the good, but another purpose is banishing the evil. Violent and commanding words are needed for this purpose. Hence oaths and curses became charms. For example, it is recorded in the chapter "North of the Wilderness" of The Book of Mountains and Seas (山海經 shanhai jing) that when Chiyou started military operations against the Yellow Emperor, the Yellow Emperor ordered the "responding dragon" to attack the wilderness in Jizhou. The "responding dragon" stored water. Then Chiyou asked the Earl of Wind and the Master of Rain to blow and rain hard. So the Yellow Emperor asked the heavenly maiden "Ba" to descend and stop the rain and thereupon he killed Chiyou. Afterwards, because Ba couldn't return to heaven, it did not rain. Then the Yellow Emperor ordered Shujun, who was in charge of the field, to drive away Ba and pray for rain to dispel the drought. Shujun commanded: :The deity should go northward! :First clear waterways! :Dredge the trenches! This order is a charm. It sounds resolute and decisive, rhythmic and forceful. The sentence pattern is a combination of three-character and four-character verses, and the second and third sentences roughly rhyme. It can be regarded as a rudimentary poem about charms. With the frequent practice of praying and the popularity of poetry, charms gradually evolved to into a fixed rhythm anda well-balanced sentence pattern. And then four-character and five-character charms took shape. Such sentence patterns were adopted at the beginning of the foundation of Daoism. In the Wei, the Jin and the Northern and Southern dynasties, as a particular kind of Magical Arts (方術 fangshu), charms were regarded as important by Daoists. Charms inherited on the one hand, and imitated and innovated on the other hand. Along with the rapid increase of Daoist scriptures, new charms were produced in large number. It can be found from the Daoist scriptures of this period quoted in the Essential Secrets of the Most High (無上秘要 wushang miyao) that charms exist in almost all the Daoist scriptures on magical arts. The Jade Book of the Great Grotto (大洞玉經 dadong yujing) of the Highest Clarity sect (上清派 shangqing pai) alone collects 39 charms. Although not all these charms are poems, it is certain that there are a considerable number of poems on charms. The major type of poetic charm that has been quite influential ever since the Wei and the Jin dynasties is the "Incantations of Perfect Writs (真文咒 zhenwen zhou)", i.e., the incantations of the Five Tablets in Perfect Script (五篇真文 wupian zhenwen) . These charms are composed in line with the five directions of East, West, South, North, and Center. In addition, the "Incantations of the Three August Ones (三皇 sanhuang) and the "Highest Clarity (上清 shangqing) Incantations" are nearly equal to the "Incantations of Perfect Writs". During the development of Daoism, different kinds of poetry on charms interacted, producing variants on the basis of the three types. In Daoist poetry about charms, the names of deities are actually the key images. Each deity has his own story. When the deities' stories are condensed into allusions by the charm producers, the artistic conception of poetry about charms is created. Meanwhile, enhancing the atmosphere is an important aspect of poetry about charms. The poems used for asking deities to kill evil demons notably convey a militant mood. For example, the poems about charms in The Book of Divine Incantations of the Supreme Pervasive Abyss (太上洞淵神咒經 taishang dongyuan shenzhou jing) list various deities and weapons and depict the sight of lightning. They are just like soul-stirring descriptions of fighting. [[zh:咒語詩]] 62a29c17c241f39503e4c9cee23462b3ac1ef361 0 3 7 2009-07-01T05:36:00Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Daoist Nursery Rhymes are ballads spread among children. They are distinctive in that they are sung without being accompanied by musical instruments. Nursery rhymes have a very ...' wikitext text/x-wiki Daoist Nursery Rhymes are ballads spread among children. They are distinctive in that they are sung without being accompanied by musical instruments. Nursery rhymes have a very early origin. According to the chapter "The 25th Year in the ''Reign of Duke Zhao" in the Spring and Autumn with Commentary by Zuo Qiuming'', nursery rhymes existed as early as in the days of King Wen and King Wu of the Zhou dynasty. Later, they were popular among the people. Nursery rhymes are either spontaneously created by children or taught by adults. There are different types of nursery rhymes, and one of them is the Daoist nursery rhyme. Daoist nursery rhymes refer to popular ballads that reflect Daoist ideological tendency and are spread among children. As for their function, they may contain prophecy. At critical moments of dynastic changes in history, Daoist prophetic nursery rhymes usually appeared in society. For example, before Yang Jian ascended the throne in the Sui dynasty, some people spread the word that he had "imperial appearance" and would become the emperor. It is recorded in the chapter "Biography of Wang Shao" in The History of the Sui Dynasty that there was a shrine for Laozi in Chenliu, where there was a withered cypress. People all said that Laozi would "transcend the mundane world". He had predicted that once branches of the cypress grew in the southeast, a saint would come into the world and Daoism would prevail. In the Sourthern Qi days, branches really grew in the lower part of the cypress and pointed up to the southeast. Three boys sang a ballad together at night, "The ancient withered tree in front of the shrine for Laozi, looks like an umbrella in the southeast, where the saintly lord goes by." As the story goes, when he went to Bozhou to take office as provincial governor, Yang Jian looked around the shrine for Laozi in person. He saw that the cypress branches formed a circle, which tallied with the boys' ballads. So he regarded himself as the "saintly lord". In the last years of the Sui dynasty, another nursery charm sang as follows: "a swan flies around Mt. Yang, where there grow peaches ("Tao") and plums ("Li"). It shuttles among the flowers and trees. Never gossip, for no one allows it." People explained that in this nursery rhyme, "Li" suggests that somebody surnamed Li would rise to be the emperor. "Tao" (peaches) signifies "Tao", which means the surname "Taotang". "Tao" is omitted and only "Tang" is left, which implies that the Tang dynasty would replace the Sui dynasty. This prophetic nursery rhyme resembles the prophecy that somebody surnamed Li would ascend the throne and promote Daoism, which was made by Qi Hui, a Daoist of the Lookout Tower Tradition (樓觀道 louguan dao) . So it was likely to have been created by a Daoist. Daoist nursery rhymes make smooth reading and are therefore easily spread. Objectively they play a special function of propagation. aab95b209da731cb0cf6177e9eb6baaa07098a8b 8 7 2009-07-01T05:38:18Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki Daoist Nursery Rhymes are ballads spread among children. They are distinctive in that they are sung without being accompanied by musical instruments. Nursery rhymes have a very early origin. According to the chapter "The 25th Year in the ''Reign of Duke Zhao" in the Spring and Autumn with Commentary by Zuo Qiuming'', nursery rhymes existed as early as in the days of King Wen and King Wu of the Zhou dynasty. Later, they were popular among the people. Nursery rhymes are either spontaneously created by children or taught by adults. There are different types of nursery rhymes, and one of them is the Daoist nursery rhyme. Daoist nursery rhymes refer to popular ballads that reflect Daoist ideological tendency and are spread among children. As for their function, they may contain prophecy. At critical moments of dynastic changes in history, Daoist prophetic nursery rhymes usually appeared in society. For example, before Yang Jian ascended the throne in the Sui dynasty, some people spread the word that he had "imperial appearance" and would become the emperor. It is recorded in the chapter "Biography of Wang Shao" in The History of the Sui Dynasty that there was a shrine for Laozi in Chenliu, where there was a withered cypress. People all said that Laozi would "transcend the mundane world". He had predicted that once branches of the cypress grew in the southeast, a saint would come into the world and Daoism would prevail. In the Sourthern Qi days, branches really grew in the lower part of the cypress and pointed up to the southeast. Three boys sang a ballad together at night, "The ancient withered tree in front of the shrine for Laozi, looks like an umbrella in the southeast, where the saintly lord goes by." As the story goes, when he went to Bozhou to take office as provincial governor, Yang Jian looked around the shrine for Laozi in person. He saw that the cypress branches formed a circle, which tallied with the boys' ballads. So he regarded himself as the "saintly lord". In the last years of the Sui dynasty, another nursery charm sang as follows: "a swan flies around Mt. Yang, where there grow peaches ("Tao") and plums ("Li"). It shuttles among the flowers and trees. Never gossip, for no one allows it." People explained that in this nursery rhyme, "Li" suggests that somebody surnamed Li would rise to be the emperor. "Tao" (peaches) signifies "Tao", which means the surname "Taotang". "Tao" is omitted and only "Tang" is left, which implies that the Tang dynasty would replace the Sui dynasty. This prophetic nursery rhyme resembles the prophecy that somebody surnamed Li would ascend the throne and promote Daoism, which was made by Qi Hui, a Daoist of the Lookout Tower Tradition (樓觀道 louguan dao) . So it was likely to have been created by a Daoist. Daoist nursery rhymes make smooth reading and are therefore easily spread. Objectively they play a special function of propagation. [[zh:道教童謠]] 651e857e2246c24de90301ac4b4d300ea488b129 0 4 10 2009-07-20T08:19:21Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Ten Great Grotto Heavens are located among the famous mountains on the Earth, and are governed by Immortals who are sent by divinities in Heaven. According to Volume 27 of th...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Ten Great Grotto Heavens are located among the famous mountains on the Earth, and are governed by Immortals who are sent by divinities in Heaven. According to Volume 27 of the ''Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel'', these Ten Great Grotto Heavens are: the first, Mt Wangwu Grotto; the second, Mt Weiyu Grotto; the third, Mt Xicheng Grotto; the fourth, Mt Xixuan Grotto; the fifth, Mt Qingcheng Grotto; the sixth, Mt Chicheng Grotto; the seventh, Mt Luofu Grotto; the eighth, Mt Gouqu Grotto; the ninth, Mt Linwu Grotto; the tenth, Mt Cang Grotto. [[zh:十大洞天]] edf1318637230847de4717a84a48871ed16a3189 0 5 11 2009-07-20T08:21:41Z Admin 1 Created page with 'During the Warring States periods, Immortalist Magicians seeking Immortality (神仙方士 shenxian fangshi) imagined three divine mountains in the sea, named Penglai, Fangzhang,...' wikitext text/x-wiki During the Warring States periods, Immortalist Magicians seeking Immortality (神仙方士 shenxian fangshi) imagined three divine mountains in the sea, named Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou, which were said to be the habitations of Immortals(仙人 xianren) in the Bohai Sea. It was said that drugs of immortality could be found in these mountains. Later, they evolved in Daoism into the Ten Continents and the Three Islands, namely the Zu Continent, the Ying Continent, the Xuan Continent, the Yan Continent, the Chang Continent, the Yuan Continent, the Liu Continent, the Liu Continent, the Sheng Continent, the Fenglin Continent, the Juku Continent, and Kunlun Island, Fangzhang Island, and Penglai Island. The Ying Continent is said in Daoism to be in the Eastern Sea. It has a circumference of 4,000 li, Immortalist plants grow in abundance, its jade stones stand as high as 1,000 zhang, and its gushing springs, called Yuli Spring, taste like wine and bring people longevity when they drink its water. Fangzhang Island, one of the Three Islands, is said in Daoism in to be in the East China Sea. It covers 5,000 li and is governed by the Three Heavens' Controller of Destinies4. Immortals hoping to ascend to Heaven come to the island to receive the Register of the Supreme Mysterious Birth5. On the island one also finds the palace of the Elder of the Nine Plains6, who governs all the water spirits, dragons and snakes, giant whales, and water beasts in the world. Penglai Island, another one of the Three Islands, is said in Daoism to be opposite the northeast bank of the East China Sea. It has a circumference of 5,000 li and is particularly honourable as the big tie used by the Emperor of Heaven7 to tie up the Nine Heavens8. Once upon a time, when the mythical emperor Dayu finished regulating the rivers, he came here to worship God on the northern hill, owing his great merit to the Nine Heavens. [[zh:十洲三島]] 722bebfdadada63bae212cdec82a03749adb7294 0 6 12 2009-07-20T08:44:14Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The Life of Guangchengzi== Guangchengzi was a legendary Immortal who lived in a stone cave in [[Mt. Kongdong]] (in Linru County, Henan Province). In his book [[''The Broad and ...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Life of Guangchengzi== Guangchengzi was a legendary Immortal who lived in a stone cave in [[Mt. Kongdong]] (in Linru County, Henan Province). In his book [[''The Broad and Sacred Teachings of the Book of Dao and its Virtue'']], Du Guangting of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) wrote: "During the time of [[the Yellow Emperor]], [[the Venerable Sovereign]] (Laozi) was Guangchengzi, who taught the [[''Book of Dao and its Virtue'']] and the Five Magic Arts to the emperor". He also wrote that during the time of the Yellow Emperor, the Venerable Sovereign (Laozi) was also called Guangchengzi, who lived on Mt. Kongdong. The emperor ordered him to be his teacher. So he taught the Book of Dao and its Virtue and the arts of regulating the body to His Majesty. The emperor pratised his teachings, and rose into Heaven in broad daylight". ==The Thought of Guangchengzi== As recorded in ''Zhuangzi'', Guangchengzi once taught the emperor 'the arts of governing the body' such as that the essence of the perfect Dao is in daziness and obscurity and the ultimate of the perfect Dao is in dimness and darkness. If you see nothing, hear nothing and keep calm with a god in your heart, your body will correct itself. If you keep calm and have a clear mind, and have no burden and stay free from troubles, you will have a long life. If your eyes see nothing, if your ears hear nothing and your heart knows nothing, your spirit will preserve your body, and your body will have a long life. Be cautious of your heart, and close your eyes to the outside. You will fail if you know too much". Guangchengzi told the Yellow Emperor: Since I have kept to Oneness and remained in Peace, I have lived one thousand two hundred years without growing old". He also said that "He who attains to my Dao will be Emperor in Heaven above and King on Earth below; he who loses my Dao will see only light above and earth below. After saying goodbye to you, I go through the door of infinitude, and travel through endless realms. I will shine with the Sun and Moon, and will live eternally with Heaven and Earth". In addition, some of the arts of Nourishing Life which were passed on by Guangchengzi include sexual techniques, which were often quoted later in books on the Arts of the Bedchamber. ==Works== As recorded by Ge Hong, the "Yellow Emperor once passed Mt. Kongdong and received the ''Book of Spontaneity from Guangchengzi''". In the book ''The Perfect Immortals' Experience of Dao over Successive Generations'', it is also written that "Guangchengzi "finished seventy volumes of the ‘’Book of Attaining Dao" and that he "presented the ''Book of Yin and Yang''' to the emperor". [[zh:廣成子]] 3bcf747c06513fe296199150db204e6cc8523c97 0 7 13 2009-07-20T09:03:42Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Prior to the Qin dynasty, Daoism was a school of thought and not a religion. [[''Laozi'']] and [[''Zhuangzi'']] were originally philosophical works and not religious scriptures: ...' wikitext text/x-wiki Prior to the Qin dynasty, Daoism was a school of thought and not a religion. [[''Laozi'']] and [[''Zhuangzi'']] were originally philosophical works and not religious scriptures: that they later came to be counted among the doctrinal foundations of religious Daoism ( 道教 Daojiao) is the result of a historical process by which the emerging Daoist religion actively made use of the early Daoist philosophical works. Early Daoist philosophy ( 道家 Daojia) provides a wide choice of concepts suited to becoming the foundation of Daoist religious teachings. For example, Daoist philosophy attaches special importance to Nurturing Life ( 養生 Yangsheng) as well as to longevity. For instance, the ''Laozi'' states: "the spirit that is cultivated does not die", and "Dao is immortality and omniscience". According to the ''Zhuangzi'', if one does not exhaust one's body or trouble one's spirit, one can attain immortality, leave this world of dust, ascend to the concourse of [[Immortals]] ( 神仙 Shenxian ), and ride on clouds to the Realm of Divinity. These ideas later became the conceptual basis of the Immortalist ideology of later religious Daoism. The concept of 'Dao' in pre-Qin Daoist philosophy has mysterious connotations; religious Daoism later further mystified the concept to the point of deifying and personifying it, turning Dao into a Creator possessing willpower and feeling. This led to Daoist philosophy entering the realm of religious theology. Some scholars consider that the philosophy of Laozi and Zhuangzi share a common origin with primitive religion, and that philosophical and religious Daoism stem from a common archaic religious source. Consequently, there is an intimate relationship between the two, and religious Daoism is the continuation of philosophical Daoism. This relationship represents the juncture between pre-Qin Daoist philosophy and later religious Daoism. The history of Daoist philosophy can been seen as developing in three stages: Pre-Qin Lao-Zhuang philosophical Daoism (exemplified by the ''Laozi'' and ''Zhuangzi'', prior to 221 BC), Qin and Han dynasty Huang-Lao philosophical Daoism (221 BC - 220 AD), and the mystical Daoism of the Wei and Jin dynasties (220 - 420 AD). Pre-Qin Daoist philosophy is the conceptual foundation of the teachings of later religious Daoism; Huang-Lao Daoist philosophy represents a crucial stage in its evolutionary development. In modern times, the historian Meng Wentong pointed out in his Discussion of Daoist History that following the Wei and Jin dynasties (220 - 420 AD), the Laozi and Zhuangzi became accepted as scripture by all disciples of Daoist religion, and were regarded as the essence of Daoist religious philosophy. It is impossible to speak of Daoism while ignoring the ''Laozi'' and ''Zhuangzi''. Pre-Qin Daoist philosophical thought is the primary source of later Daoist religious thought. [[zh:先秦道家思想]] f3e9166266cc33bb094eb1c31e163c0c72da2f7a 0 8 14 2009-07-20T09:20:54Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Religious Daoism ( 道教 Daojiao) is the indigenous religion of China, which holds longevity and immortality as its highest object of faith. It advocates attaining Longevity ( ...' wikitext text/x-wiki Religious Daoism ( 道教 Daojiao) is the indigenous religion of China, which holds longevity and immortality as its highest object of faith. It advocates attaining Longevity ( 長生 Changsheng) and Immortality ( 成仙 Chengxian) through a process of Nourishing Life ( 養生 Yangsheng), Cultivation and Refinement ( 修煉 Xiulian), and the practise of virtuous conduct, in order to escape death and reach eternity. Philosophical Daoism ( 道家 Daojia) is a current in the history of Chinese philosophy, while religious Daoism is a religion. However, the two are intimately related. The core concept of Daoist thought, `Dao'( 道 Dao), was inherited and transformed by Daoist religion, while [[Laozi]], the founder of Daoist philosophy, was incorporated into religious Daoism as the `Supreme Venerable Sovereign' ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun) divinity. The [[''Book of Dao and its Virtue'']] ( 道德經 Daodejing) and the Book of Master [[Zhuang]] ( 莊子 Zhuangzi), classics of Daoist philosophy, became `Perfect Scriptures' ( 真經 Zhenjing) of religious Daoism. The inheritance and transformation of elements of Daoist philosophy by Daoist religion shows both the links between the two as well as the differences between them. We can say that the value orientations of religious and philosophical Daoism are fundamentally different According to later scholars, the development of Daoist philosophy can be divided into three stages: Lao-Zhuang Daoist philosophy ( 老莊道家 Laozhuang Daojia) of the pre-Qin era; [[Huang-Lao Daoism]] ( 黃老道 Huanglaodao) of the Qin and Han dynasties; and the 'Science of Mysteries' ( 玄學 Xuanxue) Daoist philosophy of the Wei and Jin dynasties. After the Wei and Jin, `Philosophical Daoism' became a thing of the past, as Daoist philosophy came to be completely replaced by Daoist religion. Therefore, after the Jin dynasty, references to the `Daoist School' ( 道家 Daojia)actually refer to the Daoist religion, when not specifically designating the philosophical Daoism of the pre-Qin, Qin, Han, Wei or Jin dynasties. We can thus say that after the Jin, religious Daoism took the place of Daoist philosophy in terms of social role and function. According to the ''Guide to Chinese Thought'' by the American Prof. T. Bishop, `there is no reason to see Daoist religion as a product of the degeneration and corruption of a pure Daoist philosophy. The relationship between the two should be seen in a different light. The ideological system of the Daoist religion includes many aspects lacking in Daoist philosophy, which are of utmost importance to peoples' practical life: for example, Daoist philosophy appeals to logic and the spirit, while Daoist religion appeals to peoples' emotions, feelings and interests. Religious Daoism makes full use of peoples' sense of fear and mystery, which are ignored by philosphical Daoism." When looking at the differences between religious and philosophical Daoism, we can see that although the two are mutually complementary, Daoist religion is more significant to the practical lives of common people. In order to understand Daoism, it is necessary to understand the clear difference between religious and philosophical Daoism, as well as their intimate relationship. [[zh:道教與道家的同異]] e405385b2dc8f9e329c7dfcf816211a55a97ffd0 0 9 15 2009-07-21T01:47:15Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The idea of "divinity" can be found in many of the books of the pre-Qin era (prior to 221 BC), and as a sort of supernatural existence, the deities or spirits have the mysterious...' wikitext text/x-wiki The idea of "divinity" can be found in many of the books of the pre-Qin era (prior to 221 BC), and as a sort of supernatural existence, the deities or spirits have the mysterious power to control everything in the world. The idea of "immortality" is the faith that living beings can enjoy longevity without death. The book Explanations of ''the Chinese Characters'' ( 說文解字 shuowen jiezi) says that the immortals are those who live forever and move far away. Another book, the ''Interpretations of Terms'' ( 釋名 shiming), defines "immortals" as those who will not die when they are old. In spite of the fact that the idea of immortality had a long history, only the Daoists of later times began to put the two words "divine" (shen) and "immortal" (xian) together as one term when they referred to immortals. The Unfettered Excursion of [[''Zhuangzi'']] describes the divine men as those who are able to keep away from eating the five grains and having journeys beyond the four seas by sitting on clouds and riding dragons. There are many descriptions about the life and magical arts of the divine men, higher men, and perfect men in the book Zhuangzi. The [[''Book of Mountains and Seas'']] ( 山海經 shanhai jing) records the "state without death", the elixirs without death, the tree without death, and the people without death as well. In ancient times there were many legends about immortals such as Peng Zu and [[Guangchengzi]]. It is said that Peng lived for over 800 years, and Guangchengzi was still full of drive by cultivating himself after having stayed in this world for over 1200 years. Such ideas of immortality were popular in the coastal areas like Yan and Qi, while the legends of immortals were widespread in the areas of Jin and Chu. It can be said that the Yan-Qi and Jin-Chu cultures of the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC) bred the Chinese people's idea of immortality. The Yan and Qi areas being close to the sea, the mirages on the sea inspired the people so much that they thought that immortals lived on the sea who would never die. As a result there appeared the Immortalists who propagated the longevity of immortals and transmitted the magical arts of immortality, which King Zhao of the Yan believed in very much. Such ideas of immortality of the pre-Qin era were still prevalent in the Qin and Han dynasties due to the rulers' keen interest. In the periods of the first emperor of the Qin and Emperor Wu of the Han there occurent a climax of pursuing immortality on a large scale. Religious Daoism succeeded and developed the thoughts of longevity and immortality, which eventually became the basic belief of Daoism, which is strikingly different from the other religions in the world. f508b3aab42f20f586a566977ae78eaff308c163 16 15 2009-07-21T01:47:50Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki The idea of "divinity" can be found in many of the books of the pre-Qin era (prior to 221 BC), and as a sort of supernatural existence, the deities or spirits have the mysterious power to control everything in the world. The idea of "immortality" is the faith that living beings can enjoy longevity without death. The book Explanations of ''the Chinese Characters'' ( 說文解字 shuowen jiezi) says that the immortals are those who live forever and move far away. Another book, the ''Interpretations of Terms'' ( 釋名 shiming), defines "immortals" as those who will not die when they are old. In spite of the fact that the idea of immortality had a long history, only the Daoists of later times began to put the two words "divine" (shen) and "immortal" (xian) together as one term when they referred to immortals. The Unfettered Excursion of [[''Zhuangzi'']] describes the divine men as those who are able to keep away from eating the five grains and having journeys beyond the four seas by sitting on clouds and riding dragons. There are many descriptions about the life and magical arts of the divine men, higher men, and perfect men in the book Zhuangzi. The [[''Book of Mountains and Seas'']] ( 山海經 shanhai jing) records the "state without death", the elixirs without death, the tree without death, and the people without death as well. In ancient times there were many legends about immortals such as Peng Zu and [[Guangchengzi]]. It is said that Peng lived for over 800 years, and Guangchengzi was still full of drive by cultivating himself after having stayed in this world for over 1200 years. Such ideas of immortality were popular in the coastal areas like Yan and Qi, while the legends of immortals were widespread in the areas of Jin and Chu. It can be said that the Yan-Qi and Jin-Chu cultures of the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC) bred the Chinese people's idea of immortality. The Yan and Qi areas being close to the sea, the mirages on the sea inspired the people so much that they thought that immortals lived on the sea who would never die. As a result there appeared the Immortalists who propagated the longevity of immortals and transmitted the magical arts of immortality, which King Zhao of the Yan believed in very much. Such ideas of immortality of the pre-Qin era were still prevalent in the Qin and Han dynasties due to the rulers' keen interest. In the periods of the first emperor of the Qin and Emperor Wu of the Han there occurent a climax of pursuing immortality on a large scale. Religious Daoism succeeded and developed the thoughts of longevity and immortality, which eventually became the basic belief of Daoism, which is strikingly different from the other religions in the world. [[zh:神仙信仰]] b525f68dc277448aa29dcc2f68d57c2e31f22f23 17 16 2009-07-21T01:48:27Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki The idea of "divinity" can be found in many of the books of the pre-Qin era (prior to 221 BC), and as a sort of supernatural existence, the deities or spirits have the mysterious power to control everything in the world. The idea of "immortality" is the faith that living beings can enjoy longevity without death. The book Explanations of ''the Chinese Characters'' ( 說文解字 shuowen jiezi) says that the immortals are those who live forever and move far away. Another book, the ''Interpretations of Terms'' ( 釋名 shiming), defines "immortals" as those who will not die when they are old. In spite of the fact that the idea of immortality had a long history, only the Daoists of later times began to put the two words "divine" (shen) and "immortal" (xian) together as one term when they referred to immortals. The Unfettered Excursion of ''[[Zhuangzi]]'' describes the divine men as those who are able to keep away from eating the five grains and having journeys beyond the four seas by sitting on clouds and riding dragons. There are many descriptions about the life and magical arts of the divine men, higher men, and perfect men in the book Zhuangzi. The ''[[Book of Mountains and Seas]]'' ( 山海經 shanhai jing) records the "state without death", the elixirs without death, the tree without death, and the people without death as well. In ancient times there were many legends about immortals such as Peng Zu and [[Guangchengzi]]. It is said that Peng lived for over 800 years, and Guangchengzi was still full of drive by cultivating himself after having stayed in this world for over 1200 years. Such ideas of immortality were popular in the coastal areas like Yan and Qi, while the legends of immortals were widespread in the areas of Jin and Chu. It can be said that the Yan-Qi and Jin-Chu cultures of the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC) bred the Chinese people's idea of immortality. The Yan and Qi areas being close to the sea, the mirages on the sea inspired the people so much that they thought that immortals lived on the sea who would never die. As a result there appeared the Immortalists who propagated the longevity of immortals and transmitted the magical arts of immortality, which King Zhao of the Yan believed in very much. Such ideas of immortality of the pre-Qin era were still prevalent in the Qin and Han dynasties due to the rulers' keen interest. In the periods of the first emperor of the Qin and Emperor Wu of the Han there occurent a climax of pursuing immortality on a large scale. Religious Daoism succeeded and developed the thoughts of longevity and immortality, which eventually became the basic belief of Daoism, which is strikingly different from the other religions in the world. [[zh:神仙信仰]] 05973142700d5648ed0eaf6900f96bf782c30681 18 17 2009-07-21T01:55:50Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki The idea of "divinity" can be found in many of the books of the pre-Qin era (prior to 221 BC), and as a sort of supernatural existence, the deities or spirits have the mysterious power to control everything in the world. The idea of "immortality" is the faith that living beings can enjoy longevity without death. The book Explanations of ''the Chinese Characters'' ( 說文解字 shuowen jiezi) says that the immortals are those who live forever and move far away. Another book, the ''Interpretations of Terms'' ( 釋名 shiming), defines "immortals" as those who will not die when they are old. In spite of the fact that the idea of immortality had a long history, only the Daoists of later times began to put the two words "divine" (shen) and "immortal" (xian) together as one term when they referred to immortals. The Unfettered Excursion of ''[[Zhuangzi]]'' describes the divine men as those who are able to keep away from eating the five grains and having journeys beyond the four seas by sitting on clouds and riding dragons. There are many descriptions about the life and magical arts of the divine men, higher men, and perfect men in the book Zhuangzi. The ''[[Book of Mountains and Seas]]'' ( 山海經 shanhai jing) records the "state without death", the elixirs without death, the tree without death, and the people without death as well. In ancient times there were many legends about immortals such as Peng Zu and [[Guangchengzi]]. It is said that Peng lived for over 800 years, and Guangchengzi was still full of drive by cultivating himself after having stayed in this world for over 1200 years. Such ideas of immortality were popular in the coastal areas like Yan and Qi, while the legends of immortals were widespread in the areas of Jin and Chu. It can be said that the Yan-Qi and Jin-Chu cultures of the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC) bred the Chinese people's idea of immortality. The Yan and Qi areas being close to the sea, the mirages on the sea inspired the people so much that they thought that immortals lived on the sea who would never die. As a result there appeared the Immortalists who propagated the longevity of immortals and transmitted the magical arts of immortality, which King Zhao of the Yan believed in very much. Such ideas of immortality of the pre-Qin era were still prevalent in the Qin and Han dynasties due to the rulers' keen interest. In the periods of the first emperor of the Qin and Emperor Wu of the Han there occurent a climax of pursuing immortality on a large scale. Religious Daoism succeeded and developed the thoughts of longevity and immortality, which eventually became the basic belief of Daoism, which is strikingly different from the other religions in the world. [[zh:神仙信仰]] 24836c51a524d896faa8265f713bcd0c4a9e3c37 0 10 19 2009-07-21T02:07:46Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The expression 'Magic and Immortality Tradition' was used for the first time in the ''Records of the Historian''. It mentioned that Song Wuji, Zheng Boqiao, Chong Shang and Mu Me...' wikitext text/x-wiki The expression 'Magic and Immortality Tradition' was used for the first time in the ''Records of the Historian''. It mentioned that Song Wuji, Zheng Boqiao, Chong Shang and Mu Mengao of the Yan State were Masters of Magic and Immortality, transforming their bodies with supernatural powers. During the Warring States period (475-221 BC), the Magicians in the Yan-Qi area combined the theory of Immortality and Magic Arts with Zou Yan's philosophy of the Five Agents, forming the Magic and Immortality Tradition, which was mainly prevalent in the upper class of the Yan and Qi states. It required their devotees to practice transforming their bodies with supernatural powers in order to pursue an everlasting life. 'Magic' ( 方 Fang) here refers to divine magical formulas for immortality; 'Immortality' ( 仙 Xian) refers to everlasting life. The concept of Immortality had a long history, and consequently a community of Magicians pursuing an everlasting life was formed in the Spring-Autumn and Warring States periods (770-221 BC). Using their Immortalist Magic Arts, the Magicians were very active in society, and they made their living using their skills, influencing and permeating the noble people of high rank. At the time of King Wei and King Ling of the Qi State, the followers of Zou Yan discussed the philosophy of Yin-Yang and of the Five Agents, which were absorbed by the Magicians, forming the Magic and Immortality Tradition. The Magicians, though not real scholars, came to be known as Immortalists and propagated the Immortalist faith, catering to the rulers' fear of death. From the middle and later period of the Warring States era to the time of the Wu Emperor of the Han dynasty, the Immortalists and the rulers encouraged one another. As a result, there occured the widely known events in Chinese history, of rulers sending Magicians to look for elixirs for Immortality beyond the sea. King Wei and King Xuan of the Qi State, King Zhao of the Yan State, the First Qin Emperor, and the Wu Emperor of the Han Dynasty all sent Magicians to the three sacred mountains on the sea to look for Immortals and bring back elixirs for immortality. Nevertheless they did it in vain, even if more and more Magicians were involved in it. The most prosperous period of the Magic and Immortality Tradition was the phase from the later Warring States Period to the time of the Wu Emperor of the Han dynasty. The representative figures were Song Wuji, Zheng Boqiao, Xu Fu, Lu Sheng, Li Shaojun, Li Shaoweng, Le Da, Gong Sunqing, etc. Immortalist ideology became an essential belief of religious Daoism, and the Immortalist Magic Arts were absorbed and perpetuated by religious Daoism in later periods. The Magic and Immortality Tradition was one of the sources of religious Daoism, from which the later Immortalist Daoism originated. After integrating with the philosophies of [[the Yellow Emperor]] and [[Laozi]], the Magic and Immortality Tradition gradually evolved into [[the Huanglao Tradition]] ( 黃老道 Huang Lao Dao). [[zh:方仙道]] 745a5252ff25a57d7edd67ba6f81688422ba86de 0 11 20 2009-07-21T02:19:20Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Belief in spirits was a component of the primitive religious consciousness of ancient China. Having appeared since the earliest stages of primitive society, it had, by the Yin an...' wikitext text/x-wiki Belief in spirits was a component of the primitive religious consciousness of ancient China. Having appeared since the earliest stages of primitive society, it had, by the Yin and Shang dynasties, evolved into belief in God and the Mandate of Heaven, with a pantheon of heavenly spirits with God as the supreme divinity. In times of difficulty, shamans and priests would seek answers from God through divinatory practises. Ancient people, ignorant of the physiology of life and death and of dreams, believed in the existence of a soul independent of the human body, which would become a spirit after death. This led to the worship of spirits, which became combined with the worship of ancestors. By the Zhou dynasty, the worship of spirits and ancestors was integrated with the practise of sacrificing to Heaven, which became called Worship of Heaven and Ancestors'. The spirits worshipped in the Zhou dynasty were classified into the Heavenly Spirits, Human Spirits and Earth Spirits, which became the source of later Daoist polytheism. In particular, the talismanic and incantatory rites of the Talismans and Registers sects bear a relation to the ancient sacrifices to spirits. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods (770-221 BC), in spite of the prevalent rationalism, some thinkers attempted to prove the existence of spirits and of heavenly will. This can be seen in Mozi's works ''The Will of Heaven and Understanding Spirits''. Mozi's ideology of Honouring Heaven and Understanding Spirits was absorbed into Daoism, which integrated it with the practises of Immortalism and Magic Arts. The scholar Zhang Taiyan has pointed out the reliance of Daoism on Mohism, and that Mohism is one of the ideological sources of Daoism. The Mohist ideology of spirits was fully integrated into Daoism. In addition, the integration of belief in spirits with the [[Five Agents theory]] led to the conception of the Spirits of the Five Directions and of the Five Colours. This became another source of the Daoist pantheon of spirits. During the Qin and Han dynasties (221 BC - AD 220) sacrificial offerings to spirits and to the Lord of Heaven became more widespread. In the early Han, the emperor Liu Bang increased the worship of the Five Emperors. Upon ascending to the throne, the Han emperor Wudi became a strong promoter of spirit worship: he held rituals on [[Mt. Tai]] to show respect to the heavenly spirits, honoured the Five Sacred Mountains and Four Holy Rivers, and built several new shrines. His highest object of worship was the Spirit of Supreme Oneness; in times of illness or war, he always prayed to Him. The strong belief in and worship of spirits during the Qin and Han dynasties created a fertile religious environment for the birth and growth of Daoism, and was further transmitted and developed by Daoism. 57ec4f17c7de2e6afd9c71c0a08995083866ae18 21 20 2009-07-21T02:19:51Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki Belief in spirits was a component of the primitive religious consciousness of ancient China. Having appeared since the earliest stages of primitive society, it had, by the Yin and Shang dynasties, evolved into belief in God and the Mandate of Heaven, with a pantheon of heavenly spirits with God as the supreme divinity. In times of difficulty, shamans and priests would seek answers from God through divinatory practises. Ancient people, ignorant of the physiology of life and death and of dreams, believed in the existence of a soul independent of the human body, which would become a spirit after death. This led to the worship of spirits, which became combined with the worship of ancestors. By the Zhou dynasty, the worship of spirits and ancestors was integrated with the practise of sacrificing to Heaven, which became called Worship of Heaven and Ancestors'. The spirits worshipped in the Zhou dynasty were classified into the Heavenly Spirits, Human Spirits and Earth Spirits, which became the source of later Daoist polytheism. In particular, the talismanic and incantatory rites of the Talismans and Registers sects bear a relation to the ancient sacrifices to spirits. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods (770-221 BC), in spite of the prevalent rationalism, some thinkers attempted to prove the existence of spirits and of heavenly will. This can be seen in Mozi's works ''The Will of Heaven and Understanding Spirits''. Mozi's ideology of Honouring Heaven and Understanding Spirits was absorbed into Daoism, which integrated it with the practises of Immortalism and Magic Arts. The scholar Zhang Taiyan has pointed out the reliance of Daoism on Mohism, and that Mohism is one of the ideological sources of Daoism. The Mohist ideology of spirits was fully integrated into Daoism. In addition, the integration of belief in spirits with the [[Five Agents theory]] led to the conception of the Spirits of the Five Directions and of the Five Colours. This became another source of the Daoist pantheon of spirits. During the Qin and Han dynasties (221 BC - AD 220) sacrificial offerings to spirits and to the Lord of Heaven became more widespread. In the early Han, the emperor Liu Bang increased the worship of the Five Emperors. Upon ascending to the throne, the Han emperor Wudi became a strong promoter of spirit worship: he held rituals on [[Mt. Tai]] to show respect to the heavenly spirits, honoured the Five Sacred Mountains and Four Holy Rivers, and built several new shrines. His highest object of worship was the Spirit of Supreme Oneness; in times of illness or war, he always prayed to Him. The strong belief in and worship of spirits during the Qin and Han dynasties created a fertile religious environment for the birth and growth of Daoism, and was further transmitted and developed by Daoism. [[zh:鬼神信仰]] 319344d6abe423083e4d70db9817b4766eaa436c 0 12 22 2009-07-21T02:36:57Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Animism and spirit worship were characteristic of the primitive religion of archaic China, and were the cultural foundation from which Daoism developed. At the time, shamans and ...' wikitext text/x-wiki Animism and spirit worship were characteristic of the primitive religion of archaic China, and were the cultural foundation from which Daoism developed. At the time, shamans and priests were the major religious specialists, possessing the ability to communicate with spirits, to appeal to them to dispel evil, to explain the turns of fate, and to transmit the instructions of spirits. In Yin and Shang times, the ideogram for 'shaman' as inscribed on divinatory implements bore a strong resemblance to the character for 'spirit'. In those times, shamans resorted to a series of songs and dances, spells and talismans to communicate with spirits. 'Invocators' ( 祝 Zhu ) were another type of religious professional, responsible for conducting rituals of offerings and prayer to spirits. Finally, divinatory specialists conducted divinations in order to predict fortune and misfortune. Shamans, priests and divines were important figues in society, enjoying relatively high status. Belief in shamans was expecially prevalent during the Yin dynasty. During the Spring and Autumn period (770 - 476 BC), which witnessed the rise of rationalism, the status of shamans gradually declined, although shamanism remained deeply rooted in society. Especially in the Chu State, primitive shamanism did not disappear and continued to flourish among the common people. Many aspects of ancient shamanism were inherited by Daoism. The Master of Incense ( 司香火者 Sixianghuo Zhe ) in Daoist temples holds the title of "Shrine Priest" ( 廟祝 Miaozhu ), a title inherited from the ancient religion. Ancient people believed that illness resulted from the victim being possessed by evil demons, and that one needed to resort to the shamans' Magical Skills ( 方術 Fangshu ) of talismans, incantations, and exorcism to dispel illness. Talismanic Water ( 符水 Fushui ), Exorcism ( 驅鬼 Qugui ), and Demon-Expelling Implements ( 斬鬼品 Zhangui Pin )referred to in later Daoist scriptures reflect the influence of the ancient shamanistic religion. Early Daoist movements, such as the Five Pecks of Rice ( 五斗米道 Wudou )and the Supreme Peace Traditions ( 太平道 Taiping Dao ), show an even stronger shamanistic coloration. The Five Pecks of Rice disciples were called 'the Rice Witches' ( 米巫 Miwu ) by some, and Buddhists disparaged the sect by calling it the 'Demonic Skills of the Three Zhangs' ( 三張之鬼法 Sanzhang Zhi Guifa ). The practises of killing and expelling demons with the aid of charms and incantations, invoking spirits, holding Ritual Offerings ( 濟醮 Jijiao ), and presenting written memorials to spirits with the aid of a medium, can all be said to be inheritances from ancient shamanism ( 巫教 Wujiao ). [[zh:古代巫教]] d7636ee1a8cc5575ce33eabbc59ede3e54ea7db9 0 14 24 2009-07-21T02:59:13Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The School of Esoteric Speculations, benefiting from the active support of the rulers, flourished during the Han dynasty. Esoteric Speculations were derived from a mysterious typ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The School of Esoteric Speculations, benefiting from the active support of the rulers, flourished during the Han dynasty. Esoteric Speculations were derived from a mysterious type of religious augury, also called 'Prophecy' ( 讖語 Chenyu ), used to predict fortune and misfortune. As they were often accompanied by written drawings, they were also called 'Occult Signs' ( 圖讖 Tuchen ). The ancients often used them during political struggles. For example, during the later days of the reign of the first emperor of China Qin Shihuang, the ''Book of Recorded Charts'' ( 錄圖書 Lutu Shu ) predicted the end of the Qin dynasty. Other prophecies stated that 'the first emperor will die and the land will be divided' and that `this year, the Ancestral Dragon will die'. '''Books of Auguries''' ( 緯書 Weishu ) were a kind of scripture which gave mysterious and esoteric interpretations to the Confucian classics. For example, the ''Divine Prognostications of the Book of Filial Piety'' ( 孝經授神契 Xiaojing Yuanshenqi ) claimed that Confucius had predicted that Liu Bang would become emperor. Actually, Esoteric Speculations were a kind of ancient political psychology based on religious propaganda, used by leaders seeking or already possessing political power to manipulate public opinion, win over the masses who believed in the notion of the Mandate from Heaven ( 天命 Tianming ), and legitimize their hold on power. Between the Ai and Ping periods at the end of the Western Han dynasty, the School of Esoteric Speculations flourished greatly under the encouragement of Wang Mang and Liu Xiu, until it became the dominant ideology of the Eastern Han. At that time, Dong Zhongshu interpreted the Confucian classics using the esoteric Yin-Yang and Five Phases ( 五行 Wuxing ) theories and promoted the notion of Correspondence Between Heaven and Man ( 天人感應 Tianren Ganying ), leading Confucianism to acquire religious characteristics. The merging of the Confucians and Magicians ( 方士 Fangshi ) gave a strong religious atmosphere to Han society; such a context was favourable for creation of religious organizations by the Immortalist Magicians ( 神仙方士 Shenxian Fangshi ). Thus the birth of organized Daoism during the Eastern Han was not a coincidence, and is inseparable from the flourishing of the School of Esoteric Speculations. Just as the Esoteric Speculators received revelations deifying Confucius, the early Daoists gradually turned Laozi into the Founder of their religion, [[the Supreme Venerable Sovereign]]( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ). Later Daoism also made a great use of Occult Signs, such as the famous prophecy of the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties, that 'the Venerable Sovereign Shall Rule, and Li Hong Shall Emerge'. The 'Rumour of Peachtree Li' fabricated by Tang dynasty Daoists on behalf of Li Yuan, was also based such types of Esoteric Speculations. [[zh:讖緯神學]] 7a03a069ea8251d8d8ad1d7beb6ea9d5f6f257e8 0 15 25 2009-07-21T03:15:05Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Huang-Lao Tradition ( 黃老道 Huanglao Dao ) flourished after [[the Magic and Immortality Tradition]] ( 方仙道 Fangxian Dao ). Later integrated into Daoism, it constitut...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Huang-Lao Tradition ( 黃老道 Huanglao Dao ) flourished after [[the Magic and Immortality Tradition]] ( 方仙道 Fangxian Dao ). Later integrated into Daoism, it constitutes an important component of the religious background to the birth of Daoism. The Huang-Lao Tradition is a product of the marriage of Huang-Lao philosophy with the Immortalist ( 神仙 Shenxian ) practises of the Magic and Immortality Tradition. Huang-Lao philosophy emerged in the Qi state during the middle of the Warring States period (475-221 BC). It emphasized the cultivation of virtue as advocated by the Yellow Emperor and Laozi. By the early Han dynasty (206 BC - AD 24), the mainstream of Huang-Lao thought concerned itself with the Art of Government ( 帝王南面之術 Diwang Nanmian Zhi Shu ) and with Yin-Yang studies, but also included Immortalism. During the reign of the Han emperor Wu, the Magicians ( 方士 Fangshi ) reinterpreted the Yellow Emperor's teachings, to the point of completely merging them with Immortalist thought, so that the Immortalist Tradition ( 神仙道 Shenxian Dao ) came to be associated with the Yellow Emperor. As Huang-Lao philosophy flourished in the Qi state, where the Immortalists were also most active, the two schools developed in the same environment, mutually influenced each other, and finally merged to form the Huang-Lao Tradition. This mutual integration was a long process which took place in three stages. The first stage occurred when the Han emperor Wu gave exclusive patronage to Confucianism, leading the Huang-Lao and Immortalist schools to come closer together. The second phase occured from the reign of Han emperor Xuan to the end of the Western Han dynasty (AD 24). Emperor Xuan approved of Huang - Lao philosophy, and allowed the Magic and Immortality Tradition to flourish. During the third phase, the two currents merged to form the Huang-Lao Tradition in the reign of emperor Huan of the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 147-167). During the reigns of emperors Ming and Zhang of the Eastern Han dynasty, the Huang-Lao Tradition had already become popular in the Imperial Court, and by the time of emperor Huan it was recorded in the official histories. In the ''Story of Wang Huan'' in the ''History of the Later Han'', it is recorded that emperor Huan (reigned AD 158-167) patronized the Huang-Lao Tradition and ordered the destruction of the old sacrificial halls. After emperor Huan openly recognized the Huang-Lao Tradition, he sent officials twice a year to Laozi's ancestral shrine at Ku Xian, and to the Yellow Emperor's Guanlong Hall, marking the final stage of the formation of the Huang-Lao Tradition. During the reign of emperor Ling, Zhang Jiao, founder of the Supreme Peace Tradition ( 太平道 Taioang Dao ), gave himself the title of Great Virtuous Master ( 大賢良師 Daxian Liangshi ), affiliated himself to the Huang-Lao Tradition, took disciples and was honoured by the common people. During the period of integration of Huang-Lao philosophy with the Magic and Immortality Tradition, there was a strong wave effect of magicalized Confucianism, leading the literary school of Esoteric Speculations ( 讖緯 Chenwei ) to stimulate the formation of the Huang-Lao Tradition. Like the Magic and Immortality Tradition, the Huang-Lao Tradition did not have systematic teachings or religious doctrines, nor did it have a religious organization. But it was the predecessor to Daoism; without understanding the Huang-Lao Tradition, it is impossible to come to a full knowledge of the history of Daoism. [[zh:黃老道]] 16229379a3fecf562fc346108497b64405431a72 26 25 2009-07-21T03:15:33Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki The Huang-Lao Tradition ( 黃老道 Huanglao Dao ) flourished after [[The Magic and Immortality Tradition]] ( 方仙道 Fangxian Dao ). Later integrated into Daoism, it constitutes an important component of the religious background to the birth of Daoism. The Huang-Lao Tradition is a product of the marriage of Huang-Lao philosophy with the Immortalist ( 神仙 Shenxian ) practises of the Magic and Immortality Tradition. Huang-Lao philosophy emerged in the Qi state during the middle of the Warring States period (475-221 BC). It emphasized the cultivation of virtue as advocated by the Yellow Emperor and Laozi. By the early Han dynasty (206 BC - AD 24), the mainstream of Huang-Lao thought concerned itself with the Art of Government ( 帝王南面之術 Diwang Nanmian Zhi Shu ) and with Yin-Yang studies, but also included Immortalism. During the reign of the Han emperor Wu, the Magicians ( 方士 Fangshi ) reinterpreted the Yellow Emperor's teachings, to the point of completely merging them with Immortalist thought, so that the Immortalist Tradition ( 神仙道 Shenxian Dao ) came to be associated with the Yellow Emperor. As Huang-Lao philosophy flourished in the Qi state, where the Immortalists were also most active, the two schools developed in the same environment, mutually influenced each other, and finally merged to form the Huang-Lao Tradition. This mutual integration was a long process which took place in three stages. The first stage occurred when the Han emperor Wu gave exclusive patronage to Confucianism, leading the Huang-Lao and Immortalist schools to come closer together. The second phase occured from the reign of Han emperor Xuan to the end of the Western Han dynasty (AD 24). Emperor Xuan approved of Huang - Lao philosophy, and allowed the Magic and Immortality Tradition to flourish. During the third phase, the two currents merged to form the Huang-Lao Tradition in the reign of emperor Huan of the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 147-167). During the reigns of emperors Ming and Zhang of the Eastern Han dynasty, the Huang-Lao Tradition had already become popular in the Imperial Court, and by the time of emperor Huan it was recorded in the official histories. In the ''Story of Wang Huan'' in the ''History of the Later Han'', it is recorded that emperor Huan (reigned AD 158-167) patronized the Huang-Lao Tradition and ordered the destruction of the old sacrificial halls. After emperor Huan openly recognized the Huang-Lao Tradition, he sent officials twice a year to Laozi's ancestral shrine at Ku Xian, and to the Yellow Emperor's Guanlong Hall, marking the final stage of the formation of the Huang-Lao Tradition. During the reign of emperor Ling, Zhang Jiao, founder of the Supreme Peace Tradition ( 太平道 Taioang Dao ), gave himself the title of Great Virtuous Master ( 大賢良師 Daxian Liangshi ), affiliated himself to the Huang-Lao Tradition, took disciples and was honoured by the common people. During the period of integration of Huang-Lao philosophy with the Magic and Immortality Tradition, there was a strong wave effect of magicalized Confucianism, leading the literary school of Esoteric Speculations ( 讖緯 Chenwei ) to stimulate the formation of the Huang-Lao Tradition. Like the Magic and Immortality Tradition, the Huang-Lao Tradition did not have systematic teachings or religious doctrines, nor did it have a religious organization. But it was the predecessor to Daoism; without understanding the Huang-Lao Tradition, it is impossible to come to a full knowledge of the history of Daoism. [[zh:黃老道]] 2f6521dea39624d640cd56d9e3886542d3cc9fab 27 26 2009-07-21T03:16:05Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki The Huang-Lao Tradition ( 黃老道 Huanglao Dao ) flourished after [[The Magic and Immortality tradition]] ( 方仙道 Fangxian Dao ). Later integrated into Daoism, it constitutes an important component of the religious background to the birth of Daoism. The Huang-Lao Tradition is a product of the marriage of Huang-Lao philosophy with the Immortalist ( 神仙 Shenxian ) practises of the Magic and Immortality Tradition. Huang-Lao philosophy emerged in the Qi state during the middle of the Warring States period (475-221 BC). It emphasized the cultivation of virtue as advocated by the Yellow Emperor and Laozi. By the early Han dynasty (206 BC - AD 24), the mainstream of Huang-Lao thought concerned itself with the Art of Government ( 帝王南面之術 Diwang Nanmian Zhi Shu ) and with Yin-Yang studies, but also included Immortalism. During the reign of the Han emperor Wu, the Magicians ( 方士 Fangshi ) reinterpreted the Yellow Emperor's teachings, to the point of completely merging them with Immortalist thought, so that the Immortalist Tradition ( 神仙道 Shenxian Dao ) came to be associated with the Yellow Emperor. As Huang-Lao philosophy flourished in the Qi state, where the Immortalists were also most active, the two schools developed in the same environment, mutually influenced each other, and finally merged to form the Huang-Lao Tradition. This mutual integration was a long process which took place in three stages. The first stage occurred when the Han emperor Wu gave exclusive patronage to Confucianism, leading the Huang-Lao and Immortalist schools to come closer together. The second phase occured from the reign of Han emperor Xuan to the end of the Western Han dynasty (AD 24). Emperor Xuan approved of Huang - Lao philosophy, and allowed the Magic and Immortality Tradition to flourish. During the third phase, the two currents merged to form the Huang-Lao Tradition in the reign of emperor Huan of the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 147-167). During the reigns of emperors Ming and Zhang of the Eastern Han dynasty, the Huang-Lao Tradition had already become popular in the Imperial Court, and by the time of emperor Huan it was recorded in the official histories. In the ''Story of Wang Huan'' in the ''History of the Later Han'', it is recorded that emperor Huan (reigned AD 158-167) patronized the Huang-Lao Tradition and ordered the destruction of the old sacrificial halls. After emperor Huan openly recognized the Huang-Lao Tradition, he sent officials twice a year to Laozi's ancestral shrine at Ku Xian, and to the Yellow Emperor's Guanlong Hall, marking the final stage of the formation of the Huang-Lao Tradition. During the reign of emperor Ling, Zhang Jiao, founder of the Supreme Peace Tradition ( 太平道 Taioang Dao ), gave himself the title of Great Virtuous Master ( 大賢良師 Daxian Liangshi ), affiliated himself to the Huang-Lao Tradition, took disciples and was honoured by the common people. During the period of integration of Huang-Lao philosophy with the Magic and Immortality Tradition, there was a strong wave effect of magicalized Confucianism, leading the literary school of Esoteric Speculations ( 讖緯 Chenwei ) to stimulate the formation of the Huang-Lao Tradition. Like the Magic and Immortality Tradition, the Huang-Lao Tradition did not have systematic teachings or religious doctrines, nor did it have a religious organization. But it was the predecessor to Daoism; without understanding the Huang-Lao Tradition, it is impossible to come to a full knowledge of the history of Daoism. [[zh:黃老道]] 0a1729449c419cadbc57ebb16a0f92bc92e5e6f1 28 27 2009-07-21T03:16:54Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki The Huang-Lao Tradition ( 黃老道 Huanglao Dao ) flourished after [[The Magic and Immoratality tradition]] ( 方仙道 Fangxian Dao ). Later integrated into Daoism, it constitutes an important component of the religious background to the birth of Daoism. The Huang-Lao Tradition is a product of the marriage of Huang-Lao philosophy with the Immortalist ( 神仙 Shenxian ) practises of the Magic and Immortality Tradition. Huang-Lao philosophy emerged in the Qi state during the middle of the Warring States period (475-221 BC). It emphasized the cultivation of virtue as advocated by the Yellow Emperor and Laozi. By the early Han dynasty (206 BC - AD 24), the mainstream of Huang-Lao thought concerned itself with the Art of Government ( 帝王南面之術 Diwang Nanmian Zhi Shu ) and with Yin-Yang studies, but also included Immortalism. During the reign of the Han emperor Wu, the Magicians ( 方士 Fangshi ) reinterpreted the Yellow Emperor's teachings, to the point of completely merging them with Immortalist thought, so that the Immortalist Tradition ( 神仙道 Shenxian Dao ) came to be associated with the Yellow Emperor. As Huang-Lao philosophy flourished in the Qi state, where the Immortalists were also most active, the two schools developed in the same environment, mutually influenced each other, and finally merged to form the Huang-Lao Tradition. This mutual integration was a long process which took place in three stages. The first stage occurred when the Han emperor Wu gave exclusive patronage to Confucianism, leading the Huang-Lao and Immortalist schools to come closer together. The second phase occured from the reign of Han emperor Xuan to the end of the Western Han dynasty (AD 24). Emperor Xuan approved of Huang - Lao philosophy, and allowed the Magic and Immortality Tradition to flourish. During the third phase, the two currents merged to form the Huang-Lao Tradition in the reign of emperor Huan of the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 147-167). During the reigns of emperors Ming and Zhang of the Eastern Han dynasty, the Huang-Lao Tradition had already become popular in the Imperial Court, and by the time of emperor Huan it was recorded in the official histories. In the ''Story of Wang Huan'' in the ''History of the Later Han'', it is recorded that emperor Huan (reigned AD 158-167) patronized the Huang-Lao Tradition and ordered the destruction of the old sacrificial halls. After emperor Huan openly recognized the Huang-Lao Tradition, he sent officials twice a year to Laozi's ancestral shrine at Ku Xian, and to the Yellow Emperor's Guanlong Hall, marking the final stage of the formation of the Huang-Lao Tradition. During the reign of emperor Ling, Zhang Jiao, founder of the Supreme Peace Tradition ( 太平道 Taioang Dao ), gave himself the title of Great Virtuous Master ( 大賢良師 Daxian Liangshi ), affiliated himself to the Huang-Lao Tradition, took disciples and was honoured by the common people. During the period of integration of Huang-Lao philosophy with the Magic and Immortality Tradition, there was a strong wave effect of magicalized Confucianism, leading the literary school of Esoteric Speculations ( 讖緯 Chenwei ) to stimulate the formation of the Huang-Lao Tradition. Like the Magic and Immortality Tradition, the Huang-Lao Tradition did not have systematic teachings or religious doctrines, nor did it have a religious organization. But it was the predecessor to Daoism; without understanding the Huang-Lao Tradition, it is impossible to come to a full knowledge of the history of Daoism. [[zh:黃老道]] 829a9f72fcb53d6b5ece83d9e09fe6860b55d34e 29 28 2009-07-21T03:18:00Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki The Huang-Lao Tradition ( 黃老道 Huanglao Dao ) flourished after [[The Magic and Immoratality tradition]] ( 方仙道 Fangxian Dao ). Later integrated into Daoism, it constitutes an important component of the religious background to the birth of Daoism. The Huang-Lao Tradition is a product of the marriage of Huang-Lao philosophy with the Immortalist ( 神仙 Shenxian ) practises of the Magic and Immortality Tradition. Huang-Lao philosophy emerged in the Qi state during the middle of the Warring States period (475-221 BC). It emphasized the cultivation of virtue as advocated by the Yellow Emperor and Laozi. By the early Han dynasty (206 BC - AD 24), the mainstream of Huang-Lao thought concerned itself with the Art of Government ( 帝王南面之術 Diwang Nanmian Zhi Shu ) and with Yin-Yang studies, but also included Immortalism. During the reign of the Han emperor Wu, the Magicians ( 方士 Fangshi ) reinterpreted the Yellow Emperor's teachings, to the point of completely merging them with Immortalist thought, so that the Immortalist Tradition ( 神仙道 Shenxian Dao ) came to be associated with the Yellow Emperor. As Huang-Lao philosophy flourished in the Qi state, where the Immortalists were also most active, the two schools developed in the same environment, mutually influenced each other, and finally merged to form the Huang-Lao Tradition. This mutual integration was a long process which took place in three stages. The first stage occurred when the Han emperor Wu gave exclusive patronage to Confucianism, leading the Huang-Lao and Immortalist schools to come closer together. The second phase occured from the reign of Han emperor Xuan to the end of the Western Han dynasty (AD 24). Emperor Xuan approved of Huang - Lao philosophy, and allowed the Magic and Immortality Tradition to flourish. During the third phase, the two currents merged to form the Huang-Lao Tradition in the reign of emperor Huan of the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 147-167). During the reigns of emperors Ming and Zhang of the Eastern Han dynasty, the Huang-Lao Tradition had already become popular in the Imperial Court, and by the time of emperor Huan it was recorded in the official histories. In the ''Story of Wang Huan'' in the ''History of the Later Han'', it is recorded that emperor Huan (reigned AD 158-167) patronized the Huang-Lao Tradition and ordered the destruction of the old sacrificial halls. After emperor Huan openly recognized the Huang-Lao Tradition, he sent officials twice a year to Laozi's ancestral shrine at Ku Xian, and to the Yellow Emperor's Guanlong Hall, marking the final stage of the formation of the Huang-Lao Tradition. During the reign of emperor Ling, Zhang Jiao, founder of [[The Supreme Peace Tradition]] ( 太平道 Taioang Dao ), gave himself the title of Great Virtuous Master ( 大賢良師 Daxian Liangshi ), affiliated himself to the Huang-Lao Tradition, took disciples and was honoured by the common people. During the period of integration of Huang-Lao philosophy with the Magic and Immortality Tradition, there was a strong wave effect of magicalized Confucianism, leading the literary school of Esoteric Speculations ( 讖緯 Chenwei ) to stimulate the formation of the Huang-Lao Tradition. Like the Magic and Immortality Tradition, the Huang-Lao Tradition did not have systematic teachings or religious doctrines, nor did it have a religious organization. But it was the predecessor to Daoism; without understanding the Huang-Lao Tradition, it is impossible to come to a full knowledge of the history of Daoism. [[zh:黃老道]] 19a07983de9f5dc997dfc8f1cda9cc00d68b6878 0 16 30 2009-07-21T05:50:09Z Admin 1 Created page with 'During the Sui and Tang dynasties, Daoist concepts of Ingesting Vital Breath ( 服氣 Fuqi ) placed a strong emphasis on the Ingestion of Original Vital Breath ( 服元氣 Fu Yua...' wikitext text/x-wiki During the Sui and Tang dynasties, Daoist concepts of Ingesting Vital Breath ( 服氣 Fuqi ) placed a strong emphasis on the Ingestion of Original Vital Breath ( 服元氣 Fu Yuanqi ), Internal Vital Breath ( 內氣 Neiqi ) and Internal Original Vital Breath ( 內元氣 Nei Yuanqi ). They stressed that, in order to live a long life, people should not dissipate their body's Original Vital Breath and should retain their Vital Essence. Original Vital Breath was considered to be the root of life; only by guarding this root carefully could Dao be attained. The method for preserving that root was Ingesting Original Vital Breath and Internal Vital Breath. According to ''Perfect Man Yin's Art of Ingesting Original Vital Breath'' ( 尹真人服元氣術 Yin Zhenren Fu Yuanqi Shu ), "the body's Original Vital Breath is released through the mouth and nose. If exhalation of Original Vital Breath is stopped, the Elixir Field ( 丹田 Dantian ) will be filled. If the Elixir Field is full, you will not feel hunger or thirst, and you will become a Divine Man ( 神人 Shenren ). This is why people begin their life as embryos, without eating, nor drinking, nor breathing, and have Original Vital Breath in abundance. To have an abundance of Original Vital Breath is the way of longevity". If, just like an embryo, you can prevent your Original Vital Breath from leaking outside the body, you have attained the means of attaining longevity. In short, the basic principle of Ingesting Original Vital Breath is to preserve one's Original Vital Breath and prevent its dissipation outside the body. Concretely speaking, the methods for Ingesting Original Vital Breath are the following: == The methods for Ingesting Original Vital Breath == === The first requirements === The first requirements for Ingesting Original Vital Breath are to purify one's heart, eliminate thoughts and action, and to remain in a state of simple tranquility. 3Exhale naturally. After half the breath, gently continue exhaling with the nose closed. As Vital Breath rises upward, raise your head and swallow forcefully. Raise the head to the left and lower it to the right. Mentally direct the Vital Breath to the abdomen, until it flows into the Elixir Field, and then recommence the cycle by swallowing. The swallowed breath joins the Elixir Field, and from there penetrates the four limbs. This form of mental dirigation of Vital Breath is called "Dissemination of Vital Breath" ( 流布 Liubu ). Take caution not to allow the Vital Breath to leak out of the Obscure Orifice (perineum) ( 玄牝 Xuanpin ), but to make it circulate evenly through the body. You should not gasp or breathe irregularly. If the Vital Breath does not reach the Elixir Field, it is difficult to force it to do so, no matter how much you try. Thus it is difficult for beginners, and they must eat less and make a strenuous effort. With persistent effort, Vital Breath will circulate naturally and ability will accrue. This is called to drink from Spontaneity ( 自然 Ziran ) in order to resist this world, and to approach Divinity in order to enter subtlety. It begins as Three-Five ( 三五 Sanwu ) and ends as Seven-Nine ( 七九 Qijiu ). Lie down on your back, with your head on a low pillow. Contract both knees and shoulders, and stretch both arms. Lie down on your stomach, with a folded quilt under the chest, and stretch out the arms and legs. Inhale with the head raised, making the breath descend on the left, then inhale with the head lowered, making the breath descend on the right. When swallowing Vital Breath make a sound, but do not swallow saliva, and exhale. Beware of allowing wind to enter as you inhale breath. While swallowing Vital Breath, do not rest at will. Wait until the heart is completely tranquil before starting again. When beginning the exercise, you should have a clear mind, without any worries; this will allow the Vital Breath to circulate freely. If the heart is burdened with worry, Vital Breath will not flow. Beginners may feel fullness in their abdomen. If they eat less, they will feel Vital Breath flowing through their organs and into the Elixir Field, and then they will feel it flowing smoothly and freely throughout the body, leading to the spontaneous awakening of the spirit. === The second requirements=== Ingesting Original Vital Breath into the Sea of Vital Breath ( 氣海 Qihai ) The Sea of Vital Breath forms when the spermatozoon and the ovum first combine. It lies three inches under the umbilicus. When the baby is born, only the umbilical cord is connected with the mother. Hollow as a pipe, it permits the flowing of the Vital Breath to form the embryo. He who wants longevity must cultivate this root; otherwise, pursuing outer cultivation, he can achieve nothing. The Sea of Vital Breath is connected with the kidneys and thus belongs to the water of Ren and Gui ( 壬癸水 Rengui Shui ). It is named "Sea" for water flows into the sea. Vital Breath has water, which is Yin, as its mother. Yin must combine with Yang for it can't exist alone. The Mind, belonging to the Fire of Bing and Ding ( 丙丁火 Bingding Huo ) in the South, is the lord of Yang. Concentrate the mind in the Sea of Vital Breath, and Yang will come down into Yin and Yin up into Yang. It evaporates into clouds which steam the bones and holes all over the body. He whose Vital Breath doesn't flow well will have diseases in his body. Those whose diseases are incurable by medicine must concentrate, without any other thoughts, on the Sea of Vital Breath. Put one hand under the umbilicus and wait for the Vital Breath. When the Vital Breath comes, it moves under the palm, giving a feeling of breathing, touching, aching, sounding, and pulling. One must wait quietly and concentrate on it with the eyes. Thus, Yang shines on Yin and yin rushes upward and transforms into a vital liquid. After a long time, the breath through the nostrils minimizes under the throat and one only feels one's breath moving in the Sea of Vital Breath. Every time one exercises Vital Breath, one must regulate it slowly to disperse it; otherwise it will become a tumor or a gall. === The third requirements === The Wise Man of Mt. Mao's formula for Ingesting Inner Vital Breath ( 服內氣 Fu Neiqi ). Lie on your right side, draw both legs slightly, face the east with the head turned south, and hold both fists by the chin. Shut the breath in, swallow it seven times, and then exhale once. The sick first exhales once after inhaling one or two times, and then exhales once after inhaling seven times. Then regulate the breath evenly, inhale 40 times, and sit up to practice. Embrace both erect knees with both hands crossed, hold your breath and bloat your belly fourteen or twenty-one times, and puff when your breath is full. Regulate the breath to keep it from being coarse. Then hold your breath and bloat your belly again until the belly is regulated. When you sweat or feel hot, it means that your breath is full all over your body and all your joints have become comfortable. The old scriptures all prescribe visualization, which is too troublesome for the mind to practice. Ingesting Vital Breath originates from Embryonic Breathing and accords with the function of mysterious creation only if one doesn't have any other thoughts. The law goes as follows: treasure your Essence, hold your breath and swallow your vital water (saliva) : your Vital Breath will transform into blood, your blood into Essence, Eessence into liquid, and your liquid into bones. Practice it often without sluggishness, and you will become extremely vigorous. === The fourth requirements === Gentleman Huanzhen's formula for Ingesting Inner original Vital Breath ( 元氣 Yuanqi ). The essence of ingesting Vital Breath lies in swallowing breath. Ordinary people swallow their Outer and Inner breath in confusion, while true practitioners distinguish them without fault. Man is born with Original Vital Breath forming his body, and his body with full Original Vital Breath is healthy. Every time one swallows and exhales breath, the Inner Breath corresponds with the Outer Breath. It naturally comes up from the Sea of Vital Breath to the throat. When one exhales completely at the throat, one immediately closes one's mouth and swallows down with a sound. The breath goes down, along the left for man and along the right for woman, just like water through the backbone's 24 joints. The Outer Breath and Inner Breath are thus differentiated clearly while closely related. Send it with the mind and massage it with the hand to make it quickly enter the Sea of Vital Breath. As for Ingesting Breath and cultivating the body, one enters a quiet room in leisure and undresses, lies facing upward, and stretches one's arms with one's hands open, combs one's hair and spreads it on the bedsheet, and then regulates the breath and ingests it. After ingesting, hold the breath to full capacity and extinguish any thought. Let go of the breath and exhale when one stifles, and regulate it when one pants. Practice again when the breath is even and stop after ten times. A beginner's breath cannot pass through for some time; he can practice holding his breath gradually for one to ten seconds. When it is through, he can gradually add 20 to 50 seconds. Sweating all over is the effect. Pacify the mind and harmonize the Vital Breath, lie and don't rise in wind. This is a good way for the aged to prolong their lives. The way to let go of Vital Breath ( 委氣 Weiqi ): pacify the body and the breath as well as the mind, then one can practice whenever one walks, stands, sits or lies. Leaning against the door, stretching on the bed, sitting alone, one just makes one's mind thoughtless, quiet and empty as the sky. Then hold and regulate the Vital Breath ( 調息 Tiaoxi ) ten to twenty times, letting go of the Vital Breath without any deliberate struggle with the breath. After a long while, breath will come out from the pores in one's body instead of one's mouth. While emphasizing Ingesting Vital Breath, Sui and Tang Daoism stressed Embryonic Breathing ( 胎息 Taixi ), which is closely related to Ingesting Breath. Vol. 58 of ''[[The Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel]]'' ( 雲笈七籤 Yunji Qiqian ) contains the texts ''On the Essential Subtlety of Embryonic Breathing'' ( 胎息精微論 Taixi Jingwei Lun ), ''Essential Formulas for Embryonic Breathing'' ( 胎息根旨要訣 Taixi Genzhi Yaojue ), ''Sundry Formulas for Embryonic Breathing'' ( 胎息雜訣 Taixi ZaJue ), and ''Oral Formulas for Embryonic Breathing'' ( 胎息口訣 Taixi KouJue ). Vol. 60 contains the ''Formulas for Embryonic Breathing by Ingesting Vital Breath'' ( 服氣胎息訣 Fuqi Taixi Jue ) and the ''Book of Embryonic Breathing'' ( 胎息經 Taixi Jing ), which are especially about Embryonic Breathing. In addition, the arts of Vital Breath scattered in many books contain skills of Embryonic Breathing. This is an important feature of Daoist Ingesting Vital Breath. == Embryonic Breathing== What is Embryonic Breathing? The Yanling Sovereign's ''General Treatise on Cultivation and Nourishment'' ( 延陵君修養大略 Yanling Jun Xiuyang Dalue ) says, " Guarding the One and holding fast to one's own Inner Vital Breath, just as an infant in the mother's embryo, is thus called Embryonic Breathing ". ''The Oral Formulas on Embryonic Breathing'' says, "After long practice, the breath, instead of flowing through the mouth and nostrils, flows through the umbilicus just as in an infant. So it is called Embryonic Breathing." ''Sundry Formulas on Embryonic Breathing'' says, "Not confusing the Inner Breath with the Outer Breath is called Embryonic Breathing." The ''Essential Formula on Embryonic Breathing'' points out, "The ancients' books about Embryonic Breathing seldom reach the Gate of Mystery. Their statements all contain some mistakes or shortcomings. Some say no breath is the embryo; others say holding one's breath is Inner Breath. All, clinging to a single way far from the ultimate truth, confuse later learners." "Embryonic Breathing is the Vital Breath formed when Yin and Yang of Heaven and Earth first combined. This Vital Breath concentrated into form. Then the light of this Essential Breath concentrated as two eyes, which are the essential breath of the father. As pure Yang breath, it is able to reflect all things. The Mysterious Female formed with the mother's Yin breath becoming the mouth and nostrils. Thus we can know that form is the basis for receiving Vital Breath and Vital Breath is the root of form, and two kinds of Vital Breath are the root of forms. Since there is the root of form, it can grow with the mother's breath into an embryo and body in ten months. Thus, practitioners imitate it. Recovering one's root is the essence of Embryonic Breathing." So, we know that Daoism has different explanations of Embryonic Breathing with the same metaphor of infant's breath in the embryo. There are various concrete methods of Embryonic Breathing. ''On the Essential Subtlety of Embryonic Breathing'' says, "Embryonic Breathing and Ingesting Vital Breath should be conducted by swallowing seven times in the later half of the night. After each swallowing, regulate the breath seven times and swallow it again like water with a sound of "kan" indicating the flow of breath. Curdle the Vital Breath in the Sea of Vital Breath and make the belly full as a pregnant woman's. Achieve Embryonic Breathing through having an embryo (the Sea of Vital Breath is filled with breath and then it is the way of Embryonic Breathing). The Vital Breath completed, the pure breath condenses as an embryo and impure breath disperses out (through the limbs and hair). The embryo completed, all diseases are naturally cured and one can communicate with Immortals and spirits. Only when the joints are smooth and the sea of the stomach open, can one inhale the Original Vital Breath through Ingesting Breath. After Ingesting the Breath, one must close the joints and exhale slowly through the nostrils. Ingest this way, and the Inner Breath and Outer Breath will not be separate, and embryonic breath will not escape. Count silently from 10 to 100, 200 or 300. After this little achievement, one's senses will become very acute and all diseases will be cured. It is very unreasonable to learn Embryonic Breathing through restraining one's breath. Holding one's breath harms the organs. The secret of great effect and little effort in Ingesting Vital Breath lies only in pacifying the mind. With worries and thoughts extinguished, the Vital Breath channels become fluent, the joints open, and harmonious breath gathers inside all the day. After swallowing seven times at midnight, keep the Inner Breath from flowing out, inhale and exhale slowly through the nostrils, and do not confuse the Inner Breath with the Outer Breath. Ingest seven times at 4 o'clock and again in the early morning. Stop after ingesting 21 times in total. He who restrains from grains is not limited to this number. Swallow the Inner Vital Breath whenever the stomach is empty, and you will not feel hungry. He who finds it a little difficult at first will get used to it after long practice. The Inner Breath and the Outer Breath will not be confused and gradually the joints and pores will open. The Vital Breath comes and goes by itself, and one needn't exhale and inhale slowly through the nostrils. This is all the subtlety of Embryonic Breathing." ==Sundry Formulas for Embryonic Breathing introduces two methods== #Inhale and exhale slowly and the Original Vital Breath will not leak out. After closing the Inner Breath, exhale and inhale through the nostrils slightly. Make the Inner Breath return at the throat. The Inner Breath, after filling up, will rush upward. Let go of it slowly without any restraint. After the breath is regulated, close it again and breathe through the nostrils slowly, and keep it from the throat. After some great efforts, breathing will suddenly become easy and the body comfortable all over. Then even thousands of breaths will not make one tired. The essence of Embryonic Breathing is to extinguish thoughts. The mind is like ashes, the body like wood, one will conform to nature with all his Vital Breath channels and joints open. If worries and thoughts succeed themselves, one's efforts to pursue Dao will be in vain. Only those who renounce the world can conduct this subtle method; otherwise all efforts will be wasted. #After inhaling fully, visualize flowing water with successive waves. The opening of joints and pores depends on this visualization. Inhale slightly through the nostrils and let the breath out through all the limbs, channels and pores. When the later breath comes, hold it from exhaling. Do this slowly; hold the breath from exhaling while keeping from swallowing it. It will disperse slightly and slowly, and the Inner Breath will not disperse. The ''Oral Formulas of Embryonic Breathing'' says, "He who wants to learn Embryonic Breathing should first sit alone in a quiet room. Sit upright with the left foot crossing the right. Loosen your clothes and belt and then massage your limbs slowly. Hold your hands on your legs, then inhale and exhale three or five times to regulate the breath evenly. Clarify the mind leisurely and then swing the body slowly to spread the organs. Then, beat the Heavenly Drum ( 鳴天鼓 Ming Taingu ) 36 times and visualize the Bright Hall ( 明堂 Mingtang ) one inch deep between the two eyebrows, the Pervasive Chamber ( 洞房 Dongfang ) two inches deep, and the Upper Elixir Field ( 丹田 Dantian ) (also named the Mud Ball Palace ( 泥丸宮 Niwan Gong )) three inches deep. Then visualize in turn the Middle Elixir Field, the Lower Elixir Field, and the Five Organs starting with the heart. Visualize each of the Five organs giving out the Vital Breath of its direction to combine with the white Vital Breath of the three Elixir Fields into one breath. The unified breath comes out from the back of the head, shining with nine colored rays of about 10 meters' length. While visualizing the body in this Vital Breath, shut the mouth and nostrils and visualize Embryonic Breathing only in the umbilicus. Feeling out of breath, exhale slowly and slightly through the nostrils. When the breath recovers its evenness, visualize it as before. Sweating indicates one has finished and there is no limit to the times of practice. Feeling hot, visualize Vital Breath all over the body like steam in a rice pot. This is called Full Breath. Ingest again and visualize all the organs and bowels in the body. Practice slowly without hearing the sound of your breath. After 30 years' practice, one can breathe in the umbilicus and thus easily bear a rope tight around one's neck. Also, one can sit under water for 15 days. The ''Book of Embryonic Breathing'' says, "The embryo forms through taming the breath; breath is tamed through forming the embryo. Vital Breath coming into the body is life; and the spirit's leaving the body is death. Grasping the spirit and Vital Breath, one can achieve longevity; holding to emptiness, one can nourish the spirit and Vital Breath. The Spirit moving, the Vital Breath moves; the Spirit staying still, the Vital Breath stays still. If one desires longevity, one must concentrate the Spirit and Vital Breath on each other. The mind not arousing any thought, it will stay naturally without coming or going. Practicing this diligently is the true way." This method is different from all those cited above in its emphasis on holding to emptiness and the non-moving of the mind. So, there are different ideas about Embryonic Breathing and consequently different methods of practice. Also, Embryonic Breathing is the same as Ingesting Original Vital Breath in its fundamental method, and so it was natural for Sui and Tang Daoism to stress Embryonic Breathing while emphasizing Ingesting Original Vital Breath. The Daoist Art of Vital Breath is one of the finest flowers of Chinese Life-Nourishing culture. With a deposit of fine heritage from Chinese traditional culture and in spite of some unscientific contents, its main part may as well be the crystal of primeval life science. This great contribution of Daoism to Chinese ancient science still has great value to contemporary human life science and medicine. It deserves our deep study and development. Sui and Tang Daoism, emphasizing Ingesting Original Vital Breath and summarizing a system of methods, became an important period in the history of Daoist cultivating arts. Absorbing Daoist achievements in Breathing Arts of the Han, Wei and Northern and Southern Dynasties and developing to a higher stage, it prepared a basis for the rise of the Inner Alchemy of the end of the Tang, Five Dynasties and Song dynasties. This was an important transitional period in which External Alchemy became Inner Alchemy. Sui and Tang Daoist ways of Ingesting Original Vital Breath are an invaluable treasure in the treasury of the Chinese culture of Nourishing Life. a4f49c0fefd4ab9c54aea9e9dbd7a64aa66c10b1 0 17 31 2009-07-21T06:09:48Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Establishment== In the first year of the Republic of China (1912), eighteen representatives of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]], including Chen Minglin (YU Kun), the abbo...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Establishment== In the first year of the Republic of China (1912), eighteen representatives of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]], including Chen Minglin (YU Kun), the abbot of the [[White Cloud Temple]], initiated the establishment of the Daoist Association in Beijing. They drafted the Declaration of the Daoist Association, Outline of the Daoist Association and the Daoist Association's Claim for Recognition by the Government of the Republic of China. On July 15th, they drafted the Daoist Association's Memorial to Prime Minister and President Yuan Shikai. Nine of the representatives, including Chen Minlin, went to the State Department and President's Residence to submit a written statement for admission. They received an official reply on August 4th, which agreed to put their memorial on record. Daoism began to have a legal nationwide organization. ==Aim== Rectify depravity, continue the Daoist tradition, and combine an otherworldly outlook with a worldly one, so as to cultivate an excellent, noble-minded and perfect republic. ==Business== There are worldly affairs and otherworldly affairs. For otherworldly affairs, there is an Office for Religious Proclamation ( 演教門 Yanjiao Men ) and an Office for the Conferring of Commandments ( 宣律門 Xuanlv Men ). For worldly affairs, there is an Office for Almsgiving ( 救濟門 Jiuji Men ), an Office for Didactic Activity ( 勸善門 Quanshan Men ) and an Office for the Transformation of Evil Deeds ( 化惡門 Hua’e Men ). ==Organizations== There is a General Daoist Association in Beijing, as well as general branch Daoist Associations on the provincial level and branch Daoist Associations on the city and village level. In the General Daoist Association, there is one chairman and two vice-chairmen. It has three departments: #The Assembly Department. Its divisions are the Office for Discussing Official Business, the Examination Office and the Propaganda Office; #The Administration Department: it directs the Religious Proclamation Office, the Daoism Propagation Office and the Religious Affairs Office; #The Inspection Department: it dominates the Office for Rectifying Deviation, the Senate Office and the Dismission Office. Administration of the General Branch Daoist Associations and the branch Daoist Associations is similar to those in the General Daoist Association, but simplified to some degree. ==Admission== Daoist priests, all the devotees (there is no limit for ethnicity, nationality, and occupation), and volunteers who are committed to help Daoism and save the masses can be admitted to the Daoist Association. ==Regulations for Members== #All members will be vigilant in abiding by the Daoist precepts and guard against violation. Confession should be made should one transgress against any regulation. Upon confession, one should remain committed to the avoidance of any future transgression. Those who violate the regulations and refuse to confess and rectify themselves will be expelled from the Association. #All members should permanently be merciful and demonstrate behavior that is beneficial to all humanity. #Members should study Daoist doctrine to save themselves and others. #Members should observe the regulations and carry on a Daoist livelihood. ==Meeting Intervals== The General Daoist Association conference will be held annually. It begins on March 3rd and lasts seven days. Business discussion takes three days and religious research four days. General branch Daoist Associations meet twice each year. These meetings begin on Feb.1st and August 1st respectively, and last five days, two days for business discussion and three days for religious discussion. 952d737ca8307d158a8c2f1174d444d0d1e17957 32 31 2009-07-21T06:11:21Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki ==Establishment== In the first year of the Republic of China (1912), eighteen representatives of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]], including Chen Minglin (YU Kun), the abbot of the [[White Cloud Temple]], initiated the establishment of the Daoist Association in Beijing. They drafted the ''Declaration of the Daoist Association, Outline of the Daoist Association and the Daoist Association's Claim for Recognition by the Government of the Republic of China''. On July 15th, they drafted the ''Daoist Association's Memorial to Prime Minister and President Yuan Shikai''. Nine of the representatives, including Chen Minlin, went to the State Department and President's Residence to submit a written statement for admission. They received an official reply on August 4th, which agreed to put their memorial on record. Daoism began to have a legal nationwide organization. ==Aim== Rectify depravity, continue the Daoist tradition, and combine an otherworldly outlook with a worldly one, so as to cultivate an excellent, noble-minded and perfect republic. ==Business== There are worldly affairs and otherworldly affairs. For otherworldly affairs, there is an Office for Religious Proclamation ( 演教門 Yanjiao Men ) and an Office for the Conferring of Commandments ( 宣律門 Xuanlv Men ). For worldly affairs, there is an Office for Almsgiving ( 救濟門 Jiuji Men ), an Office for Didactic Activity ( 勸善門 Quanshan Men ) and an Office for the Transformation of Evil Deeds ( 化惡門 Hua’e Men ). ==Organizations== There is a General Daoist Association in Beijing, as well as general branch Daoist Associations on the provincial level and branch Daoist Associations on the city and village level. In the General Daoist Association, there is one chairman and two vice-chairmen. It has three departments: #The Assembly Department. Its divisions are the Office for Discussing Official Business, the Examination Office and the Propaganda Office; #The Administration Department: it directs the Religious Proclamation Office, the Daoism Propagation Office and the Religious Affairs Office; #The Inspection Department: it dominates the Office for Rectifying Deviation, the Senate Office and the Dismission Office. Administration of the General Branch Daoist Associations and the branch Daoist Associations is similar to those in the General Daoist Association, but simplified to some degree. ==Admission== Daoist priests, all the devotees (there is no limit for ethnicity, nationality, and occupation), and volunteers who are committed to help Daoism and save the masses can be admitted to the Daoist Association. ==Regulations for Members== #All members will be vigilant in abiding by the Daoist precepts and guard against violation. Confession should be made should one transgress against any regulation. Upon confession, one should remain committed to the avoidance of any future transgression. Those who violate the regulations and refuse to confess and rectify themselves will be expelled from the Association. #All members should permanently be merciful and demonstrate behavior that is beneficial to all humanity. #Members should study Daoist doctrine to save themselves and others. #Members should observe the regulations and carry on a Daoist livelihood. ==Meeting Intervals== The General Daoist Association conference will be held annually. It begins on March 3rd and lasts seven days. Business discussion takes three days and religious research four days. General branch Daoist Associations meet twice each year. These meetings begin on Feb.1st and August 1st respectively, and last five days, two days for business discussion and three days for religious discussion. 5ed5f7f811a142b3c1a61f47c3c4a8596ca8745e 33 32 2009-07-21T06:17:24Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki ==Establishment== In the first year of the Republic of China (1912), eighteen representatives of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]], including Chen Minglin (YU Kun), the abbot of the [[White Cloud Temple]], initiated the establishment of the Daoist Association in Beijing. They drafted the ''Declaration of the Daoist Association, Outline of the Daoist Association and the Daoist Association's Claim for Recognition by the Government of the Republic of China''. On July 15th, they drafted the ''Daoist Association's Memorial to Prime Minister and President Yuan Shikai''. Nine of the representatives, including Chen Minlin, went to the State Department and President's Residence to submit a written statement for admission. They received an official reply on August 4th, which agreed to put their memorial on record. Daoism began to have a legal nationwide organization. ==Aim== Rectify depravity, continue the Daoist tradition, and combine an otherworldly outlook with a worldly one, so as to cultivate an excellent, noble-minded and perfect republic. ==Business== There are worldly affairs and otherworldly affairs. For otherworldly affairs, there is an Office for Religious Proclamation ( 演教門 Yanjiao Men ) and an Office for the Conferring of Commandments ( 宣律門 Xuanlv Men ). For worldly affairs, there is an Office for Almsgiving ( 救濟門 Jiuji Men ), an Office for Didactic Activity ( 勸善門 Quanshan Men ) and an Office for the Transformation of Evil Deeds ( 化惡門 Hua’e Men ). ==Organizations== There is a General Daoist Association in Beijing, as well as general branch Daoist Associations on the provincial level and branch Daoist Associations on the city and village level. In the General Daoist Association, there is one chairman and two vice-chairmen. It has three departments: #The Assembly Department. Its divisions are the Office for Discussing Official Business, the Examination Office and the Propaganda Office; #The Administration Department: it directs the Religious Proclamation Office, the Daoism Propagation Office and the Religious Affairs Office; #The Inspection Department: it dominates the Office for Rectifying Deviation, the Senate Office and the Dismission Office. Administration of the General Branch Daoist Associations and the branch Daoist Associations is similar to those in the General Daoist Association, but simplified to some degree. ==Admission== Daoist priests, all the devotees (there is no limit for ethnicity, nationality, and occupation), and volunteers who are committed to help Daoism and save the masses can be admitted to the Daoist Association. ==Regulations for Members== #All members will be vigilant in abiding by the Daoist precepts and guard against violation. Confession should be made should one transgress against any regulation. Upon confession, one should remain committed to the avoidance of any future transgression. Those who violate the regulations and refuse to confess and rectify themselves will be expelled from the Association. #All members should permanently be merciful and demonstrate behavior that is beneficial to all humanity. #Members should study Daoist doctrine to save themselves and others. #Members should observe the regulations and carry on a Daoist livelihood. ==Meeting Intervals== The General Daoist Association conference will be held annually. It begins on March 3rd and lasts seven days. Business discussion takes three days and religious research four days. General branch Daoist Associations meet twice each year. These meetings begin on Feb.1st and August 1st respectively, and last five days, two days for business discussion and three days for religious discussion. [[zh:中華民國道教會]] e68931c229e09ec6847c6be0abab5a4f9ce4b1b9 0 18 34 2009-07-21T06:25:56Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Establishment== All representatives of the [[Daoist Association of the Republic of China]] in Beijing belong to the [[Complete Perfection Tradition]]. Therefore, under the dire...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Establishment== All representatives of the [[Daoist Association of the Republic of China]] in Beijing belong to the [[Complete Perfection Tradition]]. Therefore, under the direction of the 62nd Celestial master Zhang Yuanxu, the leader of the [[Orthodox Oneness School]], located on Longhu Mountain, in Jiangxi Province, the Orthodox Oneness School decided to set up another nationwide Daoist organization. In September of the first year of the Republic of China(1912), Zhang Yuanxu and representatives of the Orthodox Oneness School from Shanghai, Suzhou and Wuxi held the initiation conference. They announced the establishment of the General Daoist Association of the Republic of China after that. An office of the Jiangxi Headquarters was set up in Shanghai. Although one thousand people participated in the inaugural meeting, the Daoist association established by the Orthodox Oneness School never received recognition by the government of the Republic of China. ==Aims== Regard the Yellow Emperor and Laozi as the primal ancestors, build relationships with different schools and advocate Daoism. Maintain the world by means of morality and help human beings to achieve international peace. ==Organizations== The Longhu Mountain in Jiangxi province is the Headquarters, though the general Headquarters is in Beijing and the general department is in Shanghai. All the capital cities can set up subsections. Counties and business centers can have branches. ==Admission== Anyone, regardless of nationality, who is devoted to Daoism, whether maintaining family life or having renounced it, can be admitted. ==Remarks== As this association had not received official recognition, the General Daoist Association of the Orthodox Oneness School, established under the Republic of China, did not set up on a national level and never had nationwide activities. [[zh:中華民國道教總會]] f5c3131a284135de9831076d99bce5c6ab0c843d 0 19 35 2009-07-21T06:37:43Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Daoism spread to Singapore with immigrant Chinese. There are three stages for Daoism's spread to Singapore. ==First Period== In the 19th century, there were no professional Daoi...' wikitext text/x-wiki Daoism spread to Singapore with immigrant Chinese. There are three stages for Daoism's spread to Singapore. ==First Period== In the 19th century, there were no professional Daoist priests in Singapore. Devotees set up altars and built temples to burn incense and worship in accordance with Chinese tradition by themselves. It was said that the earliest Daoist temple the Shuntian Temple was built in 1796 in Singapore. It enshrined Fujian popular god Reverend Eldest Uncle. ===Other earlier Daoist temples=== #Sworn Brotherhood Temple. It was said that the chivalrous persons who fought against the Qing army and wanted to restore the Ming government built this temple after they were exiled to Singapore. They swore to become brothers and fight together to recover the Ming dynasty. So they called it Sworn Brotherhood Temple. It enshrined Patriarch Pristine Water and Bao the Clear Sky. #Heavenly Blessed Temple, it is the most influential temple in Singapore. All the materials of this temple including stone, girders, bricks, tiles and colored glaze, were shipped to Singapore from Fujian by sailboat. Its construction lasted twenty years. It enshrined Motherly Matriarch. In 1973, Singapore's government listed it as national historic site. #Loyal and Righteous Temple. It enshrines [[Lord Guan]], [[The Great Jade Emperor[[ and Reverend Eldest Uncle, etc. When there were more Chinese immigrant to Singapore, they built different kinds of temples. ==The Second Period== After the 1920s, Daoist priests from Southern China began to arrive in Singapore to set up altars, manage Daoist temples and undertake ritual activities. Several decades later, there were Daoist priests from Fujian, Fuzhou, Xinghuan, Guangdong and Kejian. Fujian Daoist priests lead other provinces in numbers of priests and they are the most influential. ==The Third Period== After Singapore founded its own country, Daoism began to be unified and became more academic. The Three Purities Daoist Organization was founded in Singapore. It conducted a "Nation-wide Marine, Terrestrial, and Aerial Ritual of Salvation" in 1985 and attracted tens of thousands of pilgrims. In March 1990, the Three Purities Daoist Organization and twenty-seven other Daoist organizations founded the General Daoist Organization of Singapore. It held One Month Daoist Culture activity, and invited Daoist delegations from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan to conduct rituals of Fasts and Offerings together. [[The Singapore Daoist Assocaition]] was founded in 1996. It has conducted three times large scale Daoist Festivals. It prepares to open a Daoist Academy to study Daoist thought and carry forward traditional cultures. [[zh:新加坡的道教]] 03bac9a0416d128d6b0eec01958d724b50be1bd6 36 35 2009-07-21T06:39:07Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki Daoism spread to Singapore with immigrant Chinese. There are three stages for Daoism's spread to Singapore. ==First Period== In the 19th century, there were no professional Daoist priests in Singapore. Devotees set up altars and built temples to burn incense and worship in accordance with Chinese tradition by themselves. It was said that the earliest Daoist temple the Shuntian Temple was built in 1796 in Singapore. It enshrined Fujian popular god Reverend Eldest Uncle. ===Other earlier Daoist temples=== ====Sworn Brotherhood Temple==== It was said that the chivalrous persons who fought against the Qing army and wanted to restore the Ming government built this temple after they were exiled to Singapore. They swore to become brothers and fight together to recover the Ming dynasty. So they called it Sworn Brotherhood Temple. It enshrined Patriarch Pristine Water and Bao the Clear Sky. ====Heavenly Blessed Temple==== It is the most influential temple in Singapore. All the materials of this temple including stone, girders, bricks, tiles and colored glaze, were shipped to Singapore from Fujian by sailboat. Its construction lasted twenty years. It enshrined Motherly Matriarch. In 1973, Singapore's government listed it as national historic site. ====Loyal and Righteous Temple==== It enshrines [[Lord Guan]], [[The Great Jade Emperor[[ and Reverend Eldest Uncle, etc. When there were more Chinese immigrant to Singapore, they built different kinds of temples. ==The Second Period== After the 1920s, Daoist priests from Southern China began to arrive in Singapore to set up altars, manage Daoist temples and undertake ritual activities. Several decades later, there were Daoist priests from Fujian, Fuzhou, Xinghuan, Guangdong and Kejian. Fujian Daoist priests lead other provinces in numbers of priests and they are the most influential. ==The Third Period== After Singapore founded its own country, Daoism began to be unified and became more academic. The Three Purities Daoist Organization was founded in Singapore. It conducted a "Nation-wide Marine, Terrestrial, and Aerial Ritual of Salvation" in 1985 and attracted tens of thousands of pilgrims. In March 1990, the Three Purities Daoist Organization and twenty-seven other Daoist organizations founded the General Daoist Organization of Singapore. It held One Month Daoist Culture activity, and invited Daoist delegations from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan to conduct rituals of Fasts and Offerings together. [[The Singapore Daoist Assocaition]] was founded in 1996. It has conducted three times large scale Daoist Festivals. It prepares to open a Daoist Academy to study Daoist thought and carry forward traditional cultures. [[zh:新加坡的道教]] 6577429748bc732ad14b8925e6d5649948701051 37 36 2009-07-21T06:39:27Z Admin 1 /* Loyal and Righteous Temple */ wikitext text/x-wiki Daoism spread to Singapore with immigrant Chinese. There are three stages for Daoism's spread to Singapore. ==First Period== In the 19th century, there were no professional Daoist priests in Singapore. Devotees set up altars and built temples to burn incense and worship in accordance with Chinese tradition by themselves. It was said that the earliest Daoist temple the Shuntian Temple was built in 1796 in Singapore. It enshrined Fujian popular god Reverend Eldest Uncle. ===Other earlier Daoist temples=== ====Sworn Brotherhood Temple==== It was said that the chivalrous persons who fought against the Qing army and wanted to restore the Ming government built this temple after they were exiled to Singapore. They swore to become brothers and fight together to recover the Ming dynasty. So they called it Sworn Brotherhood Temple. It enshrined Patriarch Pristine Water and Bao the Clear Sky. ====Heavenly Blessed Temple==== It is the most influential temple in Singapore. All the materials of this temple including stone, girders, bricks, tiles and colored glaze, were shipped to Singapore from Fujian by sailboat. Its construction lasted twenty years. It enshrined Motherly Matriarch. In 1973, Singapore's government listed it as national historic site. ====Loyal and Righteous Temple==== It enshrines [[Lord Guan]], [[The Great Jade Emperor]] and Reverend Eldest Uncle, etc. When there were more Chinese immigrant to Singapore, they built different kinds of temples. ==The Second Period== After the 1920s, Daoist priests from Southern China began to arrive in Singapore to set up altars, manage Daoist temples and undertake ritual activities. Several decades later, there were Daoist priests from Fujian, Fuzhou, Xinghuan, Guangdong and Kejian. Fujian Daoist priests lead other provinces in numbers of priests and they are the most influential. ==The Third Period== After Singapore founded its own country, Daoism began to be unified and became more academic. The Three Purities Daoist Organization was founded in Singapore. It conducted a "Nation-wide Marine, Terrestrial, and Aerial Ritual of Salvation" in 1985 and attracted tens of thousands of pilgrims. In March 1990, the Three Purities Daoist Organization and twenty-seven other Daoist organizations founded the General Daoist Organization of Singapore. It held One Month Daoist Culture activity, and invited Daoist delegations from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan to conduct rituals of Fasts and Offerings together. [[The Singapore Daoist Assocaition]] was founded in 1996. It has conducted three times large scale Daoist Festivals. It prepares to open a Daoist Academy to study Daoist thought and carry forward traditional cultures. [[zh:新加坡的道教]] 61acbbff1ac5047691594e775b8a8e8af53d2d7f 0 20 38 2009-07-21T06:47:35Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Daoist Immortality beliefs and techniques spread to Japan in the 7th century. Japanese students studied Daoist magical arts in China and took Daoist scriptures to Japan. From the...' wikitext text/x-wiki Daoist Immortality beliefs and techniques spread to Japan in the 7th century. Japanese students studied Daoist magical arts in China and took Daoist scriptures to Japan. From the Pianan era, Daoist practice of Gengshen Day of Alertness was very popular in Japan. (Daoism believes that there are three cadavers named Peng Ju, Peng Zhi and Peng Qiao in the human body. They would go the heaven to tell of peoples' demerits while people are asleep on the Day of Genshen, and in this way one's life span will be shortened.) For the Daoist followers, they will stay awake day and night on the Day of Genshen to prevent the departure of the three cadavers. This custom is called Keeping Awake on the Day of Genshen ( 守庚申 Shou Gengshen ). [[On Supreme Correspondence]] ( 太上感應篇 Taishang Ganying Pian )was disseminated among the Japanese in the 15th century. Daoist folk beliefs like the sacrifice to the Stove God, Earth God, City God, Mazu and Emperor Guan are still kept in Chongsun county. Nowadays, besides the temples of Emperor Guan in Hakodate, Yokohama, Osaka, Kobe and Nagasaki by the Chinese, the Japanese have built Daoist temples too. Duomo Temple is located on Dayue Mountain in West Tokyo, and Muxiu is its director. Tianzhong Jiaofu founded Xian-dao-lian in Tokyo, which aims at attainment of the immortal realm of no aging and no death. Tianzhong jiaofu studied at the [[White Cloud Temple]] in Beijing. Zaodao zhengxiong founded Chiboli in the Fuxian Island. He said that he once studied Daoism in Taiwan and claimed himself the thirteenth patriarch of the Dragon Gate Tradition. In 1991, he led 124 Daoist believers to make a pilgrimage to the White Cloud Temple. The Scripture Master of the White Cloud Temple conducted the "Ritual for Blessing, elimination of Disaster and Longevity", and presented each of them Daoist a costume and a scarf. Recently, hundreds of Japanese have come for pilgrimage and obeisance. e209669d19c7f2af4486f2992ceb46429e669b5c 39 38 2009-07-21T07:09:37Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki Daoist Immortality beliefs and techniques spread to Japan in the 7th century. Japanese students studied Daoist magical arts in China and took Daoist scriptures to Japan. From the Pianan era, Daoist practice of Gengshen Day of Alertness was very popular in Japan. (Daoism believes that there are three cadavers named Peng Ju, Peng Zhi and Peng Qiao in the human body. They would go the heaven to tell of peoples' demerits while people are asleep on the Day of Genshen, and in this way one's life span will be shortened.) For the Daoist followers, they will stay awake day and night on the Day of Genshen to prevent the departure of the three cadavers. This custom is called Keeping Awake on the Day of Genshen ( 守庚申 Shou Gengshen ). [[On Supreme Correspondence]] ( 太上感應篇 Taishang Ganying Pian )was disseminated among the Japanese in the 15th century. Daoist folk beliefs like the sacrifice to the Stove God, Earth God, City God, Mazu and Emperor Guan are still kept in Chongsun county. Nowadays, besides the temples of Emperor Guan in Hakodate, Yokohama, Osaka, Kobe and Nagasaki by the Chinese, the Japanese have built Daoist temples too. Duomo Temple is located on Dayue Mountain in West Tokyo, and Muxiu is its director. Tianzhong Jiaofu founded Xian-dao-lian in Tokyo, which aims at attainment of the immortal realm of no aging and no death. Tianzhong jiaofu studied at the [[White Cloud Temple]] in Beijing. Zaodao zhengxiong founded Chiboli in the Fuxian Island. He said that he once studied Daoism in Taiwan and claimed himself the thirteenth patriarch of the Dragon Gate Tradition. In 1991, he led 124 Daoist believers to make a pilgrimage to the White Cloud Temple. The Scripture Master of the White Cloud Temple conducted the "Ritual for Blessing, elimination of Disaster and Longevity", and presented each of them Daoist a costume and a scarf. Recently, hundreds of Japanese have come for pilgrimage and obeisance. [[zh:日本的道教]] 798172f6e43d8dcde6c961f7b011b65440fcb9e2 0 21 40 2009-07-21T07:22:47Z Admin 1 Created page with 'There were many Daoist followers in Korea in the 7th century based on the Korean record in the Incidents of the Three Kingdoms. When the Gao Emperor of the Tang got to know of th...' wikitext text/x-wiki There were many Daoist followers in Korea in the 7th century based on the Korean record in the Incidents of the Three Kingdoms. When the Gao Emperor of the Tang got to know of this situation, he sent Daoist priests and scriptures to Korea. Daoism became the national religion during the Korean Gaojuli Dynasty. Chinese Daoist priests went to Korea on religious missions and converted Buddhist temples into Daoist temples and their position was higher than that of Confucians. In the Gaoli era (same time as the Song Dynasty), Emperor Rui Zong built the first Daoist Temple --Blessing Fount Palace, and conducted fasts and offerings ( 齋醮儀式 Qijiao Yishi ) to avoid disasters for the country. Prince Yuanzong practiced Daoist Keeping Awake at the Day of Genshen and made it a national custom. When Korea entered the Li Dynasty, they sent ambassadors to China to learn Daoist Fasts and Offerings rituals. Cheng Emperor of the Ming Dynasty sent persons specially assigned for taking 600 kinds of Daoist moral tracts ( 道教勸善書 Daojiao Quanshan Shu ) to Korea. Because a Daoist organization was not formed in Korea, it vanished into folk beliefs or other religious beliefs (Heavenly Daoism). There are eleven Daoist temples in Korea and three hundred Daoist priests. Though Korean Daoist temples are quite different from those of China, it is alive and closely linked to the Korean's daily life. [[zh:朝鮮的道教]] 16ba5c9052579adb4d2fabfefff00668cc8eb64b 0 22 41 2009-07-21T07:32:50Z Admin 1 Created page with 'In recent years, Daoism has spread to Europe and America and has produced some influence. ==U.S.A== Zhongfu Temple is seated in Arizona. Its master Dr. Kandi visited the [[White ...' wikitext text/x-wiki In recent years, Daoism has spread to Europe and America and has produced some influence. ==U.S.A== Zhongfu Temple is seated in Arizona. Its master Dr. Kandi visited the [[White Cloud Temple]] in Beijing, the [[Black Sheep Temple in Chengdu]], [[Embracing Simplicity Temple in Hangzhou]] in 1987. In New York, there is a Heavenly Matriarch Temple and its director visited the White Cloud Temple in Beijing in 1988. Xia Mangen, director of the Purple Root Pavilion in San Francisco visited the White Cloud Temple in Beijing in 1989. The director of Ultimate Mystery Temple in Hawaii visited the White Cloud Temple in Beijing in 1990. Its director is the daughter of the 63th Celestial Master. Ching Chung Koon has branches in the states. Prof. Saso at the University of Hawaii learned Daoism in Taiwan and edited the Continued Daoist Canon of Zhuanglin. ==Canada== There is Penglai Temple in Toronto, Canada. In 1988, Director [[Min Zhiting]], [[Xie Zongxin]] were invited to this temple to give lectures on Daoist philosophy and cultivation. [[Ching Chung Koon]] has branches in Canada. ==England== There are thousands of Daoist devotees in England. A British Daoist Association was founded in 1996 and started the journal, Dragon's Month. ==France== There is Daoist association in France. Ms. Cheng Zhifan, chairwoman of this association visited China with a delegation. Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes de Paris has a Daoist studies group. The adviser, Kristofer Shipper learned Daoism in Taiwan for several years and he is a registered Daoist priest. This group finished a large project, i.e., Thorough Investigation of Daoist Canon. ==Australia== Daoism went to Australia one century ago by immigrants. Temple of Emperor Guan was built a long time ago. Ching Chung Koon started a branch in 1991 in Sidney and began another branch in New South Whales in 1999 Australia. Australian Chinese Chen Jingzhong built Temple of Immortal Huang in Australia in 1999. Min Zhiting led a delegation to attend an important ritual. In addition, many students from Europe and America went to the Chinese Social Science Academy and the Religious Studies Institute of Sichuan University to study Daoism since the 1980s. Daoism is increasingly recognized and understood internationally. [[zh:歐美的道教]] 0cc64dadb0f1ba099d186a3f35bf13e092b59c69 0 23 42 2009-07-21T08:30:07Z Admin 1 Created page with 'During emperor Shun's reign in the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 126-144), the "Mighty Commonwealth of the Orthodox Oneness' -- which was popularly called the "Five Pecks of Rice Tradi...' wikitext text/x-wiki During emperor Shun's reign in the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 126-144), the "Mighty Commonwealth of the Orthodox Oneness' -- which was popularly called the "Five Pecks of Rice Tradition' -- was founded in ancient Sichuan by [[Zhang Ling]], who had originally come from ancient Shandong. According to historical books such as the ''Biography of Zhang Lu'' in the ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'', and the ''Biography of Liu Yan in the History of the Later Han'', Zhang Ling came to Sichuan during Emperor Shun's reign and started to study Dao on [[Mt. Heming]], which is located in Dayi county, Sichuan Province. He wrote Talismanic Books there and spread Daoism among the local people. Because each follower was supposed to offer him five pecks of rice, the government called them "Rice Robbers". The founding of the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition was linked with the primitive religions of the local minority tribes of ancient Southwest China. The Five Pecks of Rice Tradition worshipped the Three Heavenly Officials, i.e. Heaven, Earth and Water, which were also worshipped by king Fu Jian of the pre-Qin Di minority state, as well as by king Yao Chang of the post-Qin Qiang state. Therefore, some modern scholars suggest that what Zhang Ling learnt on Mt. Heming was actually the ancient Di and Qiang tribal religions, which were then improved with ideas taken from Laozi. Meng Wengtong, another modern scholar, also considers that the Celestial Master sect of the Orthodox Oneness originated in the ancient religions of the minority tribes of the Southwest. Around the end of the Han dynasty, some Southwestern minority tribes began to migrate north, and the Di and other tribes arrived at the upper and middle reaches of the Han river where, just in this period, the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition was spreading. In fact, the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition absorbed not only the Immortalist culture of the ancient Yan and Qi coastal states, but also the primitive religions of the Southwestern minority nationalities. In ancient China, belief in shamanism and in spirits was very popular among tribes such as the Di, the Qiang and the Miao. Many such stories were recorded in the Book of Mountains and Seas. While learning and spreading Daoism among minorities in the Southwest, Zhang Ling was inevitably affected by and absorbed the local beliefs in shamans and spirits, in the process winning himself more support from local minority tribes. After reforming the primitive shamanistic beliefs and combining them with the Immortalist culture of Yan and Qi, Zhang Ling founded the new Five Pecks of Rice Tradition. Leadership of the sect was passed down from Zhang Ling to his son Zhang Heng, and then to his grandson Zhang Lu. These would later be called the "Three Zhangs" or "Three Masters" - the "Celestial Master", the "Succeeding Master" and the "Lineal Master" respectively. There is little mention in historic records of how Zhang Ling founded Daoism. Similarly, there are but scanty references to Zhang Heng. Comparatively speaking, there are more detailed records about Zhang Xiu and Zhang Lu. ''Zhang Lu's Biography'' in the Records of the Three Kingdoms quoted Yu Zhu's ''Brief Classic'' as stating that during the Guanghe reign (AD 178-184), Zhang Xiu was the master of the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition in the middle reaches of the Han River. He also cured patients by making them kneel and confess their sins, drink magic water, and repent their wickedness in meditation rooms. Some followers were designated as ''"Qianling Libationers"'', who were in charge of reciting the Book of Dao and its Virtue, which all disciples were required to study. This was called ''Jianling''. Meanwhile, Spirit Officers prayed for patients' health by recording their names and sins, and sending (burning) written memorials to the Three Heavenly Officials of Heaven, Earth and Water. The patients offered five pecks of rice for such petitions. Hence, the Spirit Officers were also called Masters of the Five Pecks of Rice, to whom the ordinary people showed great respect. Afterwards, when Zhang Lu came to the middle reaches of the Han River, he killed Zhang Xiu in a raid. Because the locals believed in Zhang Xiu's sect, he used its teachings as a foundation and reformed it. Zhang Lu asked his followers to set up Generosity Halls, where rice and meat were placed to feed travellers. He also admonished his followers to live in seclusion, and for each sinner to contribute his labour to build 100-step-long stretches of road in order to absolve his sins. In addition, following the lunar calendar, butchering and drinking alcohol were forbidden during spring and summer. Zhang Lu called himself the 'Lord of Masters'. Newcomers to the sect were called Spirit Subordinates, while more senior disciples who devoted themselves piously to the sect were given the title 'Libationer', and put in charge of the basic units of the sect. Those who controlled large numbers of followers were called 'District Head Great Libationers'. By combining religion with administration, Zhang Lu controlled a large area of ancient Sichuan (Ba) and Hubei (Han) for almost 30 years. During this period, people living there enjoyed a peaceful life. After Zhang Lu surrendered in AD 215 to the northern warlord Cao Cao, the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition spread to the northern and middle parts of China. After the Jin regime united whole country, the sect continued to spread to the coastal areas in the Southeast, and then to the whole country. Even the great calligrapher Wang Xizi and his son were members of the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition. 6ad2f6769e0a4e2cdcd30b1bba48eb271d472890 43 42 2009-07-21T08:31:12Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki During emperor Shun's reign in the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 126-144), the "Mighty Commonwealth of the Orthodox Oneness' -- which was popularly called the "Five Pecks of Rice Tradition' -- was founded in ancient Sichuan by [[Zhang Ling]], who had originally come from ancient Shandong. According to historical books such as the ''Biography of Zhang Lu'' in the ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'', and the ''Biography of Liu Yan in the History of the Later Han'', Zhang Ling came to Sichuan during Emperor Shun's reign and started to study Dao on [[Mt. Heming]], which is located in Dayi county, Sichuan Province. He wrote Talismanic Books there and spread Daoism among the local people. Because each follower was supposed to offer him five pecks of rice, the government called them "Rice Robbers". The founding of the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition was linked with the primitive religions of the local minority tribes of ancient Southwest China. The Five Pecks of Rice Tradition worshipped the Three Heavenly Officials, i.e. Heaven, Earth and Water, which were also worshipped by king Fu Jian of the pre-Qin Di minority state, as well as by king Yao Chang of the post-Qin Qiang state. Therefore, some modern scholars suggest that what Zhang Ling learnt on Mt. Heming was actually the ancient Di and Qiang tribal religions, which were then improved with ideas taken from Laozi. Meng Wengtong, another modern scholar, also considers that the Celestial Master sect of the Orthodox Oneness originated in the ancient religions of the minority tribes of the Southwest. Around the end of the Han dynasty, some Southwestern minority tribes began to migrate north, and the Di and other tribes arrived at the upper and middle reaches of the Han river where, just in this period, the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition was spreading. In fact, the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition absorbed not only the Immortalist culture of the ancient Yan and Qi coastal states, but also the primitive religions of the Southwestern minority nationalities. In ancient China, belief in shamanism and in spirits was very popular among tribes such as the Di, the Qiang and the Miao. Many such stories were recorded in the Book of Mountains and Seas. While learning and spreading Daoism among minorities in the Southwest, Zhang Ling was inevitably affected by and absorbed the local beliefs in shamans and spirits, in the process winning himself more support from local minority tribes. After reforming the primitive shamanistic beliefs and combining them with the Immortalist culture of Yan and Qi, Zhang Ling founded the new Five Pecks of Rice Tradition. Leadership of the sect was passed down from Zhang Ling to his son Zhang Heng, and then to his grandson Zhang Lu. These would later be called the "Three Zhangs" or "Three Masters" - the "Celestial Master", the "Succeeding Master" and the "Lineal Master" respectively. There is little mention in historic records of how Zhang Ling founded Daoism. Similarly, there are but scanty references to Zhang Heng. Comparatively speaking, there are more detailed records about Zhang Xiu and Zhang Lu. ''Zhang Lu's Biography'' in the Records of the Three Kingdoms quoted Yu Zhu's ''Brief Classic'' as stating that during the Guanghe reign (AD 178-184), Zhang Xiu was the master of the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition in the middle reaches of the Han River. He also cured patients by making them kneel and confess their sins, drink magic water, and repent their wickedness in meditation rooms. Some followers were designated as ''"Qianling Libationers"'', who were in charge of reciting the Book of Dao and its Virtue, which all disciples were required to study. This was called ''Jianling''. Meanwhile, Spirit Officers prayed for patients' health by recording their names and sins, and sending (burning) written memorials to the Three Heavenly Officials of Heaven, Earth and Water. The patients offered five pecks of rice for such petitions. Hence, the Spirit Officers were also called Masters of the Five Pecks of Rice, to whom the ordinary people showed great respect. Afterwards, when Zhang Lu came to the middle reaches of the Han River, he killed Zhang Xiu in a raid. Because the locals believed in Zhang Xiu's sect, he used its teachings as a foundation and reformed it. Zhang Lu asked his followers to set up Generosity Halls, where rice and meat were placed to feed travellers. He also admonished his followers to live in seclusion, and for each sinner to contribute his labour to build 100-step-long stretches of road in order to absolve his sins. In addition, following the lunar calendar, butchering and drinking alcohol were forbidden during spring and summer. Zhang Lu called himself the 'Lord of Masters'. Newcomers to the sect were called Spirit Subordinates, while more senior disciples who devoted themselves piously to the sect were given the title 'Libationer', and put in charge of the basic units of the sect. Those who controlled large numbers of followers were called 'District Head Great Libationers'. By combining religion with administration, Zhang Lu controlled a large area of ancient Sichuan (Ba) and Hubei (Han) for almost 30 years. During this period, people living there enjoyed a peaceful life. After Zhang Lu surrendered in AD 215 to the northern warlord Cao Cao, the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition spread to the northern and middle parts of China. After the Jin regime united whole country, the sect continued to spread to the coastal areas in the Southeast, and then to the whole country. Even the great calligrapher Wang Xizi and his son were members of the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition. [[zh:正一盟威道]] da505ac53f7bd15f16142e2402b62f1b391403ec 0 24 44 2009-07-21T08:35:16Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Elixir Cauldron Sect was also called the Golden Elixir tradition, which was the general calling for all Daoist sects based on securing immortality by practising Alchemy. Orig...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Elixir Cauldron Sect was also called the Golden Elixir tradition, which was the general calling for all Daoist sects based on securing immortality by practising Alchemy. Originally, it evolved from the ancient Immortalists and [[The Magic and Immortality tradition]]. The earliest theoretical book on Alchemy was the ''[[Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]]'' which, enjoying the reputation of being 'the king of ancient books on alchemy', had great influence on later alchemists. During the Wei and Jin dynasties (AD 220-316), [[Ge Hong]], a famous Daoist, summed up and developed the Immortalist doctrine of the Golden Elixir tradition. During the Northern and Southern dynasties and Sui and Tang dynasties (AD 420 - 907), the Golden Elixir tradition was characterized by its practices of Outer (laboratory) Alchemy. During the Song and Yuan dynasties (AD 960-1368), there was a shift from [[Outer Alchemy]] to [[Inner (meditative) Alchemy]]. Both the Southern and Northern Schools of the Complete Perfection sect practiced Inner Alchemy. Through its pursuit of Immortality, the Elixir Cauldron Sect developed the ancient Chinese sciences of chemistry, Nourishing Life and Breathing Arts to a higher level. e5e5959cf0054e37249cf8b60fdb2d69b5b38be2 45 44 2009-07-21T08:38:03Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki The Elixir Cauldron Sect was also called the Golden Elixir tradition, which was the general calling for all Daoist sects based on securing immortality by practising Alchemy. Originally, it evolved from the ancient Immortalists and [[The Magic and Immortality tradition]]. The earliest theoretical book on Alchemy was the ''[[Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]]'' which, enjoying the reputation of being 'the king of ancient books on alchemy', had great influence on later alchemists. During the Wei and Jin dynasties (AD 220-316), [[Ge Hong]], a famous Daoist, summed up and developed the Immortalist doctrine of the Golden Elixir tradition. During the Northern and Southern dynasties and Sui and Tang dynasties (AD 420 - 907), the Golden Elixir tradition was characterized by its practices of Outer (laboratory) Alchemy. During the Song and Yuan dynasties (AD 960-1368), there was a shift from [[Outer Alchemy]] to [[Inner (meditative) Alchemy]]. Both the Southern and Northern Schools of the Complete Perfection sect practiced Inner Alchemy. Through its pursuit of Immortality, the Elixir Cauldron Sect developed the ancient Chinese sciences of chemistry, Nourishing Life and Breathing Arts to a higher level. [[zh:丹鼎派]] 6ea44d821934e77a0dedc22f2f276c40a2c612f8 0 25 46 2009-07-21T08:46:54Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Talismans and Registers Tradition was also called Talismanic WaterDaoism, which was the general calling for Daoist sects using Magical Skills such as Talismans and Incantatio...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Talismans and Registers Tradition was also called Talismanic WaterDaoism, which was the general calling for Daoist sects using Magical Skills such as Talismans and Incantations to dispel demons and cure the sick. [[The Five Pecks of Rice Tradition]] and the Supreme Peace in the early days of Daoism, as well as [[The Numinous Treasure Sect]], [[The Higher Clarity Sect]] and [[The Orthodox Oneness Sect]] in later times, belonged to the Talismans and Registers tradition. Since the Han and Wei dynasties, this tradition had remained in the mainstream of Daoism. During the Song and Yuan dynasties (AD 960-1368), conceptual and doctrinal reforms in alignment with the new social situation led to the emergence of new Talismans and Registers sects such as [[The Divine Heaven Sect]], [[The Pristine Subtlety Sect]] and [[The Pure Brightness Sect]]. This led to some innovations in Talismans and Registers and other Magical Skills. After the Yuan dynasty (AD 1271-1368), all Talismans and Registers sects were united under the domination of the Orthodox Oneness sect which, originating from ancient shamanism, employed Talismans and Registers and rites to avoid disasters and cure the sick as well as save lives, in a manner closely integrated into ordinary peoples' daily life and social conventions. [[zh:符籙派]] 82e19fe02237333a19e2d9d0b345207cd71ccdbf 0 26 47 2009-07-21T08:52:59Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Master Yu Tradition flourished during the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220-280). It was a short-lived sect which spread from North to South, primarily within the confines of Eas...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Master Yu Tradition flourished during the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220-280). It was a short-lived sect which spread from North to South, primarily within the confines of East Wu, a state in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze river. The sect took as its founder Yu Ji, a famous Daoist of the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 25-220) who had preached ''[[The Book of Supreme Peace]]''. It can thus be inferred that The Master Yu Tradition was either related to or belonged to the Supreme Peace sect. During the Three Kingdoms era when the Master Yu Tradition saw its spread in East Wu, a Daoist going by the name of Yu Ji came to Wuhui and set up temples where he burned incense, read Daoist scriptures and made [[Talismanic]] Water to cure the sick. Owing to his healings, many people in Wuhui became his followers. However, in order to prevent him from "Misleading the people", Shun Ce, king of East Wu, had him killed. This Daoist had obviously been preaching to the public using the name of the previous Yu Ji, who had lived during the Eastern Han dynasty. After his death, his followers denied that he could be killed. Instead, they regarded his apparent death as a case of "Deliverance from the Corpse". They continued to worship him for a long time. After the decline of the Master Yu Tradition, the Li Tradition started to prosper in the southern reaches of the Yangtze river. 5119dac7870ad07c38879c124e9a486f39e8858e 48 47 2009-07-21T08:53:35Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki The Master Yu Tradition flourished during the Three Kingdoms period (AD 220-280). It was a short-lived sect which spread from North to South, primarily within the confines of East Wu, a state in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze river. The sect took as its founder Yu Ji, a famous Daoist of the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 25-220) who had preached ''[[The Book of Supreme Peace]]''. It can thus be inferred that The Master Yu Tradition was either related to or belonged to the Supreme Peace sect. During the Three Kingdoms era when the Master Yu Tradition saw its spread in East Wu, a Daoist going by the name of Yu Ji came to Wuhui and set up temples where he burned incense, read Daoist scriptures and made [[Talismanic]] Water to cure the sick. Owing to his healings, many people in Wuhui became his followers. However, in order to prevent him from "Misleading the people", Shun Ce, king of East Wu, had him killed. This Daoist had obviously been preaching to the public using the name of the previous Yu Ji, who had lived during the Eastern Han dynasty. After his death, his followers denied that he could be killed. Instead, they regarded his apparent death as a case of "Deliverance from the Corpse". They continued to worship him for a long time. After the decline of the Master Yu Tradition, the Li Tradition started to prosper in the southern reaches of the Yangtze river. [[zh:于君道]] 3fb47df151b35e28cf87b69562e59c51ce0e2ec7 0 27 49 2009-07-21T09:02:04Z Admin 1 Created page with 'During the Wei and Jin dynasties (AD 220-420), the Li Tradition was active in the South. According to the chapter 'The Meaning of Dao' in the Book of ''[[The Master Who Embraces ...' wikitext text/x-wiki During the Wei and Jin dynasties (AD 220-420), the Li Tradition was active in the South. According to the chapter 'The Meaning of Dao' in the Book of ''[[The Master Who Embraces Simplicity]]'', during the reign of Great Emperor Wu, a certain Li A, also named 'the eight hundred-year-old gentleman', lived without food for years in the caves of ancient Sichuan. No one ever knew where he went at last. Later, a man named Li Kuan came to the Wu state. He spoke the dialect of Sichuan and used Talismanic Water to cure the sick. The locals considered Li Kuan to be Li A himself. So they called him "Eight-hundred-year-old Li" (Li Babai). Locals, including high ranking officials, thronged his home, to the point where many could not get in and had to show their respects outside his home. Some low-ranking officials and ordinary civilians escaping from corvee labour became his disciples. Accordingly, almost one thousand locals became his followers. Li Kuan set up a room for Daoist worship, which he called 'Lu'. Afterwards, when he suffered from seasonal febrile disease, he went into the 'Lu' on the pretext of fasting, and died in the room. His followers declared that their master had ascended to heaven and that he had merely been 'Delivered from his corpse'. The Li Tradition started in Sichuan and later spread throughout the ancient Wu state in the lower reaches of the Yangtze river during the Three Kingdoms era (AD 220-280). Just like the Zhang Celestial Masters Tradition, it used Talismanic Water and Talismans to cure the sick. Compared with the earlier Five Pecks of Rice Tradition, the Li Tradition was more mature. It had some influence even in the upper classes of society. During the Eastern Jin dynasty (AD 317-420), during the life of [[Ge Hong]], the Li Tradition remained popular in the South. Only after the Jin dynasty did it disappear gradually. It was probably then integrated into the Celestial Masters Tradition. [[zh:李家道]] 23db8071bb51812448824e55c123b99bd44975f4 0 28 50 2009-07-21T09:16:12Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Bo Tradition was active in the North as well as in Jiangsu and Zhejiang in the South, during the Wei and Bo dynasties (AD 220-420). Its origins remain mysterious even today. ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Bo Tradition was active in the North as well as in Jiangsu and Zhejiang in the South, during the Wei and Bo dynasties (AD 220-420). Its origins remain mysterious even today. According to historical data, it had links to Bo He, who was listed in The [[''Biographies of the Immortals'']]. Some stories said that he had transmitted [[''The Book of Supreme Peace'']] to Yu Ji, which shows a link between the Bo Tradition and the Supreme Peace Tradition. He also held such scriptures as the ''Great Heavenly Writs of the Three August Ones'', the ''Perfect Map of the Five Sacred Mountains and the Prescriptions for Divine Elixirs''. The ''Inner Writ of the Three August Ones'' and the ''Perfect Map of the Five Sacred Mountains'' were studied by and passed on within the Bo Tradition. Owing to Bo He's fame during the Wei and Bo dynasties, some Daoists in the North as well as in Jiangsu and Zhejiang in the South started to spread the Bo Tradition within popular customs in the lower classes of society. The Bo Tradition also had links with [[The Celestial Masters Tradition]]. During the Eastern Bo dynasty (AD 317-420), it witnessed its development in the upper class of society, which led to its combination with the Celestial Masters Tradition and [[The Highest Clarity Sect]]. a9caa0d1dcd2671f81876db6b418ac22b8fd7e34 51 50 2009-07-21T09:16:43Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki The Bo Tradition was active in the North as well as in Jiangsu and Zhejiang in the South, during the Wei and Bo dynasties (AD 220-420). Its origins remain mysterious even today. According to historical data, it had links to Bo He, who was listed in The ''[[Biographies of the Immortals]]''. Some stories said that he had transmitted ''[[The Book of Supreme Peace]]'' to Yu Ji, which shows a link between the Bo Tradition and the Supreme Peace Tradition. He also held such scriptures as the ''Great Heavenly Writs of the Three August Ones'', the ''Perfect Map of the Five Sacred Mountains and the Prescriptions for Divine Elixirs''. The ''Inner Writ of the Three August Ones'' and the ''Perfect Map of the Five Sacred Mountains'' were studied by and passed on within the Bo Tradition. Owing to Bo He's fame during the Wei and Bo dynasties, some Daoists in the North as well as in Jiangsu and Zhejiang in the South started to spread the Bo Tradition within popular customs in the lower classes of society. [[zh:帛家道]] The Bo Tradition also had links with [[The Celestial Masters Tradition]]. During the Eastern Bo dynasty (AD 317-420), it witnessed its development in the upper class of society, which led to its combination with the Celestial Masters Tradition and [[The Highest Clarity Sect]]. c70cae444de40e8f8607f4557110e2ceac10d6a9 0 29 52 2009-07-21T09:20:09Z Admin 1 Created page with 'A branch of the [[Five Pecks of Rice Tradition]], the Pristine Water Tradition came into being under the name of Celestial Master Zhang's servant. The tradition used 'Pristine Wa...' wikitext text/x-wiki A branch of the [[Five Pecks of Rice Tradition]], the Pristine Water Tradition came into being under the name of Celestial Master Zhang's servant. The tradition used 'Pristine Water' to cure the sick. According to the ''Book of Esoteric Explications of the Three Heavens'', on the Day of Pure Light (in the fifth solar term, a day for expressing wishes), the sick should burn incense and pray before a jar of 'Pristine Water' considered to contain Dao. According to historical data, the Jianwen Emperor Sima Li of the Eastern Jin dynasty (AD 317-420) was a disciple of Wang Puyang, a master of the Pristine Water Tradition living in the capital city, who used 'Pristine Water' to heal the sick and had prayed for the birth of his son. In terms of Magical Skills, the Pristine Water Tradition belonged to [[The Daoist Magic Charms Sect]]. [[zh:淸水道]] aedbeedd1ce87ba15f8a8147e1d56ead43de9ec0 0 30 53 2009-07-22T01:48:51Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The most important scripture of the Numinous Treasure sect was the ''Book of the Five Talismans of the Numinous Treasure''. The 'Numinous Treasure', which was mentioned by the Ma...' wikitext text/x-wiki The most important scripture of the Numinous Treasure sect was the ''Book of the Five Talismans of the Numinous Treasure''. The 'Numinous Treasure', which was mentioned by the Magicians as early as the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 25-220), originated from a mysterious charm for protecting human beings. It was called "the unsurpassable numinous treasure" in ''[[The Book of Supreme Peace]]''. Ge Chaopu, who was [[Ge Hong]]'s grandnephew, developed it into the ''Book of the Numinous Treasure'' composed of dozens of scrolls. After that, Lu Xiujin, another Daoist scholar, added new contents to it and set up a systematic theory, which brought forth the prosperous Numinous Treasure sect. Its main practices focused on Talismans and Registers as well as religious rites. Influenced by [[The Highest Clarity Sect]], it also included such practices as Visualizing Spirits and Recitation of Scriptures. The Numinous Treasure sect was between the old and the new, in that it contained not only the old contents of [[The Celestial Masters Sect]], but also new elements from the Highest Clarity sect. As a result, compared with the Highest Clarity sect, the Numinous Treasure sect became even more attractive to followers at different levels. Similar to the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition, it attached great importance to communal religious activities. However, these activities, different from the disordered racket of the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition, were characterized by collective recitation of scriptures and Ritual Offerings. All these were employed to convince the followers that because our body is inclined to killing, robbing and promiscuity, religious rites are necessary to control it; because our mouth is inclined to speaking obscene words, recitation of scriptures is needed to clean it; because our hearts are inclined to embracing vicious desires, Visualizing Spirits is needed to dispel them. Characteristic of the Numinous Treasure sect was its inclination to encourage salvation and good behavior. All its rites aimed at encouraging not only the individual's attainment of Immortality, but also good behaviour such as helping others, which was similar to the 'Universal compassion' of Buddhism. [[zh:靈寶派]] d5b8e51b6f0f6ddec6f531171443bd8eb222fa19 0 31 54 2009-07-22T02:07:55Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The development of the Highest Clarity sect was largely a fruit of the efforts of [[Tao Hongjing]], a famous Daoist. Although the Highest Clarity sect's basic framework, as well ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The development of the Highest Clarity sect was largely a fruit of the efforts of [[Tao Hongjing]], a famous Daoist. Although the Highest Clarity sect's basic framework, as well as some of its scriptures, had previously existed, the sect had not been very influential prior to Tao Hongjing. It was Tao Hongjing who systematized the history of the sect's origin and development. He summarized and developed the scriptures of the Highest Clarity tradition passed on him. On that basis, he declared the foundation of the the Highest Clarity sect. Tao Hongjing also raised Daoist religious theories to a higher level. Born in a gentleman's family with a good cultural tradition, he was fascinated with Daoist books such as the ''[[Biographies of the Immortals]]''. Because his career prospects were not very promising, he went to Mt. Mao to practise Daoism at the age of 36. He was interested in writing. His wide-ranging knowledge included Yin-Yang, the Five Agents, calculation, astrology, geography, and traditional medicine. As a scholar with various talents, he made several contributions to traditional pharmacology. He wrote many books including the ''[[Declarations of the Perfected]]'', [[''The Secret of Attainment to Immortality]]'', [[The Illustrated Ranking of the Immortals]], ''[[The Commentary to Shen Nong's Materia Medica]]'', and ''[[Methods for the Concoction of Elixirs]]''. Though a hermit, Tao Hongjing remained interested in politics. Different from ealier Daoists, he intended to help the rulers stabilize their thrones. His ''Illustrated Ranking of the Immortals'', in which all Immortals were classified by different ranks, legitimized feudalism in the secular society. The Highest Clarity sect, which came into being through Tao Hongjing's personal activities, never engaged itself in large-scale collective religious activities. Instead, it focused on exclusively personal practices. Consequently, most of its followers were intellectuals. Though absorbing other methods of practise, the Highest Clarity sect began to form its own characteristics. It stressed that attainment of longevity depended on spiritual cultivation, and integrated Buddhist theories on spiritual cultivation into Daoism. The Highest Clarity sect thus attached great importance to spiritual cultivation, which, in addition to Breathing Arts, was regarded as the most highly valued method for attaining longevity. [[zh:上清派]] e864d743b1bbf7f12fdb51507e3ab82d44d51045 55 54 2009-07-22T02:09:00Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki The development of the Highest Clarity sect was largely a fruit of the efforts of [[Tao Hongjing]], a famous Daoist. Although the Highest Clarity sect's basic framework, as well as some of its scriptures, had previously existed, the sect had not been very influential prior to Tao Hongjing. It was Tao Hongjing who systematized the history of the sect's origin and development. He summarized and developed the scriptures of the Highest Clarity tradition passed on him. On that basis, he declared the foundation of the the Highest Clarity sect. Tao Hongjing also raised Daoist religious theories to a higher level. Born in a gentleman's family with a good cultural tradition, he was fascinated with Daoist books such as the ''[[Biographies of the Immortals]]''. Because his career prospects were not very promising, he went to Mt. Mao to practise Daoism at the age of 36. He was interested in writing. His wide-ranging knowledge included Yin-Yang, the Five Agents, calculation, astrology, geography, and traditional medicine. As a scholar with various talents, he made several contributions to traditional pharmacology. He wrote many books including the ''[[Declarations of the Perfected]]'', ''[[The Secret of Attainment to Immortality]]'', ''[[The Illustrated Ranking of the Immortals]]'', ''[[The Commentary to Shen Nong's Materia Medica]]'', and ''[[Methods for the Concoction of Elixirs]]''. Though a hermit, Tao Hongjing remained interested in politics. Different from ealier Daoists, he intended to help the rulers stabilize their thrones. His ''Illustrated Ranking of the Immortals'', in which all Immortals were classified by different ranks, legitimized feudalism in the secular society. The Highest Clarity sect, which came into being through Tao Hongjing's personal activities, never engaged itself in large-scale collective religious activities. Instead, it focused on exclusively personal practices. Consequently, most of its followers were intellectuals. Though absorbing other methods of practise, the Highest Clarity sect began to form its own characteristics. It stressed that attainment of longevity depended on spiritual cultivation, and integrated Buddhist theories on spiritual cultivation into Daoism. The Highest Clarity sect thus attached great importance to spiritual cultivation, which, in addition to Breathing Arts, was regarded as the most highly valued method for attaining longevity. [[zh:上清派]] 9bedc8656f68b6012d8952bcb2ea6fead42ae14a 0 32 56 2009-07-22T02:19:19Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Lookout Tower Tradition came into being during the Northern Wei dynasty (AD 439-534) in the [[Mt. Zonglan]] area of Shanxi Province. It was another famous Daoist sect, which ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Lookout Tower Tradition came into being during the Northern Wei dynasty (AD 439-534) in the [[Mt. Zonglan]] area of Shanxi Province. It was another famous Daoist sect, which emerged after [[The Celestial Masters Sect]], [[The Higher Clarity Sect]] and [[The Numinous Treasure Sect]]. It saw its further development during the Northern Zhou dynasty (557-581) and its prosperity during the Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907), when it was the highlight of Daoism. After the rebellion of An Nushan and Shi Chongming, the Lookout Tower Tradition started to decline. In the Yuan dynasty, it was integrated into [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]]. The Lookout Tower Tradition regarded [[Yin Xi]] as its founder. Its most important scriptures included ''[[The Book of Dao and its Virtue]]'', The ''Book of Western Ascension'' and the ''Book of Sublime Perfection''. In addition, its scriptures also included those of the Higher Clarity and Numinous Treasure sects, as well as the Writ of the Three August Ones. The Higher Clarity sect had an especially great influence on the Lookout Tower Tradition. As a result, such scriptures as the ''Perfect Book of the Great Grotto'' and the ''Book of the Inner Landscape of the Yellow Court'' were also important. In order to contend with Buddhism, the Lookout Tower Tradition insisted on the theory of the 'Conversion of the Barbarians by Laozi', which claimed that Buddha was either a reincarnation of [[Laozi]] or had been converted by Laozi, so that the foreign Buddhist religion was but a copy of Daoism. This made the sect a northern stronghold in the polemic between Buddhism and Daoism. The sect's methods for longevity were characterized by its absorption of techniques from other Daoist sects, belonging either to the [[Talismans]] and [[Registers]] or Elixir Cauldron traditions. In terms of the history of Daoism's development, as well as the polemic between Buddhism and Daoism, the Lookout Tower Tradition played an important role. [[zh:樓觀派]] 26b925a85d36c7230e55d10ab1879ce8bec5d2f8 0 33 57 2009-07-22T02:25:34Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Twofold Mystery School was not a sect, but was a Daoist school of thought that based its commentaries to ''[[The Book of Dao and its Virtue]]'' on the concept of Twofold Myst...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Twofold Mystery School was not a sect, but was a Daoist school of thought that based its commentaries to ''[[The Book of Dao and its Virtue]]'' on the concept of Twofold Mystery, which in turn made it well-known. The origin of the Twofold Mystery was a sentence in chapter one of the Book of Dao and its Virtue: 'the mystery beyond mysteries is the doorway to all subtleties'. The origin of the Twofold Mystery School was related to the Science of Mysteries school of the Wei and Jin dynasties (AD 220-420), when Shun Deng's commentary to the Book of Dao and its Virtue based on the Twofold Mystery, paved the way for its development. After the Wei and Jin dynasties, more Daoist scholars continued in this mystical interpretive tradition. Meanwhile, the Buddhist concept of the Middle Way was absorbed. In the Tang dynasty, the Twofold Mystery school saw its prosperous period when many scholars became its advocates, including the outstanding Daoists Cheng Xuanying and Li Yong. Thanks to their hard work, the Twofold Mystery school became the most influential of Daoist Laozi Learning schools. Even Li Nongji, the Xuanzong Emperor of the Tang dynasty, based himself on the Twofold Mystery School when he commented on Laozi. The Twofold Mystery's interpretation of [[Laozi]] had two characteristics: firstly, ideas from ''[[Zhuangzi]]'' were quoted in the commentaries; secondly, ideas of Buddhist philosophy, particularly from the Sanguan and Tiantai sects, were quoted in the commentaries. This not only expanded Daoist religious theories but also deepened them. On the other hand, the Twofold Mystery School had a great influence on Buddhism. For example, the books of the Sanguan sect used the Daoist concepts of 'Mystery' as well as 'Mystery Beyond Mystery" for a long time. Because the Twofold Mystery School focussed on theoretical logic, its scholars often defended Daoism in the polemic between Daoism and Buddhism in the Tang dynasty, which in turn led to the school's achieving high status in Daoism. At the end of the Tang dynasty and during the Five Dynasties (907-960), the impact of the Twofold Mystery School was still felt in ancient Sichuan, although it had been declining as a whole. Even in the Southern Song dynasty, old scholars like Shao Royui and Dong Siqin still understood the Twofold Mystery well, which was also frequently quoted in Daoist works such as the ''Collection of Commentaries on Laozi'' of the Song dynasty. This showed the impact left by the Twofold Mystery School. [[zh:重玄學派]] 5c90dc7a57191507424f80bc6e968dfc41d4feeb 0 34 58 2009-07-22T02:49:07Z Admin 1 Created page with 'A branch of [[the Orthodox Oneness sect]] in the Song dynasty (960-1279), the Heavenly Heart sect was well known for its Perfect Skills of the Heavenly Heart, the new Talisman sp...' wikitext text/x-wiki A branch of [[the Orthodox Oneness sect]] in the Song dynasty (960-1279), the Heavenly Heart sect was well known for its Perfect Skills of the Heavenly Heart, the new Talisman spread by the sect. According to Deng Yougong's ''Preface to the Perfect Skills of the Heavenly Heart of the Highest Heaven'', Rao Dongtian unearthed the Talismanis of the Heavenly Heart in the fifth year of Chunhua (AD 994). He showed them to Tan Zixiao, the famous Daoist of the Five Dynasties period (907-960), and got instruction from him. Afterward, Rao Dongtian became the first patriarch of the Heavenly Heart sect. In later times, a Daoist named Wang Taichu became famous across the nation because he used the Perfect Skills of the Heavenly Heart to subdue monsters. Lu Shizhong, a government official, also relied on the Skills of the Heavenly Heart to dispel demons. He was called 'Perfect Official Lu' by the ordinary people. Later, another Daoist named Lei Shousheng became known by the imperial court for his Perfect Skills. He was summoned to the court to cure the emperor's concubines. His success earned him the title "Magician of Pervasive Origin" from the emperor. Between the Song and Yuan dynasties, Heavenly Heart master Lei Shizhong set up temples and spread the Perfect Skills of the Heavenly Heart, attracting several thousand followers who were divided into two sects: the Southeast sect and the Western Shu sect. Until then, the Heavenly Heart sect spread widely. Taking the Polar Star as its main deity, the sect's teachings included the Big Dipper Sage, the Black Goblin, the Three Rays and the Three Talismans. Two important seals were also passed on in the sect: the seal of the Polar Star Exorcism Administration, and the seal of the Ruler of Great Laws of All Heavens. The sect's Talismanic Skills were comparatively simple but very popular. Afterwards, following its absorbing the Visualization Skills of the Highest Clarity sect, it stressed that the practice of Inner Alchemy should be a prerequisite for practising Magic Skills and that Dao should be the basis of Magical Skills. In the famous classical novel ''Outlaws of the Marsh'', Gong Shunsheng learnt the Five Thunder Skills of the Heavenly Heart to defeat his opponents. This story shows how popular Magical Skills were in the folk culture. [[zh:天心派]] fc823c3d8c93c56da0c6d8036c8d4c3ed7eaf86e 0 35 59 2009-07-22T02:53:47Z Admin 1 Created page with 'A new Talismans and Registers sect combining [[Inner Alchemy]] and [[Talismans]] and [[Registers]], the Divine Heaven sect came into being at the end of the Northern Song dynasty...' wikitext text/x-wiki A new Talismans and Registers sect combining [[Inner Alchemy]] and [[Talismans]] and [[Registers]], the Divine Heaven sect came into being at the end of the Northern Song dynasty (AD 960-1127). Wang Wenqin, its founder, was a Daoist from Nanfong, Jianxi who, in the name of the disciple of a Tang dynasty Daoist known as Master Wang, was summoned by emperor Huizong and assigned such positions as Senior Official of Supreme Simplicity, Document Collator of the Hall of Meditation, and Daoist Priest of the Golden Gate. Later, he was promoted to the rank of Minister of the Hall of Meditation, and entitled 'Gentleman of Emptiness in Communion with the Sublime'. The Divine Heaven sect attributed its Talismans and Registers to the Perfect King of Jade Clarity of the Divine Heaven, also known as the Great South Pole Emperor of Longevity, who was said to be the head of the celestial Thunder Agency. Because the Divine Heaven sect's Thunder Skills were encouraged by emperor Huizong's policies in favor of Daoism, they became incredibly popular in a short time during the Song dynasty. Emperor Huizong ordered that Longevity Temples of Jade Clarity of the Divine Heaven should be constructed in all regions to worship the Great Emperor of Divine Heaven. After that, the Divine Heaven sect spread continuously and divided into various branches. The Divine Heaven sect was characterized by a combination of Inner Alchemy and Talismans and Registers. Attributing its tradition of Inner Alchemy to Zhang Boduan's Southern Lineage of the Golden Elixir, it emphasized the Original Spirit and Inner Nature as prerequisites for Inner Refinement. It considered Inner Refinement to be the root, and Talismans and Registers the fruit, of spiritual practise. Starting with the theory of man's body as microcosm and the universe as macrocosm, the Daoists of the Divine Heaven sect equated the Thunder Spirits and deities controlled by Thunder Magic with the body's Essential Matter, Vital Breath, and Spirit, as well as with the Vital Breaths of the Five Viscera. In the Yuan dynasty, under the combined influence of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] and Confucianism, the Divine Heaven sect started to place more importance on practices of religious morality. Daoist ethical discipline, especially the emphasis on loyalty and filial piety, became increasingly important. [[zh:神霄派]] a3e12f80915c9388e159d1f0949c098fb8426b11 0 36 60 2009-07-22T03:01:46Z Admin 1 Created page with 'A new Talismans and Registers sect emerging at the end of the Tang dynasty and combining [[Inner Alchemy]] and [[Talismans]] and [[Registers]], the Pristine Subtlety sect attribu...' wikitext text/x-wiki A new Talismans and Registers sect emerging at the end of the Tang dynasty and combining [[Inner Alchemy]] and [[Talismans]] and [[Registers]], the Pristine Subtlety sect attributed its Talismans and Registers to [[the Primeval Heavenly Lord of Pristine Subtlety]]. This was the origin of the sect's name. According to the ''Pristine Subtlety Genealogy of Immortals'', the Pristine Subtlety sect was founded by Zhu Shu, who lived in Lingling (Guangxi) during the Tang dynasty. The sect's generation patriarch was Nan Bidao who, as a hermit on [[Mt. Qingcheng]] of Sichuan, transmitted Thunder Magic to Huang Shunshen, who afterwards became very famous in the capital city for his Thunder Magic. He was not only summoned by emperor Lizong of the Song dynasty, but in the Yuan dynasty was also granted the title 'Perfect Man and Universal Revealer of Blessings from the Thunderous Origin'. As tenth generation patriarch, Huang Shushen developed the scriptures of the Pristine Subtlety sect. As a result, more followers joined the sect, which also spread to more places. Similar to [[The Divine Heaven Sect]], the Talismans and Registers of the Pristine Subtlety sect were characterized by Thunder Magic which included many techniques and regarded Internal Refinement as the root of practise, and Talismans and Registers as its fruit. [[zh:清微派]] 862c58b70173715e040cb87fbefc514d81ed0245 0 37 61 2009-07-22T03:05:01Z Admin 1 Created page with 'A branch of [[The Numinous Treasure Sect]], the Donghua sect was founded by a Daoist named Ning Quanzheng. According to historical data, Wang Guyuan, a high-ranking official in t...' wikitext text/x-wiki A branch of [[The Numinous Treasure Sect]], the Donghua sect was founded by a Daoist named Ning Quanzheng. According to historical data, Wang Guyuan, a high-ranking official in the Song dynasty, inherited Daoist skills passed on by Donghua himself, who was also known as Master Danyuan. After that, these skills were passed on to Tian Linxu, who had previously learned the skills of the Numinous Treasure sect. So he integrated the skills of the Donghua sect with those of the Numinous Treasure sect, and passed them down to Ning Quanzheng, who had been summoned to the court of emperor Gao of the Song dynasty, and granted the titles 'Lofty Master of Pervasive Subtlety' and 'Gentleman Assisting in Creation'. In charge of Ritual Offerings in the imperial court, he became extremely famous in the capital city for his special talents in communicating with Saints and spirits. After a few generations, the skills of the Donghua sect were passed to Lin Lingzhen, who devoted himself to the salvation and expiation of souls, and presided over rites for salvation. He was granted the title 'Lofty Master and Preacher Penetrating into the Mystery of the Numinous Treasure'. He was in charge of Daoist affairs at Tianqing Temple. His disciples numbered several hundreds. The Ritual Offerings of the Donghua sect absorbed Inner Alchemy to such a degree that [[Inner Alchemy]] came to be regarded as the root of [[Talismans]] and [[Registers]]. [[zh:東華派]] e3acbcc558b31c4867c150f1b430fbcb0a3c7575 0 38 62 2009-07-22T03:08:16Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Pure Brightness sect was directly linked to the cult of a Perfect Man named [[Xu Xun]]. In the Tang dynasty, stories about Xu Xun started to become so popular that he was dei...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Pure Brightness sect was directly linked to the cult of a Perfect Man named [[Xu Xun]]. In the Tang dynasty, stories about Xu Xun started to become so popular that he was deified. That in turn led to increased worship for him. During the reigns of emperor Gaozong and empress Wu Zetian in the Tang dynasty, Hu Huichao, who was also known as the Gentleman of Pervasive Perfection, rebuilt Yuwei Temple on West Mountain, a memorial for Xu Xun. He also wrote books praising Xu Xun's filial piety, which paved the way for the Pure Brightness sect that would come into being in the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). Even as early as the Northern Song dynasty, Xu Xun had become well known for his filial piety because of encouragement from the government. The increased worship for him in the lower classes in turn laid a foundation for the Pure Brightness sect. In fact the emergence of the Pure Brightness sect in the Southern Song dynasty was a result of the worship for Xu Xun, who was also regarded as founder of the sect. According to the ''Preface to the Secret Skills for Subduing Demons'' from the ''Nine Elders' Newly-Carved Magical Seals of the Pure Brightness of the Numinous Treasure'' by He Shouchen of the Southern Song dynasty, the Perfect Man Xu Xun descended to West Mountain at the end of the Southern Song dynasty, teaching people basic ethics as well as the Secret Skills of the Pure Brightness of the Numinous Treasure. In fact, the real founder of the Pure Brightness sect was He Shouchen himself who was known as He Zhengong inside the sect. He ordained more than five hundred disciples and stressed loyalty and filial piety, whereas the previous worship for Xu Xun in the Tang dynasty emphasized only filial piety. Originally, the Pure Brightness sect was related to the Numinous Treasure sect. Some scholars consider that it actually originated in [[The Numinous Treasure Sect]]. [[zh:淨明道]] 10cff765c8e3da9218f7ab09a417f9cdaac70170 0 39 63 2009-07-22T03:10:12Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Great Dao Doctrine was founded by Liu Deren, who declared that an old man had taught him the mysterious Dao in the second Huangtong year (AD 1142) of the Jin dynasty (1115-12...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Great Dao Doctrine was founded by Liu Deren, who declared that an old man had taught him the mysterious Dao in the second Huangtong year (AD 1142) of the Jin dynasty (1115-1234), leading to the birth of the Great Dao Doctrine. Liu taught his disciples nine religious commandments which included ethical principles such as being loyal to the emperor, being kind to one's parents, being honest to others, remaining in quietude, staying away from passions and desires, being content with a simple life, being close to Dao, living on the fruits of one's own hard labor, living modestly, no stealing, no drinking, not being arrogant, and so on. So many people became his followers that preachers of the Great Dao Doctrine were seen in every corner of China. After his death, he was granted the title of Perfect Man. He was followed by patriarch Chen Shizheng of the second generation, partriarch Zhang Xinzhen of the third generation and Mao Xizong of the fourth generation. In the sixth Zhenda year (AD 1229) of emperor Ai's reign, the Great Dao Doctrine was banned. In the following years, it spread secretly among the lower classes of society. Consequently, there are few mentions of the sect remaining in the historical records. During emperor Xian's reign in the Yuan dynasty, the Great Dao Doctrine saw its fifth generation partriarch Li Xicheng, who won the trust of the rulers and changed the sect's name to the 'Perfect Doctrine of the Great Dao'. After the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368), the sect started to decline and, at last, integrated itself into [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]]. [[zh:大道教]] 80b4cdcda1238ef2ad351eeb1d7ca595d6ca9b1a 0 40 64 2009-07-22T03:18:41Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Supreme Oneness Doctrine was founded at the beginning of the Tianjuan period (1138-1140) of the reign of emperor Xizong of the Jin dynasty, by Xiao Baozhen, a native of Weizh...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Supreme Oneness Doctrine was founded at the beginning of the Tianjuan period (1138-1140) of the reign of emperor Xizong of the Jin dynasty, by Xiao Baozhen, a native of Weizhou (Ji county, Henan province). Its name originated from the worship of the Spirit of Supreme Oneness. The Triple-Origin Magic Registers of the Supreme Oneness were popularly practiced in the sect. The 'Supreme Oneness' referred to the process of creation of the universe, proceeding from the Chaos of the Original Vital Breath, dividing into the Yin-Yang poles of the Supreme Ultimate, and reintegrating into Pure Oneness. It also referred to a Daoist deity dating back to the Qin and Han dynasties (221 BC -AD 220). The 'Triple Origin' referred to the [[Three Heavenly Officials]] dedicated to Heaven, Earth and Water. Originally, the Supreme Oneness Doctrine belonged to [[the Orthodox Oneness Sect]]. The Triple-Origin Magic Registers of the Supreme Oneness invented by Xiao Baozen involved the use of ritual offerings and incantations to dispel evil and cure the sick, which so suited the needs of people in the lower class that the sect became well known in society. Consequently, many people became its followers. Its influence was seen even in the Shandong and Hebei areas. While stressing Talismanic Water and Ritual Offerings, the Supreme Oneness Doctrine also attached importance to Inner Alchemy. It regarded inner practices oriented to the realization of inner quietude and emptiness as the root, and Talismans and Registers as the fruit of spiritual practise, even though both types of practise were indispensable. This relationship paralleled the Divine Heaven and Pristine Subtlety sects that emerged at the same time. In compliance with ''[[The Book of Dao and its Virtue]]'', the Supreme Oneness Doctrine regarded softness as the essence of Dao. On the other hand, under the influence of Confucianism, it attached great importance to basic ethics such as loyalty and filial piety. 200 years after its birth, the Supreme Oneness Doctrine won itself great respect and support from the rulers of the Yuan dynasty when Hu Bilie, the first emperor of the Yuan regime, conferred upon Xiao Fudao, the fourth generation patriarch of the sect, the title 'Benevolent and Peaceful Perfect Man in the Harmony of Supreme Oneness'. The title of 'Perfect Man' was also conferred upon the three former patriarchs, as well as, in later periods, to patriarch Xiao Jushou of the fifth generation, patriarch Xiao Quanyu of the sixth generation, and patriarch Xiao Tianyu of the seventh generation. After the seventh generation patriarch, mention of the Supreme Oneness Doctrine was rarely found in the historical record. Neither the sect's patriarchs nor its priests wrote books from that time on. 166d8ad40ba8b87131b3a44ba2f489f2870c3696 65 64 2009-07-22T03:19:04Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki The Supreme Oneness Doctrine was founded at the beginning of the Tianjuan period (1138-1140) of the reign of emperor Xizong of the Jin dynasty, by Xiao Baozhen, a native of Weizhou (Ji county, Henan province). Its name originated from the worship of the Spirit of Supreme Oneness. The Triple-Origin Magic Registers of the Supreme Oneness were popularly practiced in the sect. The 'Supreme Oneness' referred to the process of creation of the universe, proceeding from the Chaos of the Original Vital Breath, dividing into the Yin-Yang poles of the Supreme Ultimate, and reintegrating into Pure Oneness. It also referred to a Daoist deity dating back to the Qin and Han dynasties (221 BC -AD 220). The 'Triple Origin' referred to the [[Three Heavenly Officials]] dedicated to Heaven, Earth and Water. Originally, the Supreme Oneness Doctrine belonged to [[the Orthodox Oneness Sect]]. The Triple-Origin Magic Registers of the Supreme Oneness invented by Xiao Baozen involved the use of ritual offerings and incantations to dispel evil and cure the sick, which so suited the needs of people in the lower class that the sect became well known in society. Consequently, many people became its followers. Its influence was seen even in the Shandong and Hebei areas. While stressing Talismanic Water and Ritual Offerings, the Supreme Oneness Doctrine also attached importance to Inner Alchemy. It regarded inner practices oriented to the realization of inner quietude and emptiness as the root, and Talismans and Registers as the fruit of spiritual practise, even though both types of practise were indispensable. This relationship paralleled the Divine Heaven and Pristine Subtlety sects that emerged at the same time. In compliance with ''[[The Book of Dao and its Virtue]]'', the Supreme Oneness Doctrine regarded softness as the essence of Dao. On the other hand, under the influence of Confucianism, it attached great importance to basic ethics such as loyalty and filial piety. 200 years after its birth, the Supreme Oneness Doctrine won itself great respect and support from the rulers of the Yuan dynasty when Hu Bilie, the first emperor of the Yuan regime, conferred upon Xiao Fudao, the fourth generation patriarch of the sect, the title 'Benevolent and Peaceful Perfect Man in the Harmony of Supreme Oneness'. The title of 'Perfect Man' was also conferred upon the three former patriarchs, as well as, in later periods, to patriarch Xiao Jushou of the fifth generation, patriarch Xiao Quanyu of the sixth generation, and patriarch Xiao Tianyu of the seventh generation. After the seventh generation patriarch, mention of the Supreme Oneness Doctrine was rarely found in the historical record. Neither the sect's patriarchs nor its priests wrote books from that time on. [[zh:太一教]] bc7bf01e35e8f14beddbc9ebafe5cae2d1251ad8 0 41 66 2009-07-22T03:54:08Z Admin 1 Created page with 'As the biggest and most important of the new Daoist sects emerging in the Song and Yuan dynasties (960-1368), the Complete Perfection Tradition saw its prosperity during the Jin ...' wikitext text/x-wiki As the biggest and most important of the new Daoist sects emerging in the Song and Yuan dynasties (960-1368), the Complete Perfection Tradition saw its prosperity during the Jin and Yuan dynasties (1115-1368). After the Yuan dynasty, the Complete Perfection Tradition and [[The Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] became the two main Daoist sects, a situation which remains unchanged even today. ==First Stage== Wang Ze, founder of the Complete Perfection Tradition, styled himself Chong Yangzi, and is known as Wang Chongyang. He came from a rich family in Hanyang city, Shanxi. After repeated failures in his career, he turned to Daoism. He claimed, in a small town called Ganhe, that he had been taught a secret formula by a mystic whom he had met in the forth Zhennong year (1159). After that, he left his family, starting to practice Dao in a cave located near Nanshi village on [[Mt. Zhongnan]]. He called the cave the 'Grave for the living', and called himself madman Wang, in reference to his feigned madness. In the seventh Dading year (1167), he set his shelter on fire and moved to Shandong peninsula where he started to preach the Complete Perfection Tradition. Seven adepts, [[Ma Yu]], [[Tan Chuduan]], [[Liu Chuxuan]], [[Qiu Chuji]], [[Wang Chuyi]], [[Hao Datong]] and [[Shun Bu'er]], became his disciples and ultimately became the backbone of Complete Perfection Tradition which would develop and prosper in the later period. The seven disciples also later established their respective branches. They came to be called [[The Seven Perfect Ones of the North]]. [[Wang Chongyang]] stayed in Shandong peninsula for merely three years to found and spread his religion. In the fall of the ninth Dading year (1169), he came back to Shanxi along with four disciples (Qiu, Liu, Tan and Ma), while Wang Chuyi and Hao Datong remained on Mt. Kunyu practicing Dao. Patriarch Wang died en route in Kaifeng city. Collecting more than one thousand poems left by him, his disciples edited and published the ''Compilation of the Complete Perfection''. After his death, Ma Yu, his first disciple, became the master, while the other six disciples continued preaching in such places as Shandong, Hebei, Shanxi and Henan, which in turn increased the sect's influence in the lower classes of society. Under Ma's leadership, the Complete Perfection Tradition focused on Non-interference, emptiness of all desires, and realization of one's inner nature. Meanwhile, it tried to attract more followers through its simple life and arduous religious practice. During this period, it established neither ties with the ruling class nor Daoist temples of its own. This was the first stage of the Complete Perfection Tradition's development. ==Second Stage== The Complete Perfection Tradition saw its second stage from 1187 to 1219, when it started to develop and expand its religious organization. In this period, Liu Chuxuan became the patriarch, succeeded by Qiu Chuji. During this period, the Shandong peninsula was the center of the sect's religious activities. Also in this period, the Complete Perfection Tradition tried to win recognition from the rulers of the Jin regime. It also began to construct Daoist temples as reliable bases for its religious activities. Owing to its increasing influence among the lower classes, the sect started to win itself more attention from the Jin regime. In the first and third Taihe years (1201 and 1203), patriarch Wang Chuyi was summoned to the imperial court, which in turn promoted the sect's social status and strengthened its spread in the lower classes. Starting in 1219, the Complete Perfection Tradition witnessed its third stage, which led it to the height of its influence. It was patriarch Qiu Chuji who led the Complete Perfection Tradition to prosperity. In response to the invitation of the Mongol Emperor Gengis Khan, Qiu, although in his seventies, went along with his disciples to the Snowy Mountains of Afghanistan and convinced the emperor to stop killing. In this way, Qiu won himself not only the respect of Gengis Khan who called him Immortal Qiu, but also the privilege of controlling religious personnel in the whole country, as well as exemption from taxation and corvee. Patriarch Qin came back to Beijing in 1224 and lived in the Temple of the Supreme Ultimate, also called Eternal Spring Temple, which later became the headquarters of the Complete Perfection Tradition. Patriarch Qiu also advocated establishing temples and saving people, which led to the large-scale construction of Daoist temples and increased enrollment of Daoist monks. After that, the temples of the Complete Perfection Tradition could be found everywhere in the North. Patriarch Qiu died in 1227. He was buried in the Eternal Spring Temple's Chushun Hall, which is now known as [[The White Cloud Temple in Beijing]]. The Complete Perfection Tradition clearly made great progress under patriarch Qiu's leadership. ==Third Stage== The Complete Perfection Tradition came to its heyday in the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368), when the number of temples as well as followers increased at an unprecedented pace. Many famous Daoists emerged. This shows that the Complete Perfection Tradition was in its golden age. Afterwards, Yin Zhipin and Li Zhichang, who succeeded to patriarch Qiu, further expanded the sect. Owing to its continuous development as well as to support from the rulers, the Complete Perfection Tradition reached its highest point. In the North, it became the center of Daoism. Meanwhile, it even saw its influence expand in southern areas such as Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Hubei and Fujian. In the beginning of the Yuan dynasty, Mt. Wudang was the center of the Complete Perfection Tradition in the South. There were many followers in these areas. In fact, even before the Complete Perfection came to the South, the Southern Lineage of the Golden Elixir, which also practiced Inner Alchemy, had emerged there. Attributing the Inner Alchemy tradition to patriarch Zhong Liquan, patriarch Lu Dongbin and patriarch Liu Haichan, the Southern Lineage claimed to flow from the same source as the Complete Perfection Tradition in the North. Limited by its modest scale, the Southern Lineage had never won too much attention from the Yuan regime. Consequently, the followers of the Southern Lineage converted to the Complete Perfection Tradition during the Yuan dynasty. These included [[Li Daochun]] and Chen Zhixu. The Complete Perfection Tradition thus spread both in the South and in the North, matching the Orthodox Oneness Tradition in religious scale and social influence. Because the Yuan emperors conferred many respectable titles upon its patriarchs, the political status of the Complete Perfection was enhanced too. In the Sixth Zhiyuan year (1269), emperor Hu Bilie conferred the title of Perfect Sovereign upon the Imperial Sovereign Donghua, [[Zhong Liquan]], [[Lu Dongbin]], [[Liu Haichang]] and Wang Zhe -- the Five Forefathers of the Complete Perfection Tradition, who later came to be known as [[The Five Northern Patriarchs]]. Wang Zhe's seven disciples also came to be known as the Seven Perfect Ones. In the third Zhida year (1310), the Yuan emperor Wu granted the respectable title of 'Imperial Sovereign' to the Five Forefathers of the Complete Perfection, and the title of 'Perfect Sovereign' to the Seven Perfect Ones. Eighteen other Daoists, among whom was Yin Zhiping, a disciple of patriarch Qiu Chuji, were also distinguished as 'Perfect Men'. At that time, some knowledgeable Daoists from the Complete Perfection Tradition were involved in Daoist affairs in the Academy for the Talented. ==Fourth Stage== The Complete Perfection Tradition witnessed its fourth stage from the middle to the end of the Yuan dynasty, when it started to decline internally while retaining the external appearance of prosperity. The Complete Perfection Tradition was deteriorating. In this period, no more renowned Daoists emerged in the sect. The sect's development came to a standstill. In contrast, the Orthodox Oneness Tradition became increasingly prosperous after the middle of the Yuan dynasty. [[zh:全真教]] bcd2b6e5eadb4bb934868bdd24582334a3088490 0 42 67 2009-07-22T04:35:40Z Admin 1 Created page with 'As a sect of the Longhu Lineage, the Doctrine ''of Mysteries'' was founded by Zhang Liushun, a Daoist in the Yuan dynasty. A native of Xinzhou city in Guiqi, he and his uncle joi...' wikitext text/x-wiki As a sect of the Longhu Lineage, the Doctrine ''of Mysteries'' was founded by Zhang Liushun, a Daoist in the Yuan dynasty. A native of Xinzhou city in Guiqi, he and his uncle joined Daoism at the Highest Clarity Temple on Mt. Longhu, and he became a disciple of Celestial Master Zhang Zhongyan. In the thirteenth Zhiyuan year (AD 1276), when the first Yuan emperor summoned Celestial Master Zhang Zhongyan of the 36th generation to the imperial court, Zhang Liushun joined the delegation and remained in the capital city the following year. In the fifteenth Zhiyuan year (AD 1278A), he was granted the title "Patriarch of the Doctrine of Mysteries" and the position of "Administrator of Daoist Affairs" in charge of Daoist affairs in Jianbei, Huaidong, Huaixi and Jinxian. He was also endowed with the silver seal. The first Yuan emperor trusted him so much that he was summoned to the imperial court for consultations whenever important events happened. In alignment with Zhang Liushun prominent social status, the Doctrine of Mysteries gradually emerged. He had dozens of outstanding disciples who were designated as Daoist officials at the Temple for the Worship of Perfection and other large temples in the South, controlling Daoist affairs in the South. That helped to set up a huge Daoist sect. As the highest leader in the Doctrine of Mysteries, the Great Patriarch of the Doctrine of Mysteries lived in the Longevity Temple for the Worship of Perfection in Beijing. The Succeeding Master of the Doctrine of Mysteries acted as his assistant. In the Longevity Temple for the Worship of Perfection, lower rank Daoist positions were established to help the Great Patriarch deal with daily affairs. In addition, Daoist officials in charge of Daoist affairs in Jiang, Huai, Jin and Xian helped the Great Patriarch control Daoism in these regions. In fact, the activities of the Doctrine of Mysteries were being concentrated in the South, while few activities were seen in the North. From Zhang Liushun, the first patriarch, up to the end of the Yuan dynasty, the Doctrine of Mysteries witnessed five patriarchs altogether. When the first emperor of the Ming dynasty came to power, he recognized only the descendants of Celestial Master Zhang. The Doctrine of Mysteries, not having won itself the recognition of the government, gradually declined. Although it was merely a sect, the Doctrine of Mysteries won itself independence from the Zhang Celestial Masters' Mt. Longhu Daoism. The Mysterious Teaching didn't achieve much in religious theory. Its activity was limited to the Yuan dynasty. Historically, however, the Doctrine of Mysteries still played an important role in the emergence and development of [[The Orthodox Oneness Tradition]]. ef0ed1effb5b542183e25666be5c209545ab8875 68 67 2009-07-22T04:36:01Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki As a sect of the Longhu Lineage, the Doctrine ''of Mysteries'' was founded by Zhang Liushun, a Daoist in the Yuan dynasty. A native of Xinzhou city in Guiqi, he and his uncle joined Daoism at the Highest Clarity Temple on Mt. Longhu, and he became a disciple of Celestial Master Zhang Zhongyan. In the thirteenth Zhiyuan year (AD 1276), when the first Yuan emperor summoned Celestial Master Zhang Zhongyan of the 36th generation to the imperial court, Zhang Liushun joined the delegation and remained in the capital city the following year. In the fifteenth Zhiyuan year (AD 1278A), he was granted the title "Patriarch of the Doctrine of Mysteries" and the position of "Administrator of Daoist Affairs" in charge of Daoist affairs in Jianbei, Huaidong, Huaixi and Jinxian. He was also endowed with the silver seal. The first Yuan emperor trusted him so much that he was summoned to the imperial court for consultations whenever important events happened. In alignment with Zhang Liushun prominent social status, the Doctrine of Mysteries gradually emerged. He had dozens of outstanding disciples who were designated as Daoist officials at the Temple for the Worship of Perfection and other large temples in the South, controlling Daoist affairs in the South. That helped to set up a huge Daoist sect. As the highest leader in the Doctrine of Mysteries, the Great Patriarch of the Doctrine of Mysteries lived in the Longevity Temple for the Worship of Perfection in Beijing. The Succeeding Master of the Doctrine of Mysteries acted as his assistant. In the Longevity Temple for the Worship of Perfection, lower rank Daoist positions were established to help the Great Patriarch deal with daily affairs. In addition, Daoist officials in charge of Daoist affairs in Jiang, Huai, Jin and Xian helped the Great Patriarch control Daoism in these regions. In fact, the activities of the Doctrine of Mysteries were being concentrated in the South, while few activities were seen in the North. From Zhang Liushun, the first patriarch, up to the end of the Yuan dynasty, the Doctrine of Mysteries witnessed five patriarchs altogether. When the first emperor of the Ming dynasty came to power, he recognized only the descendants of Celestial Master Zhang. The Doctrine of Mysteries, not having won itself the recognition of the government, gradually declined. Although it was merely a sect, the Doctrine of Mysteries won itself independence from the Zhang Celestial Masters' Mt. Longhu Daoism. The Mysterious Teaching didn't achieve much in religious theory. Its activity was limited to the Yuan dynasty. Historically, however, the Doctrine of Mysteries still played an important role in the emergence and development of [[The Orthodox Oneness Tradition]]. [[zh:玄教]] e2c2157b819b1f0180a602f2dcac9983edc15e27 0 43 69 2009-07-22T05:47:17Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Patriarch Qiu founded the Dragon Gate Sect== Founded by patriarch Qiu, a disciple of the first patriarch [[Wang Chongyang]] between the Song and Yuan dynasties, the Dragon Ga...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Patriarch Qiu founded the Dragon Gate Sect== Founded by patriarch Qiu, a disciple of the first patriarch [[Wang Chongyang]] between the Song and Yuan dynasties, the Dragon Gate sect ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) is a branch of Wang Chongyang's school, which advocates carrying on the Patriarch's teachings: #Control of anger and desires: keeping the mind and spirit stable, and pursuing the eternal spirit in spite of the short life of the physical body. #Synthesis of Confucianism and Buddhism: patriarch Wang Chongyang required all of his disciples to read the ''Book of Mind'' ( 心經 Xinjing ), the ''Book of Filial Piety'' ( 孝經 Xiaojing ) and the ''[[Laozi]]'' in order for them to have a comprehensive understanding of the Three Teachings (Daoism, Confucianism and Buddhism). #Obedience to rules and commandments: the Dragon Gate sect follows the Great Commandments of the Three Altars ( 三壇大戒 Santan Dajie ), namely the Commandments of Elementary Perfection ( 初真戒 Chunzhen Jie ), the Commandments of the Middle Ultimate ( 中極戒 Zhongji Jie ), and the Commandments of the Heavenly Immortals ( 天仙戒 Tianxian Jie ). The transmission of the commandments lasts 100 days, and there are hundreds of commandments. #Diligent practice of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ): influenced by ''[[The Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]]'' ( 周易參同契 Zhouyi Cantonqi ), this school advocates the cultivation of Inner Alchemy to integrate the Inner Water and Fire so as to attain long life. In the fourth Xingding year (AD 1220), patriarch Qiu, together with his eighteen disciples, including Yin Ziping, Li Zhichang, and Song Defang, etc., set off with the envoy Liu Zhonglu by imperial order from Laizhou to the great Snow Mountain to meet Genghis Khan and advise him to abandon killing and do kind deeds. The journey lasted two years and took the party ten thousand miles west. The emperor granted him the title "Immortal" and "Great Master". His disciple Li Zhichang gave a relatively detailed account of the journey in his book ''The Journey to the West of the Perfect Man of Eternal Spring'' ( 長春真人西遊記 Changchun Zhenren Xiyou Ji ). The first emperor of the Yuan dynasty conferred upon patriarch Qiu the Tiger Talisman and the imperial seal. Patriarch Qiu was thus put in charge of all Daoist institutions in the world. He exempted Daoist temples and Daoist priests from all taxes and corvees. Thus the Daoist priests gathered and [[The Doctrine of Mysteries]] ( 玄教 Xuanjiao ) became more and more prosperous. Eight Daoist communities, named Equality, Numinous Treasure ( 靈寶 Lingbao ), Longevity, Bright Perfection, Peace, Elimination of Disasters, Eternal Spring, and Ten Thousand Lotuses were established in the Yanjing capital, and temples, altars and offerings were set up in different places so as to propagate the Complete Perfection ( 全真 Quanzhen ) doctrine. In the 22nd year of the reign of the first emperor of the Yuan dynasty (1227), the Temple of the Supreme Ultimate ( 太極宮 Taiji Gong ) was proclaimed to be the Eternal Spring Temple, and Qiu Chuji was given the Golden Tiger tablet to take the lead of Daoism. In the seventh month of that year, patriarch Qiu passed away, and his coffin was laid in the Chushun Hall of the [[White Cloud Temple]] ( 白雲觀 Baiyun Guan ). The Dragon Gate School thus became less prosperous than before. ==Wang Changyue Developed the Dragon Gate sect== In the years during the reign of emperor Kangxi, [[Wang Changyue]], Master of Commandments ( 律師 Lushi ) of the seventh generation of the Dragon Gate sect, obtained the Great Commandments of Heavenly Immortals ( 天仙大戒 Tianxian Dajie ) in person from Zhao Zhensong, the sixth patriarch of the Dragon Gate sect. Wang Changyue made a trip to the capital in the autumn of the twelfth year of the reign of emperor Shunzhi. On the fifteenth day of the third month of the lunar calendar in the following year, he preached commandments at the White Cloud Temple. He ascended the altar to preach commandments three times, and took over one thousand disciples. From then on the Dragon Gate sect became prosperous again. Later, Wang Changyue led his disciples to the south. They set up altars to spread their teachings on Mt. Wudang, and in Nanjing, Hangzhou, Huzhou and so on. The influence of the Dragon Gate sect spread to both sides of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River. Wang Changyue was posthumously entitled the "Devotee Who Embraces Oneness ( 抱一居士 Baoyi Jushi )" by emperor Kangxi, who also ordered to construct a shrine and set up his statue at his tomb, and sent officials to render a cult on the date of his death every year. One of Wang Changyue's disciples wrote ''The Mind Skills of the Dragon Gate Sect'' ( 龍門心法 Longmen Xinfa ) in two volumes. The Dragon Gate sect has continued to be prosperous till today. The [[Fung Ying Seen Koon]] ( 蓬瀛仙館 Peng Ying Xian Guan ) of Hong Kong also belongs to this school and worships Patriarch Qiu. [[:龍門派]] bfff1197439947450ce96a076933182079fbc363 70 69 2009-07-22T05:49:03Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki ==Patriarch Qiu founded the Dragon Gate Sect== Founded by patriarch Qiu, a disciple of the first patriarch [[Wang Chongyang]] between the Song and Yuan dynasties, the Dragon Gate sect ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) is a branch of Wang Chongyang's school, which advocates carrying on the Patriarch's teachings: #Control of anger and desires: keeping the mind and spirit stable, and pursuing the eternal spirit in spite of the short life of the physical body. #Synthesis of Confucianism and Buddhism: patriarch Wang Chongyang required all of his disciples to read the ''Book of Mind'' ( 心經 Xinjing ), the ''Book of Filial Piety'' ( 孝經 Xiaojing ) and the ''[[Laozi]]'' in order for them to have a comprehensive understanding of the Three Teachings (Daoism, Confucianism and Buddhism). #Obedience to rules and commandments: the Dragon Gate sect follows the Great Commandments of the Three Altars ( 三壇大戒 Santan Dajie ), namely the Commandments of Elementary Perfection ( 初真戒 Chunzhen Jie ), the Commandments of the Middle Ultimate ( 中極戒 Zhongji Jie ), and the Commandments of the Heavenly Immortals ( 天仙戒 Tianxian Jie ). The transmission of the commandments lasts 100 days, and there are hundreds of commandments. #Diligent practice of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ): influenced by ''[[The Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]]'' ( 周易參同契 Zhouyi Cantonqi ), this school advocates the cultivation of Inner Alchemy to integrate the Inner Water and Fire so as to attain long life. In the fourth Xingding year (AD 1220), patriarch Qiu, together with his eighteen disciples, including Yin Ziping, Li Zhichang, and Song Defang, etc., set off with the envoy Liu Zhonglu by imperial order from Laizhou to the great Snow Mountain to meet Genghis Khan and advise him to abandon killing and do kind deeds. The journey lasted two years and took the party ten thousand miles west. The emperor granted him the title "Immortal" and "Great Master". His disciple Li Zhichang gave a relatively detailed account of the journey in his book ''The Journey to the West of the Perfect Man of Eternal Spring'' ( 長春真人西遊記 Changchun Zhenren Xiyou Ji ). The first emperor of the Yuan dynasty conferred upon patriarch Qiu the Tiger Talisman and the imperial seal. Patriarch Qiu was thus put in charge of all Daoist institutions in the world. He exempted Daoist temples and Daoist priests from all taxes and corvees. Thus the Daoist priests gathered and [[The Doctrine of Mysteries]] ( 玄教 Xuanjiao ) became more and more prosperous. Eight Daoist communities, named Equality, Numinous Treasure ( 靈寶 Lingbao ), Longevity, Bright Perfection, Peace, Elimination of Disasters, Eternal Spring, and Ten Thousand Lotuses were established in the Yanjing capital, and temples, altars and offerings were set up in different places so as to propagate the Complete Perfection ( 全真 Quanzhen ) doctrine. In the 22nd year of the reign of the first emperor of the Yuan dynasty (1227), the Temple of the Supreme Ultimate ( 太極宮 Taiji Gong ) was proclaimed to be the Eternal Spring Temple, and Qiu Chuji was given the Golden Tiger tablet to take the lead of Daoism. In the seventh month of that year, patriarch Qiu passed away, and his coffin was laid in the Chushun Hall of the [[White Cloud Temple]] ( 白雲觀 Baiyun Guan ). The Dragon Gate School thus became less prosperous than before. ==Wang Changyue Developed the Dragon Gate sect== In the years during the reign of emperor Kangxi, [[Wang Changyue]], Master of Commandments ( 律師 Lushi ) of the seventh generation of the Dragon Gate sect, obtained the Great Commandments of Heavenly Immortals ( 天仙大戒 Tianxian Dajie ) in person from Zhao Zhensong, the sixth patriarch of the Dragon Gate sect. Wang Changyue made a trip to the capital in the autumn of the twelfth year of the reign of emperor Shunzhi. On the fifteenth day of the third month of the lunar calendar in the following year, he preached commandments at the White Cloud Temple. He ascended the altar to preach commandments three times, and took over one thousand disciples. From then on the Dragon Gate sect became prosperous again. Later, Wang Changyue led his disciples to the south. They set up altars to spread their teachings on Mt. Wudang, and in Nanjing, Hangzhou, Huzhou and so on. The influence of the Dragon Gate sect spread to both sides of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River. Wang Changyue was posthumously entitled the "Devotee Who Embraces Oneness ( 抱一居士 Baoyi Jushi )" by emperor Kangxi, who also ordered to construct a shrine and set up his statue at his tomb, and sent officials to render a cult on the date of his death every year. One of Wang Changyue's disciples wrote ''The Mind Skills of the Dragon Gate Sect'' ( 龍門心法 Longmen Xinfa ) in two volumes. The Dragon Gate sect has continued to be prosperous till today. The [[Fung Ying Seen Koon]] ( 蓬瀛仙館 Peng Ying Xian Guan ) of Hong Kong also belongs to this school and worships Patriarch Qiu. [[zh:龍門派]] ae8a13f4632825384ee70afd0a82d05076cd6d7f 0 44 71 2009-07-22T05:55:26Z Admin 1 Created page with 'As a sect of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]], the ''Encountering Immortality sect'', which held the Cultivation and Refinement of Purity and Tranquility as its core, was fo...' wikitext text/x-wiki As a sect of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]], the ''Encountering Immortality sect'', which held the Cultivation and Refinement of Purity and Tranquility as its core, was founded by [[Ma Yu]], alias Perfect Man Changxuan, who was one of [[The Seven Perfect Ones of the North]]. His pen name was Xuanbao and he styled himself Dan Yangzi. In the sixth Zhiyuan year (AD 1269), the Yuan emperor Shizhu granted him the title 'Perfect Man Danyang of Non-Interference Who Embraces Oneness'. He was also given the title 'Perfect Sovereign Danyang of Non-Interference and Universal Transformation Who Embraces Oneness,' by the Yuan emperor Wuzhong. After Patriarch Wang Chongyang's death, Dan Yangzi founded the Encountering Immortality sect and spread it far away. According to the book ''Record of the Ascension to Perfection of Perfect Man Ma Danyang'', numerous people from different districts came to him in excitement as if they were seeking for their loving father. They all pleaded eagerly to follow him as disciples. Among them were Chao Xu, Nei Datong, Liu Zhenyi, Yu Zhidao (or Zhiyuan), Yang Minzhen and Li Dachen. According to the 53rd scroll of the book ''Autumn Stream Essays'', entitled 'The Numinous Emptiness Temple of Zuocheng County', in AD 1232 Li Zhiyuan had Daoist temples built outside the northern gate of Dianjing, preaching to rioters, among whom most gave up their tainted life and joined Daoism, enjoying a new life. The records mentioned above show that the Encountering Immortality sect remained prosperous even after the life of Ma Yu. [[zh:遇仙派]] 7475538c4ff0823ffdb8de683af305ba7e60bdf3 0 45 72 2009-07-22T06:13:58Z Admin 1 Created page with 'As a sect of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]], the Nanwu sect was founded by Tan Chuduan, also known as Patriarch Changzhen, who was one [[The Seven Perfect Ones of the Nort...' wikitext text/x-wiki As a sect of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]], the Nanwu sect was founded by Tan Chuduan, also known as Patriarch Changzhen, who was one [[The Seven Perfect Ones of the North]]. He was granted the title "Perfect Man Changzhen of Cloud Water and Accumulated Virtues". According to the ''Genealogy of the Nanwu Sect'', from Tan Chuduan, the first patriarch, until Yang Liming, the fifth patriarch, the sect was active primarily in the beginning of the Ming dynasty. During the Ming dynasty, most patriarchs of the Nanwu sect conducted their religious activities in the northern part of China. But in terms of scale as well as influence, the Nanwu sect could not rival with [[The Dragon Gate Sect]]. [[zh:南無派]] 6de07e535361a1f2763dd775316b2ffb590448bb 0 46 73 2009-07-22T06:17:42Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Regarding [[Mt. Wudang]] as its birthplace, this sect was called the Wudang Tradition. Mt. Wudang, also called Mt. Taihe, was a sacred site of Daoism, and even before the Ming dy...' wikitext text/x-wiki Regarding [[Mt. Wudang]] as its birthplace, this sect was called the Wudang Tradition. Mt. Wudang, also called Mt. Taihe, was a sacred site of Daoism, and even before the Ming dynasty was honoured as the birthplace of the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor of the Mysterious Northern Heaven. Historically, Daoism on Mt. Wudang was affiliated to [[The Orthordox Oneness Sect]] in earlier times, and to [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] in later times. During emperor Zhengzong's era (AD 998-1022), the Orthodox Oneness sect spread to Mt. Wudang and developed into the main power of Daoism on Mt. Wudang, under which the Elder Mao sect, the Three Mao sect and the Lay Daoist Priest Tradition emerged. The Complete Perfection spread to this area 200 years later. During the Hongwu era of the Ming dynasty (AD 1368-1398 AD), Qiu Yuanqing, the fourth generation patriarch of the Dragon Gate branch, became master of Jade Dragon Temple on Mt. Wudang. In the middle of the Ming dynasty, the Dragon Gate had replaced the Orthodox Oneness sect, becoming the main power of Daoism on Mt. Wudang. During the Yongle ear of Ming emperor Chengzu (AD 1403-1424), [[Zhang Sanfeng]], a Daoist of the Complete Perfection sect, founded the Wudang Tradition, a new Daoist sect which differed from the Complete Perfection sect in religious theories and rules as well as sectarian style. The Wudang Tradition attributed its origin to Cheng Tuan's Daoist sect, but then the government put it under the Complete Perfection sect. The Wudang Tradition was characterized by its worship for the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor, its practice of Chinese Inner School Boxing, its advocacy of the Integration of the Three Doctrines and its emphasis on Cultivation and Refinement of [[Inner Alchemy]] and Spiritual Nature. It was a new sect of the Complete Perfection Tradition which emerged between the Yuan and Ming dynasties. According to the ''General Summary of Perfect Men and Sects'', the Wudang Tradition had as many as eight branches, among which the Spontaneity sect, the Sanfeng sect, the Renewal sect and the Penglai sect lasted until modern times. [[zh:武當派]] 4c30ff0de4f8cc3add5e50e0103879bc129c5995 0 47 74 2009-07-22T06:20:46Z Admin 1 Created page with 'A branch of [[The Dragon Gate Sect]] of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]], the Azure Grotto Lineage was founded during the reign of the Qing dynasty emperor Kangxi by Cheng Q...' wikitext text/x-wiki A branch of [[The Dragon Gate Sect]] of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]], the Azure Grotto Lineage was founded during the reign of the Qing dynasty emperor Kangxi by Cheng Qingjue, a Dragon Gate Daoist from Wuchang city in Hubei. Cheng Qingjue had followed Zhan Tailin, a Complete Perfection Daoist, as a disciple at Prince Hill on [[Mt. Wudang]], and then gone to Sichuan, preaching on [[Mt. Qingcheng]]. He was summoned to the imperial court by emperor Kangxi and granted the title "Perfect Man of the Azure Grotto", dragon and tiger seals, as well as a horizontal board bearing the inscription "Elixir Platform of the Azure Grotto". Consequently, the Azure Grotto Lineage of the Dragon Gate emerged and had a great influence on Daoism in Sichuan. Nowadays, the Daoists on Mt. Qincheng and at Black Sheep Temple belong to the Azure Grotto Lineage. [[Yi Xinyun]], the modern Daoist scholar of Mt. Qincheng, was the 22nd inheritor of the Lineage. [[zh:碧洞宗]] 4035740256fbb41ec20bb1c6e93f6eb608b05cdb 0 48 75 2009-07-22T06:32:56Z Admin 1 Created page with '[[Li Daochun]], the founder of the Middle sect, was a Daoist in the Yuan dynasty who was also known as Yun Chanzi in Daoist circles. As a second generation disciple of Bai Yuchan...' wikitext text/x-wiki [[Li Daochun]], the founder of the Middle sect, was a Daoist in the Yuan dynasty who was also known as Yun Chanzi in Daoist circles. As a second generation disciple of Bai Yuchan, he put forward his own theory of Inner Alchemy which combined the Three Doctrines, stressing Harmony and Keeping to the Middle. His theory of Inner Alchemy was so distinctive that it was called the Middle sect of [[Inner Alchemy]] by Daoism in later periods, although it was actually neither a religious organization nor an Inner Alchemy sect. Li Daochun wrote books such as ''[[Essays on Harmony]]'' and ''[[The Essence of the Book of Changes from the Three Heavens]]'', which helped to create a new method for Inner Alchemy. His ideas were inherited and advocated by Yin Gaodi, a Daoist scholar of the Ming dynasty, and by Huang Yuanji of the Qing dynasty. In his book ''Pointers on Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life'', Yin Gaodi discussed essentials for Keeping to the Middle, stressing the Integration of the Three Doctrines. In his book ''Quotations from the Hall of Blissful Teaching'', Huang Yuanji studied methods for Inner Alchemy, stressing the effect of Keeping to the Middle. In the ''General Summary of Perfect Men and Sects'', a Daoist book kept in the [[White Cloud Temple]], this method of Inner Alchemy was called the "Middle sect" or "Anterior Heaven sect". [[zh:中派]] d6fa8a77aaf6e0948506b2b07c4985f3bd78593f 0 49 76 2009-07-22T06:35:39Z Admin 1 Created page with 'As a Daoist [[Inner Alchemy]] sect, the Eastern sect was founded during the reign of the Ming emperor Jiaqing. Its founder was [[Lu Xixing]] who, styling himself Qianxu, was incl...' wikitext text/x-wiki As a Daoist [[Inner Alchemy]] sect, the Eastern sect was founded during the reign of the Ming emperor Jiaqing. Its founder was [[Lu Xixing]] who, styling himself Qianxu, was inclined to Confucianism in his youth and turned to Inner Alchemy afterwards. He claimed that patriarch [[Lu Dongbin]] had descended to his residence, Beihai Cottage, and stayed there for more than 20 days to teach him the secret skills of Inner Alchemy. After that, he wrote the ''Unofficial History of Fanghu series'', and then edited the ''Complete Works of Patriarch Lu''. In these books, he expounded his theory of Inner Alchemy, which became the Inner Alchemy of the Eastern sect. Restricted to husbands and wives practising mutual refinement, the sect emphasized Integrated Cultivation, attaining Dao, avoiding evil and practicing Daoist ethics. He also stressed "Collecting the Spirit and Concentrating the Vital Breath", and "Dao is the Return to Spontaneity". Although Lu Xixing was regarded as the founder of the Eastern sect, he didnt actually establish any religious organizations, which has led to confusion about sectarian lineage. The Romance of the Gods, a famous Chinese novel, was attributed to Lu Xixing by Dr. Liu Chunren, who wrote some essays to support his viewpoint. [[zh:東派]] 66d9538a1413b83711bed63e4f0f2d99f5012eba 0 50 77 2009-07-22T07:19:20Z Admin 1 Created page with 'A sect practicing Daoist [[Inner Alchemy]], the Western sect was founded during the reign of the Qing emperor Hanfeng by Li Hanxu, a native of Leshan, Sichuan. He claimed that he...' wikitext text/x-wiki A sect practicing Daoist [[Inner Alchemy]], the Western sect was founded during the reign of the Qing emperor Hanfeng by Li Hanxu, a native of Leshan, Sichuan. He claimed that he had met [[Lu Dongbing]] and [[Zhang Sanfeng]] on Mt. Emei, where he learned the skills of Inner Alchemy. He was said to have attained Dao in the sixth year of Hanfeng (AD 1856). Like [[The Eastern Sect]], the Western sect attributed its origin to patriarch Lu. On the other hand, it established its own sectarian tradition. Li edited the ''Compilation on Daoist Relations'' and the ''Autobiography of the Elder Lu'', which had been written by [[Lu Xixing]], and re-published these works under the title Traces of the Immortals in the Seas and Mountains. He also revised the Chronicle of Patriarch Lu's Life. Li claimed to be Lu Xixing's descendant and the inheritor of his Inner Alchemy skills. Because Li had learnt Zhang Sanfeng's Inner Alchemy skills and integrated them into the Daoist Skills created by patriarch Zhong Liquan and patriarch Lu Dongping, the Daoist Skills of the Western sect differ to some degree from those of the Eastern sect. Li classified the Cultivation of Spiritual Nature into nine stages and the Cultivation of Bodily Life into four stages, which based all Inner Alchemy Skills on attainment to quietude and serenity, placing Integrated Cultivation in a secondary position. Li's Daoist works included ''[[Secret Pointers of the Three Chariots]]'', ''On the Key to Dao'', ''Nine Stages for Refining the Heart'', ''The Thirteen Supreme Scriptures'', The ''Narration of Posterior Heaven'', ''The Book of Wenzhong'', etc. [[zh:西派]] 3010d1dbf2bbefe513607b0d846b9a763a1b85d4 0 51 78 2009-07-22T07:43:13Z Admin 1 Created page with 'During the Warring States periods, Immortalist Magicians seeking Immortality ( 神仙方士 Shenxian Fangshi ) imagined three divine mountains in the sea, named Penglai, Fangzhan...' wikitext text/x-wiki During the Warring States periods, Immortalist Magicians seeking Immortality ( 神仙方士 Shenxian Fangshi ) imagined three divine mountains in the sea, named Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou, which were said to be the habitations of [[Immortals]] ( 仙人 Xianren ) in the Bohai Sea. It was said that drugs of immortality could be found in these mountains. Later, they evolved in Daoism into the Ten Continents and the Three Islands, namely the Zu Continent, the Ying Continent, the Xuan Continent, the Yan Continent, the Chang Continent, the Yuan Continent, the Liu Continent, the Liu Continent, the Sheng Continent, the Fenglin Continent, the Juku Continent, and Kunlun Island, Fangzhang Island, and Penglai Island. The Ying Continent is said in Daoism to be in the Eastern Sea. It has a circumference of 4,000 li, Immortalist plants grow in abundance, its jade stones stand as high as 1,000 zhang, and its gushing springs, called Yuli Spring, taste like wine and bring people longevity when they drink its water. Fangzhang Island, one of the Three Islands, is said in Daoism in to be in the East China Sea. It covers 5,000 li and is governed by the Three Heavens' Controller of Destinies ( 三天司命 Santian Siming ). Immortals hoping to ascend to Heaven come to the island to receive the Register of the Supreme Mysterious Birth ( 太上玄生錄 Taishang Xuansheng Lu ). On the island one also finds the palace of the Elder of the Nine Plains ( 九原丈人宮 Jiuyuan Zhangren Gong ), who governs all the water spirits, dragons and snakes, giant whales, and water beasts in the world. Penglai Island, another one of the Three Islands, is said in Daoism to be opposite the northeast bank of the East China Sea. It has a circumference of 5,000 li and is particularly honourable as the big tie used by the Emperor of Heaven ( 天帝 Tiandi ) to tie up the Nine Heavens ( 九天 Jiutian ). Once upon a time, when the mythical emperor Dayu finished regulating the rivers, he came here to worship God on the northern hill, owing his great merit to the Nine Heavens. [[zh:十洲三島]] 13dae00516f0c845ebcd73dba4584091ff8b1fa7 79 78 2009-07-22T07:53:52Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki During the Warring States periods, Immortalist Magicians seeking Immortality ( 神仙方士 Shenxian Fangshi ) imagined three divine mountains in the sea, named Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou, which were said to be the habitations of [[Immortals]] ( 仙人 Xianren ) in the Bohai Sea. It was said that drugs of immortality could be found in these mountains. Later, they evolved in Daoism into the Ten Continents and the Three Islands, namely the Zu Continent, the Ying Continent, the Xuan Continent, the Yan Continent, the Chang Continent, the Yuan Continent, the Liu Continent, the Liu Continent, the Sheng Continent, the Fenglin Continent, the Juku Continent, and Kunlun Island, Fangzhang Island, and Penglai Island. The Ying Continent is said in Daoism to be in the Eastern Sea. It has a circumference of 4,000 li, Immortalist plants grow in abundance, its jade stones stand as high as 1,000 zhang, and its gushing springs, called Yuli Spring, taste like wine and bring people longevity when they drink its water. Fangzhang Island, one of the Three Islands, is said in Daoism in to be in the East China Sea. It covers 5,000 li and is governed by the Three Heavens' Controller of Destinies ( 三天司命 Santian Siming ). Immortals hoping to ascend to Heaven come to the island to receive the Register of the Supreme Mysterious Birth ( 太上玄生錄 Taishang Xuansheng Lu ). On the island one also finds the palace of the Elder of the Nine Plains ( 九原丈人宮 Jiuyuan Zhangren Gong ), who governs all the water spirits, dragons and snakes, giant whales, and water beasts in the world. Penglai Island, another one of the Three Islands, is said in Daoism to be opposite the northeast bank of the East China Sea. It has a circumference of 5,000 li and is particularly honourable as the big tie used by the Emperor of Heaven ( 天帝 Tiandi ) to tie up the Nine Heavens ( 九天 Jiutian ). Once upon a time, when the mythical emperor Dayu finished regulating the rivers, he came here to worship God on the northern hill, owing his great merit to the Nine Heavens. [[zh:十洲三島]] {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} 8afd128874602d9b46b5761d5d746ea293374303 80 79 2009-07-22T07:54:21Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} During the Warring States periods, Immortalist Magicians seeking Immortality ( 神仙方士 Shenxian Fangshi ) imagined three divine mountains in the sea, named Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou, which were said to be the habitations of [[Immortals]] ( 仙人 Xianren ) in the Bohai Sea. It was said that drugs of immortality could be found in these mountains. Later, they evolved in Daoism into the Ten Continents and the Three Islands, namely the Zu Continent, the Ying Continent, the Xuan Continent, the Yan Continent, the Chang Continent, the Yuan Continent, the Liu Continent, the Liu Continent, the Sheng Continent, the Fenglin Continent, the Juku Continent, and Kunlun Island, Fangzhang Island, and Penglai Island. The Ying Continent is said in Daoism to be in the Eastern Sea. It has a circumference of 4,000 li, Immortalist plants grow in abundance, its jade stones stand as high as 1,000 zhang, and its gushing springs, called Yuli Spring, taste like wine and bring people longevity when they drink its water. Fangzhang Island, one of the Three Islands, is said in Daoism in to be in the East China Sea. It covers 5,000 li and is governed by the Three Heavens' Controller of Destinies ( 三天司命 Santian Siming ). Immortals hoping to ascend to Heaven come to the island to receive the Register of the Supreme Mysterious Birth ( 太上玄生錄 Taishang Xuansheng Lu ). On the island one also finds the palace of the Elder of the Nine Plains ( 九原丈人宮 Jiuyuan Zhangren Gong ), who governs all the water spirits, dragons and snakes, giant whales, and water beasts in the world. Penglai Island, another one of the Three Islands, is said in Daoism to be opposite the northeast bank of the East China Sea. It has a circumference of 5,000 li and is particularly honourable as the big tie used by the Emperor of Heaven ( 天帝 Tiandi ) to tie up the Nine Heavens ( 九天 Jiutian ). Once upon a time, when the mythical emperor Dayu finished regulating the rivers, he came here to worship God on the northern hill, owing his great merit to the Nine Heavens. [[zh:十洲三島]] dae4f6dfd2b5f3ad6a310e401f88142c6728cbe6 10 52 81 2009-07-22T07:54:33Z Admin 1 Created page with '<br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" al...' wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ The Ten Continents and Three Islands]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ The Ten Great Grotto Heavens]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ The Thirty-six Lesser Grotto Heavens]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ The Seventy-two Auspicious Realms]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Famous Mt.]] |- |[[ Mt.Tai]] [[Mt. Heng]] [[Mt. Hua]] [[Mt. Heng]] [[Mt. Song]]<br> [[Mt. Qian]] [[Mt. Wuyi]] [[Mt. Wudang]] [[Mt. Qingcheng]]<br> [[Mt. Mao]] [[Mt. Kongdong]] [[Mt. Zhongnan]] [[Mt. Gezao]]<br> [[Mt. Qiyun]] [[Mt. Lao]] [[Mt. Longhu]] [[Mt. Lu]] [[Mt. Luofu]]<br> |} 2a6d04ad4699c01f0d4de03fddd64b36f9fd14aa 82 81 2009-07-22T07:56:07Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ The Ten Continents and Three Islands]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ The Ten Great Grotto Heavens]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ The Thirty-six Lesser Grotto Heavens]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ The Seventy-two Auspicious Realms]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Famous Mt.]] |- |[[ Mt.Tai]] [[Mt. Heng]] [[Mt. Hua]] [[Mt. Heng]] [[Mt. Song]]<br> [[Mt. Qian]] [[Mt. Wuyi]] [[Mt. Wudang]] [[Mt. Qingcheng]]<br> [[Mt. Mao]] [[Mt. Kongdong]] [[Mt. Zhongnan]] [[Mt. Gezao]]<br> [[Mt. Qiyun]] [[Mt. Lao]] [[Mt. Longhu]] [[Mt. Lu]] [[Mt. Luofu]]<br> |} 0aac1cd96114079fdfe674ccf7a46766bcbee853 93 82 2009-07-23T02:49:17Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ The Ten Continents and Three Islands]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ The Ten Great Grotto Heavens]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ The Thirty-six Lesser Grotto Heavens]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ The Seventy-two Auspicious Realms]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Famous Mt.]] |- |[[ Mt.Tai]] [[Mt. Heng (Hunan province)]] [[Mt. Hua]] [[Mt. Heng (Northern Shanxi Province and Northwest Hebei province)]] [[Mt. Song]]<br> [[Mt. Qian]] [[Mt. Wuyi]] [[Mt. Wudang]] [[Mt. Qingcheng]]<br> [[Mt. Mao]] [[Mt. Kongdong]] [[Mt. Zhongnan]] [[Mt. Gezao]]<br> [[Mt. Qiyun]] [[Mt. Lao]] [[Mt. Longhu]] [[Mt. Lu]] [[Mt. Luofu]]<br> |} eb1fb96ec4de1b5af87c8264008832c38cb5445e 95 93 2009-07-23T03:06:27Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ The Ten Continents and Three Islands]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ The Ten Great Grotto Heavens]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ The Thirty-six Lesser Grotto Heavens]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ The Seventy-two Auspicious Realms]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Famous Mt.]] |- |[[ Mt.Tai]] [[Mt. Heng (Hunan province)]] [[Mt. Hua]]<br> [[Mt. Heng (Northern Shanxi Province and Northwest Hebei province)]] [[Mt. Song]]<br> [[Mt. Qian]] [[Mt. Wuyi]] [[Mt. Wudang]] [[Mt. Qingcheng]]<br> [[Mt. Mao]] [[Mt. Kongdong]] [[Mt. Zhongnan]] [[Mt. Gezao]]<br> [[Mt. Qiyun]] [[Mt. Lao]] [[Mt. Longhu]] [[Mt. Lu]] [[Mt. Luofu]]<br> |} b9f05c1c8c9f78be94c0cec8d37a6e24604a607d 96 95 2009-07-23T03:06:54Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ The Ten Continents and Three Islands]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ The Ten Great Grotto Heavens]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ The Thirty-six Lesser Grotto Heavens]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ The Seventy-two Auspicious Realms]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Famous Mt.]] |- |[[ Mt.Tai]] [[Mt. Heng (Hunan province)]] [[Mt. Hua]]<br> [[Mt. Heng (Northern Shanxi Province and Northwest Hebei province)]]<br> [[Mt. Qian]] [[Mt. Wuyi]] [[Mt. Wudang]] [[Mt. Qingcheng]] [[Mt. Song]]<br> [[Mt. Mao]] [[Mt. Kongdong]] [[Mt. Zhongnan]] [[Mt. Gezao]]<br> [[Mt. Qiyun]] [[Mt. Lao]] [[Mt. Longhu]] [[Mt. Lu]] [[Mt. Luofu]]<br> |} da6ba7bf60d01bd9c0e9dd704017c91b86e40fe5 0 4 83 10 2009-07-22T07:57:45Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms} The Ten Great Grotto Heavens are located among the famous mountains on the Earth, and are governed by Immortals who are sent by divinities in Heaven. According to Volume 27 of the ''Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel'', these Ten Great Grotto Heavens are: the first, Mt Wangwu Grotto; the second, Mt Weiyu Grotto; the third, Mt Xicheng Grotto; the fourth, Mt Xixuan Grotto; the fifth, Mt Qingcheng Grotto; the sixth, Mt Chicheng Grotto; the seventh, Mt Luofu Grotto; the eighth, Mt Gouqu Grotto; the ninth, Mt Linwu Grotto; the tenth, Mt Cang Grotto. [[zh:十大洞天]] 46b4f553304fe702467e6130c4c4e9fa178caf81 84 83 2009-07-22T07:58:02Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} The Ten Great Grotto Heavens are located among the famous mountains on the Earth, and are governed by Immortals who are sent by divinities in Heaven. According to Volume 27 of the ''Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel'', these Ten Great Grotto Heavens are: the first, Mt Wangwu Grotto; the second, Mt Weiyu Grotto; the third, Mt Xicheng Grotto; the fourth, Mt Xixuan Grotto; the fifth, Mt Qingcheng Grotto; the sixth, Mt Chicheng Grotto; the seventh, Mt Luofu Grotto; the eighth, Mt Gouqu Grotto; the ninth, Mt Linwu Grotto; the tenth, Mt Cang Grotto. [[zh:十大洞天]] 952efbdc91906fdfd351aca781cd5319e75e6b67 0 53 85 2009-07-22T08:03:59Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} It is said in Daoism that the Thirty-Six Lesser Grotto Heavens ( 三十六小洞天 Sanshiliu Xiao Dongtian ) are located among the famous mo...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} It is said in Daoism that the Thirty-Six Lesser Grotto Heavens ( 三十六小洞天 Sanshiliu Xiao Dongtian ) are located among the famous mountains, which are also governed by the supreme Immortals ( 仙 Xian ). According to [[Volume 27 of the Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel]] ( 雲笈七籤 Yunji Qiqian ), they include: #Mt Huotong Grotto, #East Mt Tai Grotto, #Southern Mt Heng Grotto, #West Mt Hua Grotto, #North Mt Chang Grotto, #Central Mt Song Grotto, #Mt Emei Grotto, #Mt Lu Grotto, #Mt Siming Grotto, #Mt Guiji Grotto, #Mt Taibai Grotto, #Western Mountain Grotto, #Mt Xiaowei Grotto, #Mt Qian Grotto, #Mt Guigu Grotto, #Mt Wuyi Grotto, #Mt Yusi Grotto, #Mt Huagai Grotto, #Mt Gaizhu Grotto, #Mt Duqiao Grotto, #Mt Baishi Grotto, #Mt Goulou Grotto, #Mt Jiuyi Grotto, #Mt Dongyang Grotto, #Mt Mufu Grotto, #Mt Dayou Grotto, #Mt Jinting Grotto, #Mt Mugu Grotto, #Mt Xiandu Grotto, #Mt Qingtian Grotto, #Mt Zhong Grotto, #Mt Liangchang Grotto, #Mt Zigai Grotto, #Mt Tianmu Grotto, #Mt Taoyuan Grotto, #Mt Jinhua Grotto. [[zh:三十六小洞天]] d3e7391bcb5fd35b86499346858e643c5faafdfa 86 85 2009-07-22T08:04:46Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} It is said in Daoism that the Thirty-Six Lesser Grotto Heavens ( 三十六小洞天 Sanshiliu Xiao Dongtian ) are located among the famous mountains, which are also governed by the supreme Immortals ( 仙 Xian ). According to Volume 27 of ''[[The Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel]]'' ( 雲笈七籤 Yunji Qiqian ), they include: #Mt Huotong Grotto, #East Mt Tai Grotto, #Southern Mt Heng Grotto, #West Mt Hua Grotto, #North Mt Chang Grotto, #Central Mt Song Grotto, #Mt Emei Grotto, #Mt Lu Grotto, #Mt Siming Grotto, #Mt Guiji Grotto, #Mt Taibai Grotto, #Western Mountain Grotto, #Mt Xiaowei Grotto, #Mt Qian Grotto, #Mt Guigu Grotto, #Mt Wuyi Grotto, #Mt Yusi Grotto, #Mt Huagai Grotto, #Mt Gaizhu Grotto, #Mt Duqiao Grotto, #Mt Baishi Grotto, #Mt Goulou Grotto, #Mt Jiuyi Grotto, #Mt Dongyang Grotto, #Mt Mufu Grotto, #Mt Dayou Grotto, #Mt Jinting Grotto, #Mt Mugu Grotto, #Mt Xiandu Grotto, #Mt Qingtian Grotto, #Mt Zhong Grotto, #Mt Liangchang Grotto, #Mt Zigai Grotto, #Mt Tianmu Grotto, #Mt Taoyuan Grotto, #Mt Jinhua Grotto. [[zh:三十六小洞天]] 6ba25a04421b4119cb54743869a330d598d87227 0 54 87 2009-07-22T08:17:47Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} The Seventy-Two Blissful Realms ( 七十二福地 Qishi’er Fudi ) are located among the famous mountains on the earth, and governed by Perf...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} The Seventy-Two Blissful Realms ( 七十二福地 Qishi’er Fudi ) are located among the famous mountains on the earth, and governed by Perfect Men ( 真人 Zhenren ) by order of God. Within these realms, there are many places where Dao can be attained. According to Volume 27 of ''[[The Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel]]'' ( 雲笈七籤 Yunji Qiqian ), they include: #Mt Difei, #Mt Gaizhu, #Mt Xianke, #the Eastern Source of Immortals ( 東仙源 Dongxian Yuan ), #the Western Source of Immortals ( 西仙源 Xixian Yuan ), #Mt Nantian, Mt Yuliu, #Mt Qingyu, Yumu Grotto (referred to in the Great Dictionary of Chinese Daoism ( 中華道教大辭典 Zhonghua Daojiao Da Cidian ) as Yushi Grotto), #Danxia Grotto, #Sovereign Mountain ( 君山 Junshan ), #Daruo Rock, #Jiao Source, #Numinous Ruins ( 靈墟 Lingxu ), #Wo Islet, #Tianmu Ridge, #Ruoye Stream, #Mt Jinting, #Mt Qingyuan, #Mt An, #Mt Maling, #Mt Eyang, #the Dongzhen Ruins, #Qingyu Altar, #Guangtian Altar, #Dongling Source, #Mt Donggong, #Mt Tao, #Sanhuang Well (mentioned in the Great Dictionary of Chinese Daoism as the Huang Well), #Mt Lanke, #Le Stream, #Mt. Luohu, #Mt Ling, #Source of Springs ( 泉源 Quanyuan ), #Mt Jinjing, #Mt Gezao (mentioned in the ''Great Dictionary of Chinese Daoism as Mt Hezao''), #Mt Shifeng, #Mt Xiaoyao, #Dongbai Source, #Mt Bochi, #Mt Lun, #Maogong Altar, #Mt Jilong, #Mt Tongbai, #Mt Pingdu, #Mt Luluo, #Mt Huxi, #Mt Zhanglong, #Mt Baofu, #Mt Damian, #Mt Yuanchen, #Horse's Hoof Mountain ( 馬蹄山 Matishan ), #Mt De, #High Stream and Blue Water Mountain, #Blue River, #Jade Summit ( 玉峰 Yufeng ), #Mt Tianzhu, #Mt Shanggu, #Zhanggong Grotto, #Mt Sima Hui (mentioned in the ''Great Dictionary of Chinese Daoism as Mt Sima Mei''), #Mt Changzai, #Mt Zhongtiao, #the Grotto of Lake Jiao and Yucheng, #Mt Mianzhu, #Lu River, #Mt Gan, #Mt Huang, #Mt Jincheng, #Cloudy Mountain, #Mt Beiman, #Mt Lu, and #the Eastern Sea Mountain. 99f62dafb63b5427ba62499768c7f5c8590c9843 0 55 88 2009-07-22T08:56:14Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt.Tai is also called Daizong and Daishan. It is the first of the Five Sacred Mountains, and is called the Eastern Marchmount. It is located ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt.Tai is also called Daizong and Daishan. It is the first of the Five Sacred Mountains, and is called the Eastern Marchmount. It is located in the middle of Shandong province and lies across Jinan, Changqing, Licheng and Taian. It is 400 square kilometers in circumference. It is the second grotto heaven among [[The Thirty-six Lesser Grotto Heavens]] ( 三十六洞天 Sanshiliu Dongtian ) in Daoism. It is hard to know when Daoism came to Mt. Tai. The ''Biography of Hermits in the History of the Jin Dynasty'' recorded that Daoist priest Zhang Zhong retired to Mt.Tai, which was the earliest record of Daoism here. Daiyu Monastery, built from 386-534, is the earliest temple. Li Daoyuan's Comments on Water Scriptures recorded that Daiyu Monastery was divided into lower, middle and upper temples. It was rebuilt during years 618-907. The middle part was changed into Daiyu Temple; people called it Old Sovereign Hall. It is where offerings were made when the emperors sent priests to Mt. Tai. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, the Black Emperor Temple, Queen Mother Pond, Origin Ascension Temple ( 升元觀 Shengyuan Guan ) , Temple of Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud ( 碧霞元君洞 Bixia Yuanjun Dong ), Jade Emperor Temple, Perfection Assemble Temple ( 會真宮 Huizhen Ging ) were built in succession. During the Ming and Qing periods, Daoism flourished as usual. Nowadays, the main structures are Daiyu Temple, Queen Mother Pond and Temple of Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud. ==The Daiyu Temple== It is called Dai Temple for short and is located in the northwest corner at Daian. It covers an area of 96,000 square meters. Worship to Heaven and Earth ( 封禪大典 Fengchan Dadian ) and offering sacrifices to Mt. Tai by emperors in the past dynasties have been held here. The whole temple is North-south axismetrically arranged, the north being higher than the South. It backs on to Mt. Tai and faces the plain. Mountain and temple forming an integrated whole, look imposing; red wall and yellow tiles look sublime. The bounding wall is 1.5 kilometers in length and 15 meters in height. The Queen Mother Pond is located at the North of Daiyu Temple and the mouth of the Middle Brook. In antiquity, it was named Collected Jade Nunnery and was one old temple in on Mt. Tai. It enshrines the Queen Mother of the West. ==Temple of Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud== It located between Daidingtian Street and Daguan Peak. There is Constellations Observing Platform in the West, connected to Immortal Bridge in the East, with Lion Peak in the South and the Jade Temple above. It was built in 1009 and called Perfection Declaration Shrine at first and Perfection Declaration Temple during 1115-1234 in the second, then changed into Efficacious Temple of Primordial Lady from 1488-1505 and was named Temple of Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud after reconstruction in 1770, the name that is still used. Temple of the Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud is composed of a group of magnificent ancient architectural complexes in the mountain and covers an area of 3,900 square meters. It has twelve large buildings including a main hall and a fragrant pavilion. Bronze Statue of Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud is enshrined in the main hall. She wears phoenix coronal and a cloudy mantle, looks kind, peaceful and dignified. At the right and left sides are the Eastern and Western accompanying halls. The Eastern accompanying hall enshrines Eyesight Auntie ( 眼光娘娘 Yanguang Niangniang ) and the Western accompany hall enshrines Auntie Who Delivers Babies ( 送子娘娘 Songzi Niangniang ). The Fragrant Pavilion stands between them and enshrines Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud. In imperial China, the main hall opened at unusual occasions. Only emperors and ministers were able to worship the Primordial Lady, common people worshiped her in Fragrant Pavilion. In 1983, the State Council authorized the Temple of Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud as one of the important Daoist temples. In 1985, this one thousand year old temple once again returned to the Daoist organization and re-opened for religious activities. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization listed Mt. Tai in the "World Cultural Heritage". ==Contact== Address: Taian, Shandong, P.R.C. Route: take train to Taian, the root of the Mt.Tai Telephone: 86-538-82226947 86-13805385389 [[zh:泰山]] e515442d92bcce07a4be206147b7eb8627802bc6 89 88 2009-07-22T08:59:35Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt.Tai is also called Daizong and Daishan. It is the first of the Five Sacred Mountains, and is called the Eastern Marchmount. It is located in the middle of Shandong province and lies across Jinan, Changqing, Licheng and Taian. It is 400 square kilometers in circumference. It is the second grotto heaven among [[The Thirty-six Lesser Grotto Heavens]] ( 三十六洞天 Sanshiliu Dongtian ) in Daoism. It is hard to know when Daoism came to Mt. Tai. The ''Biography of Hermits in the History of the Jin Dynasty'' recorded that Daoist priest Zhang Zhong retired to Mt.Tai, which was the earliest record of Daoism here. Daiyu Monastery, built from 386-534, is the earliest temple. Li Daoyuan's Comments on Water Scriptures recorded that Daiyu Monastery was divided into lower, middle and upper temples. It was rebuilt during years 618-907. The middle part was changed into Daiyu Temple; people called it Old Sovereign Hall. It is where offerings were made when the emperors sent priests to Mt. Tai. Since the Tang and Song dynasties, the Black Emperor Temple, Queen Mother Pond, Origin Ascension Temple ( 升元觀 Shengyuan Guan ) , Temple of Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud ( 碧霞元君洞 Bixia Yuanjun Dong ), Jade Emperor Temple, Perfection Assemble Temple ( 會真宮 Huizhen Ging ) were built in succession. During the Ming and Qing periods, Daoism flourished as usual. Nowadays, the main structures are Daiyu Temple, Queen Mother Pond and Temple of Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud. ==The Daiyu Temple== It is called Dai Temple for short and is located in the northwest corner at Daian. It covers an area of 96,000 square meters. Worship to Heaven and Earth ( 封禪大典 Fengchan Dadian ) and offering sacrifices to Mt. Tai by emperors in the past dynasties have been held here. The whole temple is North-south axismetrically arranged, the north being higher than the South. It backs on to Mt. Tai and faces the plain. Mountain and temple forming an integrated whole, look imposing; red wall and yellow tiles look sublime. The bounding wall is 1.5 kilometers in length and 15 meters in height. The Queen Mother Pond is located at the North of Daiyu Temple and the mouth of the Middle Brook. In antiquity, it was named Collected Jade Nunnery and was one old temple in on Mt. Tai. It enshrines the Queen Mother of the West. ==Temple of Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud== It located between Daidingtian Street and Daguan Peak. There is Constellations Observing Platform in the West, connected to Immortal Bridge in the East, with Lion Peak in the South and the Jade Temple above. It was built in 1009 and called Perfection Declaration Shrine at first and Perfection Declaration Temple during 1115-1234 in the second, then changed into Efficacious Temple of Primordial Lady from 1488-1505 and was named Temple of Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud after reconstruction in 1770, the name that is still used. Temple of the Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud is composed of a group of magnificent ancient architectural complexes in the mountain and covers an area of 3,900 square meters. It has twelve large buildings including a main hall and a fragrant pavilion. Bronze Statue of Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud is enshrined in the main hall. She wears phoenix coronal and a cloudy mantle, looks kind, peaceful and dignified. At the right and left sides are the Eastern and Western accompanying halls. The Eastern accompanying hall enshrines Eyesight Auntie ( 眼光娘娘 Yanguang Niangniang ) and the Western accompany hall enshrines Auntie Who Delivers Babies ( 送子娘娘 Songzi Niangniang ). The Fragrant Pavilion stands between them and enshrines Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud. In imperial China, the main hall opened at unusual occasions. Only emperors and ministers were able to worship the Primordial Lady, common people worshiped her in Fragrant Pavilion. In 1983, the State Council authorized the Temple of Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud as one of the important Daoist temples. In 1985, this one thousand year old temple once again returned to the Daoist organization and re-opened for religious activities. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization listed Mt. Tai in the "World Cultural Heritage". ==Contact== '''Address:''' Taian, Shandong, P.R.C. '''Route:''' take train to Taian, the root of the Mt.Tai '''Telephone:''' 86-538-82226947 86-13805385389 [[zh:泰山]] 0727a1ba5e12a48c3763689bf384c29c4c29bbc6 0 56 90 2009-07-22T09:08:35Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Heng is located in the middle part of Hunan province. It is the Southern Marchmount. It is grand, graceful, sequestered and culturally ab...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Heng is located in the middle part of Hunan province. It is the Southern Marchmount. It is grand, graceful, sequestered and culturally abundant. It leads the five sacred mountains by its gracefulness. It is eight hundred miles in width, the Huifeng Peak is the head of seventy-two peaks, Yuli Mountain is the foot, and the Zhurong Peak is the highest. Mt. Heng was a holy Daoist mountain since ancient times. Water Hanging Cave, one of the four apexes in Mt. Heng, is the third grotto heaven among the thirty-six grotto heavens. The Black Jade Altar Blissful Realm ( 青玉壇福地 Qingyutan Fudi ), Glory Heaven Altar Blissful Realm ( 光天壇福地 Guangtiantan Fudi ) and Cave Spirit Origin Blissful Realm ( 洞靈源福地 Donglingyuan Fudi ) of the seventy-two blissful realms are in the Mt.Heng. The ''Records of Southern Mountain'' told us that during 25-1840, there were one hundred and nine persons who built temples, cut holes and excavated cliffs for retirement and cultivation and for teaching Daoism and instructing disciples. Maoyin of the Han Dynasty went here to learn Daoism before he cultivated at the Mao Mountain and was esteemed as the founder of the Mt. Mao Sect. The eminent female Daoist priest and founder of the Highest Clarity Sect Wei Huacun came to the South seeking refuge from war. She stopped at the Southern Mountain to cultivate and instruct disciples until she died at the age of eight-three. The eminent Daoist priest Sima Chengzhen in the Tang Dynasty arrived at the Southern Mountain during 693-737 from the sea and built the Nine perfected Temple. Emperor Xuanzong conferred him the title of Master Orthodox Oneness. His disciple Xue Jichang inherited his teaching and spread Daoism at the Southern Mountain. He was regarded highly by Emperor Xuanzong who called him Daoist brother. So Daoism was quite flourishing at that time. Other eminent priests like Chen Xingming, Shi Cunchong, Xu Lingqi and Yin Daoquan received titles from emperors successively. The Yuan emperor conferred Liu Yongguang, Daoist priest at the Southern Mountain, title of "Rushing Silence Master" ( 沖靜先生 Chingjing Xiansheng ) and presented him a gift with the following words: "Your career is lofty, your good faith can move heaven". Since 1368, Daoism declined at the Southern Mountain though it has started to develop again today. Grand Temple of the Southern Mountain is the most magnificent on Mt. Heng. It is situated at the south foot and it is the largest and best-maintained ancient set of architecture in South China. Along the middle axle, there are nine entrances and four courtyards. There are eight temples in the East and eight monasteries in the West. The first entrance is Gate of Constellations, the second Big Dipper Gate, the third South Gate, the fourth Imperial Stele Gate, the fifth Fine Response Gate, the sixth Imperial Calligraphy Stored House, the seventh Holy Emperor Hall enshrining Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain, the eighth bedchamber palace and also called Back Palace enshrining Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain and Empress Jingming. The last entrance is Northern Back Gate, with Life-giving Palace in the East and Gods Administration Hall in the West. Several temples in the back have been destroyed in modern times. In 1978, Daoist priests began to rebuild temples here. After twenty years of effort, Daoist monasteries have been constructed from the base to the top. The Founder Hall has been enlarged and resumed its original scale. The Mystery Capital Temple at Waist Pavilion has been renewed and now exceeds its original size. Climbing this temple to view the scenery, one feels relaxed and enjoyable. So it is a great place for sightseeing. Eight temples in the East are under reconstruction and will soon be completed. The Three Origins Temple, the Chunyang Temple, the Longevity and Tranquility Temple, Complete Virtue Temple, Life-giving Temple have been raised from sheer wasteland. The Yellow Court Temple is located at the foot of Jixian Peak and the bank of White Dragon Brook. It has been built on the remains of the Jin Dynasty (265-420) and becomes the only Daoist scenic spot on the West side of this mountain. Reconstruction of temples provides space for Daoist activities. Most important of all, it improves conditions of religious travel and presents travelers a long history of Daoism in the Southern Mountain. ==Contact== Address: Southern Mountain, Hengyang Municipality of Hunan Province, P.R.C Touring Route: Take train to Hengyang, then to Southern Mountain by train or by bus. Telephone: 86-734-5666473 [[zh:衡山]] cf442e67c7193441a87e56e0381b0ce314dfa936 0 57 91 2009-07-23T02:45:43Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Hua is located in South Huayin county, Shanxi province. It is the Western Mountain of the Five Sacred Mountains and the fourth grotto hea...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Hua is located in South Huayin county, Shanxi province. It is the Western Mountain of the Five Sacred Mountains and the fourth grotto heaven among [[The Thirty-six Lesser Grotto Heavens]] in Daoism. The highest peak is 1997 m. above sea level. It is second to the North Marchmount--Mt. Heng--in height. It is precipitous and its craggedness is superior to the other four sacred mountains. It is praised as "the first odd mountain of the world." [[Laozi]], the founder of Daoism, visited Mt. Hua. There is a perilous part to the Northern Peak called "Old Sovereign Furrow". It was said that Laozi cut it using a plough. The earliest Daoist priest to retire to Mt. Hua is [[Kou Qianzhi]]. ''The History of the Wei, Records of Buddhism and Daoism'', states that Kou Qianzhi met the immortal Cheng Gongxing and followed him to Mt. Hua. He didn't feel hungry after only taking his herbs. He went to Song Mountain later to continue his cultivation. During the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) periods, Daoism flourished and large numbers of Daoist priests retired to Mt.Hua for cultivation. The most famous legendary figure is Chen Tuan. In the Jin (1115-1234) and Yuan (1271-1368) periods, Liu Daoning, Mao Yangsu, He Zhizhen, Shi Zhijian and He Zhitong retired to Mt. Hua. In the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1840) dynasties, Gao Pengtou, Cheng Huale, Liu Xuzhong and Fan Yangmin all went to Mt.Hua for cultivation. Daoism certainly flourished on Mt. Hua. ==Main Temple== '''The most ancient of the temples is the Temple of the West Marchmount, the historical record indicating that it was built at the time of Wu emperor Han'''. The Yuntai Temple, finished at the time of the Wu emperor of the Northern Zhou (557-581) is also an old temple. During the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) periods, Queen Mother Temple, Simple Spirit Temple and Jade Spring Temple were built. In the Jin (1115-1234) and Yuan (1271-1368) periods, Master Xiyi Shrine and Qinghua Temple were constructed. In the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1840) dynasties, most of the mountain's temples fell into disrepair. At present, there are Temple of the West Marchmount, Jade Spring Temple at the base, as well as Eastern Temple, Guardian Temple, Jade Lady Shrine and Green Cloud Temple, which are all on the mountain. Temple of the West Marchmount, Jade Spring Temple and Eastern Temple are nationally significant temples. === Temple of the West Marchmount === Temple of the West Marchmount is also called Huayu Temple and is the site where emperors worshipped the god, Huayu. It is 2.7 kilometers from the capital of Huayin County. It was named Spirits Collection Temple when finished at the time of the Wu emperor Han. The present construction imitates that of the Imperial Palace in Beijing, and people, thus call it Junior Forbidden City. ===Jade Spring Temple=== It located at the valley mouth of Mt. Hua. It was said that Chen Tuan cultivated himself here. The main building is Xiyi Shrine, which is a quadrangle. The main hall enshrines Chen Tuan. There is as a cloister, a stone boat, Worry-free Pavilion, Cherish Clearness Hall, Xiyi Cave, and Mountain Bamboo Pavilion, on the grounds of the temple. Mountain Bamboo Pavilion stands on a large stone and legend has it that it built by Chen Tuan. The trees besides it were also, supposedly planted by Chen Tuan. The sleeping statue of Chen Tuan was carved in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Hua Tuo's tomb is east of the temple. ===Eastern Temple=== It originally called Nine Heaven Palace and located at Qingkeping. It was built during the reign of emperor Kangxi. Its back is to the east and its front faces the west. This is a small temple enshrining the Mysterious Maiden of the Nine Heavens( 九天玄女 Jiutian Xuannu ). ===Mountain Guardian Temple=== It originally called Upper Temple and located among Jade Maiden Peak, Lotus Peak and Falling Swallow peak. It looks grand and enshrines the Great Emperor of the Western Marchmount. To the west is Medical King Cave enshrining the Medical King. ===Jade Maiden Shrine=== It is on the middle peak of Mt. Hua and stands on a natural stone tortoise. The Jade maiden was said to be Nong Yu --daughter of Duke Mu of the Qin (221B.C-207B.C). ==Green Cloud Temple== It also called Holy Mother Temple. It enshrines statues of three holy mothers. There is a large stone cut into three parts outside. It is the well-known "Ax Cutting Stone" for it looks as if it is being cut by an ax. Beside the stone, there is a huge ax. According to legend, it was used by Chen Xiang to save his mother. Mt. Hua has many places of historic interest and scenic beauty, as well as many fantastic and legendary stories. Its fascination will last forever. ==Contact== '''Address:''' Huayin County, Shanxi province '''Touring route:''' arrive Xian first, and then take train or bus to Huashan. '''Telephone:''' 86-913-4363101 [[zh:華山]] bd176f187d171b88c34d9e459b4caf084445effa 0 58 92 2009-07-23T02:48:07Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Heng is located in the middle part of Hunan province. It is the Southern Marchmount. It is grand, graceful, sequestered and culturally ab...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Heng is located in the middle part of Hunan province. It is the Southern Marchmount. It is grand, graceful, sequestered and culturally abundant. It leads the five sacred mountains by its gracefulness. It is eight hundred miles in width, the Huifeng Peak is the head of seventy-two peaks, Yuli Mountain is the foot, and the Zhurong Peak is the highest. Mt. Heng was a holy Daoist mountain since ancient times. Water Hanging Cave, one of the four apexes in Mt. Heng, is the third grotto heaven among the thirty-six grotto heavens. The Black Jade Altar Blissful Realm ( 青玉壇福地 Qingyutan Fudi ), Glory Heaven Altar Blissful Realm ( 光天壇福地 Guangtiantan Fudi ) and Cave Spirit Origin Blissful Realm ( 洞靈源福地 Donglingyuan Fudi ) of the seventy-two blissful realms are in the Mt.Heng. The ''Records of Southern Mountain'' told us that during 25-1840, there were one hundred and nine persons who built temples, cut holes and excavated cliffs for retirement and cultivation and for teaching Daoism and instructing disciples. Maoyin of the Han Dynasty went here to learn Daoism before he cultivated at the Mao Mountain and was esteemed as the founder of the Mt. Mao Sect. The eminent female Daoist priest and founder of the Highest Clarity Sect Wei Huacun came to the South seeking refuge from war. She stopped at the Southern Mountain to cultivate and instruct disciples until she died at the age of eight-three. The eminent Daoist priest Sima Chengzhen in the Tang Dynasty arrived at the Southern Mountain during 693-737 from the sea and built the Nine perfected Temple. Emperor Xuanzong conferred him the title of Master Orthodox Oneness. His disciple Xue Jichang inherited his teaching and spread Daoism at the Southern Mountain. He was regarded highly by Emperor Xuanzong who called him Daoist brother. So Daoism was quite flourishing at that time. Other eminent priests like Chen Xingming, Shi Cunchong, Xu Lingqi and Yin Daoquan received titles from emperors successively. The Yuan emperor conferred Liu Yongguang, Daoist priest at the Southern Mountain, title of "Rushing Silence Master" ( 沖靜先生 Chingjing Xiansheng ) and presented him a gift with the following words: "Your career is lofty, your good faith can move heaven". Since 1368, Daoism declined at the Southern Mountain though it has started to develop again today. Grand Temple of the Southern Mountain is the most magnificent on Mt. Heng. It is situated at the south foot and it is the largest and best-maintained ancient set of architecture in South China. Along the middle axle, there are nine entrances and four courtyards. There are eight temples in the East and eight monasteries in the West. The first entrance is Gate of Constellations, the second Big Dipper Gate, the third South Gate, the fourth Imperial Stele Gate, the fifth Fine Response Gate, the sixth Imperial Calligraphy Stored House, the seventh Holy Emperor Hall enshrining Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain, the eighth bedchamber palace and also called Back Palace enshrining Great Emperor of the Southern Mountain and Empress Jingming. The last entrance is Northern Back Gate, with Life-giving Palace in the East and Gods Administration Hall in the West. Several temples in the back have been destroyed in modern times. In 1978, Daoist priests began to rebuild temples here. After twenty years of effort, Daoist monasteries have been constructed from the base to the top. The Founder Hall has been enlarged and resumed its original scale. The Mystery Capital Temple at Waist Pavilion has been renewed and now exceeds its original size. Climbing this temple to view the scenery, one feels relaxed and enjoyable. So it is a great place for sightseeing. Eight temples in the East are under reconstruction and will soon be completed. The Three Origins Temple, the Chunyang Temple, the Longevity and Tranquility Temple, Complete Virtue Temple, Life-giving Temple have been raised from sheer wasteland. The Yellow Court Temple is located at the foot of Jixian Peak and the bank of White Dragon Brook. It has been built on the remains of the Jin Dynasty (265-420) and becomes the only Daoist scenic spot on the West side of this mountain. Reconstruction of temples provides space for Daoist activities. Most important of all, it improves conditions of religious travel and presents travelers a long history of Daoism in the Southern Mountain. ==Contact== Address: Southern Mountain, Hengyang Municipality of Hunan Province, P.R.C Touring Route: Take train to Hengyang, then to Southern Mountain by train or by bus. Telephone: 86-734-5666473 [[zh:衡山]] cf442e67c7193441a87e56e0381b0ce314dfa936 0 59 94 2009-07-23T03:05:06Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Heng is also called Chang Mountain and is located in Northern Shanxi Province and Northwest Hebei province. It is the Northern Marchmount...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Heng is also called Chang Mountain and is located in Northern Shanxi Province and Northwest Hebei province. It is the Northern Marchmount of the Five Sacred Mountains. The Xuanyu Peak, the highest peak, is 2017 meters above sea level. In Daoism, Mt. Heng is the fifth grotto heaven among [[The Thirty-six Lesser Grotto Heavens]]. It is called the General Mysterious Grotto Heaven. It is hard to give a detailed introduction to Mt.Heng, as there aren't many materials concerning its history. Tradition has it that Mao Yin stayed on Mt. Heng for cultivation in the Han Dynasty. [[Zhang Guo]] (Old Master Zhang Guo, one of [[the eight immortals]]), an eminent Daoist priest of the Tang Dynasty, retired here for some time. There is Guolao Range. In Song and Yuan times, Du Zhimiao, Sun Daowei, Zhao Daoxiang and Peng Zhengzhong came to Mt. Heng. Daoism declined after the Ming and Qing dynasties. Sacrifice to the Northern Marchmount began from the Han dynasty to the Ming dynasty and was held in Quyang county, Hebei province. The large Temple of the Northern Marchmount still remains in Quyang. Since the Qing Dynasty, sacrifice to the Northern Marchmount was held in Hunyuan county, Shanxi province where the Temple of Mt. Heng was constructed. == The Northern Temple == '''The earliest temple on Mt. Heng was the Northern Temple, built in 435.''' It was destroyed several times throughout history, and changed into a bedroom palace. It enshrines the Great Emperor of the Northern Marchmount. Out of the bedroom palace, there is White Cloud Hall (i.e., Official Receiving Pavilion) where officials stopped for food and rest. To the East side is Mysterious Well Pavilion. West of Mysterious Well Pavilion is Ten Kings Hall, Horse God Hall and decorated archway. The Purple Tenuity Pavilion is in the North, and the Three Maos Hole is above the Purple Tenuity Pavilion. It is said that this is the site where the Three Mao Perfect Sovereign Brothers ( 三茅真君 Sanmao Zhenjun ) attained the Dao. == The Chunyang Temple == '''The Chunyang Temple is above the Horse God Hall and enshrines Immortal Master Chunyang.''' Going upward, there is Nine Heavens Temple enshrining the statue of Mysterious Maiden of the Nine Heavens. There is Cloud Reaching Pavilion and Big Dipper Mother Pavilion in the north, Mountain God Temple and Sore God Temple in the south, and Supreme Oneness Temple in the East. == The Hengzong Temple == '''The main temple on Mt.Heng is the Hengzong Temple, located on a cliff of Hengzong Peak.''' Hengzong Peak is also called True Origin Temple, Original Spirit Temple while common people refer to it as Pilgrim Temple. It was built in 1501 to enshrine the golden statue of Great Emperor of the Northern Mountain. Many inscribed boards are collected in it. There is an iron Cloud Board made in the Yuan (1271-1368) in its front and several stone tablets outside, which are very valuable for the study of Daoism's history on the Northern Marchmount. == Immortal Gathering Cliff == The cliff northwest of Hengzong Temple is called Immortal Gathering Cliff. At its waist, there is a platform in a hollow; people built an Immortal Gathering Mansion that is also called Immortals Collection Mansion. There are lifelike immortals of eight caverns. The Jade Emperor Pavilion and Imperial Tablets Pavilion were built besides the Immortal Hall. Two sides of the cliff are full of stone inscriptions eulogizing the beauty of Mt.Heng by celebrities in history. Immortal Gathering Mansion is the highest building on Mt.Heng. Standing here, with the clouds floating under your feet and the wind in the pine trees resounding above your head, the mountain peaks occasionally appearing and disappearing in the clouds, one will be reluctant to leave. ==Contact== '''Address:''' Hunyuan County, Shanxi Province, P.R.C '''Touring Route:''' take train to Datong, Shanxi, and then take bus to the Mt.Heng '''Tel:''' 86-13008088298 [[zh:恆山]] 84d4279dcc7cacc1dedb2e8053b1f62467002b4c 0 60 97 2009-07-23T03:19:04Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Song is also called the Songgao Mountain and is the Middle Marchmount among the Five Sacred Mountains. It is in Dengfeng County, Henan pr...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Song is also called the Songgao Mountain and is the Middle Marchmount among the Five Sacred Mountains. It is in Dengfeng County, Henan province and is composed of Taishi Mountain and Shaoshi Mountain. It is the sixth grotto heaven among [[The Thirty-six Lesser Grotto Heavens]]. There are many Daoist remnants. Prince Zi Jin, son of Emperor Lingwang of the Zhou Dynasty was sent to Mt. Song by the Daoist practitioner Master Fuqiu. There remain Fuqiu Peak and Zijin Peak on Taishi Mountain. Zhang Lin in the Han, Zuo Ci in the Wei and Bao Jin in the Jin, all went to Mt. Song for cultivation. In the Northern Wei, [[Kou Qianzhi]] retired to Mt. Song for seven years and caused the Supreme Venerable Sovereign to descend on Mt.Song, and conferred him the title of Celestial Master and granted him the twenty volumes ''Commandments of the New Ordinances from the Cloud''. He ordered him to declare the New Ordinances and rectify Daoism. Daoism development rapidly in the Sui and Tang dynasties, large numbers of eminent Daoist priests cultivated here, such as Pan Shizheng, [[Sima –chengzhen]], Li Hanguang. In the Song and Yuan dynasties, Xu Changling, Helan-xizhen and Qiao Zhigao entered the Mt.Song. Daoism declined after the Ming and Qing dynasties. Mt. Song Temple was built in the Northern Wei. The Songyang Temple, Longtang Temple, Taiyi Temple were all built in the Sui and Tang dynasties. The Zixu Temple, Tianfeng Temple, Chentian Temple and Chanchun Shrine were constructed in the Song and Yuan dynasties. Most temples had been destroyed in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and only Temple of the Central Marchmount was reconstructed. ==Temple of the Central Marchmount== It located at the foot of Huanggai Peak, the southern side of the Taishi Mountain. It was originally called Taishi Temple and was built in the Qin dynasty. Today's buildings were constructed in the Qing dynasty. Covering an area of more than 100,000 square kilometers, they are arranged along the central axis. From the South to the North, from low to high, there are the Chinese Gate, Remote Viewing Pavilion, Middle Heaven Pavilion, Matching Heaven Lane, Worshipping Holy Gate, Converting Three Gate, Ultimate High Gate, Ultimate High Lane of Songgao, and Great Temple of Mt. Song, Bedroom Palace, and Imperial Calligraphy Stored Building. There are eleven entrances in total. Imperial Company Officer Temple, Fire God Temple, Founder Temple, Small Stored Building Temple, the Divine Land Temple and Dragon King Temple are located on the eastern and western road. They have separate courtyards. The main hall of Temple of the Middle Marchmount is Great Temple of Mt. Song. It is called Ultimate High Temple. There are nine rooms and five entrances. Its double brimmed roof is covered by yellow colored glaze. The flying rafter and sets of brackets, girders and roof decoration apply the most precious mixing seal color painting. A five-meter tall statue of Great Temple of Mt. Song sits in the middle shrine. General Fang Bi and Fang Xiang stand on both sides to guard the hall. There are large quantity of showplaces and cultural relics in Temple of the Central Marchmount. East of the Pavilion of Worshipping Holy Gate is Ancient Gods Pavilion. Four martial iron persons stand around the storeroom. They are 2.5 meters tall. Tradition has it that the four iron persons were four Daoist practitioners resisting the Jin armies. Four-cornered Pavilion behind the Converting Three Gate stores ''Efficacious Temple Tablet of the Mt.Song'' carved in the Northern Wei. The style is a mixture of official script and regular script. They are quiet and aged, deep and powerful, which is valuable for the studies of Wei style calligraphy. The well-known ''Tablet of the Map of the True Form of the Five Sacred Mountains'' is stored in the crush-room at the north of the Ultimate High Gate. There are several xaDatuks at the south side of Mt.Song. The present Yellow Cover Pavilion is one of them. Climbing the pavilion, one can have the panorama of Temple of the Central Marchmount and one can find it is secluded, quiet and attractive. ==Contact== '''Address:''' Dengfeng County, Henan, P.R.C. '''Touring Route:''' Arrive at Zhengzhou first; take bus to the Mt.Song. '''Tel:''' 86-371-2872577 [[zh:嵩山]] f92f3c5f6b7d0e7889efba058104d0aa13556bd7 0 61 98 2009-07-23T03:24:15Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt.Qian was originally called Qianhua Mountain, Jicui Mountain and Thousand Lotuses Mountain. It is one of the famous mountains in northeast ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt.Qian was originally called Qianhua Mountain, Jicui Mountain and Thousand Lotuses Mountain. It is one of the famous mountains in northeast China. It is 20 kilometers away from Anshan, Liaoning province. Tradition has it that during antiquity, when Nuwa mended the sky with stones, some fell down to Liaoyang, becoming the thousand lotuses, what is today's Mt. Qian. Daoism spread to Mt. Qian during the early Qing. From 1662-1723, Guo Shouzhen, the eighth patriarch of [[The Dragon Gate Sect]] at Tiesha Mountain, Benxi county in Liaoning province sent his disciple Liu Tailin, Wang Taixiang to Mt. Qian. They cultivated themselves in Arhat Cave. In 1667, Liu Tailin built Wuliang Temple at northeast Qianshan. Daoism began to flourish there. There were nine temples and twelve monasteries. The Wuliang Temple and Five Dragon Temple remain today. ==Main Temple== ===The Wuliang Temple=== It originally called girderless temple. It is in the Northern Valley at Mt. Qian. The Western Pavilion, Jade Emperor Pavilion, Old Sovereign Hall, Three Officials Hall and Merciful Cloud Hall are its main buildings. The Western Pavilion is the most beautiful building. The Cihang Hall in it enshrines Cihang Daoist Perfected, Eye Mother and Child-giving Mother. All the priests gather at the main hall to chant scriptures. The Jade Pavilion is the highest and oldest building. It doesn't have even a piece of wood besides bricks. So people call it girderless temple. Its name changed to Wuliang Temple after some time had elapsed. The statue of the Jade Emperor is enshrined inside. The Old Sovereign Hall was built beside a big rock closing the Jade Emperor Hall. It enshrines the Three Purities. The Three Officials Hall--the largest hall in Wuliang Temple is below the Old Sovereign Hall. It enshrines deities of Heaven, Earth and Water. Other Daoist scenic spots include One Platform and Three Pagodas. One Platform is the Immortal Gathering Platform; Three Pagodas are Eight Immortal Pagoda, Founder Pagoda and Master Ge Pagoda. ===Five Dragon Temple=== It located at the central part of Mt. Qian. It was built in 1738 and rebuilt several times later. There are Old Sovereign Hall, Three Officials Hall, Perfect Warrior Hall, Cihang Hall and Lingguan Hall. Beside it, there are Sleeping Cattle Stone and Crescent Well. Ancient people signed with feeling that: One stone and one brook are all transformations, thousand splendor and thousand peaks carved by whom? Mt. Qian is a truely miraculous mountain. ==Contact== Address: Anshan, Liaoning province, P.R.C Touring: take train to Anshan, then take bus to the Mt.Qian Tel: 86-412-5410051 [[zh:千山]] 1d582c25a2fe2069962cf54b76ab47e498e97fa8 0 62 99 2009-07-23T03:51:41Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Gezao, in the southeast of Zhangshu municipality (formerly Qingjiang county) of Jiangxi province, is named after the fact that its shape ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Gezao, in the southeast of Zhangshu municipality (formerly Qingjiang county) of Jiangxi province, is named after the fact that its shape is like a pavilion and its color is black. It has 99 peaks and stretches for more than 100 kilometers. It is regarded as the 36th grotto heaven. Mt. Gezao is the ancestral mountain of [[The Numinous Treasure Sect]] of Daoism ( 靈寶派 Lingbao Pai ). Daoists of this sect said that their founder, [[Guo Xuan]], set up an altar and a fireplace in Temple Woyun in the eastern peak of Mt. Gezao, and refined golden elixir after touring the series of the famous peaks. After he attained Dao, he ascended the Heaven. From the Southern and Northern Song Dynasties to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Temple Gezao and four nunneries named Xianren, Lushan. Guogong and Woyun were built successively on Mt. Gezao. The Song Dynasty was its prosperous period, when several Daoists came here for cultivation. The main temple of this period was Temple Gezao, which was given another name, Temple Jingde, by Song Emperor Zhenzong in accordance with his reign title "Jingde" used during the years 1008-1016. Song Emperor Shenzong granted it 180 volumes of books and over 2000 mu of fertile farmland. In the 8th year of the Reign of Zhenhe (in 1118) Song Emperor Weizhong again changed its name into Worshipping Perfection Temple ( 崇真宮 Chongzhen Gong ) and gave posthumously the title of Perfect Man in Correspondence with the Eternal Dao ( 沖應真人 Chongying Zhenren ) to Ge Xuan. During the southern Song Dynasty, Song Emperor Lizhong changed the name again into "Large Longevity Temple of the Worship of Perfection" ( 大萬壽崇真宮 Da Wanshou Chongzhen Gong ) and also granted Ge Xuan posthumously as Perfect sovereign and Protector in Correspondence with the Eternal Dao ( 沖應孚佑真君 Chongying Fuyou Zhenjun ). At that time, Mt. Gezao's prosperity was unprecedented, with more than 1500 houses and over 500 Daoists on it. During the Yuan Dynasty, it was became less and less frequented. Until the 12th year of the Reign of Zhizheng, Worshiping Perfection Temple suffered from the rebellion of the mountain fastness. The altars and halls were broken down. So Numinous Treasure Sect was sapped of its vitality. In the Ming dynasty, the temples were reconstructed with the effort of the Daoist Xu Linzhou of Mt. Gezao. In the early Ming Dynasty, the royal court awarded the 50th successor Li Banxian, the 51st Zhang Zhunli and the 52nd Huang Guxu of Mt. Gezao as the eight-rank immortal officers. However in the 8th year of the Reign of Xuande (in 1433) Mt. Gezao was burnt down again. In the Wanli period (1573-1619) the Daoist Liu Kaihua failed in reconstructing it because of financial resources. Until the early Qing Dynasty, Mt. Gezao declined very much. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and in the early Republic of China, the palace was reconstructed gradually under the management of a famous Daoist, Ouyang Mingxing, who was excellent in medicine and in Kungfu. But till the early year of the liberation of China, in the hall there were only three Daoists, who went home to be farmers one after another. In recent years, under the care and support of the local government, some famous Daoist monasteries of Mt. Gezao were re-reconstructed respectively, such as Worshiping Perfection Temple, Gate of the Mount, Receiving-Immortal Bridge, Mingshui Pavilion, Mingshui Bridge, Let-Life Pool, Flowering Yard, Refining-Elixir Well. We hope that this ancestral shrine of Numinous Treasure will look as beautiful as before as soon as possible. ==Contact== '''Address:''' Zhangshu Municipality of Jingxi province, China '''Touring route:''' Firstly to Zhangshu Municipality by train, then to Mt. Gezao by bus [[zh:閤皀山]] ff9ff3019f45b73a46ced892c9bd2c8c6f890db2 0 63 100 2009-07-23T04:16:00Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Lao, named Mt. Lao, Mt. Futang and Mt. Ao in ancient times, lies in the southwest of the Shan Dong peninsula and the east of Qing Dao mun...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Lao, named Mt. Lao, Mt. Futang and Mt. Ao in ancient times, lies in the southwest of the Shan Dong peninsula and the east of Qing Dao municipality. The main peak, named Large Peak or Peak Lao, is over 1100 meters high above sea level. Mt. Lao, with the plain behind and the sea in front, with lofty stones and precipitous peaks, is both majestic and elegant. So the ancients said that the cloud over Mt. Tai was high but inferior to that of Mt. Lao of the eastern sea. Mt. Lao has alwaysbeen honored as the home of Immortals and the mansion of fairy spirits. In the Qin Dynasty, the Magician Xu Fu, with 3000 boys and girls, went to three islands such as Yingzhou to seek for long-life medicine for the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty. That is to say, they started from Xu Fu Island not far form Mt. Lao towards the sea. In the fourth year of the reign of Taichu of the Han Dynasty (101B.C), Emperor Wudi went to Mt. Lao to offer a sacrifice to Immortals at the Palace Jiaomen. Since the Han and Tang Dynasties, some Daoists and perfected men often came to inhabit Lao Shan for cultivation. In the Song Dynasty, the Daoists such as Lezheng Zichang, Liu Ruozuo and Zhen Qizhen lived in seclusion on Mt. Lao. At that time, large quantities of palaces and temples had been built. The famous ones were Supreme Clarity Temple, Temple of the Highest Clarity and Temple of Supreme peace. The Yuan Dynasty was the flourishing period of Mt. Lao's Daoism, when many Daoists came here for cultivation successively. The famous one was [[Qiu Chuji]] who was one of [[the Seven Perfect Ones of the Northern Complete Perfection]] ( 全真道北七真 Quanzhen Dao Beiqizhen ). At the same time, the temples such as Welcoming Perfection Temple and Hualou Temple were built. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Daoism of Mt. Lao continued to develope. The Daoists such as [[Zhang Shanfeng]], Xu Fuyang and Li Shouzhen all came here for cultivation. The Daoist Sun Xuanqing of Ming Dynasty, becoming a Daoist on Mt. Lao as a child, founded the Jinshan Sect or Mt. Lao Sect. During the flourishing time of Mt. Lao Daoism, there had been 9 palaces, 8 temples and 72 nunneries. The ones preserved well today were mainly Supreme Clarity Temple, Temple of the Highest Clarity, Temple of Supreme Peace, Hualou Temple and Mingxia Grotto, etc. ==Main Temples== ===Supreme Clarity Temple=== Another name is Lower Temple, which lies beside Lower Temple Bay in the southeast of Mt. Lao. It is divided into three independent yards: the southeast one is Three-Official Hall, in front of which there are two camellias whose trunks embrace each other. It is said that in the Yongle year of the Ming Dynasty, the Daoist Zhang Sanfeng carried them here from an island. Xiang Yu and Jiang Xue, who were portrayed in the tale ''Xiang Yu of Strange Tales of Liao Zhai'' written by Pu Songling, were incarnations of a red peony and a white camellia. The central yard is Hall of the Highest Clarity and the west one Three-Emperor Hall. Temple of the Highest Clarity is located to the northwest of Supreme Clarity Temple. It has front and back yards and leaning yards. The front one is used for offering a sacrifice to the Three Purities, the back one to Jade Emperor, the left and right leaning ones to [[Three Heavenly Officials]] ( 三官 Sanguan ) and the Seven Perfect Ones. Temple of Supreme Peace lies at the foot of Mt. Shangyuan beside Yangkou Bay. The main hall used to offer a sacrifice to the Three Purities and Jade Emperor, the east leaning one to the Three Heavenly Officials and the west leaning one to the Perfect Warrior. In the past few years of reparation, some statues of gods have been remodeled. Hualou Temple, with three halls named Hall of the Venerable Sovereign, Hall of Jade Emperor and Hall of Emperor Guan, lies in the northwest of the peak of Mt. Lao. Near the top of Xuanwu Peak about three li from the north of Temple of the Highest Clarity is Mingxia Grotto, whose main building is Temple of the Big Dipper. Mt. Lao is a wonderful summer resort, with good flora, various kinds of flowers and trees, adequate rainfall, and pleasant weather. It must be a rewarding visit to Mt. Lao because of the possibility of listening to the sound of the billowy sea, enjoying the sight of sunrise, strolling about palaces and halls and visiting the greatest men. ==Contact== '''Address:''' Qingdao Municipality, Shandong Province, China '''Touring Route:''' to Qingdao by train or plane, then to Mt. Lao by bus '''Tel.:''' 86-532-7948099 [[zh:嶗山]] 009ea221fc8729208c868731db999c2ced0a2c74 0 64 101 2009-07-24T02:00:17Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Wudang, also known as Mt. Taihe and the Mountain of Mystery ( 玄嶽 Xuanyue ), is located in Danjiangkou City, Hubei Province. Adjoining...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Wudang, also known as Mt. Taihe and the Mountain of Mystery ( 玄嶽 Xuanyue ), is located in Danjiangkou City, Hubei Province. Adjoining the Qinling Mountains in the west and Shennongjia in the south, it stretches over 800 li and consists of 72 peaks, 36 cliffs and 24 valleys. With its magnificent temples, the mountain attracts endless pilgrims. It is a famous Daoist sacred site in China. Mt. Wudang has a very long history in connection with Daoism. It is recorded that Xie Yun and Yi Gui of the Jin dynasty, Liu Qiu of the Southern Dynasties and Yao Jian of the Tang dynasty all entered the mountain to practice Dao. Temples such as Wulong Shrine, Taiyi Temple and Yanchang Temple had been built by the Tang dynasty. Both the imperial families of the Song and Yuan dynasties believed in the spirit of [[The Perfect Warrior]] ( 真武 Zhenwu ) of the north. As a result, Wudang Daoism, whose major belief is that of the Perfect Warrior, became prosperous gradually during these two dynasties. The celebrated Daoist priest of the Five Dynasties, Chen Tuan, was once a hermit at Jiushi Cliff, Mt. Wudang, where he [[Abstained from Grains]] ( 辟谷 Pigu ) and Refined [[The Vital Breath]] ( 煉氣 Lianqi ) for more than 20 years. At the beginning of the Ming dynasty, the famous Daoist, [[Zhang Sanfeng]], lived on the mountain in seclusion. At that time, all the temples on Mt. Wudang were destroyed in wars. Zhang Sanfeng said to others, "This mountain is bound to thrive someday." As things turned out, after Zhu Di, king of Yan, rose in revolt as a military governor of the northern outlying prefectures and usurped the throne from his niece, Emperor Jianwen claimed that he had been assisted by the Perfect Warrior in the "pacification" campaigns and so set up temples in large scale on Mt. Wudang, the sacred place of the latter. Emperor Chengzu sent Longping Marquis Zhang Xin, leading over 200,000 soldiers and artisans, to complete 8 "gong", 2 "guan", 36 "antang" and 72 "yanmiao". In addition, they built 39 bridges, 12 pavilions and the 70-odd-kilometer-long path leading from the piedmont to the peak. Mt. Wudang at that time had the grandest temples and largest Daoist communities of the country. It was honored as "the first famous mountain under heaven". After more than 500 years, several of the buildings were damaged throughout the ages. Only the six temples (gong) of Zixiao, Taihe, Jindian, Nanyan, Yuzhen and Yuxu, the two temples (guan) of Fuzhen and Yuanhe, and buildings such as Mozhen Well and Xuanyue Gate still remain in existence. ==Main Temples== ==The Zixiao Temple== It is the largest and most intact temple of those extant on Mt. Wudang. The temple was built in the 11th Yongle year of the Ming dynasty (1413). There are altogether four lines of the building, namely the Longhu Temple, the Shifang Temple, the Zixiao Temple and the Fumu Temple, respectively. Worshiped in the Longhu Temple are sculptures of the two divine generals, the Black Dragon ( 青龍 Qinglong ) and the White Tiger ( 白虎 Baihu ), and worshiped in the Shifang Temple is the statue of the Numinous Official ( 靈官 Lingguan ). The Zixiao Temple (dian), the main hall of the Zixiao Temple (gong), enshrines the copper gold-plated statues of the Perfect Warrior made by imperial order in the Ming dynasty, including those of the old, middle-aged and young Perfect Warrior dressed either as a civil or military official. Still worshiped on the left and right of the temple are his 28 full-sized statues. There are two lanterns decorated with dragons, phoenixes, peacocks, flowers and leaves, which denote "the iron tree blossoms". They are only seen in China and have been recognized as national treasures. Worshiped in the Fumu Temple are the parents of the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor ( 真武大帝 Zhenwu Dadi ), i.e., Emperor Mingzhen and Empress Shansheng of the Jingle Kingdom. ==The Taihe Temple= Initially built in the 14th Yongle year of the Ming dynasty (1416), when there were altogether 78 rooms, it was then enlarged into 520 rooms during the Jiajing years. Today only the Main Temple, the Chaobai Temple, the Zhonggu Tower and the Tong Temple still exist. The Main Temple is just the Taihe temple, where the copper statue of the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor is worshiped. ==The Jindian Temple== Located on the peak of the Tianzhu Hill, it shines brilliantly in the sunshine. This temple and the icons, incense burner tables and offering appliances, which weigh about 90 tons, were first made in Beijing and then transported to Mt. Wudang. The temple, made in copper, plated in gold and made to resemble wood, is 5.5 meters high, 5.8 meters wide and 4.2 meters deep. Worshiped on the throne in the center of the temple is a copper, gold-plated statue of the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor, which is 1.8 meters high and weighs about 10 tons. Below the spirit seat are a tortoise and a snake, the latter winding its body around the former and the two raising heads to look at each other. Mt. Wudang has already been recognized by UNESCO as a "World Culture Heritage." ==Contact== '''Address:''' Danjiangkou City, Hubei Province, China '''Traveling route:''' Go to Wuhan by air or by train, then to Liuliping by train, and then to Mt. Wudang by bus. '''Tel:''' 86-719-5667190 bbac2e9321140fc5d52335a3bab6408a5937703f 0 64 102 101 2009-07-24T02:05:25Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Wudang, also known as Mt. Taihe and the Mountain of Mystery ( 玄嶽 Xuanyue ), is located in Danjiangkou City, Hubei Province. Adjoining the Qinling Mountains in the west and Shennongjia in the south, it stretches over 800 li and consists of 72 peaks, 36 cliffs and 24 valleys. With its magnificent temples, the mountain attracts endless pilgrims. It is a famous Daoist sacred site in China. Mt. Wudang has a very long history in connection with Daoism. It is recorded that Xie Yun and Yi Gui of the Jin dynasty, Liu Qiu of the Southern Dynasties and Yao Jian of the Tang dynasty all entered the mountain to practice Dao. Temples such as Wulong Shrine, Taiyi Temple and Yanchang Temple had been built by the Tang dynasty. Both the imperial families of the Song and Yuan dynasties believed in the spirit of [[The Perfect Warrior]] ( 真武 Zhenwu ) of the north. As a result, Wudang Daoism, whose major belief is that of the Perfect Warrior, became prosperous gradually during these two dynasties. The celebrated Daoist priest of the Five Dynasties, Chen Tuan, was once a hermit at Jiushi Cliff, Mt. Wudang, where he [[Abstained from Grains]] ( 辟谷 Pigu ) and Refined [[The Vital Breath]] ( 煉氣 Lianqi ) for more than 20 years. At the beginning of the Ming dynasty, the famous Daoist, [[Zhang Sanfeng]], lived on the mountain in seclusion. At that time, all the temples on Mt. Wudang were destroyed in wars. Zhang Sanfeng said to others, "This mountain is bound to thrive someday." As things turned out, after Zhu Di, king of Yan, rose in revolt as a military governor of the northern outlying prefectures and usurped the throne from his niece, Emperor Jianwen claimed that he had been assisted by the Perfect Warrior in the "pacification" campaigns and so set up temples in large scale on Mt. Wudang, the sacred place of the latter. Emperor Chengzu sent Longping Marquis Zhang Xin, leading over 200,000 soldiers and artisans, to complete 8 "gong", 2 "guan", 36 "antang" and 72 "yanmiao". In addition, they built 39 bridges, 12 pavilions and the 70-odd-kilometer-long path leading from the piedmont to the peak. Mt. Wudang at that time had the grandest temples and largest Daoist communities of the country. It was honored as "the first famous mountain under heaven". After more than 500 years, several of the buildings were damaged throughout the ages. Only the six temples (gong) of Zixiao, Taihe, Jindian, Nanyan, Yuzhen and Yuxu, the two temples (guan) of Fuzhen and Yuanhe, and buildings such as Mozhen Well and Xuanyue Gate still remain in existence. ==Main Temples== ===The Zixiao Temple=== It is the largest and most intact temple of those extant on Mt. Wudang. The temple was built in the 11th Yongle year of the Ming dynasty (1413). There are altogether four lines of the building, namely the Longhu Temple, the Shifang Temple, the Zixiao Temple and the Fumu Temple, respectively. Worshiped in the Longhu Temple are sculptures of the two divine generals, the Black Dragon ( 青龍 Qinglong ) and the White Tiger ( 白虎 Baihu ), and worshiped in the Shifang Temple is the statue of the Numinous Official ( 靈官 Lingguan ). The Zixiao Temple (dian), the main hall of the Zixiao Temple (gong), enshrines the copper gold-plated statues of the Perfect Warrior made by imperial order in the Ming dynasty, including those of the old, middle-aged and young Perfect Warrior dressed either as a civil or military official. Still worshiped on the left and right of the temple are his 28 full-sized statues. There are two lanterns decorated with dragons, phoenixes, peacocks, flowers and leaves, which denote "the iron tree blossoms". They are only seen in China and have been recognized as national treasures. Worshiped in the Fumu Temple are the parents of the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor ( 真武大帝 Zhenwu Dadi ), i.e., Emperor Mingzhen and Empress Shansheng of the Jingle Kingdom. ===The Taihe Temple=== Initially built in the 14th Yongle year of the Ming dynasty (1416), when there were altogether 78 rooms, it was then enlarged into 520 rooms during the Jiajing years. Today only the Main Temple, the Chaobai Temple, the Zhonggu Tower and the Tong Temple still exist. The Main Temple is just the Taihe temple, where the copper statue of the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor is worshiped. ===The Jindian Temple=== Located on the peak of the Tianzhu Hill, it shines brilliantly in the sunshine. This temple and the icons, incense burner tables and offering appliances, which weigh about 90 tons, were first made in Beijing and then transported to Mt. Wudang. The temple, made in copper, plated in gold and made to resemble wood, is 5.5 meters high, 5.8 meters wide and 4.2 meters deep. Worshiped on the throne in the center of the temple is a copper, gold-plated statue of the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor, which is 1.8 meters high and weighs about 10 tons. Below the spirit seat are a tortoise and a snake, the latter winding its body around the former and the two raising heads to look at each other. Mt. Wudang has already been recognized by UNESCO as a "World Culture Heritage." ==Contact== '''Address:''' Danjiangkou City, Hubei Province, China '''Traveling route:''' Go to Wuhan by air or by train, then to Liuliping by train, and then to Mt. Wudang by bus. '''Tel:''' 86-719-5667190 d91d00ad139e6a098779f8b8f4aacc7a0a4ca7bf 103 102 2009-07-24T02:10:53Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Wudang, also known as Mt. Taihe and the Mountain of Mystery ( 玄嶽 Xuanyue ), is located in Danjiangkou City, Hubei Province. Adjoining the Qinling Mountains in the west and Shennongjia in the south, it stretches over 800 li and consists of 72 peaks, 36 cliffs and 24 valleys. With its magnificent temples, the mountain attracts endless pilgrims. It is a famous Daoist sacred site in China. Mt. Wudang has a very long history in connection with Daoism. It is recorded that Xie Yun and Yi Gui of the Jin dynasty, Liu Qiu of the Southern Dynasties and Yao Jian of the Tang dynasty all entered the mountain to practice Dao. Temples such as Wulong Shrine, Taiyi Temple and Yanchang Temple had been built by the Tang dynasty. Both the imperial families of the Song and Yuan dynasties believed in the spirit of [[The Perfect Warrior]] ( 真武 Zhenwu ) of the north. As a result, Wudang Daoism, whose major belief is that of the Perfect Warrior, became prosperous gradually during these two dynasties. The celebrated Daoist priest of the Five Dynasties, Chen Tuan, was once a hermit at Jiushi Cliff, Mt. Wudang, where he [[Abstained from Grains]] ( 辟谷 Pigu ) and Refined [[The Vital Breath]] ( 煉氣 Lianqi ) for more than 20 years. At the beginning of the Ming dynasty, the famous Daoist, [[Zhang Sanfeng]], lived on the mountain in seclusion. At that time, all the temples on Mt. Wudang were destroyed in wars. Zhang Sanfeng said to others, "This mountain is bound to thrive someday." As things turned out, after Zhu Di, king of Yan, rose in revolt as a military governor of the northern outlying prefectures and usurped the throne from his niece, Emperor Jianwen claimed that he had been assisted by the Perfect Warrior in the "pacification" campaigns and so set up temples in large scale on Mt. Wudang, the sacred place of the latter. Emperor Chengzu sent Longping Marquis Zhang Xin, leading over 200,000 soldiers and artisans, to complete 8 "gong", 2 "guan", 36 "antang" and 72 "yanmiao". In addition, they built 39 bridges, 12 pavilions and the 70-odd-kilometer-long path leading from the piedmont to the peak. Mt. Wudang at that time had the grandest temples and largest Daoist communities of the country. It was honored as "the first famous mountain under heaven". After more than 500 years, several of the buildings were damaged throughout the ages. Only the six temples (gong) of Zixiao, Taihe, Jindian, Nanyan, Yuzhen and Yuxu, the two temples (guan) of Fuzhen and Yuanhe, and buildings such as Mozhen Well and Xuanyue Gate still remain in existence. ==Main Temples== ===The Zixiao Temple=== It is the largest and most intact temple of those extant on Mt. Wudang. The temple was built in the 11th Yongle year of the Ming dynasty (1413). There are altogether four lines of the building, namely the Longhu Temple, the Shifang Temple, the Zixiao Temple and the Fumu Temple, respectively. Worshiped in the Longhu Temple are sculptures of the two divine generals, the Black Dragon ( 青龍 Qinglong ) and the White Tiger ( 白虎 Baihu ), and worshiped in the Shifang Temple is the statue of the Numinous Official ( 靈官 Lingguan ). The Zixiao Temple (dian), the main hall of the Zixiao Temple (gong), enshrines the copper gold-plated statues of the Perfect Warrior made by imperial order in the Ming dynasty, including those of the old, middle-aged and young Perfect Warrior dressed either as a civil or military official. Still worshiped on the left and right of the temple are his 28 full-sized statues. There are two lanterns decorated with dragons, phoenixes, peacocks, flowers and leaves, which denote "the iron tree blossoms". They are only seen in China and have been recognized as national treasures. Worshiped in the Fumu Temple are the parents of the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor ( 真武大帝 Zhenwu Dadi ), i.e., Emperor Mingzhen and Empress Shansheng of the Jingle Kingdom. ===The Taihe Temple=== Initially built in the 14th Yongle year of the Ming dynasty (1416), when there were altogether 78 rooms, it was then enlarged into 520 rooms during the Jiajing years. Today only the Main Temple, the Chaobai Temple, the Zhonggu Tower and the Tong Temple still exist. The Main Temple is just the Taihe temple, where the copper statue of the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor is worshiped. ===The Jindian Temple=== Located on the peak of the Tianzhu Hill, it shines brilliantly in the sunshine. This temple and the icons, incense burner tables and offering appliances, which weigh about 90 tons, were first made in Beijing and then transported to Mt. Wudang. The temple, made in copper, plated in gold and made to resemble wood, is 5.5 meters high, 5.8 meters wide and 4.2 meters deep. Worshiped on the throne in the center of the temple is a copper, gold-plated statue of the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor, which is 1.8 meters high and weighs about 10 tons. Below the spirit seat are a tortoise and a snake, the latter winding its body around the former and the two raising heads to look at each other. Mt. Wudang has already been recognized by UNESCO as a "World Culture Heritage." ==Contact== '''Address:''' Danjiangkou City, Hubei Province, China '''Traveling route:''' Go to Wuhan by air or by train, then to Liuliping by train, and then to Mt. Wudang by bus. '''Tel:''' 86-719-5667190 [[zh:武當山]] bae184638de8cf5a998a3d13ef33d2a39d033d67 0 65 104 2009-07-24T03:01:34Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Located about 15 kilometers from the southeast of Dujiangyan City, Sichuan Province, Mt. Qingcheng lies amidst the Western Mountains covered ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Located about 15 kilometers from the southeast of Dujiangyan City, Sichuan Province, Mt. Qingcheng lies amidst the Western Mountains covered with pure white snow, and dominates the fertile land of Chengdu. The mountain, with its luxuriant trees, is green all year round, and surrounded by peaks, it is shaped like a city, so it enjoys the laudatory title "the green city". Known in Daoism as the fifth of [[The Ten Great Grotto Heavens]] ( 十大洞天 Shida Dongtian ), it is called the Nine-Room Grotto Heaven of Precious Immortality ( 寶仙九室洞天 Baoxian Jiushi Dongtian ). Mt. Qingcheng is one of the birthplaces of Daoism. During the Eastern Han dynasty, the Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ) [[Zhang Daoling]] founded Daoism on Mt. Heming in Shu, and the nearby Mt. Qingcheng was a major place where he spread his teachings. From its hazy beginnings in the Han dynasty, the Daoist movement of Mt. Qingcheng has developed for more than a thousand years, during which time Daoist adepts came forth in large numbers. Those who made pilgrimage to the mountain included Fan Changsheng of the Jin dynasty, who was held in high esteem by citizens of the state of Shu, and appointed as Prime Minister by Li Xiong, the founder of an independent regime in Chengdu; Zhao Yu of the Sui dynasty, prefect of Suizhou, who once entered a river to kill a flood dragon at his post and thus was worshiped by local people; [[Du Guangting]] of the late Tang dynasty, who wrote quite a few books on Daoism and contributed a great deal to the formulation of Daoist rituals of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ); Chen Qingjue of the Qing dynasty, who founded a branch of [[The Dragon Gate Sect]] ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ), the Elixir Platform of the Azure Grotto Lineage ( 碧洞宗 Bidong Zong ); and Yi Xinying of modern times, who was of great attainments in Daoist theories. Restored in the Qing dynasty, temples on Mt. Qingcheng are basically intact today. The main temples include the Jianfu Temple, the Temple of Eternal Dao ( 常道觀 Changdao Guan ), the Hall of Patriarchs ( 祖師殿 Zushi Dian ), the Temple of the Highest Clarity ( 上清宮 Shangqing Gong ), and the Pavilion of the Venerable Sovereign ( 老君閣 Laojun Ge ), etc. ==Main Temples== ===The Jianfu Temple=== It lies below the Zhangren Peak, Mt. Qingcheng. The temple was first built in the 18th Kaiyuan year of the Tang dynasty (730) and rebuilt in the 14th Guangxu year of the Qing dynasty (1888). Today there are three lines of temples. The front temple worships Fan Changsheng, the Heavenly and Terrestrial Elder Master of the Four Seasons and Eight Solar Terms ( 四時八節天地太師 Sishi Bajie Tiandi Taishi ); the main temple worships the Elder of the Five Sacred Mountains Perfect Sovereign Ningfeng ( 五岳丈人甯封真君 Wuyue Zhangren Ningfeng Zhenjun ), and Du Guangting; the back temple worships [[The Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ), the Imperial Sovereign Donghua ( 東華帝君 Donghua Dijun ), and the founder [[Wang Chongyang]]. Hung on the pillars of the back temple is a 394-word couplet poem, a superb scene of Mt. Qingcheng. ===The Temple of Eternal Dao=== Mount up from the Jianfu Temple and go through the Workshop of Natural Pictures, and you will come to the Temple of Eternal Dao. Behind the temple is the grotto in which the Celestial Master Zhang Daoling once dwelt; commonly called the Celestial Masters' Grotto ( 天師洞 Tianshi Dong ). The main buildings include the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 Sanqing Dian ), the Shrine of [[The Yellow Emperor]] ( 黃帝 Huangdi ), and the Hall of the Three August Ones ( 三皇 Sanhuang ), etc. The Hall of the Three Pristine Ones, the main hall of the Temple of Eternal Dao, was rebuilt in 1923. Hung high in the middle of the hall is the horizontal tablet with the inscription "Elixir Platform and Azure Grotto," written by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing dynasty. Worshiped in the hall are the supreme deities in Daoism, i.e., the Daoist Patriarchs----the Three Pristine Ones. Adjacent to the Pavilion of Ginkgo in front of the hall, there is an ancient tree that was said to have been planted in person by Celestial Master Zhang of the Eastern Han dynasty. The Shrine of the Yellow Emperor, the earliest building of the Temple of Eternal Dao, was originally founded in the Sui dynasty. Worshiped in the Hall of the Three August Ones are one stone statue of Fuxi, one of Shennong, and one of the Yellow Emperor. The stone tablet with inscriptions by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty in front of the seat of the Yellow Emperor is a rare cultural relic of the Tang dynasty. Tradition has it that a natural grotto on the Hunyuan Peak behind the temple is the actual site where the Celestial Master Zhang Daoling cultivated and refined himself. It is just the so-called Celestial Masters' Grotto. There is a stone niche on the topmost level of the grotto, where a stone statue of the Celestial Master Zhang carved in the Sui dynasty is worshipped. The Celestial Master has three eyes on his face and looks dignified. His left palm stretches outward, holding the "Seal of the Chief Official of Yangping Diocese" ( 陽平治都功印 Yangpingzhi Dugong Yin ). ===The Peak of Patriarch Peng=== Mounting up the stone stairs, you reach the first peak of Mt. Qingcheng, the Peak of Patriarch Peng. The famous Temple of the Highest Clarity stands on the eastern hillside of the peak. The temple was first built in the Jin dynasty, and the existent building was reconstructed during the last years of the Qing dynasty and the first years of the Republic of China. Mounting up, you enter the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones; bypassing the ambulatory, you reach the Hall of the Jade Emperor ( 玉皇 Yuhuang ). To the left of the hall is the Hall of Civil and Martial Spirits, where Confucius and Guan Yu are worshiped. There is a Maiden Ma's Pond to its lower right side. It is said that Maiden Ma washed elixirs here. Walking to the summit, you will find the Pavilion of the Venerable Sovereign, where there is a huge newly sculpted stone statue of the Venerable Sovereign on a black ox. On Mt. Qingcheng, tall ancient trees reach to the sky; emerald vines blot out the sun; ravines are scattered lengthwise and sidewise; marvelous peaks stand mysteriously. The mountain appears extremely deep and serene; therefore, it enjoys the great fame as "the most peaceful and secluded mountain under heaven". ==Contact== '''Address:''' Dujiangyan City, Sichuan Province '''Traveling route:''' Go to Chengdu by air or by train, and then to Mt. Qingcheng by bus '''Tel:''' 86-28-7288114 [[zh:青城山]] b89151bbde98d70c5256a9709a424d2f38d9baf3 0 66 105 2009-07-24T03:22:46Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Luofu, situated on the banks of the Dongjiang River to the northwest of Boluo County, Guangdong Province, covers 250 kilometers. Among Da...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Luofu, situated on the banks of the Dongjiang River to the northwest of Boluo County, Guangdong Province, covers 250 kilometers. Among Daoist Grotto Heavens( 洞天 Dongtian ) and Blissful Realms ( 福地 Fudi ), it is the seventh Grotto Heaven----the Grotto Heaven of Vermillion Brightness and Shining Perfection ( 朱明耀真洞天 Zhuming Yaozhen Dongtian ) and the 34th Blissful Realm----the Blissful Realms of Spring Origin ( 泉源福地 Quanyuan Fudi ). According to Records ''of Mt. Luofu'' , the mountain is the combined name for both Mt. Luo and Mt. Fu. It is said that Mt. Luofu is a subsidiary island of the Island Penglai, which floats from the Eastern Sea to the Southern Sea with wind and waves and connects with Mt. Luo, so it is called Mt. Luofu. Mt. Luofu was regarded as a grotto of spirits since antiquity. Many magical legends about "Penglai" in the Southern Sea have been passed down through the ages, attracting scholars in different dynasties to come for tourism or for a secluded life. In the Eastern Jin dynasty, the renowned Daoist [[Ge Hong]] once refined elixirs here. During Ge Hong's stay on Mt. Luofu, four huts were built, and subsequently enlarged into temples, namely the southern Temple of Great Emptiness ( 都虛觀 Duxu Guan ) (which was changed into the Temple of Emptiness ( 沖虛觀 Chongxu Guan ) afterwards), the western Temple of the Yellow Dragon ( 黃龍觀 Huanglong Guan ), the eastern Temple of the Nine Heavens ( 九天觀 Hiutian Guan ), and the northern Temple of Junkets ( 酥醪觀 Sulao Guan ). Later in the Sui and Tang dynasties, some celebrated Daoists, such as Su Yuanlang and Xuanyuan Ji, lived here successively in seclusion. Daoism of Mt. Luofu was thus fairly developed. In the Song and Yuan dynasties, famous Daoists such as [[Chen Nan]], [[Bai Yuchan]] and Zou Baoguang led secluded lives and cultivated Dao on the mountain. Daoism of Mt. Luofu remained prosperous till the Ming and Qing dynasties. In the Qing dynasty, a branch of the Dragon Gate Sect ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) propagated its teachings at the Temple of Junkets. During the reign of Emperor Guangxu, the abbot of the temple, Chen Jiaoyou, wrote [[Evolution of the Daoism of Changchun's Lineage]] ( 長春道教源流 Changchun Daojiao Yuanliu ), an important work on the history of transmission and inheritance of the Dragon Gate Sect. It was said that there were nine guan (temple), 18 si (temple) and 22 an (temple) on Mt. Luofu, but after the Ming and Qing dynasties, many of them collapsed and only five guan and five si remain nowadays. The five Daoist temples are the Temple of Emptiness, the Temple of Junkets, the Temple of the Nine Heavens, the Temple of the White Crane ( 白鶴觀 Baihe Guan ), and the Temple of the Yellow Dragon. The Temple of Emptiness is one of the national key temples acknowledged by the State Council. There are many relics of Ge Hong on Mt. Luofu, such as the "Well of Longevity" from which he obtained water, the alchemical kitchen for refining elixirs, and the pond for washing elixirs. The Grotto of Vermillion Brightness on the mountain is said to be the place where Ge Hong cultivated Dao and attained immortality. It is situated in the forest in the deep valley below Mt. Luofu, where everything is in deep stillness, except for gurgling streams. This refined and quiet place is just like a fairyland. Besides, there is a "Boots-Losing House", which is said to be the place where Ge Hong and his teacher Bo Jing used to discuss scriptures. One day, after talking until daybreak, two swallows flew toward them. However, they turned out to be a pair of boots instead of swallows, after being entangled. It is said that immortals lost their boots here, and so the house was named like this. There is a stone tablet above the house. It is about five-chi long, half-chi wide and one-chi high. It lies against a huge stone like a bed and is completely in the shade. They say in ancient times, an immortal once lay on it quietly, so it is called "Immortal's Bed". Fully enjoying the wonderful view of the Grotto Heaven of Mt. Luofu makes one feel aloof from the vulgar indeed. ==Contact== '''Address:''' Boluo County, Guangdong Province '''Traveling route:''' Go to Guangdong and then go to Mt. Luofu by bus '''Tele:''' 86-752-6660661, 6660235 or 86-13902663519 [[zh:羅浮山]] 07b0504074495f96ab2f551c06c1bc1f557b22dc 0 67 106 2009-07-24T03:45:42Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Zhongnan, also called Mt. Taiyi, Mt. Difei, Mt. Zhongnan, Mt. Zhounan and Mt. Nan for short, is a section of the Qinling Mountains runnin...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Zhongnan, also called Mt. Taiyi, Mt. Difei, Mt. Zhongnan, Mt. Zhounan and Mt. Nan for short, is a section of the Qinling Mountains running from Wugong in the west to Lantian in the east. Its emerald peaks and beautiful scenery attract such laudatory titles as "the Fairyland", "the First Grotto Heaven ( 洞天 Dongtian )", and "the First Blissful Realm ( 福地 Fudi ) Under Heaven". Its dominant peak, located in Zhouzhi County, is 2,064 meters above sea level. Mt. Zhongnan is one of the birthplaces of Daoism. It is said that during the reign of King Kang of the Zhou dynasty, astrologist [[Yin Xi]], the guarding official at the Hangu Pass, built a straw tower and mounted it to observe constellations and clouds. One day, he suddenly caught sight of purple clouds coming from the east and auspicious stars going to the west. Anticipating that a sage would certainly travel past the pass, he waited there. Soon an elder dressed in five-colored clouds came on a black ox. It turned out that [[Laozi]] travelled westward and arrived in Qin. Yin Xi hastened to invite Laozi to his tower. He acknowledged Laozi as his teacher and asked Laozi to preach scriptures and write books. Laozi imparted to him the 5,000-word [[Book of Dao and its Virtue]] ( 道徳經 Daode Jing ) on the high hillock to the south of the tower and then floated away. It is said that the platform for preaching scriptures at the Lookout Tower Platform ( 樓觀台 Louguan Tai ) is just the place where Laozi once taught scriptures. From the time Yin Xi originally founded the tower, buildings were set up on Mt. Zhongnan in different dynasties. The First Emperor of the Qin dynasty built a temple to worship Laozi to the south of the tower, and Emperor Wudi of the Han dynasty built a shrine for Laozi to the north of the platform for preaching scriptures. During the Wei, Jin and the Southern and Northern Dynasties, famous northern Daoists gathered at the tower and built new temples. They founded the Lookout Tower Tradition. In the Tang dynasty, the Daoist patriarch Laozi was regarded as the sacred patriarch and Daoism was greatly venerated by the imperial family, and the large Temple Venerating the Sage ( 宗聖宮 Zongsheng Gong ) was constructed on Mt. Zhongnan. During the Five Dynasties after the collapse of the Tang, Daoist priests of the popular Golden Elixir Sect of Zhong and Lü( 鍾呂金丹派 Zhong Lu Jindan Pai ) such as [[Zhongli Qun]], [[Lü Dongbin]], and [[Liu Haichan]], once lived in seclusion on Mt. Zhongnan. In the Jin and Yuan dynasties, [[Wang Chongyang]], founder of [[The Complete Perfection Tradtion]]( 全真 Quanzhen ), cultivated Dao in Liujiang Village and Nanshi Village near Mt. Zhongnan, which thus became the earliest birthplace of the tradition. As a result, after Qiu Chuji vigorously developed the Complete Perfection Tradition, he went in for large-scale construction of temples on Mt. Zhongnan. This helped Daoism on Mt. Zhongnan to reach its height of power and splendor. It is recorded that since the early Yuan dynasty, plenty of temples, the Temple of Chongyang's Longevity ( 重陽萬壽宮 Chongyang Wanshou Gong ) being the center, were set up on Mt. Zhongnan successively. These include the Temple of Chongyang's Attainment of the Da ( 重陽成道宮 Chongyang Chengdao Gong ), the Encountering Immortals Temple ( 遇仙觀 Yuxian Guan ), the Longevity Temple of Communication with Immortals ( 通仙萬壽宮 Tongxian Wanshou Gong ), the Temple for Hermits ( 棲雲觀 Qiyun Guan ), the Temple for the Assembly of Immortals ( 集仙觀 Jixian Guan ), the Temple of Supreme Oneness ( 太一 Taiyi ), the Jade Flower Temple ( 玉華觀 Yuhua Guan ), and the White Deer Temple ( 白鹿觀 Bailu Guan ). During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Daoism on Mt. Zhongnan came to decline gradually. Run-down and desolated, most of the temples except the platform for preaching scriptures were ruined and collapsed. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the ancient temples on Mt. Zhongnan were renovated many times, and a building group with the platform for preaching scriptures as its center has come into being. ==Contact== '''Address:''' Zhouzhi County, Shanxi Province '''Traveling route:''' Go to Xi'an firstly and then to the Lookout Tower Platform by bus. '''Tele:''' 029-8988044 [[zh:終南山]] 3ea8af15485e9b575e44570c205f05214cd37c2e 0 68 107 2009-07-24T03:55:59Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Located at the western side of the Poyang Lake in the south of the Changjiang River, Mt. Lu meanders through Jiangxi Province. Its highest pe...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Located at the western side of the Poyang Lake in the south of the Changjiang River, Mt. Lu meanders through Jiangxi Province. Its highest peak, the Dahanyang Peak, is 1,543 meters above sea level. Mt. Lu was called Kuanglu in ancient times, so it is also called Mt. Kuang. It is said that during the reign of King Weilie of the Zhou dynasty (4th century B.C.), Kuang Su (also known in some books as Kuang Yu or Kuang Xu) built a hut on the top of the mountain and cultivated himself wholeheartedly. The emperor got to know this and asked him to come out many times, but he declined as many times, and afterwards went even deeper into remote mountains. When the messenger managed to find his straw hut after searching for a long time, he had already ascended to heaven and become an immortal. It is said that this is why Mt. Lu is so named. Mt. Lu has a long history of Daoism. As early as the period of the Three Kingdoms, the famous Daoist, Dong Feng, lived in seclusion at the foot of Banruo Peak, Mt. Lu. Skilled in medicine, he treated the mountain people widely but never accepted a single cent. Instead, he simply requested that seriously ill patients plant five apricot trees and those who were not so seriously ill plant one after they were cured. Several years later, there were already several thousand trees that formed a forest. After Dong Feng passed away, people built a memorial in honor of him. The tale of planting trees is so widespread that people later refer to those with high medical skills as "reputed in the apricot forest". During the Liu Song period of the Southern dynasties, the renowned Daoist adept [[Lu Xiujing]] traveled to the south in order to take refuge from the turmoil in the Taichu era. He arrived at Mt. Lu in the fifth Daming year (461) and built an exquisite house below the cliff of the southeastern waterfall. There he lived a secluded life and cultivated Dao. After ascending the throne, Emperor Ming of the Song dynasty intended to advance Daoism. He summoned Lu Xiujing and built the Temple for the Worship of Emptiness ( 崇虛館 Chongxu Guan ) on Mt. Tianyin in the suburbs of the capital for him to live in. In the fifth Yuanhui year (477), Lu Xiujing died at the age of 72. His disciples took his coffin back to Mt. Lu. He was given the posthumous title the Simplicity and Quietness Gentleman ( 簡寂先生 Jianji Xiansheng ) by imperial order, and his former residence on Mt. Lu was named the Temple of Simplicity and Quietness. After Lu Xiujing died, Daoism on Mt. Lu was developed to a high degree, and numerous temples were successively set up, such as the Temple of Auspicious Correspondence ( 祥符觀 Xiangfu Guan ), the Temple of Anterior Heaven ( 先天 Xiantian ), the Jingde Temple, the White Crane Temple ( 白鶴觀 Baihe Guan ), the Temple of Extensive Blessings ( 廣福宮 Guangfu Gong ), and the Temple of Supreme Peace ( 太平 Taiping ). The Temple of Extensive Blessings was founded at the western piedmont near the Donglin Temple. It is commonly called "the Temple in Honor of Gentleman Kuang" and commemorated the earliest founder Kuang Su. The Temple of Great Peace was at the eastern piedmont. It was built in the Tang dynasty and called the Temple of the Mediators of the Nine Heavens, and was enlarged in the Song dynasty and renamed the "Taiping Xingguo Temple". Having undergone great changes in the course of time, most Daoist temples on Mt. Lu are no longer extant. The only one that is intact is the temple of the Immortal's Grotto ( 仙人洞 Xianren Dong ). The grotto is in the northwest of the Guling Ridge. It results from the natural process of efflorescing. Tradition has it that it is the place where [[Lu Dongbin]] refined himself and attained Dao. Today there are the Chunyang Temple that worships Lü Dongbin and the Temple of the Venerable Sovereign that worships [[The Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ). In the grotto, there is the so-called "One-Drop Spring" formed by drops from splits in stone, and there are some carved stones of the Ming dynasty on the wall, such as "Heavenly Spring Grotto", "Serene Benevolent Spring", and "Good Water of the Grotto Heaven". In 1961, Chairman Mao Zedong traveled here and wrote a poem, saying, "In vague twilight I looked at the sight of the sturdy pine trees, which still stand calmly in scudding clouds. Nature gives birth to the Immortal's Grotto, which displays a spectacular scene on the perilous peak." The great poet of the Song dynasty Su Dongpo wrote a poem: "Seen horizontally, it is like a ridge, while seen vertically, it is like a peak. The mountain looks different from afar, up close, from above, or below. We fail to learn Mt. Lu's true appearance, just because we are in the mountain." This poem added a great deal to the miraculous quality of Mt. Lu. [[zh:廬山]] ad98e9b9981b2b397932d1c3160b22f73cf40627 0 69 108 2009-07-24T04:47:56Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Qiyun, known as the White Mountain in ancient times, is located near the Yanqian Town, 15 kilometers away from the west of Xiuning County...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} Mt. Qiyun, known as the White Mountain in ancient times, is located near the Yanqian Town, 15 kilometers away from the west of Xiuning County, Anhui Province. Mt. Qiyun was once one of the four famous Daoist mountains in China. As early as the Qianyuan era of the Tang dynasty (A. D. 758-760), the Daoist priest Gong Qiyun roamed to Mt. Qiyun and lived in seclusion at the Tianmen Cliff. During the Baoqing years of the Southern Song dynasty (A. D. 1225-1227), the Magician( 方士 Fangshi ) Yu Daoyuan built at the Qiyun Cliff the Shrine of Perfect Warrior Who Protects Sages ( 佑聖真武祠 Yousheng Zhenwu Ci ). In the Ming dynasty, Daoist activities on Mt. Qiyun daily became more and more flourishing. The Daoists of the mountain used to go to [[Mt. Wudang]] to visit masters and seek knowledge, so much so that Daoist temples and regulations of Mt. Qiyun mostly imitated those of Mt. Wudang. In the 15th Zhengde year (A. D. 1515), Wang Taiyuan, a Daoist living on Mt. Qiyun, built the Jade Emptiness Temple ( 玉虛宮 Yuxu Gong ) on the Purple Clouds Cliff and the Peaceful Joy Temple ( 靜樂宮 Jingle Ging ) at the Peach Blossoms Valley, in imitation of [[Mt. Wudang]]. His disciple, carrying forward his master's will, built the Plums Temple and picked plums on Mt. Wudang to plant there. Since Mt. Wudang has the literary title "Taihe" while Mt. Qiyun has the literary title "Zhonghe", ancient people called the latter a "Small Mt. Wudang in the South of the River". In the 11th Jiajing year during the reign of Emperor Shizong of the Ming dynasty (A. D. 1532), Zhang Yanyu, the Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ) of the 48th generation of [[The Orthodox Oneness Sect]] ( 正一 Zhengyi ) of the Dragon and Tiger Mountain, presented a memorial to the emperor and commanded the Daoist devotees to perform offering rituals on Mt. Qiyun so as to pray for sons for the emperor. The prayer turned out accurate, and the emperor ordered the construction at the Qiyun Cliff of the Supreme Simplicity Temple of the Mysterious Heaven ( 玄天太素宮 Xuantian Taisu Gong ). During the Jiajing and Wanli eras, the three generations of the Celestial Masters Descended from the Han Dynasty ( 嗣漢天師 Sihan Tianshi ) of the Dragon and Tiger Mountain and stayed in turn on Mt. Qiyun, establishing altars and offering rituals there. The Orthodox Oneness Sect of Daoism began to grow strong and to develop, thus forming the co-existence of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真 Quanzhen ) of Mt. Wudang and the Orthodox Oneness Sect of the Dragon and Tiger Mountain. During the last years of the Ming dynasty, the Daoism of Mt. Qiyun declined gradually. During the Qianlong years of the Qing dynasty, it was once renovated, but during the Xianfeng and Tongzhi eras, pilgrimages were on the wane due to wars, and the stone steps on the mountain, run-down and lacking repairs, collapsed one after another. At present, the Daoist Association of Mt. Qiyun and relevant departments of the local government are raising funds to rebuild some temples. There is the famous Yuehua Street on the mountain. On the street are simple and elegant Hui-styled houses, scattered among which are some Daoist temples built against the mountain. The Supreme Simplicity Temple of the Mysterious Heaven is the most magnificent one of all the temples on the street. Located in the south and facing the north, the temple leaned against the three peaks of the Jade Screen, Eastern Bell and Western Drum Peaks, with the tall and erect Incense Burner Peak standing in front of it. They are just like a heavenly bell, drum and incense burner, forming a precious land of high geomantic quality created by nature. There are plenty of tablet inscriptions and stone inscriptions on Mt. Qiyun. They amounted to over 1,400 throughout history, but were corroded by nature and destroyed by man over the years, and today only 462 exist. The fairly early stone inscriptions include those of the Daguan era of the Northern Song dynasty and the Shaoxi era of the Southern Song dynasty, and about 80% are those of the Ming and Qing dynasties. These tablet inscriptions and stone inscriptions are of various styles, including all the calligraphic styles such as Zhen, Xing, Cao, Li, and Zhuan. They are of great calligraphic value. Among them, the inscriptions "heavenly magical beautifulness", "marvellous prominent peak" and "wonder from time immemorial" are so grand that they are acclaimed as the acme of perfection. Mt. Qiyun, with its peculiar charm, along with the Huangshan Mountain and the Jiuhua Mountain, enhance each other's beauty. It is a brilliant pearl in the scenic spot in the south of Wan. ==Contact== '''Address:''' Xiuning County, Anhui Province, China '''Traveling route:''' Go to the Huangshan Mountain by train and then go Mt. Qiyun by bus. '''Tele:''' 86-559-7560096 [[zh:齊雲山]] 7b1ee6c8ee0ee3a4c11444711309ec3d83e05b9a 0 70 109 2009-07-24T04:57:39Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} A famous tourist spot of China, Mt. Wuyi is located in the northwest of Fujian Province and runs along the boundary between Min and Gan. Daoi...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms}} A famous tourist spot of China, Mt. Wuyi is located in the northwest of Fujian Province and runs along the boundary between Min and Gan. Daoism has it as the 16th Grotto Heaven ( 洞天 Dongtian ), the Grotto Heaven of Ascending Perfection and Original Transformation, of all its Grotto Heavens and Blissful Realms ( 福地 Fudi ). The red cliffs revealing their beauty and the green water deep with quietness, the mountain has always enjoyed the fame as "the most marvelously beautiful place in the southeast". An ancient poem summarizes the scenery of Mt. Wuyi, saying, "the three times three beautiful water is as clear as jade, and the six times six marvelous emerald peaks are so high as to reach the sky." Here the "six times six beautiful water" refers to the Nine-Zigzagged Stream, and the "six times six marvelous peaks" refer to the 36 peaks, such as the Dawang Peak, the Yunu Peak, the Jiuxun Peak, and the Tianyou Peak. The mountain spirit of Mt. Wuyi is Lord Wuyi. According to the chapter "Worship of Heaven and Earth" in ''Records of the Historian'' ( 史記 Shi Ji ), the Wu Emperor of the Han dynasty once sent a messenger to the mountain to worship Lord Wuyi with dried fish. It is said that Mt. Wuyi is the residence of Earthly Immortals ( 地仙 Dixian ). All the Earthly Immortals, having obtained merits through cultivation and refinement, must converge on Mt. Wuyi to be examined before they manage to be promoted to the status of heavenly immortal. Therefore, Lord Wuyi is regarded as the spirit governing Earthly Immortals. They say that on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month in the second year during the reign of Emperor Shihuang of the Qin dynasty, Lord Wuyi, together with the great grandmother of the emperor, and Prince Jian of Wei, gave a banquet at the Manting Cliff and met with over 2,000 people from his hometown. [[Bai Yuchan]] of the Song dynasty wrote a poem in praise of the matter. In the seventh Tianbao year (A. D. 748), the imperial court established the Tianbao Temple on Mt. Wuyi to worship Lord Wuyi specially. In the first year during the Baoda era of the Southern Tang dynasty (A. D. 943), Li Liangzuo, the younger brother of Emperor Yuanzong "abandoned power and honor and became a Daoist". He entered Mt. Wuyi for cultivation and refinement. Emperor Yuanzong ordered the relative department to move and rebuild the Tianbao Temple and named it the "Immortal Assembly Temple ( 會仙觀 Huixian Guan )". In the second Daozhong Xiangfu year during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song dynasty (A. D. 1009), it was enlarged and renamed "Chongyou Temple". In the fifth Taiding year of the Yuan dynasty (A. D. 1328), the emperor ordered to changed it into "Chongyou Longevity Temple". In the Ming dynasty, the temple was renamed "Chongyuan Temple". Since it is the largest Daoist temple on Mt. Wuyi and specially worships Lord Wuyi, people also call it "Wuyi Temple". The famous Daoist Bai Yuchan of the Southern Song dynasty was once a recluse in Mt. Wuyi and the abbot of Zhizhi Temple. This temple stands behind the Shuiguang Stone at the first bend of the Nine-Zigzagged Stream, and today only the ruins exists. It is said that in history there were 99 Daoist temples on Mt. Wuyi, but nowadays only the Peach Spring Grotto ( 桃源洞 Taoyuan Dong ) is a Daoist temple. The Peach Spring Grotto: It was originally known as the Small Arcadia. The cliffs lean on each other and form a very deep gate. Inside the gate the ground is very flat and vast. There are 10 to 20 mu fields. Mountains in the four directions surround the grotto. Staying inside and looking back, people will find no gate, so they suspect that it is an Arcadia. This is why the grotto is named "Small Arcadia". Temples in the grotto include the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 Sanhuang Dian ), the Hall of the Three August Ones and the Primordial Sovereign ( 三皇元君殿 Sanhuang Yuanjun Dian ), and the Hall of the Perfect Warrior ( 真武殿 Zhenwu Dian ), etc. Now a few Daoist devotees stay here, refining themselves. The lush forests and beautiful landscape of Mt. Wuyi make it a paradise on earth and a good place for Daoists' nourishing life, cultivation and refinement. [[zh:武夷山]] 5ccc31c77c10edba38e3edec2a1c6fe59ea00054 0 71 110 2009-07-24T07:39:37Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Brief introduction== The White Cloud Temple ( 白雲觀 Baiyuan Guan ) of Beijing is located outside Xibianmen in Beijing. It is one of "The Three Great Ancestral Courts" ( 三...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Brief introduction== The White Cloud Temple ( 白雲觀 Baiyuan Guan ) of Beijing is located outside Xibianmen in Beijing. It is one of "The Three Great Ancestral Courts" ( 三大祖庭 Sanda Zuting ) of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真派 Quanzhen Pai ) of Daoism, and is titled "The First Temple under Heaven" ( 天下第一叢林 Tianxia Diyi Conglin ). ==History of the White Cloud Temple== Originally called the "Temple of Heavenly Eternity" ( 天長觀 Tianchang Guan ), the White Cloud Temple has a history of over 1,200 years. In the Tang dynasty, [[Laozi]] was venerated in it as the original patriarch, and Daoism was so prosperous that it reached its prime. In the tenth year of Kaiyuan (AD 722), Li Longji, emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty, issued an imperial edict to build a temple to be named the "Temple of Heavenly Eternity", and bestowed a stone statue of Laozi, which was enshrined in the temple. In the fifth year of Zhenglong of the Jin dynasty (AD 1166), when the Qidan tribe invaded to the south, the Temple of Heavenly Eternity was entirely burnt down during the fires of war. In the seventh year of Dading during the reign of emperor Shizong of the Jin dynasty (AD 1167), an imperial order was issued to rebuild the temple, which, greater in size and scale than before, was completed in March of the fourteenth year of Dading (AD 1174). Yan Deyuan, a celebrated Daoist priest, was asked at that time to be the Abbot of the temple. In the same year, the "Temple of Heavenly Eternity" was renamed as the "Great Temple of Heavenly Eternity of the Ten Directions" (十方大天長觀 Shifang da Tiangchang Guan ). In the 26th year of Dading (AD 1186), a famous Daoist priest named Sun Daoming became the Abbot in charge of the affairs of the Great Temple of Heavenly Eternity of the Ten Directions". He once compiled the Precious Canon of the Mystery Capital of the Great Jin Dynasty ( 大金玄都寶藏 Dajin Xuandu Baozang ) at the temple. In the first year of Mingchang of the Jin dynasty (AD 1190), the Auspicious and Sacred Hall ( 瑞聖殿 Ruisheng Dian ) (present-day Primordial Time Temple ( 元辰殿 Yuanchen Dian )) was built in the eastern lower court of the temple, where the Spirit of Dingmao, the Fundamental Destiny ( 本命 Benming ) of the mother of emperor Zhangzong of the Jin dynasty, was worshiped. In the third year of Taihe of the Jin dynasty (AD 1203), the temple was once again burnt down by fire, so it was rebuilt by imperial order, and the Great Temple of Heavenly Eternity of the Ten Directions was changed renamed the "Temple of the Supreme Ultimate" ( 太極宮 Taiji Gong ). In AD 1124, the Perfect Man ( 真人 Zhenren ) [[Qiu Chuji]] went by way of the Snow Mountains to meet Genghis Khan, the first Emperor of the Yuan dynasty, and then returned to the East where he inhabited the Supreme Ultimate Temple by imperial order. Due to years of warfare, the halls of the Supreme Ultimate Temple were all ruined and shabby. So, together with all his disciples, Perfect Man Qiu enthusiastically appealed for a subscription to start the construction and renovation. Three years later, the halls took on an entirely new look. In the 22nd year of the reign of the first Emperor of the Yuan dyansty (AD 1227), the Temple of the Supreme Ultimate was expanded as the "Eternal Spring Temple" ( 長春宮 Changchun Gong ) by imperial order. In the same year, Patriarch Qiu passed away. His disciples set a lower court in the east of the Eternal Spring Temple to bury his remains, on which they built up the Hall of Mildness ( 處順堂 Chushun Tang ) (today's Hall of Patriarch Qiu ( 邱祖殿 Qiuzu Dian )). During the last years of the Yuan dynasty and the first years of the Ming dynasty, the Eternal Spring Temple again suffered from the ravages of war and collapsed once more. When Zhu Di, emperor Chengzu of the Ming dynasty, issued an imperial edict to rebuild the temple in the years of Yongle, the temple was moved to the east, enlarged with the Hall of Mildness as its center, and renamed the "White Cloud Temple", which has been used continuously until now. In the eighth year of Zhengtong of the Ming dynasty (1443), a horizontal tablet was bestowed, formally calling the temple the "White Cloud Temple". In the ninth year of Zhengtong, ''[[The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ) was bestowed on the White Cloud Temple. The "Stone Tablet of Bestowing the Canon" inscribed at that time, where the grand occasion of bestowing the canon was recorded, still exists today. During the first years of the Qing dynasty, Wang Changyue, the 7th generation patriarch of [[The Dragon Gate Sect]] ( 龍門 Longmen ), was the Abbot of the White Cloud Temple. Emperor Kangxi thought highly of him. As a crown prince, Kangxi received the "Commandment of Convenience" ( 方便戒 Fangbian Jie ) when [[Wang Changyue]] transmitted commandments. In the first year of Kangxi (1662), Patriarch Wang Changyue conducted large-scale renovations of the White Cloud Temple by imperial order. They were completed in the 45th year of Kangxi. The size of the halls in the middle line was established. After the Qing dynasty, the temple was rebuilt in 1924. The inscribed stone tablet stands in front of the Hall of the Numinous Officials ( 靈官殿 Lingguan Dian ). After the founding of the Peoples' Republic, the People's Government has carried out the policy of freedom of religious belief and protects cultural relics and historical interests. In 1956, it financially aided the repairing of the White Cloud Temple, to restore the structure of the halls and the appearance of ancient buildings. In 1957, the whole Daoist community of China convened its first representative conference at the White Cloud Temple, which then became the site of the [[China Daoist Association]] ( 中國道教協會 Zhongguo Daojiao Xiehui ), a national Daoist organization. During the Cultural Revolution, the China Daoist Association stopped functioning. In 1979, it began its activities again. The People's Government appropriated money again to aid the maintenance of the temple financially, and ranked it as a key national Daoist temple and a protected cultural relic of the City of Beijing. Nowadays, the White Cloud Temple is where the China Daoist Association, the China Daoist Academy ( 中國道教學院 Zhongguo Daojiao Xueyuan ) and the Institute of Chinese Daoist Culture ( 中國道教文化研究所 Zhongguo Daojiao Wenhua Yanjiusuo) are situated. ==Main buildings for the cult of divinities== The main buildings of the White Cloud Temple are divided into the middle, the eastern, and the western line, and the rear court. There are altogether seventeen halls. Except for a few towers, platforms and halls that are buildings of the Jin and Yuan dynasties, all the others are buildings of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The decorated archway outside the gate is a seven-floored and double-eaved building with color paintings. It was built in the eighth year of Zhengtong of the Ming dynasty (1443), and was the place where the Daoist priests in the temple gazed at the stars and the air of syzygy in old times. The four characters "wan gu chang chun" (Eternal Spring Through the Ages) on the screen wall facing the gate of the decorated archway were inscribed by Zhao Menghu, the great calligrapher of the Yuan dynasty. The gate was built in the eighth year of Zhengtong of the Yuan dynasty. The horizontal tablet "chijian baiyun guan" (The White Cloud Temple Built by Imperial Order) was inscribed by a celebrated calligrapher at that time. "Chijian" means to build using financial allocations by imperial order. There are altogether six major halls in the middle line. The Hall of the Numinous Officials was built in the seventh year of Jingtai of the Ming dynasty (1456), and renovated in the first year of Kangxi of the Qing dynasty (1662). Its original name was "Eternal Spring Temple of the Jade Calendar" ( 玉立長春殿 Yuli Changchun Dian ), which was changed to the present name in the 45th year of Kangxi. The Jade Emperor of the Heavenly Golden Imperial Palace ( 昊天金闕玉皇大帝 Haotian Jinque Yuhuang Dadi ) is worshipes in the hall. The Hall of Ancient Disciplines ( 老律堂 Laolu Tang ) was built in the seventh year of Jingtai of the Ming dynasty (1456). Originally named the "Hall of the Seven Perfect Ones ( 七真殿 Qizhen Dian )", it is the most essential hall for the religious activities of the Daoist priests in the temple. Since it is in this hall that the Masters of Disciplines ( 律師 Lushi ) of all generations of the Dragon Gate sect of the Complete Perfection tradition transmitted commandments and preached, the hall was later called the "Hall of Ancient Disciplines". Worshiped in the hall are [[The Seven Perfect Ones of the North]] of the Complete Perfection tradition, all of whom were disciples of [[Wang Chongyang]], the founder of the Complete Perfection tradition. In the middle is [[Qiu Chuji]], on the eastern side are [[Tan Chuduan]], [[Liu Chuxuan]] and [[Ma Yu]], and on the western side are [[Hao Datong]], [[Wang Chuyi]] and [[Sun Bu'er]]. The Hall of Patriarch Qiu was set up when Tuolei was the sovereign in the Yuan dynasty (1228). Originally named the 'Hall of Mildness'14, it is the center of the buildings of the White Cloud Temple. Worshiped in the hall is Patriarch Qiu Chuji. In the hall there is a "Wart Bowl", which was bestowed by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty, who said that the Daoist priests of this temple were allowed to beg alms in the imperial palace with this bowl. Beneath the bowl the remains of Patriarch Qiu are buried. The structure in the back of the middle line is a multi-storied building. On the ground floor is the Hall of the Four Heavenly Ministers ( 匹御殿 Siyu Dian ), which was built in the third year of Xuande of the Ming dynasty (1428). In the middle of the divine table of the hall is the seat of the Jade Emperor of the Heavenly Golden Imperial Palace; on the left and right sides are the statues of the Great Emperor of the Central Heaven Pole Star of the Purple Subtlety ( 中天紫微北極大帝 Zhongtian Ziwei Beiji Dadi ), the Great Heavenly Emperor of the Highest Palace of Polaris ( 勾陳上宮天皇大帝 Gouchen Shanggong Tyianhuang Dadi ), the Imperial Earth God Who Receives and Follows Heavenly Laws ( 承天效法后土皇地祇 Chengtian Xiaofa Houtu Huangdiqi ), and the South Pole Great Emperor of Longevity ( 南極長生大帝 Changsheng Dadi ). Upstairs is the Three Pristine Ones' Pavilion ( 三清閣 Sanqing Ge ), which was reconstructed in the first year of Kangxi of the Qing dynasty (1662). Worshiped in the hall are the most revered divinities of Daoism, namely [[The Primeval Heavenly Lord of Jade Clarity]] ( 玉清[[元始天尊]] Yuqing Yuanshi Tianzun ), [[The Highest Clarity Heavenly Lord of Numinous Treasure]] ( 上清[[靈寶天尊]] Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun ), and [[The Supreme Clarity Heavenly Lord of Dao and its Virtue]] ( 太清[[道德天尊]] Taiqing Daode Tianzun ). Besides, in the middle line there are the Hall of the Three Officials ( 三官殿 Sanguan Dian ), the Hall of Saving the Suffering ( 救苦殿 Jiuku Dian ), the Hall of [[The Spirit of Wealth]] ( 財神殿 Caishen Dian ), the Hall of the King of Medicine ( 藥王殿 Yaowang Dian ), and the bell tower and the drum tower. Worshiped in the Hall of the Three Officials are [[The Three Great Official Emperors]] of "Heaven, Earth and Water". Worshiped in the Hall of Saving the Suffering is the Heavenly Lord Who Saves the Suffering ( 救苦天尊 Jiuku Tianzun ). The three Spirits of Wealth are enshrined in the Hall of the Spirit of Wealth, namely the Literary Spirit of Wealth Bigan, and the Martial Spirits of Wealth Zhao Gongming and Guanyu. Worshiped in the Hall of the King of Medicine is the King of Medicine, Perfect Man Sun Simiao. There are altogether six halls in the western line. The shrine was built in the 45th year of Kangxi of the Qing dynasty (1706). Enshrined is the Master of Discipline of the seventh generation of the Dragon Gate sect of the Complete Perfection tradition, Patriarch Wang Changyue, whose remains were buried beneath the shrine. Wang Changyue was the patriarch of the first generation who vigorously developed the Mystery Lineage ( 玄宗 Xuanzong ) of the Dragon Gate sect of this temple, and was called the "Restoration Patriarch" by the Dragon Gate sect. He transmitted commandments in this temple altogether ten times, received several thousands of disciples, and built the shrine by imperial order. Inlaid in the walls of the eastern and western rooms are the stone inscriptions of ''[[The Book of Dao and its Virtue ]]''( 道德經 Daode Jing ) and ''[[The Book of Secret Correspondences]]'' ( 陰符經 Yinfu Jing ) written by Zhao Menghu, a great calligrapher of the Yuan dynasty. They are the three treasures of the White Cloud Temple. The Eight Immortals Hall ( 八仙殿 Baxing Dian ) enshrines [[The Eight Immortals]] of Daoism, namely Zhong Liquan, Lu Dongbin, Zhang Guolao, Cao Guojiu, He Xiangu, Lan Caihe, Li Tieguai and Han Xiangzi. In addition, in the Hall of Patriarch Lu ( 呂祖殿 Luzu Dian ), Lu Dongbin, Patriarch Chunyang is worshiped. The Hall of the Primordial Sovereign ( 元君殿 Yuanjun Dian ), also called the Hall of the Lady ( 娘娘殿 Niangniang Dian ) and originally named the Hall of the Disciples ( 子孫堂 Zisun Tang ), was built in the 21st year of Qianlong (1756). Seated in the middle is the Heavenly Immortal, the Saintly Mother and the Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud ( 天仙聖母碧霞元君 Tianxian Shengmu Bixia Yuanjun ), on the right are the Eye's Light Lady ( 眼光娘娘 Yangguang Niangniang ) and the Heavenly Flower Lady ( 天花娘娘 Tianhua Niangniang ), and on the left are the Lady Who Gives Children ( 送子娘娘 Songzi Niangniang ) and the Lady Who Expedites Child Delivery ( 催生娘娘 Cuisheng Niangniang ). The Wenchang Hall ( 文昌殿 Wenchang Dian ) was originally the Hall of [[The Five Northern Patriarchs]] ( 北五祖殿 Beiwuzu Dian ). Presently worshiped in the hall are the Imperial Sovereign Wenchang of Zitong ( 文昌梓潼帝君 Wenchang Zitong Dijun ) who dominates human honour, salary and rank, and worshiped on his sides are Confucius and Zhu Xi. The Hall of Primordial Time, also called the "Hall of the Sixty Year Cycle ( 六十甲子殿 Liushi Jiazi Dian )", was built in the first year of Mingchang during the reign of emperor Zhangzong of the Jin dynasty (1190). Originally called the "Auspicious and Sacred Hall" in the Jin dynasty, it was built by emperor Zhangzong of the Jin dynasty for his mother to worship the God of the Fundamental Destiny of the Queen Mother. Now worshiped in the middle of the hall is the Primordial Sovereign of the Elderly Dipper Lady ( 斗姥閣 Doumu Ge ), around whom are the spirits of the sixty first days. In the eastern line there are the Hall of the South Pole ( 斗姥元君 Doumu Yuanjun ), the Big Dipper Pavilion ( 南極殿 Nanji Dian ), the Tower of the Revered Mr Luo ( 羅公塔 Lougong Ta ) and so on. The Cloud Gathering Garden ( 雲集圓 Yunji Yuan ), which is also called the "Small Penglai", was built in the thirteenth year of Guangxu (1887). In the yard there is a commandment platform (i.e. later the Three Pristine Ones' Pavilion), the altar where the Daoist Master of Discipline elaborates commandments. ==Contact== '''Location:''' outside Xibianmen of Beijing '''Route:''' take bus No. 48 from either railway station of Beijing, or take buses No. 19 and No. 114 from downtown '''Telephone:''' 10-63404812 '''Fax:''' 10-63272151 [[zh:北京白雲觀]] c71da158c3d4dfef9e4f6ba2a8e167a338e0c2be 0 72 111 2009-07-24T08:01:00Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Built in the sixth Zhenguan year of the Tang dynasty, 1300 years ago, and known as the Temple of the Perfect Sovereign of the Virtue of Fire ( 火德真君 Huode Zhenjun ), the F...' wikitext text/x-wiki Built in the sixth Zhenguan year of the Tang dynasty, 1300 years ago, and known as the Temple of the Perfect Sovereign of the Virtue of Fire ( 火德真君 Huode Zhenjun ), the Fire Spirit Temple was located at Shishahai, near Dianmen, Beijing. In Yuan Emperor Shun's sixth Zhizhen year, the temple was rebuilt. It saw its next enlargement during the rule of emperor Wanli, who provided glazed tiles to prevent fires, which happened repeatedly in the imperial court. In the 24th year of Qing emperor Qianlong's rule, it saw more renovations, with yellow tiles added to the roofs of its gates and pavilions. Today, the main structure of the temple retains its original features. In the south is the Hall of the Perfect Sovereign of Great Kindness ( 隆恩殿 Longen Dian ), also known as the Heavenly General of the Jade Pivot Fire Office ( 玉樞火府天將 Yusu Huofu Tianjiang ). In the north end lies its main section, namely, Southern Fire Patriarch Hall in honor of Perfect Sovereign of the Virtue of Fire, who was also known as the Fire God, or Fire Patriarch. In the past, a tablet with emperor Qianlong's handwriting and couplets were seen inside the Hall. In the north of the temple stands [[The Big Dipper]] Hall ( 斗姥閣 Doumu Ge ). Another tablet from emperor Qianlong was hung inside. At the far north end is Jade Emperor Hall, which also used to feature a tablet provided by emperor Qianlong. In the past, both wings of the hall consisted of long corridors leading to two separate doors. At the end of the corridors was a wooden pavilion overlooking Shishahai. Unfortunately, many of these things cannot be seen today. Since ancient times, the Fire God temple has had its own popular culture, among which the most famous is the birthday celebration of the Fire Patriarch on the 22nd day of the 6th lunar month. In the past, on that day, the emperor used to send officials to the temple, paying respect to the Fire God on his behalf. According to a book entitled ''Records of Emperor Xi in the Ming Dynasty'', in the 3rd month of the first Tianqi year, his majesty designated the 22nd day of every 6th month as a holiday in memory of the Perfect Sovereign of the Virtue of Fire. At the end of the Qing dynasty, the Fire God temple was used to host the Middle Origin celebration. On that day, a very big Boat for Universal Salvation ( 普渡船 Pudu Chuan ), which was normally donated by local rich families, would be burned on the ground of the corridor outside the temple. In the whole process, the place was thronged with countless spectators. As an imperial temple, the temple was under the control of Daoists of [[The Orthodox Oneness Sect]]. It was also the Celestial Masters' residence when they came to Beijing to visit emperors. In the 30s and 40s of the last century, Tian Zijiu, abbot of the temple, was very good at building social ties. He was known as one of 'four brilliant men' in the capital, or 'handsome Daoists'. Since its construction more than 1000 years ago, rains and winds have washed away the temple's splendor and glamour. Today, the ruined Fire God temple stands obscure in the middle of local residences. No one knew how long the rotten poles could uphold it. Fortunately, in 1981, it was designated as a historic site by local government. As the result, all residents inside the temple were relocated. [[The Daoist Association of China]] raised a fund to renovate the temple. After the renovation work is done, the Fire God temple will house the offices of the Beijing Daoist Association. [[zh:火神廟（北京）]] 5d7471214e7d7124386742817f2b273eed7bdb4d 0 73 112 2009-07-24T08:12:20Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Also known as Auntie's Palace ( 娘娘宮 Niangniang Gong ), the temple is located at the western bank of Sancha, just outside the east gate of old Tianjin city, or, by its new n...' wikitext text/x-wiki Also known as Auntie's Palace ( 娘娘宮 Niangniang Gong ), the temple is located at the western bank of Sancha, just outside the east gate of old Tianjin city, or, by its new name, Jiuwenhua Rd. As the oldest building standing in the city, the temple saw its first construction in the first Taiding year of the Yuan dynasty and its renovation in the first Yongding year of the Ming dynasty. Just like its counterparts in Fujian, Taiwan and countries in Southeastern Asia, the temple was constructed in honor of Lin Moniang, the Ocean Goddess who was allegedly born in Putian city, Fujian. According to legend, she showed her intelligence at her girlhood, and became good at medical techniques at age of 15. Since then, she regarded medical treatment as her lifetime career. She had good knowledge about the ocean and the weather, by which she helped to avoid disasters on the ocean in bad times, and saved a lot of lives when disasters did happen. After her death, the local people constructed small temples in her memory. Since then, she was popularly known as the Motherly Matriarch. In the following Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, she was granted the titles of Heavenly Consort and Heavenly Matriarch by the imperial courts, enjoying worship in national ritual. Overlooking River Hai, the temple stretched for 2500 square meters from the west to the east, consisting of the gate tower, the celebration arch, the drum bell tower, the front hall, the main hall, the scriptorium and the blessing chamber, etc. Inside the main hall stood a 2.7-meter high stature of the Matriarch who wore beautiful headgear and dress, accompanied by four maids on both sides, holding seals, earthenware vessels and fans in their hands. A carriage was also placed in the hall. In front of the gate tower stood two flagpoles, as high as 20 meters, a relic traced back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. Historically, Tianjin served as an important shipping center. The geographic advantage also contributed to the prosperity of the temple. In front of the temple stood a big square where fairs and performances used to be held to entertain the deities as well as the local people. It was said that in the first year of his reign, the Qing emperor Kangxi, then on his inspection tour in Tianjin, visited the temple, and watched the performances in the fair. On the occasion, he ordered a flag given to the fair. Since then, the popular fair became an 'imperial celebration' ( 皇會 Huanghui ), which used to be held on the 23rd day of the 3rd lunar month, the alleged birthday of the Heavenly Matriarch. On that day, the streets near the temple were thronged with people who came to watch the parades and performances. Musical instruments, showers, lion dances and the applause of the spectators were the highlights of the day. A book entitled the ''Record of the Imperial Celebration in Tianjin'' ( 《天津皇會考記》 Tianjin Huanghui Kaoji ) said: 'the whole event lasts overnight. When the candlelight and incense went out, it was already the dawn of a new day'. Today, two wings of the temple house the Tianjin Folk Culture Museum, highlighting the history of Tianjin city, the temple itself and the imperial celebration. In the museum, we see bricks from the Tianjin city walls of the Ming dynasty, replicas of canal transportation systems of the Qing dynasty, relics of folk culture and machinery of the Qing dynasty, etc. Today, the coastal areas are not the only places where temples in memory of the Heavenly Matriarch are seen. Similar temples exist even in remote inland areas such as Zhengyan, Guizhou and Zhijiang, Hunan. [[zh:天后宮（天津）]] 57a2519adb49b23c20bb68f510232dcedce3232f 0 74 113 2009-07-24T08:20:18Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Lying to the southwest of Pingshan County, Hebei Province and some 80 km2 from the provincial capital Shijiazhuang, Mt. Tiangui is a mountain-and-temple scenic area famous in nor...' wikitext text/x-wiki Lying to the southwest of Pingshan County, Hebei Province and some 80 km2 from the provincial capital Shijiazhuang, Mt. Tiangui is a mountain-and-temple scenic area famous in north China. Green Dragon Temple ( 青龍觀 Qinglong Guan ), the center of the scenic area, was according to legend built in the remote Xanadu under the mandate of Late Ming Emperor Chongzhen. According to local historic materials, Emperor Chongzhen, foreseeing the toppling of his Dynasty by the many rebels, ordered his confidential eunuch Lin Qingde to build a Xanadu in a secrete and beautiful place as a refuge for the future. Lin, finding Mt. Tiangui of strategic safety and beautiful landscape, began construction on a large scale. When the temple was on the point of being finished, rebel Li Zicheng seized Beijing and the Emperor hanged himself on Mt. Mei. Hearing the news, the helpless Lin became a Daoist priest and renamed Xanadu as the Green Dragon Temple. Repaired many times in the 300 years since then, the temple expanded to once house over 100 priests and prospered as a Daoist holy site famous in the north with the title of "Northern Wudang". The main constructions of the Green Dragon Temple include the Hall of the Perfect Warrior ( 真武殿 Zhenwu Dian ), the Hall of Great Luminosity ( 大光明殿 Da Guangming Dian ) , the Hall of the Green Rock, the Hall of the Venerable Sovereign ( 老君堂 Laojun Tang ) , the Temple of the Eastern Sacred Mountain ( 東岳廟 Donyue Miao ), the Temple of Emperor Guan ( 關帝廟 Guandi Miao ), the Temple of Wenchang ( 文昌廟 Wenchang Miao ) and the Pavilion of the Kui Star ( 魁星閣 Kuixing Ge ). With over 30 constructions on steep cliffs, they form a magnificent view. The Hall of the Perfect Warrior, the main construction of the Green Dragon Temple, stands on a 5-metre-high stone platform with the words "Clouds Gathering Platform" engraved on its base. The empty platform was once a recitation hall for Daoists and now is the Mt. Taihang Institute of Calligraphy and Painting. The Tablets Recording the Construction of Temples on Mt. Tiangui ( 《天桂山殿宇修建碑記》 Tiangui Shan Dianyu Xiujian Beiji ) describe the Hall of the Perfect Warrior as "lofty in construction, complete in ritual implements, solemn in practice, grand in form, and comparable to the famous Tianyi Zhenqing Palace on Wudang Mountain." Among the caves and springs all over the mountain, the Cave of the Perfect Warrior's Cultivation, the Cave of the White-Haired Fairy, the Pagoda Tree Spring and the Pearl Well are the famous ones with enchanting legends and stories. [[zh:天桂山青龍觀（河北平山縣）]] b98e7f495f5c576c0fd5b7d618b71601e53f936e 0 75 114 2009-07-24T08:25:35Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Also named the Golden Millet Dream ( 黃粱夢Huangliang Meng ), the Shrine of Elder Lü( 呂翁祠LU Weng Ci ); is located at Golden Millet Dream Town, 10 kilometers north of Ha...' wikitext text/x-wiki Also named the Golden Millet Dream ( 黃粱夢Huangliang Meng ), the Shrine of Elder Lü( 呂翁祠LU Weng Ci ); is located at Golden Millet Dream Town, 10 kilometers north of Handan City, Hebei. According to the Precious and Secret Tales ( 《枕中記》Zhenzhong Ji ), a Young scholar named Lu stayed in a small hotel north of Handan on his way to the Capital to take the civil service examination. His head resting on a celadon pillow which Daoist priest Elder Lü had lent him, Lu had a delightful dream. In the dream, he married a beauty from a noble family, easily obtained high official posts and gave birth to five sons also reaching high official posts. Having enjoyed all the riches and honors, he died well in his 80s. Seeing Elder Lü smiling beside him, Lu awoke to find only the pot of millet for him still cooking on the fire, and he followed the Daoist away. From this story come the two phrases “Golden Millet Dream” and “Golden Millet by a Pillow”. According to legend, the Elder Lü was [[Lù Dongbin]], one of the famous [[Eight Immortals]]. In the Song dynasty, people built Shrines of Elder Lü here and rebuilt and extended the temple in the Ming and Qing. In a large space occupying over 10,000 m2, the Shrine of Elder Lü is composed of main construction such as the Front Courtyard, the Pavilion of the Eight Immortals, the Elixir Chamber, the Hall of Immortal Zhongli, the Hall of Patriarch Lü and the Hall of Young Scholar Lu. On a black screen wall in the south of the Front courtyard, four stone-carved Chinese characters saying “Wonderland of Penglai” exhibit powerful calligraphy. In a pond of thousands of square meters, lotus blossoms of every color beautify the world every summer. In the pond stands the Trigram Pavilion, an exquisite all-wood construction connected by small bridges at two ends. In the tourist center, the Hall of Young Scholar Lu, a statue of Lu lies in a bed carved as whole with Lu from a block of bluestone. In the stone bed of 1 meter in height and 1.7 meter in length, Lu lies by his side with his head on a square pillow. His legs slightly bent, handsome Lu looks drowsy with his eyes closed. Besides this vivid sculpture, there is on the north wall a fresco depicting the same story. Every 11th day of the 4th lunar month, the Shrine of Elder Lü hold a Patriarch Lü temple fair bustling with all kinds of activities. [[zh:呂翁祠（河北邯鄲市）]] 748cbe542280eba4969aa29754fcfe6dbcb2cc1a 0 76 115 2009-07-24T08:41:11Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Situated in Yuncheng, Shanxi, the Jiezhou Temple of Emperor Guan ( 解州關帝廟Xiezhou Gaundi Miao ) is also called the Palace of Lofty Peace ( 崇寧宮Chongning Gong ). Firs...' wikitext text/x-wiki Situated in Yuncheng, Shanxi, the Jiezhou Temple of Emperor Guan ( 解州關帝廟Xiezhou Gaundi Miao ) is also called the Palace of Lofty Peace ( 崇寧宮Chongning Gong ). First built in the 9th year （589） of the Kaihuang Era of the Sui, it was rebuilt in the 7th year （1014） of the Dazhongxiangfu Era of the Song. Destroyed in an earthquake in the 34th year （1555） of the Jiajing Era of the Ming, it was rebuilt under the leadership of Zhao Zuyuan. Ruined in a fire in the 41st year （1702） of the Kangxi Era of the Qing, it was again rebuilt later. The large temple has two parts. The southern part, the Park of Sworn Brothers, includes the Arch, the Pavilion of Men of Honor, the Pavilion of Three Friends, and the Rockwork and Peach Garden. The northern part is the main temple of two courtyards. With a central axis formed by constructions such as the Duan Gate, the Zhi Gate, the Wu Gate, the Mountain and Sea Arch, the Tower of Royal Calligraphy, the Hall of Lofty Peace, the front courtyard has on both sides the Bell and Drum Towers, the Literary Management Gate, the Martial Government Gate, the Wood Arch, the Stone Arch, the Bell Pavilion and the Pavilion of Tablets. The back yard, with its central axis formed by the Arch of Everlasting Awe ( 「氣肅千秋」坊Qi Su Qianqiu Fang ) and the Tower of Spring and Autumn ( 春秋樓Chunqiu Lou ), has on its sides the Tower of Broadswords and the Tower of Seals. The front and back yards are surrounded by corridors. To the east is the eastern side courtyard and to the west the western side courtyard. In the eastern courtyard lie the Shrine of Lofty Saints, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones, the Shrine of Gentleman Zhu and the eastern park. In the western courtyard lie the Palace of Longevity, the Palace of Everlasting Life, the Palace of Remaining Bliss and the eastern park. The main hall of the Temple of Emperor Guan is the Hall of Lofty Peace, which is named after Guan Yu’s title of “Perfect Sovereign of Lofty Peace” ( 崇寧真君Chongning Zhenjun ) given by the Hui Emperor in the 3rd year （1104） of the Chongning Era of the Northern Song. Rebuilt in the 57th year（1718）of the Kangxi Era of the Qing, the blue-glaze-tiled hall has 7 rooms in its width and 6 rooms in its depth. With a wide front platform, surrounding cloister, and 26 stone pillars with entwining dragons, the hall is very significant with a fine system of brackets and ridge ornaments. In the wood-carved shrine in the hall, a statue of Guan in imperial clothes sits elegantly with nice statues of attendants and generals on both sides. The Spring and Autumn Tower, or the Tower of the Kylin Book ( 麟經閣Linjing Ge ) , is another characteristic building here. Built in the 9th year （1870）of the Tongzhi Era of the Qing, this imperial sleeping hall ( 寢殿Qindian ) has a sitting statue of Emperor Guan downstairs and a statue of Guan Reading the Spring and Autumn, both of which are masterpieces made in the Qing. Structured very artfully and uniquely with the cloister pillars of the upper storey standing on the pillars of the lower storey, the tower appears to be hanging in the void when viewed from outside. Owing to such a unique structure, the temple is one of the largest Daoist palace-styled temple complexes. [[zh:解州關帝廟（山西運城市）]] 6bb09f8e1bdfed73cace5f3c490982cbd2f1e08e 0 77 116 2009-07-24T08:48:07Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Temple of the Ten Directions ( 十方院 Shifang Yuan ) lies to the south of the Happiness Bridge in Luquan County, Hebei Province. Luquan County was originally named Huolu C...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Temple of the Ten Directions ( 十方院 Shifang Yuan ) lies to the south of the Happiness Bridge in Luquan County, Hebei Province. Luquan County was originally named Huolu County. According to the County Annals, "the Golden Palace Temple ( 金闕宮 Jinque Gong ) or Temple of the Ten Directions lies outside the west gate……In the 7th year of the Kangxi Era (1668), county mayor Tang Yi and Daoist priests Tang Guoxiu and Zhang Zhigui built the temple." However, archeologists found recently that the decorative roof tiles on the hind wall of Hall of Original Years ( 元辰殿 Yuanchen Dian ) in the temple was of the form and manufacture of the Yuan Dynasty. Thus, the temple may have first been built in the Yuan Dynasty. The temple's mountain gate is a triple-door archway with yellow glaze tiles on the roof. Entering the courtyard, one faces the Hall of the Numinous Official ( 靈官殿 Lingguan Dian ). Going deeper, one sees the Hall of the Jade Emperor ( 玉皇殿 Yuhuang Dian ) with a five-ridged mountain-sloping roof and cloisters around. Further back is the Hall of Three Ancestors ( 三祖殿 Sanzu Dian ) with an arch-bridge-style roof. Farthest is the Hall of the Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 Sanqing Dian ). The above-mentioned constructions are along the central axis. Along the eastern axis lie the Hall of the King of Medicine and the Hall ( 藥王殿 Yaowang Dian ) of Compassionate Navigation ( 慈航殿 Cihang Dian ). Along the west axis lie the Hall of the God of Fortune ( 財神殿 Caishen Dian ), the Hall of the City God ( 城隍殿 Chenghuang Dian ) and the Hall of Original Years. The whole courtyard is precisely constructed in magnificent size and delicate order. Originally, beset in the front wall of the Hall of the King of Medicine was a tablet recording the rebuilding of the temple after an earthquake in the Guangxu reign of the Qing dynasty. Now the tablet is preserved in the government's department of cultural relics. In spring of 1996, the Luquan city government decided to reopen the Temple of the Ten Directions as Daoist activity site in the charge of the Daoist Association. Now it is a famous Daoist temple in Hebei Province. [[zh:十方院道觀（河北鹿泉市）]] b39352d7f50777a9b2f472f12dba2d3a1312c3cb 0 78 117 2009-07-24T09:02:11Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Lying in Jiexiu city, Shanxi Province, Mt. Mian is 160km away from the provincial capital, Taiyuan. A northern branch of Taiyue mountain, it is 2500 meters high in altitude. Acco...' wikitext text/x-wiki Lying in Jiexiu city, Shanxi Province, Mt. Mian is 160km away from the provincial capital, Taiyuan. A northern branch of Taiyue mountain, it is 2500 meters high in altitude. According to legend, in the Spring and Autumn and period, Jie Zitui of the Jin State and his mother were secluded and were cremated here, so the mountain is also called Jie Mountain. Many temples were built on Mt. Mian in history, but most were damaged till recent times. In 1995, Mr. Yan Jiying, a local lay Daoist, collected a great sum of money and started to restore Daoism in Mt. Mian. Till present, he and others have built over 60 halls and 600 statues, ranked as the highest scale of restoration in the country. The most conspicuous aspect of Daoism on Mt. Mian is the scenic area around the Temple of All-Embracing Heaven ( 大羅宮 Daluo Gong ). The Palace of All-Embracing Heaven is the highest immortal realm of Daoism. According to legend, the Temple of All-Embracing Heaven was first built during Emperor Xuanzong's reign, during the Tang Dynasty. The original construction was destroyed during wars. The present Palace of All-Embracing Heaven, 110 meters in height, is an archaic 7-storey construction. With a built area surpassing 30,000 m2, it is the biggest Daoist temple in China. The main hall of the Temple of All-Embracing Heaven is dedicated to the Heavenly Lord of Namelessness ( 無名天尊 Wuming Tianzun ), the Primordial Sovereign of the Infinite ( 無極元君 Wuji Yuanjun ), and the Venerable Ancestor of the Great Creation ( 洪鈞老祖 Hongjun Laozu ). The major side halls include the Hall of the Gods of Wealth ( 財神殿 Caishen Dian ) (Zhao Gongming as the Martial God of Wealth ( 武財神 Wu Caishen ) and Bi Gan and Fan Li as the Civil Gods of Wealth ( 文財神 Wen Caishen )), the Hall of Salvation from Misery ( 救苦殿 Jiuku Dian ) (for [[The Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery]] ( 太乙救苦天尊 Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun )), the Hall of the Three Officials ( 三官殿 Sanguan Dian ) (for [[The Three Great Emperor-Officials]] of Heaven, Earth and Water ( 天、地、水三官大帝 Tian Di Shui Sanguan Dadi )), the Hall of Original Years ( 元辰殿 Yuanchen Dian ) (for the Sixty Supreme Year Stars ( 太歲星辰 Taisui Xingchen ) ), the Hall of the Big Dipper ( 斗姥殿 Doumu Dian ) (for the Primordial Sovereign of the Big Dipper, the mother of all stars ( 斗姥元君 Doumu Yuanjun ) ), the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 Sanqing dian ) (for [[The Primeval Lord of Heaven in the Heaven of Jade Clarity]] ( 玉清元始天尊 Yuqing Yuanshi Tainzun ), [[The Heavenly Lord of the Numinous Treasure in the Heaven of Highest Clarity]] ( 上清靈寶天尊 Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun ) , [[The Heavenly Lord of Dao and its Virtue in the Heaven of Supreme Clarity]] ( 太清道德天尊 Taiqing Daode Tianzun )), the Hall of Constellations ( 星宿殿 Xingxiu Dian ) (for the Twenty-Eight Constellations ( 二十八宿 Er’shi’ba Xiu )), the Hall of the Numinous Heaven ( 靈霄殿 Lingxiao Dian ) (for [[The Jade Emperor]] ( 玉皇大帝 Yuhuang Dadi ), [[The Great Heavenly Emperor]] ( 天皇大帝 Tainhuang Dadi ), the Great South Pole Emperor of Longevity ( 南極長生大帝 Nanji Changsheng Dadi ), the Great Emperor of the North Pole Star of Purple Subtlety ( 紫微大帝 Ziwei Dadi ) and [[The Imperial God of Earth]] ( 后土皇地祇 Houtu Huang Diqi ) ). Besides the Temple of All-Embracing Heaven, Daoist temples on Mt. Mian include the Divine Palace of the Three Grottoes ( 三洞神宮 Sandong Shengong ) , i.e. the Palace of Pervasive Perfection ( 洞真宮 Dongzhen Gong ), the Palace of Pervasive Mystery ( 洞玄宮 Dongxuan Gong ), and the Palace of Pervasive Divinity ( 洞神宮 Dongshen Gong ). [[zh:綿山大羅宮（山西介休市）]] bf077eba934a047a37709e580dca18e3f327e9be 0 79 118 2009-07-25T02:09:58Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Eternal Happiness Temple ( 永樂宮 Yongle Gong ) was formerly in Yongle Town, Ruicheng County, Shanxi Province. When the Sanmenxia irrigation works were constructed in 1959...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Eternal Happiness Temple ( 永樂宮 Yongle Gong ) was formerly in Yongle Town, Ruicheng County, Shanxi Province. When the Sanmenxia irrigation works were constructed in 1959, the temple happened to be in the flooded area, so all the buildings were moved to Longquan Village 3 kilometers to the north of Ruicheng County to be restored and maintained. It is said that Lü Dongbin was born at this village on April 14 in the 14th Zhenyuan year of the Tang dynasty (789), so people of the Song dynasty built a shrine to worship him at his former residence. After [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真 Quanzhen ) became prosperous in the Jin dynasty, [[Lü Dongbin]] was venerated as one of its patriarchs and so the shrine was expanded into a temple. It was rebuilt in the second year during the reign of Dingzong of the Yuan dynasty (1247) and was gradually enlarged into four halls. It was given the name "Great Longevity Temple of Chunyang" ( 大純陽萬壽宮 Da Chunyang Wanshou Gong ) by imperial order. It was in the 18th Zhizheng year (1358) that all the frescoes, which had been made during a period of over 100 years, were completed. This is really a tremendous construction project. Because the temple was built in the town of Yongle (eternal happiness), it was named Eternal Happiness Temple by locals of the area. In the middle line of the temple there are five main buildings, namely the temple gate, the Hall of Dragon and Tiger (also called non-extreme gate), the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 Sanqing Dian ) (also called non-extreme hall), Chunyang Hall, and Chongyang Hall. The temple gate was built in the Qing dynasty, while all the rest were built in the Yuan dynasty. On the two sides of the yard from the temple gate to the Hall of Dragon and Tiger is built a spacious and tall stele corridor, where 30 steles of different dynasties are displayed. They give an account of the construction process of the Eternal Happiness Temple and the content of the frescoes. None of the four halls have windows. Beside the doors there are just walls, which are full of Daoist frescoes. The walls are magnificent and the painting skill is masterly. They cover altogether over 1,000 square meters, so large that they are rarely seen in the country. The frescoes of the Hall of Dragon and Tiger and the Hall of the Three Purities are huge figure paintings, while those of Chunyang Hall and Chongyang Hall are story pictures. The Hall of Dragon and Tiger displays primitive simplicity. There used to be big and tall statues of the star sovereigns, the black dragon and the white tiger, in the hall, but unfortunately, they were damaged long ago. All that is currently extant are frescoes of the 26 heavenly spirits who guard the immortal's realm, such as Shentu, Yulei, heavenly soldiers, warriors, local spirits, etc. The Hall of the Three Pristine Ones is the largest hall of the Eternal Happiness Temple. There are seven rooms in breadth and four rooms in depth. The hall is the place of worship of the venerable deities, the Three Pristine Ones. The walls are filled with the 400-odd-square meter fresco "Worshiping the Origin". The main body of the fresco is composed of pictures of the Jade Emperor ( 玉皇 Yuhuang ), the southern extreme, the eastern extreme, the Purple Subtlety Constellation ( 紫微 Ziwei ), Gouchen, the God of Earth ( 后土 Houtu ), the wood father, and the gold mother, who are all dressed as emperors or empresses and look as if worshiping the three pristine ones. Immortals make an obeisance with immortal clouds winding around. The fresco shows great momentum. The main fresco of the Chunyang Hall is "Roaming and Transformation of the Imperial Sovereign Chunyang", which depicts Lü Dongbin's experiences of cultivating Dao and attaining immortality. The whole fresco is composed of 52 chain pictures. On the lintel of the gate in the northern wall of the hall is drawn a horizontal picture "the Eight Immortals crossing the sea]] ( 八仙過海 Baxian Guohai )". At the exit of the back door of the hall is a picture "Zhong and Lü talking about Dao", in which [[Zhongli Quan]] who exposes his chest and wears long whiskers is talking freely while Lü Dongbin is inclining his head and listening carefully in a modest manner. This picture, drawn unrestrainedly and vividly, is an elaborate ancient figure painting hard to come by. The fresco of the Chongyang Hall is composed of 49 chain pictures, whose subject is Wang Chongyang's experiences, namely his birth, cultivation of the Dao, attainment of the Dao, and converting of the seven disciples of the Complete Perfection Tradition. The painters of the frescos of the Eternal Happiness Temple are some unknown folk artisans. With their ability and wisdom, they leave later generations a world-level artistic treasury. ==Contact== '''Address:''' northern Ruicheng County, Shanxi Province '''Traveling route:''' go to Yuncheng City or Fenglingdu of Shanxi Province by train and then to Ruicheng County by bus and finally to Eternal Happiness Temple by bus 89625349cfd9d8cb8d71aae7246e007b15822ba8 119 118 2009-07-25T02:10:21Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki The Eternal Happiness Temple ( 永樂宮 Yongle Gong ) was formerly in Yongle Town, Ruicheng County, Shanxi Province. When the Sanmenxia irrigation works were constructed in 1959, the temple happened to be in the flooded area, so all the buildings were moved to Longquan Village 3 kilometers to the north of Ruicheng County to be restored and maintained. It is said that Lü Dongbin was born at this village on April 14 in the 14th Zhenyuan year of the Tang dynasty (789), so people of the Song dynasty built a shrine to worship him at his former residence. After [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真 Quanzhen ) became prosperous in the Jin dynasty, [[Lü Dongbin]] was venerated as one of its patriarchs and so the shrine was expanded into a temple. It was rebuilt in the second year during the reign of Dingzong of the Yuan dynasty (1247) and was gradually enlarged into four halls. It was given the name "Great Longevity Temple of Chunyang" ( 大純陽萬壽宮 Da Chunyang Wanshou Gong ) by imperial order. It was in the 18th Zhizheng year (1358) that all the frescoes, which had been made during a period of over 100 years, were completed. This is really a tremendous construction project. Because the temple was built in the town of Yongle (eternal happiness), it was named Eternal Happiness Temple by locals of the area. In the middle line of the temple there are five main buildings, namely the temple gate, the Hall of Dragon and Tiger (also called non-extreme gate), the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 Sanqing Dian ) (also called non-extreme hall), Chunyang Hall, and Chongyang Hall. The temple gate was built in the Qing dynasty, while all the rest were built in the Yuan dynasty. On the two sides of the yard from the temple gate to the Hall of Dragon and Tiger is built a spacious and tall stele corridor, where 30 steles of different dynasties are displayed. They give an account of the construction process of the Eternal Happiness Temple and the content of the frescoes. None of the four halls have windows. Beside the doors there are just walls, which are full of Daoist frescoes. The walls are magnificent and the painting skill is masterly. They cover altogether over 1,000 square meters, so large that they are rarely seen in the country. The frescoes of the Hall of Dragon and Tiger and the Hall of the Three Purities are huge figure paintings, while those of Chunyang Hall and Chongyang Hall are story pictures. The Hall of Dragon and Tiger displays primitive simplicity. There used to be big and tall statues of the star sovereigns, the black dragon and the white tiger, in the hall, but unfortunately, they were damaged long ago. All that is currently extant are frescoes of the 26 heavenly spirits who guard the immortal's realm, such as Shentu, Yulei, heavenly soldiers, warriors, local spirits, etc. The Hall of the Three Pristine Ones is the largest hall of the Eternal Happiness Temple. There are seven rooms in breadth and four rooms in depth. The hall is the place of worship of the venerable deities, the Three Pristine Ones. The walls are filled with the 400-odd-square meter fresco "Worshiping the Origin". The main body of the fresco is composed of pictures of the Jade Emperor ( 玉皇 Yuhuang ), the southern extreme, the eastern extreme, the Purple Subtlety Constellation ( 紫微 Ziwei ), Gouchen, the God of Earth ( 后土 Houtu ), the wood father, and the gold mother, who are all dressed as emperors or empresses and look as if worshiping the three pristine ones. Immortals make an obeisance with immortal clouds winding around. The fresco shows great momentum. The main fresco of the Chunyang Hall is "Roaming and Transformation of the Imperial Sovereign Chunyang", which depicts Lü Dongbin's experiences of cultivating Dao and attaining immortality. The whole fresco is composed of 52 chain pictures. On the lintel of the gate in the northern wall of the hall is drawn a horizontal picture "the Eight Immortals crossing the sea]] ( 八仙過海 Baxian Guohai )". At the exit of the back door of the hall is a picture "Zhong and Lü talking about Dao", in which [[Zhongli Quan]] who exposes his chest and wears long whiskers is talking freely while Lü Dongbin is inclining his head and listening carefully in a modest manner. This picture, drawn unrestrainedly and vividly, is an elaborate ancient figure painting hard to come by. The fresco of the Chongyang Hall is composed of 49 chain pictures, whose subject is Wang Chongyang's experiences, namely his birth, cultivation of the Dao, attainment of the Dao, and converting of the seven disciples of the Complete Perfection Tradition. The painters of the frescos of the Eternal Happiness Temple are some unknown folk artisans. With their ability and wisdom, they leave later generations a world-level artistic treasury. ==Contact== '''Address:''' northern Ruicheng County, Shanxi Province '''Traveling route:''' go to Yuncheng City or Fenglingdu of Shanxi Province by train and then to Ruicheng County by bus and finally to Eternal Happiness Temple by bus [[zh:永樂宮（山西芮城）]] 30c9199214bf35db09f7c857f582a62af28e24ab 0 80 120 2009-07-25T02:17:12Z Admin 1 Created page with 'A next-door neighbor of the Lower Guangsheng Temple at the southern slope of Huoshan Mountain, Hongdong County, Shanxi,the Water Spirit Temple ( 水神廟 Water Spirit Temple) wo...' wikitext text/x-wiki A next-door neighbor of the Lower Guangsheng Temple at the southern slope of Huoshan Mountain, Hongdong County, Shanxi,the Water Spirit Temple ( 水神廟 Water Spirit Temple) worships the Water Spirit and King of Manifest Correspondence (水神明應王 Water Spirit and King of Manifest Correspondence ). First built in the Tang, it was rebuilt in the 9th year (1305) of the Dade Era of the Yuan. During the Ming and Qing, people rebuilt its Mountain Gate and Yi Gate. Facing south, the temple has an axis formed by the Mountain Gate, the Yi Gate and the Hall of the King of Manifest Correspondence. The Mountain Gate, a single-brimmed hard-mountain-top-styled construction of three chambers aligning in the east-west direction and six rafters in depth, has a wall in the middle separating it into the front and back parts. The front part has two 3-meter high statues of patrolling water spirits and the back part is an arena. The Yi Gate, or the Hall of Offerings, a construction of three chambers aligning in the east-west direction and four rafters in depth, has no statue inside. The Hall of the King of Manifest Correspondence has five chambers both in width and depth. It is a multiple-brimmed construction in the style of mountain-like sloping ceiling. Below the brim, statues of two Gate Spirits modeled in the Yuan stand stately and solemn. In the middle of the hall is the statue of the Water Spirit and King of Manifest Correspondence, gracefully dressed in emperor’s clothes. On his two sides stand the vivid and fine statues of four appropriately clothed demure lads and virgins. Below the stage, the statues of four officials under the Water Spirit are different in facial expressions, minutely and adequately showing their psychologies. Besides the 11 statues, the hall has in its four walls 13 frescoes depicting local people begging for rain and the King of Manifest Correspondence spreading rain as well as folk stories about the Taizong Emperor of the Tang. On the east side of the southern wall is an invaluable fresco about opera performance. Finished in the 1st year （1324） of the Taiding Era of the Yuan, the fresco bears in regular script an inscription saying “Zhong Duxiu Troupe of Daxing Performing Here”. 311 centimeters wide and 524 centimeters high, the fresco depicts four actors and seven actresses, one of whom pops her head from behind the curtain and looks about. Vividly representing the scene of a folk troupe’s performance, the fresco shows the prosperity of opera in the Yuan and takes an important position in the history of Chinese opera. Full of flavor from real life, the frescoes in the Temple of the Water Spirit exhibit the artists’achievement of the frescoes of the Yuan and are precious materials for the study of Yuan society. [[zh:水神廟（山西洪洞縣）]] c0ab6df88066529fdbe92bd6e7b5c5d58cd6b38d 0 81 121 2009-07-25T02:42:59Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Originally named Sheep Horn Mountain, Dragon Horn Mountain is located in Fushan County, Shanxi. According to legend, in the 3rd year （620）of the Wude Era of the Tang, Jin Sha...' wikitext text/x-wiki Originally named Sheep Horn Mountain, Dragon Horn Mountain is located in Fushan County, Shanxi. According to legend, in the 3rd year （620）of the Wude Era of the Tang, Jin Shanxing, a local of Jin Prefecture, saw a manifestation of Laozi. Laozi requested Ji to tell Li Yuan, that Laozi was an ancestor of the Emperor and that the royal family of Li would own the country for a long time. Pleased with the words, Li Yuan mandated to build a shrine of Laozi in the mountain and changed the county name from Fushan to Shenshan (divine mountain) and the mountain name from Sheep Horn Mountain to Dragon Horn Mountain. Ji was given an official post. Since then Laozi or Li Er was regarded as the royal ancestor and Daoism the royal religion. At the time of the Xuanzong Emperor, eunuch Gao Lishi expanded the temple under the royal mandate and renamed it as Qingtang Temple. The Emperor wrote the Qingtang Temple Inscribed Record of the Saints ( 《慶唐觀紀聖銘》Qingtang Guan Jisheng Ming ) and had six emperors’ portraits worshipped in the temple. The Qingtang Temple then was very large and owned much property and real estate. Suffering from the riots during the end of the Tang and the Five Dynasties, the temple became dilapidated for lack of repair for a long time. In the 1st year (1004) of the Jingde Era of the Zhenzong Emperor of the Song, the General Supervising Priest Liang Zhizhen appealed in the capital for the court to repair the temple and got approval. Under the leadership of Shenshan County Mayor Han Wang, the Hall of Supreme Sovereign, the Hall of the Pristine Ones and the Hall of Three Emperors were built. In the 5th year (1027) of the Tiansheng Era of the Renzong Emperor of the Song, the temple was renamed as Tiansheng Palace. In the 7th year (1303) of the Dade Era of the Yuan, the Hall of Three Emperors crumbled to dust in a severe earthquake in Fushan County. In 1926, the Hall of the Pristine Ones was committed to the flames in a fire disaster. In 1948, the Hall of Supreme Sovereign was torn down to support the Liberation War. After liberation, Dragon Horn Mountain became a mine and the Daoist sacred place of the former times disappeared. Recently, people began to rebuild Qingtang Temple, which once again houses some Daoist priests and has become a Daoist activities site. The Qingtang Temple’s Inscribed Record of the Saint by Emperor Xuanzong has survived the great changes of the world and is collected in the Record of Dragon Horn Mountain ( 《龍角山記》Longjiao Shan Ji ) in the 19th Volume of [[The Daoist Canon]]. [[zh:龍角山慶唐觀（山西浮山縣）]] 1b2cfcc8927eb9a6cbc72624d09aabe9707a8ed2 0 82 122 2009-07-25T02:54:12Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The main temple of Mt. Heng, called the Northern Peak in Daoism ( 北岳恒山 Beyue Hengshan ), is the Hall of the Ancestral Heng ( 恒宗殿 Hengzong Dian ), also called the Ha...' wikitext text/x-wiki The main temple of Mt. Heng, called the Northern Peak in Daoism ( 北岳恒山 Beyue Hengshan ), is the Hall of the Ancestral Heng ( 恒宗殿 Hengzong Dian ), also called the Hall of the Right Origin ( 貞元殿 Zhenyuan Dian ), the Hall of the Original Soul ( 元靈殿 Yuanling Dian ), or commonly the Audience Hall ( 朝殿 Chaodian ). Set against a steep cliff and facing a deep valley, it is a magnificent construction on the southern flank of the Heavenly Summit Peak ( 天峰嶺 Tianfeng Ling ). First built in the 14th year (1501) of the Hongzhi reign of the Ming Dynasty, it has a single-brim mountainous sloping gate with red door leaves, copper tacks, green tiles and red walls. Surrounding the mountain gate are the Hall of the Green Dragon ( 青龍殿 Qinglong Dian ) in the east and the Hall of the White Tiger ( 白虎殿 Baihu Dian ) in the west. With a single-brim mountainous sloping roof, the Main Hall has eight chambers surrounded by cloisters. The statue of the Great Emperor of the Northern Peak ( 北岳大帝 Beiyue Dadi ), wearing a Heavenly Crown ( 天平冠 Tianping Guan ) and a red silk robe, sits upright and elegantly in the hall. Above the deity's seat hangs the stele of "Everlasting Civilization" written by Emperor Kangxi. On both sides reverently stand four civil officials and four grand marshals. In front of the hall lies an iron-cast cloud plate ( 雲牌 Yunpai ) of the Yuan Dynasty. Dozens of stone steles outside the hall are important materials for the study of Daoism in the Northern Sacred Mountain. At both sides of the main hall lie the side rooms, wardrobes, sutra tower, bell tower and drum tower. [[zh:北嶽廟（山西恆山）]] 0833691f7d2e4f474954196adf2220b2ba89c061 0 83 123 2009-07-25T03:13:12Z Admin 1 Created page with '==A Brief Introduction== Eatablished in the second year of the reign of emperor Kangxi of the Qing dynasty (1663) by Guo Shouzhen, a descendant of the eighth generation of [[Th...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==A Brief Introduction== Eatablished in the second year of the reign of emperor Kangxi of the Qing dynasty (1663) by Guo Shouzhen, a descendant of the eighth generation of [[The Dragon Gate Sect]] ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ), the Supreme Clarity Temple ( 太清宮 Taiqing Gong ) now covers an area of 3,900 square meters and is located in Shenhe District, Shenyang City. Formerly called "Three Teachings' Hall", it was renamed in the 44th year of the reign of emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty (1779), when Zhao Yichen was its Temple Inspector. With the perfection of its conditions, it has developed into the most influential Daoist temple in northeast China and a center for Daoist activities. ==History== Originally, there was a big pool outside the northwest corner of Shenyang City. In the spring of the second year of the reign of emperor Kangxi of the Qing dynasty, due to a serious drought in Fengtian (Shenyang), general Wukuli, who was in charge of guarding the city, out of admiration for Guo Shouzhen, summoned him to pray for rain. After his prayers were answered, he chose to build the Three Teachings' Hall at that place. Guo Shouzhen was a disciple of Li Changming, the Master of Commandments ( 律師 Lushi ) of the seventh generation of the Dragon Gate Sect. He had cultivated assiduously in the Eight Treasures' Cloudy Light Cave of Tiesha Mountain in Benxi, and was an illustrious personage. He was invited to Fengtian to illustrate the teachings at the ritual altar, thus founding the Supreme Clarity Temple and becoming its founder. As time went on, the Supreme Clarity Temple underwent several vicissitudes and has been renovated several times. The present sites were all rebuilt in the 1980s. Since the Supreme Clarity Temple was formed in conformity with the system of temples, there have been ten abbots, namely Sun Baoyi, Zhao Jianren, Zhang Yuanxuan, Wei Yongcai, Ge Mingxin, Ji Zhiyin, Jin Chengze, Zheng Zongwu, Yue Chongdai and Tian Chongqu. Among these abbots, Ge Mingxin had great influence and made an outstanding contribution. After his death, he was interred in a tower specially built in Wuliang Temple of Mt. Qian. The Supreme Clarity Temple was approved of as a provincial key historic relics protection unit and is a national key Daoist temple. Thanks to the government's concern, it has played an active function in the founding of the Daoist associations of both the city and the province. In the "years of turbulence", the Daoist priests of the Supreme Clarity Temple were dispersed. Factories and schools occupied the premises. The sound of Wood Blocks ( 木魚 Muyu ) and bells died out, and the traces of Daoism almost disappeared. After chaos was dispelled and peace was restored, the Supreme Clarity Temple revived like a dry tree reviving in spring. The government provided funds to renovate it, and the profound intelligence of Daoism was once more instilled into the heart of each person in the temple. Everyone wishes the reform and opening policy will bring more fortune to the Supreme Clarity Temple. ==Buildings== Now there are eight halls in the Supreme Clarity Temple. They are: the Venerable Sovereign's Hall dedicated to [[The Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ), the founder of Daoism, which contains the deities for protecting Skills, namely Wei Tuo and Wang Lingguan; the Jade Emperor's Hall for the worship of [[The Great Jade Emperor]] ( 玉皇大帝 Yuhuang Dadi ); the Hall of the Three Officials dedicated to [[The Three Officials]] (or Three Origins) Yao, Shun and Yu; Emperor Guan's Hall for the worship of [[Emperor Guan]] ( 關帝 Guandi ), Guan Ping and Zhou Cang; the Hall of Numinous Officials ( 靈官殿 Lingguan Dian ) for worshipping the Numinous Officials Wang and Zhao, deities for guarding Skills and protecting mountains; Patriarch Guo's Hall, dedicated to Guo Shouzhen, the founder of the Supreme Clarity Temple, and great Immortals which guard Skills; Patriarh Lű's Hall in which are enshrined Patriarch Lű, Patriarch Liu and Patriarch Ji; and Patriarch Qiu's Hall for the worship of Perfect Man ( 真人 Zhenren ) [[Qiu Chuji]], the founder of the Dragon Gate Sect. The first and fifteenth days of each month of the lunar calendar are the dates for offering sacrifices to the divinities. On these days, the believers burn incense, bow in salute, present petitions and pray. Their gathering causes an extraordinary atmosphere. ==Contact== '''Address:''' 16 West Shuncheng Street, Shenhe District, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, China (postal code: 110013) '''Telephone:''' 86-24-8128018 [[zh:太清宮（遼寧瀋陽巿）]] 1d3d7b0811f351d53f27d155910cf5c4195ffa3c 0 84 124 2009-07-25T03:22:46Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Originally constructed in the 3rd Qianlong year of the Qing dynasty, the temple is located at Mt. Qianshan in Anshan, Liaoning province. It is said that this site was selected fo...' wikitext text/x-wiki Originally constructed in the 3rd Qianlong year of the Qing dynasty, the temple is located at Mt. Qianshan in Anshan, Liaoning province. It is said that this site was selected for the temple by Peng Fuguang, a Dragon Gate Daoist who, then on his tour, found that this place was a mixing point of five mountains which came together from different directions, just like five dancing dragons on their way to meet. According to legend, this place used to be clouded with an auspicious atmosphere. The Daoist named the would-be temple as Five Dragons Temple, after the geographic feature of this place. The temple saw renovations and expansions during the rules of emperor Jiaqing, emperor Daoguang, emperor Xianfeng, and during the Republican period. The temple consisted of 28 houses, among which were the main hall, the front hall, the guest hall, the abbot's house, the Bell Tower, the Jade Emperor Hall, etc. During the Cultural Revolution, the temple, as well as the statues inside, suffered severe damage. It saw its latest renovation in the 1990's. Today, the temple consists of the Venerable Sovereign's Hall ( 老君殿 Laojun Dian ), the Hall of [[The Three Heavenly Officials]] ( 三官殿 Sanguan Dian ), the Hall of [[The Great Perfect Warrior Emperor]] ( 真武殿 Zhenwu Dian ), the Hall of the Master of Compassionate Salvation ( 慈航殿 Cihang Dian ), [[The Numinous Officials Hall]] ( 靈官殿 Lingguan Dian ), etc. Among them, the Venerable Sovereign's Hall is the biggest. Constructed at the waist of a cliff, it embraces a remarkable view. The hall consists of two-floored arches, boasting an area of 280 square meters, and a height of 13 meters. In parallel with its structure are a 6.5-meter high stature of the Venerable Sovereign inside the hall and frescoes, highlighting the Venerable Sovereign's salvations and conversions. Outside the hall are a triple-layer bronze cauldron. When the sun casts its rays on the hall and cauldron through the gaps between the mountains in the far end, the brilliance reminds one of the Great All-Embracing Heaven where the Venerable Sovereign is giving the teachings. Inside the courtyard of the temple stands a big incense burner made of black jade. When you knock on it, the burner produces pleasant metallic sounds. Outside the temple lies a huge stone which stretches for 10 meters. The shape of the stone reminds of one a ruminating cow. People call it 'sleeping cow stone'. Just below the belly of the cow is a well in the shape of the new moon. The well is more than 10 metres deep, and famous for the sweetest water in the whole mountain. According to historical tales, emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty and Xue Rengui, the great general were drinking water from the well when a golden carp jumped from inside it. General Xue grasped the carp. In his hand, the fish threw itself into a tree. 'The carp penetrating a tree' has become a famous site since then. In the 11th Jiaqing year of the Qing dynasty, the Daoists in the temple reshaped the mouth of the well into a new moon. Since then, it is popularly known a 'the new moon well'. [[zh:千山五龍宮（遼寧鞍山市）]] 3670ad351c6ad338602b57ab8ad3e5235d38e582 0 85 125 2009-07-25T03:27:59Z Admin 1 Created page with 'As the birthplace of Northeastern Daoism, it is located at the border of Nandian town, Benqi city, Liaoning province. The mountain stretches for dozens of square kilometers, and ...' wikitext text/x-wiki As the birthplace of Northeastern Daoism, it is located at the border of Nandian town, Benqi city, Liaoning province. The mountain stretches for dozens of square kilometers, and its peak is more than 700 meters high above sea level. The mountain is a famous scenic spot, highlighting the clean streams, pretty flowers and dense forests. In the top lies the Cloud Light Grotto, the place where Long Eyebrow Li, an ancient immortal who, according to local tales, used to exercise cultivation. About 5 meters high at the mouth, 9 meters high in the middle, and about 30 meters deep, the whole grotto can hold hundreds of visitors. Inside the grotto are eight natural views. They are the Stone Dragon, the Stone Tiger, the Stone Toad, the Stone Ritual Drum, the Stone Lotus, the Statue of the Longevity Star, the Stone Bed and the Stone Beads. Sometimes, the grotto is also known as Grotto of the Cloud Light of the Eight Precious Things. In the 3rd Chongzhen year of the Ming dynasty, Guo Shouzhen, a Daoist of [[The Dragon Gate Sect]] ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) came to Eastern Liaoning. In total seclusion, he lived in the grotto for more than ten years, exercising cultivation and teaching to his disciples. Since then, he has been regarded as the founder of Northeastern Daoism. Thanks to his effort, three stone temples were constructed inside the grotto in honor of [[The Jade Emperor]], [[The Perfect Warrior]] ( 真武 Zhenwu ), and [[The Three Heavenly Officials]] ( 三官大帝 Sanguan Dadi). In the following years, he had three more halls constructed in the Cave of Qian and Kun just beside the Cloud Light Grotto. In the early years of the Qing dynasty, another Daoist named Li Yigang had another temple constructed inside the Cave of Fish Scales. Then, in the 9th Qianlong year of the Qing dynasty, a Daoist named Ren Yangyue sponsored the construction of the Temple of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清觀 Sanqing Guan ), serving as an auxiliary facility of the Cloud Light Grotto. In memory of Guo Shouzhen, the local people had a tower, namely Patriarch Guo's Tower, constructed. Beside the bottom of the tower ran a spring called the Nature Well, which provides locals with sweet water the year around. There are many natural caves in Iron Peak Mountain. Besides the above-mentioned caves and grottoes, others such as the Cave of the Heavenly Bridge, the Cave of Wind and Moon and Patriarch Guo's Cave ought to be mentioned as well. The Cave of the Heavenly Bridge was said to be the spot of Immortal Long Eyebrow Li's ascension to heaven. Patriarch Guo's Cave was the location of Guo Shouzhen's flight to Immortality. The Cave of Wind and Moon was the best place for food storage. It is said that even in the hottest summer days, food stored there remains fresh for a long time. [[zh:九鼎鐵剎山雲光洞（遼寧本溪縣）]] d9e15eb22ee260d4aeab782cf30cb3fb07738927 0 86 126 2009-07-25T03:33:36Z Admin 1 Created page with 'As the most well-known historic site of Daoism in the whole of Northeastern China, Mt. Songfeng, about 267-meters above the sea level, also known as Mt. Jinyuan Ru, is located at...' wikitext text/x-wiki As the most well-known historic site of Daoism in the whole of Northeastern China, Mt. Songfeng, about 267-meters above the sea level, also known as Mt. Jinyuan Ru, is located at Shanhe, a town about 60 kilometers from Acheng, Heilongjiang. It was said that Xiao Baozhen, the founder of the Supreme Oneness Doctrine, was living in this place when he was summoned to the capital of the Jin dynasty during emperor Xizong's rule. Patriarch Xiao was treated with great honor by the emperor and granted a tablet with the inscription 'Longevity Temple of the Supreme Oneness'. Inside the Cave of Supreme Emptiness, there is a stele dating back to the 4th Chengan year of the Jin dynasty. The inscription describes a Daoist named Cao Daoqing and his cultivation life in the mountain. This is the only Daoist inscription of the Jin dynasty found in Heilongjiang. As the most well known temple in the mountain, the Temple of Seas and Clouds was constructed during the Jiaqing years of the Qing dynasty when Wang Jiaochan, the founder of the temple, and his two disciples built 35 temple halls at the original place of the Cave of the Supreme Emptiness in the Jin dynasty. The whole temple included the Main Hall, which consisted of the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 Sanqing Dian ), Auntie's Hall ( 娘娘殿 Niangniang Dian ), Guanyue Temple, the Yellow Scripture Altar ( 黃經壇 Huangjing Tan ), the Northern House of Tranquility ( 北靜室 Beijing Shi ), the Supreme Emptiness Cave ( 太虛洞 Taixu Dong ), the Scriptorium ( 藏經樓 Cangjing Lou ), the Platform for Dipper Worship ( 拜斗台 Baidou Tai ) and the Towers of the Bell and Drum, as well as the Gate Tower at the mouth the mountain, etc. Inside the temple, there were bedrooms, dining rooms, a guesthouse, a storehouse, a grain mill and so on. The temple was surrounded by mountains, forests and clouds that created an atmosphere of fairyland. After the founding of the People's Republic, the temple saw fewer visitors, crumbling walls and dilapidated houses until in 1984, the local government decided to renovate the main temple building and other historic sites such as the Scripture Arch, Platform of the Dipper Worship, the Cave of Supreme Emptiness and the stone steps leading to the summit, in a bid to reopen them to the public. Today, the Temple of Seas and Clouds is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the whole province. [[zh:海雲觀（黑龍江阿城市）]] f839a72810baad42ae6d8baf8e5af3a3e494c26b 0 87 127 2009-07-25T03:47:48Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Shanghai White Cloud Temple ( 白雲觀 Baiyun Guan ) is a temple of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真 Quanzhen ). It is located on the Back Xinlin Street at the for...' wikitext text/x-wiki Shanghai White Cloud Temple ( 白雲觀 Baiyun Guan ) is a temple of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真 Quanzhen ). It is located on the Back Xinlin Street at the former Western Gate of Shanghai, the present seat of Shanghai Daoist Association. About in the Yuan dynasty, the Complete Perfection Tradition of Daoism was spread into Shanghai. According to Annals of Songjiang Prefecture, in the tenth Dade year of the Yuan dynasty (1306), there was once a building, "Changchun Daoist Temple" in Lou County. The temple was so named in honor of Qiu Chuji (whose literary name was Changchunzi), the patriarch of [[The Dragon Gate Sect]] ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) of the Complete Perfection Tradition. In the first year of the Zhizhi era (1321), Yang Zai wrote Records of Changchun Daoist Temple, in which he mentioned that the abbot at that time was Zheng Jun, son of General Zheng who guarded Guangling. However, during the following 500 years, accounts of activities of the Complete Perfection Tradition in this region were rarely seen. It was not until the 13th Tongzhi year of the Qing dynasty (1874) that Daoist Wang Mingzhen from Xianzhen Temple of Hangzhou founded the Daoist temple "Hall of the Thunder Patriarch ( 雷祖 Leizu )" of this tradition at Chaoyanglou outside the Northern Gate of Shanghai (around today's Zhejiang Road and Beihai Road). In the eighth year of the Guangxu reign (1882), the temple had to be removed due to the expanding of roads. With the gentry' patronage, abbot Xu Zhicheng at that time bought the present seat of the White Cloud Temple and rebuilt the Hall of the Thunder Patriarch. In the 12th Guangxu year (1886), he expanded the Hall of [[The Big Dipper]] ( 斗姥 Doumu ), the guest rooms and the dining room. In the 14th Guangxu year (1888), Xu Zhicheng went to Beijing. Assisted by government officials and abbot Gao Rendong of Beijing White Cloud Temple, he bought over 8,000 volumes of ''[[Daoist Canon]]'' ( 道藏 Daozang ) of the Ming version on the condition that the Hall of the Thunder Patriarch was changed into "Haishang White Cloud Temple", a subsidiary temple of [[Beijing White Cloud Temple]]. Then Haishang White Cloud Temple adopted the commandments of the latter and gradually established it's post as one of the Temples of the Ten Directions ( 十方叢林 Shifang Conglin ) of the Complete Perfection Tradition. It became a prestigious temple of this tradition in the southeast of China. In the 16th Guangxu year (1890), Xu Zhicheng, the first abbot of the White Cloud Temple passed away. In the 19th Guangxu year (1893), funded by Chen Runfu, President of Shanghai Chamber of Commerce and the like, Daoists of the White Cloud Temple enlarged the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 Sanqing Dian ), the Hall of Patriarch Lü and the Hall of Patriarch Qiu, and expanded the area of the temple into a considerable dimension of 14 mu. The hall is divided into the front and the back parts. The middle line of the front part consists of the Hall of the Thunder Patriarch and the library; the eastern line consists of the guest rooms and the Hall of Patriarch Qiu; the western line consists of the dining room, the Hall of the Big Dipper, etc. The middle line of the back part is the Great Hall of the Three Pristine Ones; the southern is the Jiazi Hall; the northern is Hall of [[The Four Heavenly Ministers]] ( 四御殿 Siyu Dian ); the eastern is Hall of Salvation from Misery ( 救苦 Jiuku ); the western line includes the Hall of Patriarch Lü, [[The Jade Emperor]] ( 玉皇 Yuhuang ) Pavilion, and the Bells and Drums Pavilion, etc. During the chaotic years between the end of the Qing dynasty and the Republic of China, the White Cloud Temple was depressed day by day and its management got in disorder. After the liberation, the purity of a Daoist temple was restored to the White Cloud Temple. But during the "Cultural Revolution", the temple was once again damaged, and all the scriptures, paintings and calligraphies collected were destroyed. After 1978, the Daoist nature of the White Cloud Temple resumed and all kinds of religious activities were conducted smoothly. ==Contact== '''Address:''' No. 8, 100 Lane, Xilin Back Street, Shanghai City '''Traveling route:''' go by city bus Tele: 86-21-63775402 [[zh:上海白雲觀]] 9637deda62ebf251a354ef1cb1369e528b01118e 0 88 128 2009-07-26T04:29:00Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Located at 474 Yuanshen Rd in the New District of Pudong, Shanghai, it is the biggest of the temples existing in the whole city and a historic site designated by the municipal go...' wikitext text/x-wiki Located at 474 Yuanshen Rd in the New District of Pudong, Shanghai, it is the biggest of the temples existing in the whole city and a historic site designated by the municipal government. The whole temple consists of the Ceremonial Arch ( 牌樓 pailou ), the Hall of the Sacred Mountain of the East( 東岳殿 dongyue dian ), the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 sanqing dian ), the Scriptorium, the Immortals' Chamber ( 仙居樓 xianju lou ), etc. Originally called the Mansion of the Sacred Mountain of the East, the temple has a long history, which goes back to the Three Kingdoms period when Shun Quan, the king of the Eastern Wu, ordered its construction in honor of his mother. In the Zhenguan years of the Tang dynasty, emperor Taizhong ordered its reconstruction and renaming. Qin Shubao, the name of the official in charge, can still be seen on some beams of the building. The temple saw its next enlargement in the Song dynasty and its disastrous abandonment in the warfare during the Chongzhen years of the Ming dynasty. In the 35th Qianlong year of the Qing dynasty, the temple was rebuilt to worship the Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East. Covering an area of more than 20 mu, The whole temple consisted of the Hall of the Sacred Mountain of the East in the front, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones in the rear and the Ten Kings Hall( 十王殿 shiwang dian ) on both sides as well as dozens of auxiliary houses. Its incomparable scale won fame for the temple, which became one of the renowned spots in Shanghai and an important destination for tourism and pilgrimage. In 1982, the Shanghai Daoist Association renovated the temple, and reopened it for religious activities in the following year. The whole renovation program lasted up to the beginning of the 90's when its main structure was recovered. The whole temple consists of the Hall of the Sacred Mountain of the East, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones, the Hall of the Four Heavenly Ministers ( 四御殿 siyu dian ), the Hall of the Three Officials ( 三官殿 sanguan dian ), the Hall of the Ministers ( 相公殿 xianggong dian ), of the City God ( 城隍殿 chenghuang dian ), of the Numinous Official ( 靈官殿 lingguan dian ), the Hall of the Earthly Branches ( 甲子殿 jiazi dian ), etc. In the last years of the 90's, the temple saw its latest enlargement, which featured 'two halls and three chambers' and 'three sectors', namely, the Hall of the Sacred Mountain of the East, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones and the Gate Chamber, the Scriptorium, and the Immortals' Chamber, and corresponding sectors for the worship of the Sacred Mountain of the East, the traditional Daoist Immortals, as well as local deities and popular Daoist customs. The first sector consists of the Hall of the Sacred Mountain of the East and chambers in the eastern and western wings, featuring the worship of the Sacred Mountain of the East, the major gods of which include [[The Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East]], [[The Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud]] ( 碧霞元君 bixia yuanjun ) and [[The Prince of the Sacred Mountain of the East]] ( 東岳太子 dongyue taizi ). The two floor chambers on both wings stretch along two corridors, consisting of 24 rooms in honor of the 24 Controllers respectively. The second sector includes the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones and chambers on its two wings, featuring the worship of traditional Daoist immortals and local deities. As high as 18 meters, the hall is an old styled building with a double-eaved roof. Inside are the statues of the Three Pristine Ones and in chambers on both wings are the Ancestral Celestial Masters ( 祖天師 zutianshi ), [[The Three Great Emperor-Officials]] ( 三官大帝 sanguan dadi ), [[The Spirit of Wealth]], [[Emperor Guan]], [[The Highest Emperor of the Mysterious Northern Heaven]] ( 玄天上帝 xuantian shangdi ), [[The Master of Compassionate Salvation]] and local deities. ( 慈航道人 cihang daoren ) The third sector, consisting of the Scriptorium and the Chamber of Immortals, features Daoist customs and the worship of the Earthly Branches, which are located on the first floor of the Chamber of Scriptures. The Museum of Daoist Culture is located on the second floor, showcasing Daoist history, Daoist relics, ritual implements, and paintings. On the third floor is the scripture chamber, where important Daoist scriptures are preserved. Between the floors lies the Scripture Teaching Hall and in the east is the corridor of Daoist tablets. The Chamber of Immortals is normally used as a place for dining, official business, receptions, cultivation and gardening, etc. On the third floor is the VIP chamber, where a highly valued fresco painted by Mr. Dai Dunbang, the well-known contemporary painter, is well preserved. Now, the temple is open to tourism and pilgrimage every day. 92c2445867d68abc778f49c20df1f2530fc545d3 129 128 2009-07-26T04:30:26Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki Located at 474 Yuanshen Rd in the New District of Pudong, Shanghai, it is the biggest of the temples existing in the whole city and a historic site designated by the municipal government. The whole temple consists of the Ceremonial Arch ( 牌樓 pailou ), the Hall of the Sacred Mountain of the East( 東岳殿 dongyue dian ), the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 sanqing dian ), the Scriptorium, the Immortals' Chamber ( 仙居樓 xianju lou ), etc. Originally called the Mansion of the Sacred Mountain of the East, the temple has a long history, which goes back to the Three Kingdoms period when Shun Quan, the king of the Eastern Wu, ordered its construction in honor of his mother. In the Zhenguan years of the Tang dynasty, emperor Taizhong ordered its reconstruction and renaming. Qin Shubao, the name of the official in charge, can still be seen on some beams of the building. The temple saw its next enlargement in the Song dynasty and its disastrous abandonment in the warfare during the Chongzhen years of the Ming dynasty. In the 35th Qianlong year of the Qing dynasty, the temple was rebuilt to worship the Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East. Covering an area of more than 20 mu, The whole temple consisted of the Hall of the Sacred Mountain of the East in the front, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones in the rear and the Ten Kings Hall( 十王殿 shiwang dian ) on both sides as well as dozens of auxiliary houses. Its incomparable scale won fame for the temple, which became one of the renowned spots in Shanghai and an important destination for tourism and pilgrimage. In 1982, the Shanghai Daoist Association renovated the temple, and reopened it for religious activities in the following year. The whole renovation program lasted up to the beginning of the 90's when its main structure was recovered. The whole temple consists of the Hall of the Sacred Mountain of the East, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones, the Hall of the Four Heavenly Ministers ( 四御殿 siyu dian ), the Hall of the Three Officials ( 三官殿 sanguan dian ), the Hall of the Ministers ( 相公殿 xianggong dian ), of the City God ( 城隍殿 chenghuang dian ), of the Numinous Official ( 靈官殿 lingguan dian ), the Hall of the Earthly Branches ( 甲子殿 jiazi dian ), etc. In the last years of the 90's, the temple saw its latest enlargement, which featured 'two halls and three chambers' and 'three sectors', namely, the Hall of the Sacred Mountain of the East, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones and the Gate Chamber, the Scriptorium, and the Immortals' Chamber, and corresponding sectors for the worship of the Sacred Mountain of the East, the traditional Daoist Immortals, as well as local deities and popular Daoist customs. The first sector consists of the Hall of the Sacred Mountain of the East and chambers in the eastern and western wings, featuring the worship of the Sacred Mountain of the East, the major gods of which include [[The Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East]], [[The Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud]] ( 碧霞元君 bixia yuanjun ) and [[The Prince of the Sacred Mountain of the East]] ( 東岳太子 dongyue taizi ). The two floor chambers on both wings stretch along two corridors, consisting of 24 rooms in honor of the 24 Controllers respectively. The second sector includes the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones and chambers on its two wings, featuring the worship of traditional Daoist immortals and local deities. As high as 18 meters, the hall is an old styled building with a double-eaved roof. Inside are the statues of the Three Pristine Ones and in chambers on both wings are the Ancestral Celestial Masters ( 祖天師 zutianshi ), [[The Three Great Emperor-Officials]] ( 三官大帝 sanguan dadi ), [[The Spirit of Wealth]], [[Emperor Guan]], [[The Highest Emperor of the Mysterious Northern Heaven]] ( 玄天上帝 xuantian shangdi ), [[The Master of Compassionate Salvation]] and local deities. ( 慈航道人 cihang daoren ) The third sector, consisting of the Scriptorium and the Chamber of Immortals, features Daoist customs and the worship of the Earthly Branches, which are located on the first floor of the Chamber of Scriptures. The Museum of Daoist Culture is located on the second floor, showcasing Daoist history, Daoist relics, ritual implements, and paintings. On the third floor is the scripture chamber, where important Daoist scriptures are preserved. Between the floors lies the Scripture Teaching Hall and in the east is the corridor of Daoist tablets. The Chamber of Immortals is normally used as a place for dining, official business, receptions, cultivation and gardening, etc. On the third floor is the VIP chamber, where a highly valued fresco painted by Mr. Dai Dunbang, the well-known contemporary painter, is well preserved. Now, the temple is open to tourism and pilgrimage every day. [[zh:上海欽賜仰殿]] c6fe790cee49ee0b2bb4e7602d53ff8d8fb1b35d 0 89 130 2009-07-26T04:56:00Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Suzhou Mysterious Sublimity Temple ( 玄妙觀 Xuanmiao Guan ) is located in the downtown of Suzhou City. It is as famous as City God Temple ( 城隍廟 Chenghuang ) in Shanghai ...' wikitext text/x-wiki Suzhou Mysterious Sublimity Temple ( 玄妙觀 Xuanmiao Guan ) is located in the downtown of Suzhou City. It is as famous as City God Temple ( 城隍廟 Chenghuang ) in Shanghai and Confucius Temple in Nanjing and came into existence even earlier than the latter ones. According to historical records, the Mysterious Sublimity Temple was founded first in the second Xianning year of the Western Jin dynasty (276) and was named "Zhenqing Temple" at that time. The name was then changed into "Kaiyuan Temple" in the Tang dynasty and "Tianqing Temple" in the Song dynasty. It was not until the Yuan dynasty that the temple was named "mysterious sublimity", two characters taken from "they are both so mysterious as to be a key to the door of myriad sublimity", a sentence in Book of [[Laozi]]. From the Tang to the Qing dynasties, the temple was expanded many times and became the largest Daoist temple in terms of area south of the River. During the reign of Emperor Chengzong of the Yuan dynasty, it was acknowledged as one of the eight greatest temples of the country by imperial order. Whenever Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty went on an inspection tour south of the River, he always stayed at the temple as his temporary dwelling place. From this we can see how reputable the Mysterious Sublimity Temple was. Since modern times, quite a few buildings of the temple have been destroyed, and today there are only over 10 halls still remaining. Among them, a major hall opened as a religious place is the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 Sanqing Dian ). It was the main hall of the temple and was built in the sixth Chunxi year of the Southern Song dynasty (1179). With nine rooms in width and six rooms in depth, it is the oldest large hall in the southern region of Jiangsu. The hall is built on a high terrace and is rectangular. It has overlapping eaves and a nine-ridge roof, the former with delicate square blocks; the hall takes on a majestic appearance. The Daoist patriarchs, the Three Pristine Ones, are worshiped in the hall. The statues, 7 meters high, dressed in gold, looking both kindly and dignified, glowing with health and radiating vigor, can be regarded as elaborate examples of Song dynasty religious statuary. Hung in the middle of the hall is a tablet with Emperor Qianlong's inscriptions "expounding doctrines at the very beginning". The octagonal stone pillars in the hall are carved with the sacred names of Heavenly Lords ( 天尊 Tianzun ). The "dingdong stone balustrades" in front of the Hall of the Three Purities have always enjoyed the fame as "Gusu's first famous balustrades". It was first built during the Five Dynasties and made up of 38 lotus pillars, 30 hollow guardrails, 12 relief stone seats in the east and the west, and 6 slanting guardrails. The materials are drawn from simple but elegant green and white stones from south of the River, which, along with the yellow-wall, black-tile and brown-lintel hall enhance each other's beauty as if created by nature. The vivid and integral relief is a work of art rarely seen south of the River. It is said that the famous Suzhou artisan Peng Xiang, who was in charge of the construction of the three great halls of the Forbidden City in Beijing, built the magnificent white marble balustrades before the halls just by taking the "dingding stone balustrades" as the model for his design. Stored in the Mysterious Sublimity Temple are plenty of cultural relics, the most precious of which is the stele with the icon of Laozi. The stele is carved with a picture of Laozi drawn by Wu Daozi, a celebrated painter of the Tang dynasty, and an ode written by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty and inscribed by Yan Zhenqing, a well-known calligrapher. This stele, which embodies the emperor's ode, famous painting and exquisite calligraphy, is known as "stele of three peerless works". The Daoist music of Suzhou Mysterious Sublimity has also enjoyed long-term great reputation. It both is influenced by the Daoist music of [[The Celestial Masters Tradition]] ( 天師道 Tianshi Dao ) of the Dragon and Tiger Mountain in Jiangxi, and has absorbed folk music, such as Kunqu Opera, music of the Jiangnan area, Wuqiang Opera, local ditties, etc. Basically, it sounds pure, low and deep, slow, and moderate. Styled with the flavor of court music, it is of primitive simplicity, elegance and special pattern. ==Contact== Address: Dongjiaomen, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province Traveling route: go by city bus Person to contact: Zhang Fenglin Tele: 86-512-7200785, 7276948, 7277306 [[zh:蘇州玄妙觀]] 2efa9d50f763b4279d769512b02c125b31a953fa 0 90 131 2009-07-26T05:31:14Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Mt. Mao, originally called Mt. Gouqu and also known as Mt. Difei, is located in the southeast of Gourong city, Jiangsu province. Daoism makes it the eighth of [[The Ten Grotto He...' wikitext text/x-wiki Mt. Mao, originally called Mt. Gouqu and also known as Mt. Difei, is located in the southeast of Gourong city, Jiangsu province. Daoism makes it the eighth of [[The Ten Grotto Heavens]] ( 洞天 dongtian ), which is named the "Jintan-Huayang Grotto Heaven", and the first of [[The 72 Blissful Realms]] ( 福地 fudi ). According to legend, in the reign of Emperor Jingdi of the Western Han dynasty, the three brothers Mao Ying, Mao Gu and Mao Zhong cultivated themselves at this place and treated diseases for the people, and afterwards, they obtained the Dao and attained immortality. In order to memorize them, the later generations renamed Mt. Gouqu as Mt. Three Mao Brothers, or Mt. Mao for short. In its most prosperous period, the temples on Mt. Mao amounted to as many as 257, with over 5,000 rooms. They suffered the ravages of war in the period of the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace (the mid-19th century Taiping rebellion). Till the end of the Qing dynasty, "three gong (palatial temples) and five guan (belvedere temples)" were extant. The three gong refer to the Longevity Temple of Loftiness and Auspiciousness ( 崇禧萬壽宮 chongxi wanshou gong ), the Myriad Blessings Temple of the Nine Heavens ( 九霄萬福宮 jiuxiao wanfu gong ), and the Perfect Tranquility Temple of Original Correspondence ( 元符萬寧宮 yuanfu wanning gong ), and the five guan refer to the Temple of Virtuous Blessings( 德佑觀 deyou guan ), the Temple of Benevolent Blessings ( 仁佑觀 renyou guan ) , the Jade Star Temple( 玉晨觀 yuchen guan ), the White Cloud Temple ( 白雲觀 baiyun guan ) and the Qian Origin Temple ( 乾元觀 qianyuan guan ). In September 1938, the Japanese enemies mopped up [[Mt. Mao]] and burnt down over 90% of the buildings. During the "Great Cultural Revolution", Mt. Mao Daoist Temple was damaged again, and only some dilapidated walls remained. After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, with the implementation of its religious policies, the government appropriated funds to restore the Myriad Blessings Temple of the Nine Heavens and the Perfect Tranquility Temple of Original Correspondence, jointly called Mt. Mao Daoist Temple. Located at the top of Damao Peak, the highest peak of Mt. Mao, the Myriad Blessings Temple of the Nine Heavens is called the Summit Temple for short. It was founded in the Western Han dynasty, when [[The Three Mao Perfect Sovereign Brothers]] ( 三茅真君 sanmao zhenjun ) had ascended to immortality. It was originally a stone altar or stone house, which enshrined the stone statues of the Three Mao Perfect Sovereign Brothers. In the third year in the Yanyou ( 聖佑觀 shengyou guan ) era of the Yuan dynasty (1316), the emperor named it the Temple of the Saintly Protector , which specially enshrined the eldest Perfect Sovereign Mao, Mao Ying. In the 26th year in the Wanli era of the Ming dynasty (1598), the emperor ordered to build a temple, which he named the Myriad Blessings Temple of the Nine Heavens. In the temple there were five halls, namely the Hall of the Supreme Origin, the Hall of the Lofty Perfect One ( 高真 gaozhen ), the Hall of the Two Sages ( 二聖殿 ersheng dian ), the Hall of [[The Numinous Official]] ( 靈官殿 lingguan dian ), and the Hall of [[The Dragon King]] ( 龍王 longwang ); two pavilions, namely the Library of Scriptures ( 藏經閣 cangjing ge ) and the Pavilion of the Saintly Master; six houses, namely Yuxiang, Raoxiu, Yiyun, Zhongbi, Lizhen and Yihu; and about one hundred Daoist houses on both sides. The buildings were damaged by wars and man-made calamities day by day. The present buildings were mostly reconstructed in recent years. The whole temple was built against the mountain. At present there are four rows of halls. The first row is the Hall of the Numinous Official. The second row consists of the Library of Scriptures, and the Repository of Treasures to its east and the Kan-Li Palace to its west. The third row is the chief building of the temple, the Precious Hall of the Supreme Origin ( 太元寶殿 taiyuan baodian ). In front of it, on the east side lies the Yingxu Daoist temple, and on the west the Yihu Daoist temple. The major buildings in the fourth row include the Platform for Presenting Memorials and the Hall of the Two Sages. The Platform for Presenting Memorials is also called the Flying Platform. According to legend, it was just from this place that Mao Ying flied to immortality on a crane. Later, it became the place where the Mt. Mao Daoists presented talismans and memorials. The Hall of the Two Sages enshrines the parents of the Three Mao Perfect Sovereign Brothers. On its east and west side respectively there are newly-built structures in pseudo-archaic architecture, the east one being a dormitory and sitting room, and the west one being a tower named the Leisurely Cloud Tower ( 怡雲樓 yiyun lou ), where the valuable "four guarding treasures" of Mt. Mao are displayed in an exhibition room. The four treasures refer to a jade seal, a jade scepter, a jade talisman, and a Ha inkstone, all of which are curiosities of the Song dynasty. The Perfect Tranquility Temple of Original Correspondence is located on the southern slope of the Jijin Peak of Mt. Mao. Formerly a place to conserve seals, it is called "the Seals Temple" for short. Originally, the eminent Daoist [[Tao Hongjing]] of the Liang dynasty once built a hut at this place. In the Zhide era of the Tang dynasty (756-758), temples started to be built. In the Northern Song dynasty, Liu Hunkang, the 25th Patriarch ( 宗師 zongshi ) of Mt. Mao constructed the Qianshen Temple and cultivated Dao there. Hearing about his name, Emperor Zhezong summoned him to the capital and conferred upon him the title "Great Master in Communion with the Origin and the Sublime( 洞元通妙大師 dongyuan tongmiao dashi )". In the autumn of the first year in the Yuanfu era (1098), the emperor ordered to rebuild his former residence and named it "Temple of Original Correspondence". Nine years later, in the fifth year of the Chongning era during the reign of Emperor Huizong (1106), the construction was completed, and the emperor renamed it "Perfect Tranquility Temple of Original Correspondence". At that time the temple was of large dimensions. In its front there was the Gate for Gazing at Stars ( 睹星門 duxing men ); lying in the center was the Hall of Heavenly Peace and Myriad Blessings, which enshrined the Three Mao Perfect Sovereign Brothers; on the left was the Hall of Jade Tablets, while on the right was the Hall of Nine Rewards; the eastern side building was the Hall of Ten Thousand Years of Blessings, which enshrined the statues of the emperor's Fundamental Destiny ( 本命 benming ) constellation, while the western side building was the Hall of the Wheel of the Law Flying in Heaven, where the Daoist scriptures bestowed on Mt. Mao by the court were stored. Besides, there were still the Hall of Precious Registers, the Pavilion of the Polar Star( 北極 beiji ), the Longevity Platform, the Nine-Layer Platform, the Shrine of the Ancestral Altar, the Divine Shrine on Mt. Gouqu, the Dragon King Shrine of Extensive Benefits, the Shrine of the Temple's Protecting Saintly Duke, the Shrine of Duke Numinous Protection and Duke Numinous Guard, the Temple's Two Emissaries, the five divine halls -- namely Triple Simplicity, Ennead Perfection, All Sublimity, Great Existence, and August Divinity -- and thirteen Daoist houses, namely Dongxiu, Xizhai, Guanyun, Qiming, Yeyin, Mianzhai, Xibi, Dongzhai, Lequan, Jue Xiu, Yunlin, Zhenyin and Jianzhai. Having undergone drastic changes, in the late 1970s, except for a few rooms of the Longevity Platform and Mianzhai Daoist House, all the other buildings had been demolished. After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Temple of Original Correspondence was reconstructed by and by, and formally opened to the public in November 1988. Now the main completed and renovated buildings include the Gate for Gazing at Stars; the Hall of the Numinous Official; the pavilion sheltering stone tablets; the Longevity Platform; the Gate of the Three Heavens ( 三天門 santian men ); the Hall of Compassionate Salvation; the Mianzhai Daoist House; the Yellow Crane Tower; the Tower of the Eastern Sacred Mountain; Daoist dormitories; dining halls; the open-air statue of the Venerable Sovereign ( 老君 laojun ); and the outbuildings. [[zh:茅山道院（江蘇句容市）]] 320779d969078afaaed76800e320ef4c93e186c2 0 91 132 2009-07-26T05:49:38Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Qianyuan Temple lies on the western slope of the Yugang Peak of Mt. Mao. According to legend, in the Qin dynasty, Perfect Man ( 真人 zhenren ) Li Ming refined Elixirs ( 煉丹 ...' wikitext text/x-wiki Qianyuan Temple lies on the western slope of the Yugang Peak of Mt. Mao. According to legend, in the Qin dynasty, Perfect Man ( 真人 zhenren ) Li Ming refined Elixirs ( 煉丹 liandan ) at this place. In the Tianjian era of the Liang of the Southern Dynasties (502-519), eminent Daoist [[Tao Hongjing]] established the "Yugang Retreat' there. In the Tianbao era of the Tang dynasty (742-755), because Li Xuanjing inhabited this place, the emperor ordered to build the "Perfect Men’s Dwelling', as well as five pavilions named "Meeting Perfect Men', "Awaiting Immortals', "The Dao and its Virtue', "Receiving Rewards', and "Presenting Memorials'. In the Dazhong-Xiangfu era during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song dynasty (1008-1016), Zhu Ziying, the 23rd Patriarch ( 宗師 zongshi ) of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真 quanzhen ) on Mt. Mao, built "the Nine-Layer Altar'. In the third year of the Tiansheng era (1025), "the Temple of Assembled Emptiness' was built, and was later renamed the "Qian Origin Temple ( 乾元觀 qianyuan guan )" by the emperor. There were already more than 800 houses in the Yuan Dynasty, but they were gradually deserted afterwards. In the Jiajing era of the Ming dynasty, Daoist Yan Xiyan inhabited the Qian Origin Temple. In the beginning, there were only the gate and humble houses. Xiyan traveled to Jinling to raise funds to build temples. The temple had originally the main gate and the western side gate. In the main gate was the Hall of [[The Numinous Official]] ( 靈官殿 lingguan dian ), and on its two sides were the eastern and western audience pavilions. Behind the western side gate was a small gate, the Precious Hall of Great Origin, and [[The Jade Emperor]] ( 玉皇 yuhuang ) Hall. On the eastern side of the hall was Perfect Man Li Ming’s well for refining elixirs, beside which was a stele on Tao Hongjing’s refining elixirs. On the western side of the hall were the sitting hall, the shrine, the repository and the western garden. The last row of halls consisted of, from the east to the west, the eastern audience hall, the Hall of the Sacred Mountain of the East ( 東岳殿 dongyue dian ), the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 sanqing dian ), the western audience hall, dormitory buildings, the Abbot ( 住持 zhuchi )'s room, the Tower of [[The Big Dipper]] ( 斗姆 doumu ), a three-storied palace-like building the Songfeng Pavilion, and sleeping houses and dining halls, etc. In the period of the War of Resistance Against Japan, the command and the political department of the first detachment of the New Fourth Army led by Chen Yi stayed in the temple temporarily. On the 14th day of the 8th lunar month of 1938, the Japanese army invaded the temple. They burnt down this magnificent Daoist temple, and killed 12 Daoists, including the Temple Supervisor ( 監院 jianyuan ) Hui Xinbai. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Maodong Forestry Center built two rows of single-story houses on the ruins of the temple as dormitories for its employees. In 1993, the People’s Government of Jintan County approved of restoring the Qian Origin Temple as a Complete Perfection temple for female Daoists to open to the public. Till now the Hall of the Numinous Official, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones, and the eastern and western audience halls have been renovated. [[zh:乾元觀（江蘇句容市）]] 7d62ab412225d22eece3906ee87990f8c78e3828 0 92 133 2009-07-26T06:03:35Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Temple of Numinous Might ( 靈威觀 lingwei guan ) in Rugao is said to have first been built before the Tang dynasty. Originally named the Hall of Patriarchs ( 祖師殿 zus...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Temple of Numinous Might ( 靈威觀 lingwei guan ) in Rugao is said to have first been built before the Tang dynasty. Originally named the Hall of Patriarchs ( 祖師殿 zushi dian ), it was founded by three Reverend Daoists ( 道長 daozhang ), namely Yugong, Xingong and Jinggong of Mt. Wudang. In the fourth Zhenguan year during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty (630), its name was changed to Renwei (benevolent force) Temple. In the first Zhenghe year of the Northern Song dynasty (1111), as a story went around, the local people saw a golden snake winding out of the hall and manifesting itself. When the court heard about it, Emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty then changed the temple's name to the present one. After being repaired in the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, the whole temple consisted of 14 halls and over 200 houses in the 1930's. Its main halls included the entrance, the Yuantian Gate, the Renwei Hall, the Hall of [[The Thunder Patriarch]] ( 雷祖 leizu ), and the Temple of [[The Venerable Sovereign]] ( 老君 laojun ) in the middle; the Fumu Hall, the Chamber of the High Abbot ( 方丈 fangzhang ), and the Daoists' Shrine in the east; and the Temple of [[The Spirit of Wealth]] ( 財神 caishen ) Who Adds Happiness, the Ganyuan Temple, the Reception Hall, the Gate Altar, the Hengchun Room, the Hall of the Emperor of Emptiness, the Shrine of the Smallpox Spirit, the Huawang Temple, the Fallow Place, and the Moral Cultivation Hall in the west. The temple was originally situated in the north of Xinsheng Middle Street in the county seat of Rugao, and owing to the reconstruction of the old city in 1996, it was moved eastward to the Guandong side of Donghui and covered an area of 10 mu. Now the Renwei Temple, the Hall of the Numinous Official and the Hengchun Courtyard are already completed, but the construction of some principal buildings, such as the scriptorium, [[The Big Dipper]] Hall ( 斗姥殿 doumu dian ), the Hall of the Emperor of Emptiness ( 虛皇殿 xuhuang dian ), the Hall of the Spirit of Wealth, the Mars Hall, the entrance, and the pailou (decorated archway), still need funds. The major spirit enshrined and worshiped in the Temple of Numinous Might is [[The Great Perfect Warrior Emperor of the Polar Star]] ( 北極真武大帝 beiji zhenwu dadi ). In the fifteenth Hongwu year of the Ming dynasty (1382), a Daoist Associations Office ( 道會司 daohuisi ) was established in the Temple of Numinous Might. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the temple was a Temple of the Ten Directions ( 十方叢林 shifang conglin ) of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真 quanzhen ). It transmitted commandments many times, and people having received the commandments were found everywhere in the northern areas of Jiangsu Province. In history, the temple helped vast numbers of refugees, victims of calamities and poor people tide over difficulties through charities like giving medical service and medicine free of charge, providing free porridge and coffins, helping with childbirth (i.e., giving poor lying-in women money for delivering children), bearing the remains of unidentified persons, running school with free tuition, an so on. The Moral Cultivation Hall is the special office in the temple to manage these affairs. Nowadays, a xiehouyu (two-part allegorical saying) is still spreading in the area of Rugao that "The Temple of Numinous Might does good turns----free of charge". In the past dynasties, superior Daoists came forth in large numbers at the Temple of Numinous Might. For example, Le Zichang of the Han dynasty, who was given the medicinal powder "jusheng lingfei san" by Immortal Han Zhong, attained the Dao on Mt. Qian at the age of 180 and was titled Mt. Qian Perfect Sovereign ( 真君 zhenjun ). In the Song dynasty, Elder Immortal Xu enjoyed fleeting fame. In the Yuan dynasty, the two Perfect Men ( 真人 zhenren ) in White invented the prescription "toufeng heishen fang" to benefit society. In the Ming dynasty, Fu Zhongliang invented the medicinal powder "jifeng yizi san" to benefit society. In the Qing dynasty, Wu Lanpo assumed the post Official of the Law at the Hall of Great Brightness ( 大光明殿 da guangming dian ) of Beijing. His praying for rain was efficacious, and the manuscript Accounts of Wu Lanpo, Official of the Law of the Hall of Great Brightness of Beijing, Praying for Rain Efficaciously was handed down. In modern times, Abbot ( 住持 zhuchi ) Shen Gaocheng attained immortality at the venerable age of 102. [[zh:靈威觀（江蘇如皋市）]] 1e75c47955612a0be0f88cd983398d37ac55afdf 0 93 134 2009-07-26T06:12:19Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Mt. Tu, also known as Mt. Dangtu and commonly called Mt. Dong, was the seat of the ancient Tushan Kingdom and the place where Dayu took a wife and convened dukes for the first ti...' wikitext text/x-wiki Mt. Tu, also known as Mt. Dangtu and commonly called Mt. Dong, was the seat of the ancient Tushan Kingdom and the place where Dayu took a wife and convened dukes for the first time. It is located in the western suburbs of Bengbu City, Anhui Province, on the eastern bank of the Huaihe River, facing Mt. Jing across the river. Its peak is called Phoenix Peak, which is 338.7 meters above sea level. King Yu Temple is built on the very summit of Mt. Tu. King Yu Temple ( 禹王宮 yuwang gong ) is commonly called Yu Temple or titled "the Temple of the Magnificent Ancestor of the Xia dynasty". It was first built in the twelfth year of the reign of Emperor Gaozu of the Han dynasty (B.C. 195). According to legend, when Liu Bang, Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty led his troops to suppress Ying Bu, he passed through Mt. Tu and visited the traces of Dayu. He ordered to build Yu Temple on the summit of Mt. Tu in order for the later generations to think of Dayu's merits of water control forever. King Yu Temple was already inhabited by Daoists in the Tang dynasty. It is recorded that in the third Tianshou year of the reign of empress Wu Zetian (692), Reverend Daoist ( 道長 daozhang ) Li Shenyu planted pomegranates in the locality. King Yu Temple was greatly enlarged twice in the Ming dynasty and maintained extensively in the Ganlong years of the Qing dynasty. Later, most of the halls collapsed due to great changes brought by time. In recent years, the local government appropriated funds to maintain King Yu Temple, repairing part of the houses and walls and restoring some of the horizontal boards, couplets, poem inscriptions and drawings. Moreover, the temple was classified as a major temple of Anhui Province and a major historical and cultural site under state protection. Nowadays, King Yu Temple covers an area of over 3,400 square meters. The temple faces south. Its buildings are arranged according to the orientations of the Eight Trigrams ( 八卦 bagua ). There are altogether five rows of buildings. The first row is made up of nine rooms. The five middle rooms are of the same height and covered with yellow glazed tiles. The entrance is composed of three rooms, and there is a guest room on either side. The second row is the Chongde Court, which consists of audience halls, the places where government officials had an audience with King Yu, placed sacrificial articles and rested in old times. Originally the poems and drawings of Su Zhe, Yue Fei, Huang Tingjian, etc. were hung in the hall. They are no longer there today; only the eastern and western walls are inlaid with a few stele inscriptions. There is a Hall of the Three Officials ( 三官殿 sanguan dian ) in the Daoist Temple of Purity and Tranquility ( 清靜 qingjing ) in the east. A bell tower and a drum-tower that originally lay in front of the hall have already been destroyed. In the Daoist Temple of Chunyang in the west, there is a Hall of Patriarch ( 祖 zu ) Lü. A Ming dynasty woodcarving of Lü Dongbin was originally kept in the hall but is not kept now. In the north of the hall, the eastern wall is inlaid with the stone inscription of the Poem of Mt. Tu written by Su Shi. The third row is King Yu Temple itself, which was originally covered with green glazed tiles but is covered with green tiles now. Enshrined and worshiped right in the center of the hall is the statue of King Yu, and the statues of Gao Tao and Bo Yi are worshiped subordinately on its either side. Besides, several scrolls of wood-carved poems and paintings and many couplets are hung in the hall. There is a Fragrant Pavilion built in the 24th Wanli year of the Ming dynasty to the east of the hall and a stele in memory of the reconstruction of the temple established in the 29th Ganlong year of the Qing dynasty to its west. There was Hall of Compassionate Salvation to the east of the hall, but it does not exist now. To the east of the hall is the Changchun Daoist Temple. The Hall of Patriarch Qiu stands in it. In its west there was once the Verdant Dragon Pavilion, a two-floored wooden building, with the upper floor being the scriptoriums and the rooms of the different Abbots ( 住持 zhuchi ) of King Yu Temple, and the lower floor being the place where literary men through the ages stayed. There is now a weeping ginkgo in front of the pavilion. It is a tree of monoecism, exuberant and pipless, and can be ranked as superb. The fourth row is the Hall of Qi's Mother, which worships Tushan----Yu's wife and Qi's mother. It was already destroyed towards the end of the Qing dynasty. There are two ancient ginkgoes in front of the hall. The branches twine like a dragon. As writer Huang Tingjian of the Song dynasty eulogized, "The old trees reach high up to the sky, as if desiring to transform into a dragon". The fifth row of buildings is a double-floored hall. The upper floor is the Jade Emperor ( 玉皇 yuhuang ) Hall, while the lower floor is the Hall of the Mysterious Warrior ( 玄武 xuanwu ). To the west of the hall there originally existed the Hall of the Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud ( 碧霞元君 bixia yuanjun ). It was already destroyed in an earthquake, and the dilapidated walls still exist today. Mt. Tu has pleasant weather. It is quiet and tastefully laid out, with jagged rocks of grotesque shapes, historic sites and famous springs scattered all over it. A good many literary men came to visit it in past dynasties, such as Cao Cao and his sons of the period of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Zongyuan of the Tang dynasty, and Ouyang Xiu, Su Shi, Huang Tingjian, Zhu Xi, etc. of the Song dynasty. They left behind numerous magnificent writings extolling Mt. Tu and Dayu's merits and virtues, which add beauty to Mt. Tu. [[zh:塗山禹王宮（安徽蚌埠市）]] d1be907bea973da98c7b41aa14cd097729389a0c 0 94 135 2009-07-26T06:24:21Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Mt. Qiyun, one of China's famous Daoist immortal mountains, is located in Yanqian Township, 15 km west of Xiuning County, Anhui province. The Temple of Supreme Simplicity ( 太...' wikitext text/x-wiki Mt. Qiyun, one of China's famous Daoist immortal mountains, is located in Yanqian Township, 15 km west of Xiuning County, Anhui province. The Temple of Supreme Simplicity ( 太素宮 Taisu Gong ) is the chief Daoist temple on the mountain. It was originally named Shrine of the Perfect Warrior and Guardian Sage ( 佑聖真武祠 Yousheng Zhenwu ci ) and established in the Baoqing era of the Southern Song dynasty (1225-1227). The statue of the Perfect Warrior enshrined in the temple was said to have been molded with bits of earth carried by a hundred birds and to be miraculously efficacious. In the 11th year in the Jiajing era during the reign of Emperor Shizong of the Ming dynasty (1532), Zhang Yanyu, the 48th Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ) of [[The Orthodox Oneness Sect]] ( 正一 Zhengyi ) on [[Mt. Longhu]], memorialized to the emperor to order Daoists to go to Mt. Qiyun and perform an Offering ritual, praying for heirs. Their wish came true. So the emperor issued an edict to enlarge the Temple of the Perfect Warrior and renamed it the Supreme Simplicity Temple of the Mysterious Heaven ( 玄天太素宮 Xuantian Taisu Gong ). According to the records of Xu Xiake, a traveler of the Ming dynasty, "The temple faces north. The statue of the Mysterious Emperor was molded with bits of earth carried by a hundred birds. Its complexion is dark. This statue was produced in the Song dynasty. The hall was renovated in the 37th year of the Jiajing era (1558). The inscription on the tablet in the court was given by Emperor Shizong. On the left and right sides of the hall lie the hall of Numinous Official ( 靈官 lingguan ) Wang and that of Supreme Commander ( 元帥 yuanshuai ) Zhao. Both of them are magnificent. The temple leans against a 'jade screen', the Qiyun Cliff, and faces the Censer Summit." A street, the Yuehua Street, forms round the temple. It is the dwelling place inhabited by both Daoists and mountain inhabitants, the shopping street on the mountain, and the place where pilgrims and tourists put up for the night. Now in the street there are eight old Daoist houses and many Hui-styled civilian residences, which, together with temples and courtyards form a dense architectural complex. TheTemple of Supreme Simplicity was destroyed in the "Great Cultural Revolution". Restoration started in 1994. In 1997, the inauguration ceremony for the main hall and the consecration ceremony for the statue were held. The second phase of the restoration project is in process now. [[zh:齊雲山太素宮（安徽休寧縣）]] d475d3afb4682d9e45695ae00682daeb31529b60 0 95 136 2009-07-26T06:27:28Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Temple of Immortal Pei ( 裴仙宮 Peixian Gong ) is situated on Suwei Street, Gulou District, Fuzhou City. It was orginally founded in the period of Emperor Yingzong of the ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Temple of Immortal Pei ( 裴仙宮 Peixian Gong ) is situated on Suwei Street, Gulou District, Fuzhou City. It was orginally founded in the period of Emperor Yingzong of the Northern Song dynasty (1064-1067). It enshrines Immortal Pei, who is also known as Perfect Man ( 真人 Zhenren ) Supervisor Pei. It is said that Perfect Man Pei was popularly named Zhou Jianjie. He was a private assistant in the Fujian military governor's administration. Before his death, when assisting in governing, he always bestowed favors on the people, and after work, he extensively spread Daoist doctrines and encouraged people to do good, so he had many followers. Having attained Dao, he ascended to immortality against the big banyan tree in the government office. Moved by his merits and virtues in all his life, later generations built a hall to the north of the banyan tree to enshrine him, and venerated him as "Blessed Immortal, Perfect Man Pei, who expanded the great Dao and good virtues". In history, the Temple of Immortal Pei attracted a large number of worshippers in Fuzhou. Every year on the tenth day of the third lunar month, the immortal's birthday, officials from all the government offices went to the temple to burn incense and did obeisance, and all the stores and townspeople worshiped him piously. The whole city was astir with jubilation. In 1923, when Sa Zhenbing assumed the governorship of Fujian Province, he raised funds to renovate the temple, expanding it to Suwei Street. In 1924, when Chen Yi became chairman of Fujian Province, he enlarged the temple into a double-floored building. In 1943, the local people collected money to reconstruct it again. In 1955, the temple was discarded for urban construction. In 1988, local Daoist believers and compatriots in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao and overseas countrymen jointly pooled funds to reestablish the temple. Ever since modern times, along with the emigration of Fujian people, belief in Immortal Pei has spread to Hong Kong, Macau and overseas as well. For example, there is a Temple of the Governor in Sanchong Town, Taibei County, Taiwan, where the major divinity worshipped is Immortal Pei. [[zh:裴仙宮（福建福州市）]] 32978d12dfb4ac6cdfbb2961f4ebf9142d499e6c 0 96 137 2009-07-26T06:39:21Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Mt. Shizhu is situated ten kilometers to the west of Fuqing City, Fujian Province. It is the southern section of the range of Mt. Xishan, the remaining range of Mt. Daiyun in the...' wikitext text/x-wiki Mt. Shizhu is situated ten kilometers to the west of Fuqing City, Fujian Province. It is the southern section of the range of Mt. Xishan, the remaining range of Mt. Daiyun in the region of central Min. Its highest peak is Zhuangyuan Peak, which rises 534 meters above sea level. "The stones on the mountain can retain traces and are frequented by cranes, and its bamboos seem as if they scrape the sky and transform into dragons." The mountain is so named for its grotesque-shaped rocks (shi) and beautiful bamboos (zhu). It is a famous Daoist mountain in Fujian Province. According to legend, in the Wei and Jin dynasties, the "Temple of the Numinous Treasure " ( 靈寶觀 Lingbao Guan ) already existed on the mountain, and [[The Numinous Treasure Sect]] ( 靈寶派 Lingbao Pai ) of [[The Celestial Masters Tradition]] ( 天師道 Tianshi Dao ) started to spread in this region. In the first Dazhong year of the Tang dynasty (A.D. 847), the buildings of the temple already took shape. Later, it was once changed into Mt. Shizhu Temple, which incorporated both Daoist and Buddhist cultures. Today, it has turned back into a place for Daoist activities and is named Mt. Shizhu Daoist Temple. Set on the cliff halfway up the southern range of the mountain, Mt. Shizhu Daoist Temple looks like a castle in the air and presents a wonderful sight. The temple consists of the Immortal Sovereign Tower, the Guanyin Hall, the Wenchang Pavilion, etc. The chief divinities enshrined are the nine He Immortals. According to records, a Mr. He in the period of Emperor Wudi of the Han dynasty was recommended to be the procurator of Fuzhou. He's nine sons went to Min with their father. They did not seek high position but aspired for purity and emptiness. They first practiced the Dao on the mountain in Fuzhou, then withdrew from society and lived in solitude on Mt. Shizhu to refine elixirs, and finally traveled to Jiuli Lake and, riding on a dragon, flew to immortality. It is said that after attaining the Dao, the nine He Immortals often manifested themselves on Mt. Shizhu and by the side of Jiuli Lake. Consequently, there exist in Fujian province the folk customs of "praying for immortality on Mt. Shizhu in spring?and divining by drawing lots by Jiuli Lake in winter." The rocks of Mt. Shizhu are grotesque shaped and its caves are deep and serene. On the mountain, there are natural grottos such as Purple Clouds Grotto, Peach Spring Grotto, Lofty Grotto, Sun and Moon Grotto, Picking Stars Terrace, Dragon Transformation Lair, and sights of natural rocks, such as the Cranes' Image Stone, Fleabane Pot Stone, Mandarin Duck Stone, Chessboard Stone, Tortoise and Snake Stone, and Peach Stone. They all look vivid and unusual. Quite a number of scholars leisurely visited Mt. Shizhu in the past dynasties. Numerous carved stones on cliffs are still kept on the mountain at present. Zhu Xi of the Song dynasty, Ye Xianggao, Wang Shimao, and Xie Zhaozhe of the Ming dynasty, and Chen Baochen towards the end of the Qing dynasty all left behind precious inscriptions or poetical works. Xu Xiake, the great traveler and geographer of the Ming dynasty, sightsaw Mt. Shizhu out of admiration in middle June in the first Taichang year (1620). He called Mt. Shizhu "the most wonderful of cliffs". It is a great delight to climb the immortal Mt. Shizhu by cable car, visit the immortal temples and pavilions, dream to ascend immortality as the nine immortals, look at the strange stones and deep caves, and read the vestiges of sages. [[zh:石竹山道院（福建福清市）]] 4039808b0c9d3f9159e219ddfc89bad166dd7008 0 97 138 2009-07-26T06:52:13Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Brief introduction== Peach Spring Grotto ( 桃源洞 Taoyuan Dong ) lies in Liuqu Pan of [[Mt. Wuyi]]. With a gate of opposing cliffs, a zigzagged road leading deeply to a wide...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Brief introduction== Peach Spring Grotto ( 桃源洞 Taoyuan Dong ) lies in Liuqu Pan of [[Mt. Wuyi]]. With a gate of opposing cliffs, a zigzagged road leading deeply to a wide and flat valley across a stone bridge over blue brook, two pools for freeing captive lives, mountains and peach trees around, and about 20 acres of land, it is just like the "Unworldly Peach Spring" in Tao Yuanming's prose. That's why it is named Peach Spring Grotto. ==History== Peach Spring Grotto Daoist Temple was founded in the Tianbao era of the Tang dynasty, when the fame of Wuyi Mountain attracted many cultivating hermits. Three Daoist Nuns from Kuaiji, Kong, Zhuang and Ye, came here in company and developed a land of bliss with peach trees for seclusion. They were worshiped as the Primordial Ladies of the Three Emperors ( 三皇元君 Sanhuang Yuanjun ) by later generations. In the Song dynasty, the Confucians Chen Shitang and Wu Zhengli, and the Daoist Bai Yuchan, the fifth patriarch of the southern lineage, also lived here. In the Yuan dynasty , the people here built an Ancestral Temple for Liu Wenjian and the Temple of the Triple Origin for the worship of Gentleman Liu and the Emperors of the Triple Origin ( 三元庵 Sanyuan An ). In the Ming dynasty, Peach Spring Grotto Daoist Temple was famous far and near. It contained the Hall of Three Pristine Ones, the Hall of the Three Officers, the Hall of the Perfect Warrior, the Hall of Grandma, and the Temple of Men with Merits. The halls, with many lofty Daoists living here, covered over 2,000 square meters. Wu Shi said in his poem Visiting Daoists in Little Peach Spring Grotto, "In an ancient village at the origin of a brook, about three hermits are secluded, not for refuge from cruel rule, but for refining the vital essence and mind. Planting and reaping in the land, they don't ask others for food and clothes. Flowers drop from palm trees at wind's touch; medicine seedlings mature for picking after the rain." The temple declined during the Qing dynasty, when several halls fell into ruins. In the 25th year of Republican China, famous overseas Chinese Mr. Hu Wenhu and Navy Commander Sa Zhenbing came to this mountain on a tour. Seeing the dilapidated temple, Mr. Hu donated 500 Silver Yuan as fund for rebuilding it. The two travellers wrote the stele "Little Peach Spring Grotto" and hanged it on the mountain gate. Suffering destruction during the Cultural Revolution, only an empty shell of the middle hall remained of the temple. ==Recent conditions== Peach Spring Grotto Daoist temple is approved as a temple open to the the public. The Bureau of Religious Affairs of Fujian Province attaches great importance to the revitalization of Daoist temples. It introduced three graduates from the China Daoist Academy to work at the Peach Spring Grotto Daoist Temple, and listed the Peach Spring Grotto Daoist Temple as one of key temples of the province. In 1991, Daoists had the inside of the great hall repaired and carved the holy images of the Three Pristine Ones with precious Hongdou China fir, each of 2.15 meters in height. Also restored were the brass incense burners and candleholders for normal religious activities. 1n 1993, according to the Temporary Regulations for the Registration of Religious Activities in Fujian Province promulgated by the provincial government, the temple was granted a license after examination and registration to develop overall Daoist activities. In 1995, Peach Spring Grotto Daoist Temple collected money and carved a cliff statue of the Venerable Sovereign, which is now the biggest in the world now. On March 4, 1996, a grand opening ceremony was held. Leaders from the Chinese Daoist Association, the province, and the city presided the ceremony, which was attended by over 3000 Daoist devotees from home and abroad. Sixteen meters high, 11 meters wide, and 10 meters thick, the statue looks lifelike, grand, amiable, free and easy. ==Buildings== The rebuilt temple covers about 6,000 square meters. The main hall is composed of the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones, the Hall of the Jade Emperor, the Hall of the Numinous Officer, and the mountain gate as the central axis. The foiling halls on the left and right include the Hall of the Primordial Ladies of the Three Emperors, the Hall of the Three Officers, the Hall of the Perfect Warrior, and the Tower of the Canon. There are halls for Daoists' work and cultivation, and sites for Daoist education and preaching. ==Contact== '''Address:''' Wuyi Mountain Scenic Area, Wuyishan City, Fujian Province '''Telephone:''' 0599-525282 [[zh:桃源洞（福建永安巿）]] c99ec481405cd268ae300b3be21982b2f0654721 0 98 139 2009-07-26T07:17:55Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Celestial Masters' Mansion is located in Shangqing town, Guixi County, Yintan city in Jiangxi province. Originally, it was constructed at Guan menkou of Shangqing town in the...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Celestial Masters' Mansion is located in Shangqing town, Guixi County, Yintan city in Jiangxi province. Originally, it was constructed at Guan menkou of Shangqing town in the 4th Chongning year of the Northern Song dynasty, and moved to Changqing Fan, Shangqing town in the 6th Yanyou year of the Yuan dynasty. Finally, it was rebuilt at its current place. During emperor Jiaqing’s ruling years in the Ming dynasty, it saw large scale repairs and expansions. However, most parts of its buildings were burned to the ground in the 13th Kangxi year of the Qing dynasty. It saw its next reconstruction in the 43rd Qianlong year and further severe damage in the 7th Xianfeng year in the Qing dynasty. Thanks to the sponsorship and supervision of Zhang Renzhen, the 61st generation Celestial Master, repairs were carried out during emperor Tongzhi’s ruling years in the Qing dynasty. In 1949, Zhang Enpu, the 63rd generation Celestial Master left for Taiwan. Since then, the Celestial Masters' Mansion was taken away from Daoism. The next round of repairs began in 1984. After that, it was returned to Daoists in 1988. Today, with the Gate of Mansion, the Gate of Rites, the Second Gate and the Private Mansion at the core, additional facilities such as the Hall of the Jade Emperor, the Hall of the Celestial Master, the Hall of the Mysterious Altar, the Bureau of Magical Registers and the Ancestral Altar of All Skills have been constructed, incorporating temple buildings with facilities of the Celestial Masters' Mansion. The gate of the Mansion was constructed in 1990. From overhead hangs a wooden tablet bearing the inscription “Mansion of the Celestial Master Descended from the Han Dynasty” ( 嗣漢天師府 Sihan Tianshi Fu ) . On the door pillars in front of the gate is a couplet: “Immortals live in Chi-lin Hall in the heaven, Premiers inhabit the Dragon and Tiger Mountain.” Among the newly repaired facilities is the Ceremonial Arch. On the east lies the Hall of the Mysterious Altar ( 玄壇殿 Xuantan Dian ) in honor of Zhao Gongming, Spirit of Wealth ( 財神 Caishen ); on the west stand the Bureau of Magical Registers ( 法籙局 Falu Ju ) and [[The Celestial Masters]]’ Office. Reconstructed in 1996, the Second Gate boasts its remarkable wooden tablet hung horizontally and a couplet inscribed on the pillars: “Mysterious Skills subdue dragons and tigers; Good virtues conquer Ghosts and Spirits”. Behind the gate lies a well, which is known as the Well of the Numinous Spring, the Well of Elixir, or the Well of Mysterious Water, a well allegedly dug by the famous Daoist Bai Yucan himself. Farther behind stands the Hall of the Jade Emperor, which was built on the original site of the Celestial Masters’ Preaching Hall. In the back of the hall is the Private Mansion, which is the Celestial Masters’ residence. The lobby of the hall, also known as the Hall of the Three Thoughts, used to serve as a meeting room. It was transformed into the Hall of the Celestial Masters in 1985. The middle section, originally called the Hall of the Kettle Immorta ( 壺仙堂 Huxian Tang ) , used to serve as the guest house. The Back section, also known as High House, used to serve as the Celestial Masters’ living area. In the backyard are private gardens. In the east stood the Celestial Masters’ ancestral temple and private studies. The Ancestral Altar of All Skills was located at the western court, where are spread three halls: the main hall, namely, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 Sanqing Dian ) in the middle, and the Hall of [[The Numinous Official]] ( 靈官殿 Lingguan Dian ) and the Hall of [[The Spirit of Wealth]]( 財神殿 Caishen Dian ) , the subsidiary halls, on both wings. The Celestial Masters' Mansion also boasts historical relics such as a 9999-catty weight bell dating back to the Yuan dynasty, a Daoist stone tablet with the handwriting of Zhao Mengping, the famous calligrapher, and other wooden tablets as well as couplets of different dynasties in Chinese history. [[zh:龍虎山天師府（江西鷹潭市）]] c5f72422d3697bd3072bc2564da45bff9223a331 0 99 140 2009-07-26T07:30:56Z Admin 1 Created page with '[[Mt. Gezao]], the birthplace of [[The Numinous Treasure Sect]] ( 靈寶派 Lingbao Pai ) of Daoism, lies on the eastern bank of the River Gan, 20 kilometers southeast of Zhangsh...' wikitext text/x-wiki [[Mt. Gezao]], the birthplace of [[The Numinous Treasure Sect]] ( 靈寶派 Lingbao Pai ) of Daoism, lies on the eastern bank of the River Gan, 20 kilometers southeast of Zhangshu city, Jiangxi province. The Temple for the Worship of Perfection ( 崇真宮 Chongzhen Gong ), the chief temple o`n the mountain, is located at the southern foot of the Eastern Peak (the Camel Peak) of the mountain. Visit to Mt. Gezao (ji gezao denglan) by Zhou Bida of the Song dynasty cited the Mountain Records (shanji) by Daoist Xu Xuanzhen of the Tang dynasty, saying that there was originally the Lingshan (or Lingxian) Temple on Mt. Gezao. It was burnt down in the Sui dynasty. In the Tang dynasty, Daoist Cheng Xinran, watching and following the air, came to this place. Digging into earth, he found an iron bell and a jade statue beneath it. So he built a straw hut. In the first year of the Xiantian era (712), Daoist Sun Daochong constructed halls, which were named Gezao Temple by the court. The Song dynasty was the prosperous period of Daoism on Mt. Gezao, when a large number of Daoists came here for Daoist cultivation. In the Dazhong-Xiangfu era during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song dynasty (1008-1016), the emperor gave the Gezao Temple the name "Jingde", a reign title he had used previously. In the fourth year of the Tianxi era during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song dynasty (1020), and in the ninth year of the Xining era during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Song dynasty (1076), the Jingde Temple was destroyed twice by fire and immediately restored. In the eighth year of the Zhenghe era during the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty (1118), the temple was named by the emperor Temple for the Worship of Perfection. This temple was of great dimensions then. According to Zhou Bida's Visit to Mt. Gezao written in the ninth year of the Qiandao era of the Southern Song dynasty (1173), at that time, "Hundreds of Daoists dwelt around the temple. They contended for favorable positions and constructed halls and houses, which added up to about 1,000. No other temple throughout the country was more flourishing that the Gezao Temple." Emperor Lizong of the Southern Song dynasty gave the Temple for the Worship of Perfection another title, "Great Longevity Temple for the Worship of Perfection". Eminent Daoist [[Bai Yuchan]] of the Southern Song dynasty once composed the "Notes on the Great Heaven Hall of the Temple for the Worship of Perfection on Mt. Gezao ". Daoism on Mt. Gezao declined since the Yuan dynasty. In the 12th year of the Zhizheng era (1352), the Temple for the Worship of Perfection met with the turmoil of the mountain fortress, and the base and halls were both ruined. In the early Hongwu era of the Ming dynasty (1368-1398), Daoist Xu Linzhou restored the temple. However, in the eighth year of the Xuande era (1433), most of the temple was burnt because a mountain man carelessly left a fire unextinguished. In the Wanli era (1573-1619), Daoist Liu Kaihua attempted to rebuild the temple, but finally failed due to limited financial resources. Extant by then were only the Immortal Elder's Hall, the Hall of the Sacred Mountain of the East ( 東岳殿 Dongyue Dian ), and the elixir well. Only after renowned Daoist Ouyang Mingxing, who was expert in medicine and well-versed in kung fu, became Abbot of the Temple for the Worship of Perfection between the end of the Qing dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China did the halls get restored gradually. However, only three Daoists still remained in the temple in 1949, and they all came home to be farmers afterwards.. Since the 1990s, with the local government's care and support, the Daoist scenic spots and historical sites on Mt. Gezao have been repaired little by little. The Temple for the Worship of Perfection has started to be rebuilt and is now beginning to take shape. Statues of [[Elder Immortal Ge]] ( 葛仙翁 Ge Xianweng ), [[Celestial Master Zhang]], and [[Perfect Sovereign Xu]] ( 真君 Zhenjun ) are enshrined in the hall. The local government is actively soliciting investment in order to restore the Elder Immortal Ge to its former prosperity. [[zh:閤皂山崇真宮（江西樟樹市）]] c96c7bb57169fe1f18155d799c4db221555cd3d4 0 100 141 2009-07-26T07:45:04Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Immortal Ge Mountain, which is located in the middle of Qianshan County, Jiangxi province, is an offshoot of [[Mt. Wuyi]]. Celebrated Daoist [[Ge Xuan]] of the Jin dynasty wa...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Immortal Ge Mountain, which is located in the middle of Qianshan County, Jiangxi province, is an offshoot of [[Mt. Wuyi]]. Celebrated Daoist [[Ge Xuan]] of the Jin dynasty was said to refine elixirs and preach on this mountain, so later generations called it Immortal Ge Mountain, which became a Daoist sacred place well known in Jiangxi, Fujian and Zhejiang. According to the Records of Qianshan County compiled in the Tongzhi era of the Qing dynasty, in the Xiantong era of the Tang dynasty (860-873), the Zonghua Temple was built at the place where Ge Xuan refined elixirs. It was named by the emperor the Yuxu Temple in the second year in the Zhiping era of the Song dynasty (1065), and then renamed the Great Hall of Immortal Ge in the seventh year of the Yuanyou era of the Song dynasty (1092). Later, it was repaired many times. In the Jiaqing era of the Qing dynasty (1796－1820), the temple was destroyed by fire but restored afterwards. It was burnt down again in the 17th year of the Republic of China (1928), and rebuilt once more in the following year. Today the temple remains intact on the whole. The Great Hall of Immortal Ge ( 葛仙祠 Gexian ci ), commonly called the Temple for Immortal Ge , is located on the Censer Peak, the highest peak of Mt. Ge. The hall is 29.2 meters in length, 17 meters in width, and 496 square meters in area. There's an altar in the hall. On the altar, there are two statues of Ge Xuan, one in walking posture, another in sitting posture, and six horizontal inscribed boards. Beneath the altar there is an ancient well, which was said to have been dug by Ge Xuan. On the right side outside the hall there stand the Hall of [[The Three Officials]] ( 三官殿 Sanguan Dian ) and the Hall of [[The Numinous Official]] ( 靈官殿 Lingguan Dian ). Steps further lead to the Hall of [[The Jade Emperor]] ( 玉皇 Yuhuang ), the Tower of [[The Earthly Mother]] ( 地母 Dimu ) , the Temple of Compassionate Salvation, and the Dragon Pond. The Temple of Compassionate Salvation consists of the Hall of Arhat and the Hall of Great Buddha, where Tathagata is worshipped. The Dragon Pond, where a tongue-shaped rock sticks out into water, is the place where Ge Xuan washed and refined elixirs. By the temple there is an immortal well for monks and pilgrims to draw water from. The Daoist Temple for Immortal Ge and the monastic Temple of Compassionate Salvation have now been integrated. The co-existence of Buddhism and Daoism forms a unique spectacle.. On the slope about 2.5 kilometers northwest of the Temple for Immortal Ge there is the Mother's Hall, which enshrines Ge Xuan' mother, and on the slope about 2 kilometers southeast of the temple there is the Father's Hall, which enshrines Ge Xuan's father. On the top of the mountain on the left side of the temple, stalagmites stand like trees in a forest. A huge rock, which was divided in half as if cut by a sword and inscribed with the words "rock for trying swords", was, according to legend, the place where Ge Xuan tried his sword. On the mountain, there are still some other historical sites, such as the rock for mounting a horse, the rock for dismounting a horse, the rock for resting one's mind, the immortal's footprints, the platform for flying up to heaven, and the immortal spring for washing one's eyes, etc. Every year, on the first day of the sixth lunar month, Mt. Immortal Ge "opens its gate", and on the first day of the tenth lunar month, "closes its gate". In the period in between, pilgrims from all directions come in streams. Especially on the 20th day of the eighth lunar month, the birthday of Elder Immortal Ge ( 葛仙翁 Ge Xianweng ) , the number of pilgrims usually exceeds 10,000. In 1984, the People's Government of Jiangxi Province designated the Temple for Immortal Ge and the Temple of Compassionate Salvation as provincial key temples to open to the public.. In addition, there is another Mt. Immortal Ge in Pengzhou, Sichuan. According to legend, it was the place where Daoist Ge Yong (Wang Gui) of the Jin dynasty practiced secluded cultivation. [[zh:葛仙山道觀（江西鉛山縣）]] 7db8784721f5ab08dc3ef82da74adf49b221f6da 0 101 142 2009-07-26T08:01:10Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Lying at the south of the summit of [[Mt. Tai]], the Emerald Cloud Shrine ( 碧霞祠 Bixia Ci ) was first built in the 2nd year of the Dazhongxiangfu Era (1009) of the Zhengzhon...' wikitext text/x-wiki Lying at the south of the summit of [[Mt. Tai]], the Emerald Cloud Shrine ( 碧霞祠 Bixia Ci ) was first built in the 2nd year of the Dazhongxiangfu Era (1009) of the Zhengzhong Emperor of the Song Dynasty. Originally named the Shrine of Revealed Perfection ( 昭真祠 Zhaozhen Ci ), it was renamed the Temple of Revealed Perfection ( 昭真觀 Zhaozhen Guan ) in the Jin Dyansty, the Emerald Cloud Temple of Numinous Correspondence ( 碧霞靈應宮 Bixia Lingying Gong ) or Emerald Cloud Temple of Numinous Protection ( 碧霞靈佑宮 Bixia Lingyou Gong ) in the Hongzhi Era in the Ming Dynasty(1488--1505). Rebuilt in the 35th year of the Qianlong Era in the Qing Dynasty (1770), it was called the Emerald Cloud Shrine, a name used till today. Composed of 12 large buildings including the Great Hall and the Incense Pavilion, the Emerald Cloud Shrine is a set of magnificent ancient constructions on high mountains. Symmetrical along an axis formed by the screen wall, the Southern Divine Gate, the Mountain Gate and the Incense Pavilion, the whole construction is arranged in a precise distribution at gradually higher altitudes from north to south. Outstanding in its quality of construction and typical in ancient Chinese style, it is representative of Daoist temple architecture. With five principal columns, nine sloping roof ridges and 360 tile ridges, it symbolizes the number of the cosmic orbit. All the tiles, owl-beak-shaped roof ridge ornaments, beast-shaped hip ornaments and big ridges are cast of bronze. Under the brim hang the huge steles of "Aiding and Transforming the East" by Emperor Yongzheng and "Blessing and Pacifying the Sea" by Emperor Qianlong. A richly ornamented building, the great hall shines brilliantly under the sun. The gilded bronze statue of the Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud, wearing a phoenix coronet and a cloudy cape, sits serenely and kindly on the tabernacle in the middle the hall. A Daoist goddess proverbially named the Lady of Mt. Tai, the Holy Mother of Mt. Tai and the Granny of Mt. Tai, [[The Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud]] was, according to legend, a daughter of [[The Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East]] ( 東岳大帝 Dongyue Dadi ) and was given the title Primordial Lady of Emerald Clouds and Heavenly Immortal Jade Maiden ( 天仙玉女碧霞元君 Tianxian Yu’nu Bixia Yuanjun ). According to Daoist scriptures, she was an incarnation of the Western Heaven Big Dipper ( 西天斗母 Xitian Doumu ) and cultivated in Mt. Tai. Perfected as a heavenly immortal, she commands, under the Jade Emperor's mandate, the divine troops of the sacred mountain investigating into the morality of the people. In folk legends, the Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud grants whatever is requested and blesses sentient beings, esp. women and children. Every year, millions of people came to worship the Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud and pray for blessing from the goddess. On both sides of the great hall lie two side halls. Enshrined in the east side hall is Auntie Eyesight ( 眼光娘娘 Yanguang Niangniang ) who heals all kinds of diseases and protects all in health, and in the west side hall is the Auntie Who Delivers Babies ( 送子娘娘 Songzi Niangniang ) who is in charge of fertility. Usually pilgrims take home from the hall a plaster puppet dressed in red cloth and lay it in bed as a way praying for children. The Incense Pavilion ( 香亭 Xiangting ) between the two side halls is also for the worship of the Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud. In feudal times, the great hall was only opened to emperors and noble ministers. The common people could only pray to the Lady of Mt. Tai in the Incense Pavilion. In 1983, the State Department approved the Emerald Cloud Shrine on Mt. Tai one of the 21 key Daoist temples of the state. In 1985, this 1000-year-old temple returned to the management of Daoist organization and opened as religious activities site. [[zh:泰山碧霞祠]] 6ba9998b6cd4ef06137d373c57c0b057010e1e3d 0 102 143 2009-07-26T08:27:53Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Situated on the northeast bank of Baoguang Lake at the southwest corner of Kaifeng, Henan, Yanqing Temple ( 延慶觀 Yanqing Guan ) was originally called Chongyang Temple in com...' wikitext text/x-wiki Situated on the northeast bank of Baoguang Lake at the southwest corner of Kaifeng, Henan, Yanqing Temple ( 延慶觀 Yanqing Guan ) was originally called Chongyang Temple in commemoration of Wang Chongyang, the founder of [[The Complete Perfection School]] ( 全真派 Quanzhen Pai ), who transmitted Dao and died here. In the 9th year of the Dading Era of the Jin Dynasty (1169), [[Wang Chongyang]], together with his four disciples [[Ma Yu]], [[Tan Chudaun]],[[ Liu Chxuan]] and [[Qiu Chuji]], lodged in Wang's hotel at Taining Village in Kaifeng on their way from Shandong to Shaanxi. Wang Chongyang transmitted Dao and died here before long. In memory of the ancestor, later generations built Chongyang Temple ( 重陽觀 Chongyang Guan ). In the early Yuan dynasty, Wang Zhijin, an abbot appointed by Qiu Chuji, undertook construction on a large scale and accomplished a magnificent temple after 13 years' efforts. The emperor of the Yuan Dynasty bestowed on it the name "Temple of Longevity" ( 萬壽宮 Wanshou Gong ). At the end of the Yuan, the rebel Red Turban army seized Kaifeng and the Temple of Longevity was ruined. Restored in the 6th year of the Hongwu Era of the Ming, it was renamed as Yanqing Temple. In the 15th year (1642) of the Chongzhen Era, it was flooded by the Yellow River. In the 7th year (1668) of the Kangxi Era, Daoist followers donated money and rebuilt the temple. In the 21st year (1841) of the Daoguang Era, the temple was flooded again by the Yellow River. Repaired twice in the 20th year (1894) and 34th year (1908) of the Guangxu Era, the temple was restored a little bit. The rebuilt temple included the Hall of Ancestor Lu ( 呂祖殿 Luzu Dian ), the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 Sanqing Dian ), the Jade Emperor Pavilion ( 玉皇閣 Yuhuang Ge ) , the Hall of the Three Officials ( 三官殿 San’guan Dian ), and several side rooms. However, only the Jade Emperor Pavilion survived the great changes of the modern times. In recent years, the municipal government repaired the Yanqing Temple. In the newly built great hall, a wax statue of Wang Chongyang sits in the middle. On the east wall is the colored painting of Wang Chongyang and his disciples and on the west is a painting of Wang Zhijin building the temple. On the 1st floor of the Jade Emperor Pavilion stands a bronze statue of [[The Great Perfect Warrior Emperor]] ( 真武大帝 Zhenwu Dadi ). Cast in the Ming Dynasty, it is a precious cultural relic of Daoism. [[zh:延慶觀（河南開封市）]] b9d5f14d3136358d315b6859ef9919b9e29a8d06 0 103 144 2009-07-26T08:30:29Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Lying on the Wolong Gang (Sleeping Dragon Hillock) in a western suburb of Nan’yang, the Wuhou Daoist Shrine was originally built as a shrine in memory of Zhuge Liang, the famou...' wikitext text/x-wiki Lying on the Wolong Gang (Sleeping Dragon Hillock) in a western suburb of Nan’yang, the Wuhou Daoist Shrine was originally built as a shrine in memory of Zhuge Liang, the famous statesman and strategist of the Three Kingdoms Period. First founded in the Tang, the Shrine was destroyed in wars during the beginning of the Yuan. In the 2nd year of the Dade Era of the Yuan (1298), the Nanyang Government funded the large-scale reconstruction. In the 2nd year (1315) of the Yanyou Era of the Yuan, the people extended the shrine with Kongming College. In end of the Yuan and at the beginning of the Ming, the college was ruined in war. During the Chenghua Era (1465-1487) the college was recovered. Then in different times such as the Hongzhi Era (1488-1505), the Zhengde Era (1506-1521), the Jiaqing Era (1522-1566), the Longing Era (1567-1572), the Wanli Era (1573-1619), and the Chongchen Era (1628-1644), the people repaired the college. In the 7th year (1528) of the Jiaqing Era, the Shizong Emperor bestowed offerings to the shrine as well as the tablet “Loyal Military”. In the 51st year (1712) of the Kangxi Era of the Qing, Luo Jing, the then Nanyang Prefecture Governor, had the shrine repaired and extended in large size. During work at that time, a stone tablet was found with poems of ancient people praising the ten scenes of Wolong Gang. According to the poem, Luo restored the ten scenes. The present overall arrangement of the Wuhou Daoist Shrine still retains the style of the late Ming and Early Qing. Wuhou Daoist Shrine is composed of four courtyards at the front, back, south and north. In front of the Mountain Gate squat a pair of stone carved lions roaring toward heaven. Still in the front are historic sites such as the Immortal Bridge and the Well of Zhuge. In the front courtyard, the Hall of the Three Stars lies in the left and the Hall of Three Officials lies in the right. The Priest Chamber Courtyard to the south is the place where priests hold religious activities. The upper chamber is the Hall of the Venerable Sovereign, housing a white-marble sitting statue of the Venerable Sovereign. To its left is the Hall of the Seven Perfected Ones and at its right is the Hall of the Eight Immortals. In the middle of the courtyard is the guesthouse. In the north courtyard there are the Hall of Guan and Zhang and the Hall in Memory of the Three Visits. In the back courtyard there once was a platform for astrology. Now there remains only a Tower of Tranquil Far-sight with a Statue of the Martial Marquis. To the left of the tower lie the Platform of Study and to the right the Tower of the Iron Horn. On the rockery in front of the tower there is a Knee-Embracing Rock that the Martial Marquis rested on, embracing his knee with his arms. In front of the hill stands a hut with a tablet of Han seal Characters. Behind the hut a “small rainbow bridge” sees to its left the Pavilion of Furrow and to its right the Platform Accompanying the Moon. At the left front of the hut is the Pavilion of Ancient Pines and to the right is the Hut of Wild Clouds. Collecting many tablets and inscriptions by famous literati of different times, Wuhou Daoist Shrine is a precious treasure of Chinese calligraphy. [[zh:武侯祠道院（河南南陽市）]] 8a722fc3bb6e7d99dc47378429a4b88988ea6428 0 104 145 2009-07-26T08:34:31Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Lying at the foot of Huanggai Peak, at the east foot of Songshan Mountain, Dengfeng, Henan, the Temple of the Sacred Middle Mountain ( 中嶽廟Zhongyue Miao ) was first built in...' wikitext text/x-wiki Lying at the foot of Huanggai Peak, at the east foot of Songshan Mountain, Dengfeng, Henan, the Temple of the Sacred Middle Mountain ( 中嶽廟Zhongyue Miao ) was first built in the Qin as the Shrine of Taishi ( 太室祠Taishi Ci ). The Wu Emperor of the Han mounted the mountain and mandated to extend the shrine. It was changed to the present name in the Northern Wei. Experiencing extension many times during the Tang and Song, it was destroyed in fire disaster in the 17th year (1644) of the Chongzhen Era of the Ming and rebuilt in the Qianlong Era of the Qing. The present temple basically preserves the rebuilt style and size of the Qing. Constructed in accordance to the mountain shape in tiers higher and higher from north to south, the temple is 650 meters long and 166 meters wide and occupies 110,000 square meters. The 11 tiers of construction along the central axis are the Gate of Central China, the Pavilion of Long-distance Worship, the Pavilion of Middle Heaven, the Arch Equaling Heaven and Pacifying the Below, the Gate of Lofty Saints, the Gate of the Three Transformations, the Gate of the Highest, the Arch of the Highest Songshan Mountain, the Great Hall of the Sacred Middle Mountain, the Imperial Sleeping Hall and the Tower of Royal Calligraphy. In the east and west lines are such minor courtyards as the Palace of Taiwei, the Palace of the Patriarch, the Palace of the Minor Tower, the Palace of the Divine Prefecture and the Hall of the Dragon King. The main hall of the temple is the Hall of the Sacred Middle Mountain, or the Hall of the Highest. Nine chambers in width and 5 chambers in depth, the hall occupies 1000 square meters and is the largest one among the halls of the whole temple and among all constructions on the Mountain. A multiple-brimmed construction with yellow glaze tiles on the top, the hall is decorated with the noblest Hexi color paintings in its brims, brackets, girders and ceilings. In the shrine in the hall is the 5-meter high statue of the“Great Imperial High Saint and King of Middle Heaven”, i.e. the Great Emperor of the Sacred Middle Mountain. On his side are attendants and generals governing the hall. Among the many cultural relics in the temple, some are very famous, such as the ancient pine, iron man statue of the Song Dynasty, the tablet of the map of the Temple of the Sacred Middle Mountain of the Jin Dynasty, the iron lion of the Ming Dynasty and the tablet of the Map of the True Form of the Five Sacred Mountains of the Ming. The temple is listed as a national key protection unit of cultural relics. Every 3rd lunar month and 10th lunar month people hold the Sacred Middle Mountain Temple Fair. A national key Daoist temple, the Temple of Sacred Middle Mountain now houses the Henan Daoist Association. [[zh:嵩山中嶽廟（河南登封市）]] 21240c594d091a3e161cc204e9131db9e841bb03 0 105 146 2009-07-26T08:48:38Z Admin 1 Created page with 'According to the ''Records of the Historian'', [[Laozi]] was a man of Quren Li, Ku County, Chu State, a place considered to be the present-day Luyi County, Henan Province. Many D...' wikitext text/x-wiki According to the ''Records of the Historian'', [[Laozi]] was a man of Quren Li, Ku County, Chu State, a place considered to be the present-day Luyi County, Henan Province. Many Daoist temples were built in Luyi County in the past. However, only the Supreme Clarity Temple ( 太清宮 Tai Qinggong ) and the Venerable Sovereign Platform ( 老君台 Laojun Tai ) survived the modern times. First built as the "Laozi Temple" ( 老子廟 Laozi Miao ) in the 8th year of the Yanxi Era of the Huan Emperor of the Eastern Han, the Supreme Clarity Temple lies on Hermit Mountain 5 km east of the county seat. In the 3rd year (629) of the Wude Era of the Gaozu emperor of the Tang, emperor Li Yuan retroactively recognized Laozi as the royal ancestor and made the Laozi Temple the Royal Ancestral Temple. In the 1st year of the Qianfeng Era (666), the emperor gave Laozi the honorable title "Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Origin" ( 太上玄元皇帝 Taishang Xuanyuan Huangdi ) and built the Purple Pole Palace ( 紫極宮 Ziji Gong ). In the 1st year of the Guangzhai Era (683), empress Wu Zetian conferred to Laozi's mother the title "Empress Dowager of the Anterior Heaven" ( 先天太后 Xaintian Taihou ) and built for her the Palace of Pervasive Heaven ( 洞霄宮 Dongxiao Gong ). In the 2nd year of the Tianbao Era (743), the Emperor renamed it as the Supreme Clarity Temple. The Supreme Clarity Temple is divided by the Clarity River into the front palace and the rear palace. About a mile from each other, the two palaces are connected by the Immortals'Meeting Bridge ( 會仙橋 Huixian Qiao ). The front palace houses male Daoists and the rear houses nuns. Occupying 720 mu of land, the two palaces include over 600 halls, platforms and towers. With high gates and straight ways, the front palace has the Hall of the Supreme Ultimate ( 太極殿 Taiji Dian ) in the center of its courtyard, with the Hall of the Seven Origins ( 七元殿 Qiyuan Dian ), the Hall of the Five Sacred Mountains ( 五岳殿 Wuyue Dian ), the Hall of the South Dipper ( 南斗殿 Nandou Dian ), the Hall of Emptiness ( 虛無殿 Xuwu Dian ), and the Pavilion of Clarity ( 清靜閣 Qingjing Ge ). A statue of Laozi stands in the Hall of the Supreme Ultimate. In front of the hall lies a copper eight-trigram elixir cauldron ( 八卦煉丹爐 Bagua Liandan Lu ). Beside the hall stands an iron pole -- Laozi's "mountain driving whip" ( 趕山鞭 Ganshan Bian ) or the symbol of his legendary position of historian under the pole" ( 柱下史 Zhuxia Shi ). In the east of the courtyard there is a "nine-dragon well" from where nine dragons came out to shower Laozi at his birth. With many standing tablets, the courtyard looks very grand and solemn. Almost destroyed to ruin during the wars at the end of the Tang, the Supreme Clarity Temple was rebuilt in the Song Dynasty. In the 7th year (1014) of the Dazhong Xiangfu Era, the Zhen Emperor of the Song came in person to the Supreme Clarity Temple and held great rituals in the Palace of Pervasive Heaven and erected a stele bearing the Ode to the Empress Dowager of Anterior Heaven ( 先天太后贊碑 Xiantian Taihou Zan Bei ), which he had composed himself, at the east of the palace. Besides, the emperor ordered people to enlarge the temple. Destroyed by the wars at end of the Northern Song, the Supreme Clarity Temple was rebuilt in the Jin-Yuan period. In the 15th year (1335) of the Zhizheng Era of the Yuan, Han Lin'er addressed himself to the emperor and had the construction materials of the Supreme Clarity Temple moved to Bozhou to build his palace. In the 7th year (1579) of the Wanli Era of Ming Dynasty, people again repaired the Supreme Clarity Temple. In the 17th year (1678) of the Kangxi Era, Daosheng collected money to rebuild the temple, which was finished after 7 years. Damaged again in the wars during recent times, little now remains of the temple except for the Hall of the Supreme Ultimate in the front palace, the Hall of the Three Holy Mothers ( 三聖母殿 San Shengmu Dian ) and the Hall of the Puppet ( 娃娃殿 Wawa Dian ) in the rear palace, as well as some tablets (one from the Tang, two from the Song, one from the Jin, three from the Yuan and one from the Qing). Lying at the northeast corner of the county seat, the Venerable Sovereign Platform was originally named the Platform for Ascending to Immortality ( 升仙台 Shengxian Tai ) or the Platform for Worshipping Immortality ( 拜仙台 Baixian Tai ). In the 6th year (1013) of the Dazhong Xiangfu Era, it was renamed as the Venerable Sovereign Platform. Thirteen meters high and measuring 706m2 at the top, the platform was piled up with huge ancient bricks. A column composed of 24 planes, the platform was surrounded with 70cm-high walls on the top. On the platform stand a three-room main hall and one-room side halls on each side. Originally, a finely cast bronze statue of Laozi stood in the main hall. On each side of the wall under the gate brim are two steles bearing the"True Origin of Dao and its Virtue" ( 道德真源 Daode Zhenyuan ) and the"Relic of the Dragon-like Saint" ( 猶龍遺迹 Youlong Yiji ). Originally, an antiquated iron pole stood loftily at the east inside the mountain gate, 7 feet in height and 7 feet in diameter. The 32 blue steps to the mountain gate together with one from the main hall comprise the number 33 in accordance with the legend that Laozi ascended to the 33rd heaven ( 三十三天 Sanshisan Tian ). [[zh:太清宮和老君台（河南鹿邑縣）]] c4fc567f5605885f7673a53cc069d61a06b0fa95 0 106 147 2009-07-26T09:02:13Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Located outside the great eastern gate of Wuchang, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, the Eternal Spring Temple ( 長春觀 Changchun Guan ) adjoins Huhelou in the west and Baota of Hon...' wikitext text/x-wiki Located outside the great eastern gate of Wuchang, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, the Eternal Spring Temple ( 長春觀 Changchun Guan ) adjoins Huhelou in the west and Baota of Hongshan in the east, where the surroundings are quite beautiful. This area used to be covered with green pines, so it was called "island of pines". It is recorded that [[Laozi]], once invited by his disciple, came to Lubu to meet the five elders. He did not stay in Echeng south of the River; instead, he went westward to the "island of tall pine trees", a reference to this place. During the reign of Genghis Khan, Emperor Taizu of the Yuan dynasty, patriarch [[Qiu Chuji]] of [[The Dragon Gate Sect]] ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真 Quanzhen ) came here and built a temple to cultivate Dao. As his literary name was "eternal spring", the name was called "Eternal Spring Temple" by people of later generations. Ever since then, "Daoist priests gathered in the well-known Chu region near the Changjiang River". The temple became the most famous Daoist temple in Hubei. It had several hundred houses, several thousand devotees, and a large quantity of pilgrims. In the first Xianfeng year of the Qing dynasty (1851), the Eternal Spring Temple was destroyed in wars. In the third Tongzhi year (1864), He Hechun, the master of the sixteenth generation of the Dragon Gate Sect of the Complete Perfection Tradition came here from [[Mt. Wudang]]. He took up with kind people widely and begged alms here and there, and finally, he managed to rebuild the Eternal Spring Temple in the style of the Ming dynasty. The temple was occupied during the "Cultural Revolution". It almost collapsed due to many years of neglect. After the Daoist group regained control, it renovated the temple on a large scale under the support of the local government. Now the temple has taken on an entirely new look. Standing in the north and facing south, the Eternal Spring Temple is built against the mountain. The whole temple tires upon tire upward. There are five layers in depth and four parallel courts on both sides. Inside the mountain gate first appears the Hall of Numinous Officials ( 靈官殿 Lingguan Dian ), where the Daoist divine king guarding the law Numinous Officials are worshiped. Up the steps out of the Hall of Numinous Officials is the Hall of Supreme Clarity ( 太清殿 Taiqing Dian ). Inlaid in the steps in front of the hall is a refined and vivid carved stone representing five dragons that surround a sage. The hall is magnificent and splendid. Worshiped in the shrine of the hall is a gold-decorated sculpture of [[The Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ). There are several murals in the hall, among which two pictures, namely "Laozi Went West Out of the Hanguguan Pass" and "Laozi Preaching the ''[[Book of Dao and its Virtue]]'' ( 道德經 Daodejing )", are very striking. Behind this hall is the Hall of [[Seven Perfect Ones]] ( 七真 Qizhen ). It is the place of worship of the seven disciples of Wang Chongyang----[[Ma Yu]], [[Tan Chuduan]], [[Liu Chuxuan]], Qiu Chuji, [[Hao Datong]], [[Wang Chuyi]] and [[Sun Bu'er]]. This hall is the main hall of the Eternal Spring Temple. It is the place for Daoists in this temple to recite scriptures daily and hold important religious activities. On the left side of this hall is the Merit ( 功德 Gongde ) Shrine. Inlaid in the wall is a picture of the full view of the heavens, "Changchun's Excellent Description of Astronomy". It is of great value for the study of ancient China astronomy. Above the shrine is the famous "Encountering Immortals Bridge", where lucky people are said to be able to meet immortals. On its left is the Hall of Patriarch Lü, where [[Lü Dongbin]], one of [[The Eight Immortals]] ( 八仙 Baxian ) is worshiped. On the two sides of the hall there are buildings, such as Laicheng Tower and the library of Daoist scriptures. The topmost place of the Eternal Spring Temple is the Hall of the Three August Ones ( 三皇 Sanhuang ). It worships the ancestors of the Chinese nationality, namely Taihao Fuxi, the Yan Emperor Shennong, and the Yellow Emperor ( 黃帝 Huangdi ) Xuanyuan. Standing outside the Hall of the Three Emperors, overlooking the downtown streets with heavy traffic and watching the solemn and stately temple, you will spontaneously feel aloof from the uproar as if an immortal. ==Contact== '''Address:''' outside the great eastern gate of Wuchang, Wuhan City, Hubei Province '''Traveling route:''' go by city bus in Wuhan City '''Tele:''' 86-27-88871395, 88876079 [[zh:長春觀（湖北武漢市）]] f128b9068d3924f0b38b7acd3fa0452d7b907037 0 107 148 2009-07-26T09:21:55Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Mt. Wudang is situated in Danjiangkou City, Hubei Province. It is the Sacred Space ( 道場 Daochang ) of a Daoist Lordly Spirit ( 尊神 Zunshen ), the Great Perfect Warrior Emp...' wikitext text/x-wiki Mt. Wudang is situated in Danjiangkou City, Hubei Province. It is the Sacred Space ( 道場 Daochang ) of a Daoist Lordly Spirit ( 尊神 Zunshen ), the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor ( 真武大帝 Zhenwu Dadi ). There are numerous halls on the mountain, and the most famous among them are the Supreme Harmony Temple ( 太和宮 Taihe Gong ) and the Purple Heaven Temple ( 紫霄宮 Zixiao Gong ). The Supreme Harmony Temple stands on the mountainside of Tianzhu Peak, the highest peak in the range of Mt. Wudang. The temple was built in the 14th Yongle year of the Ming dynasty (1416) and named “Dayue Supreme Harmony Temple” as inscribed on a horizontal tablet. There were 78 halls then, and in the Jiajing era, the temple was enlarged into over 500 halls. Today only the main hall, the Worship Hall, the bell tower and drum tower, and the Copper Hall are existent. The main hall is the Supreme Harmony Hall, which enshrines the bronze statue of the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor and statues of the four Supreme Commanders ( 元帥 Yuanshuai ), the Water and Fire Generals, the Golden Lad ( 金童 Jintong ) and the Jade Maiden ( 玉女 Yunu ), etc. Two bronze steles are placed on either side of the entrance to the hall, one erected in memory of establishing the Canglong Ridge Thunder Altar and a gold statue by imperial order in the 29th Jiajing year of the Ming dynasty (1550), another in memory of the left Vice-President of the Board of Works, Lu Shu and others worshiping in the 31st Jiajing year of the Ming dynasty (1552). In front of the Supreme Harmony Hall is the Worship Hall, around which stand some steles. The bell tower and the drum tower stand on the either side of the main hall. A huge bronze bell hangs in the bell tower; it was cast in the 14th year of the Yongle era of the Ming dynasty (1416). On the Xiaolian Peak opposite to the main hall there is the Zhuanzhan Hall, which keeps a copper hall that was cast in the 11th year of the Dade era of the Yuan dynasty (1307) and moved from the Tianzhu Peak in the 14th year of the Yongle era (1416). Down the right side of the Worship Hall is the August Scriptures Hall, the tablet of which is inscribed with the words “metropolis of white jade”. This hall enshrines the divine statues of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ), [[The Jade Emperor]] ( 玉皇 Yuhuang ), [[The Big Dipper]] ( 斗姥 Doumu ), [[Celestial Master Zhang]] ( 天師 Tianshi ), [[Patriarch Lü]]( 祖 Zu ), etc. There are exquisite paintings of stories about Daoist immortals in the hall, and reliefs of Daoist figures on doors, windows and corridor lintels. In front of this hall stand a stage, a dining room and the Hall of [[The Three Officials]] ( 三官殿 Sanguan Dian ). The whole building of the temple lies under an isolated and lofty mountain range, and the halls stand against cliffs. The buildings are rationally arranged and appear both magnificent and exquisite. The Purple Heaven Temple lies under the Zhanqi Peak of [[Mt. Wudang]]. It was built in the 11th Yongle year of the Ming dynasty (1413). There were originally 860 buildings, and the existing ones are divided into three lines. The middle line comprises the Dragon and Tiger Hall, the Hall of the Ten Directions, the Purple Heaven Hall, and the Parents Hall. The Eastern Temple and the Western Temple lie in the eastern line and the western line respectively. The Dragon and Tiger Hall enshrines the divine statues of the Black Dragon ( 青龍 Qinglong ) and the White Tiger ( 白虎 Baihu ), and the Hall of the Ten Directions enshrines statues of the Numinous Officials. The main hall of the Purple Heaven Temple is the Purple Heaven Hall, which consists of five rooms both in width and depth. It enshrines the bronze statues of the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor in various appearances, old, middle-aged and young, in civil and military dresses, which were made by imperial order in the Ming dynasty. The four valuable colored lights hanging in the hall and the incense burners, candlesticks, precious bottles and lights on the incense burner table were all bestowed by the emperor. A model of Mt. Wudang founded in the 44th Wanli year of the Ming dynasty (1616) is on display in the center of the hall. The Parents Hall behind the Purple Heaven Hall is a pavilion-styled building, with its upper floor enshrining the Jade Emperor and the Big Dipper, and the lower floor enshrining the parents of the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor. The magnificent Purple Heaven Temple is the largest and most intact temple on Mt. Wudang. It is now the seat of the Mt. Wudang Daoist Association. [[zh:武當山太和宮、紫霄宮（湖北丹江口市）]] 0f4f96ebac65d33291f9833298028908b910f3a6 0 108 149 2009-07-27T01:20:00Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Mt. Zhenwu is situated southwestern of Xiangyang Town, Xiangfan City, Hubei Province. It is called the “small golden summit” to the northwest of Ezhou (Hubei), and the “gre...' wikitext text/x-wiki Mt. Zhenwu is situated southwestern of Xiangyang Town, Xiangfan City, Hubei Province. It is called the “small golden summit” to the northwest of Ezhou (Hubei), and the “great golden summit” refers to [[Mt. Wudang]] in Danjiangkou City (ancient Junzhou), Hubei Province. Traditionally, pilgrims to Mt. Wudang in Junzhou would first come to Mt. Zhenwu in Xiangyang to present petitions to [[The Great Perfect Warrior Emperor]] ( 真武大帝 Zhenwu Dadi ), like registering at his place. Those who had enough money and energy went forward to the Tianzhu Peak of Mt. Wudang range to worship the golden summit, but those who didn’t or got ill could just return. They also fulfilled the will of worshiping the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor, anyway. Looking like a tortoise, Mt. Zhenwu was originally called the Tortoise Mountain. It first became the Sacred Space ( 道場 Daochang ) of the Perfect Warrior in the Ming dynasty. There used to be a famous Buddhist temple, the Jianfeng Temple, on the mountain before the Song and Yuan dynasties. In the Eastern Jin dynasty, renowned scholar Xi Zuochi once invited eminent Buddhist Shi Dao’an to propagate teachings in the temple. During the Rebellion of An Lushan and Shi Siming in the Tang dynasty, Hui Cheng, an eminent Buddhist in Chang’an, fled from the opera house of Emperor Minghuang of the Tang dynasty to the Jianfeng Temple. Being good at playing wind instruments, he taught many disciples there. The Buddhists and Daoists in Xiangfan have kept up the tradition of playing wind instruments up to this day, and the music they play includes that of the Tang dynasty. In the tenth year of the Yongle era of the Ming dynasty (1412), Emperor Chengzu issued an imperial edict to build the Mt. Wudang Daoist temple. At that time, tens of thousands of boats “carrying colored glazes to Mt. Wudang” were berthed in the Hanjiang River at the foot of Mt. Zhenwu. Suddenly, violent winds rose and big waves surged, and everybody was terrified. Just then several auspicious rays glowed and immediately the wind dropped and the waves subsided, and the water and the sky blended in one color. Believing it to be the numinous manifestation of the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor, people built the Perfect Warrior Temple on the mountain. In the Xuande era (1426-1453) and Chenghua era (1465-1487) of the Ming dynasty, a common Xiangyang native, Shang Xu, and guards of the palace of the prince of Xiangyang both did quite a lot for the restoration and extension of the Perfect Warrior Temple. In the Chongzhen period (1628-1644), this Daoist temple was destroyed. In the period of Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing dynasty (1644-1661), some halls were reconstructed, such as the Perfect Warrior Hall, the Auntie’s Hall, the Hall of [[The Venerable Sovereign]] ( 老君 Laojun ), etc. From then on till the 1940s, Mt. Zhenwu had had many worshippers. During the “Great Cultural Revolution”, the temple was pulled down. Reconstruction started in 1994. The first phase of the project, including the building of the Hall of Patriarchs ( 祖師殿 Zushidian ) , the Hall of the Holy Grandpa ( 聖公聖母殿 Shenggong Shengmu Dian ) and Holy Grandma , the bell tower and drum tower, is already completed, and the Daoist temple is beginning to take shape. The second phase of the project, including constructing the Hall of [[The Numinous Official]] ( 靈官殿 Lingguan Dian ) and other buildings, has also started. The revival of the ancient temple is in sight. [[zh:真武山道觀（湖北襄樊市）]] de1b059de29e7073bf6ced460980d60b1ec59c2e 0 109 150 2009-07-27T01:33:11Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Mt. Wunao lies in Macheng City, Hubei Province, and the Temple of the Imperial Lord on Mt. Wunao ( 五腦山帝主廟 Wunao Shan Dizhu Miao ) has always been a place for Daoist a...' wikitext text/x-wiki Mt. Wunao lies in Macheng City, Hubei Province, and the Temple of the Imperial Lord on Mt. Wunao ( 五腦山帝主廟 Wunao Shan Dizhu Miao ) has always been a place for Daoist activities. The temple was initially built in the Northern Song dynasty and repaired heavily in the Jiajing era of the Ming dynasty. It underwent great changes, being demolished and reestablished time and again. The existent buildings were reconstructed in the Bingchen year of the Jiaqing era of the Qing dynasty (1796). The main buildings include one pavilion (the Pavilion for Purifying the Mind), two gates (the first and the second temple entrances), three temples (the Purple Subtlety Constellation ( 紫微 Ziwei ) Temple, the Jade Clarity Temple ( 玉清 Yuqing ), and the Temple of the Mighty and Numinous), and four halls (the Worship Hall, the Hall of the Imperial Lord, the Hall of Patriarchs ( 祖師殿 Zushi dian ) and the Auntie’s Hall). There are also a dining-hall, a wayside pavilion, Daoists’ lodgings, etc. The whole building covers an area of 20 mu. Enveloped in mist, it enjoys a quiet and beautiful surrounding. The Imperial Lord worshipped in the temple is the Marquis of Purple Subtlety ( 紫微侯 Ziwei hou ) Zhang Qi. According to legend, Zhang Qi transmigrated from Zhang Fei, General in Charge of Cavalry of the Western Shu in the period of the Three Kingdoms. According to mountain records, Zhang Qi was born in the Zhang family in Bishan County in western Sichuan in the period of Emperor Shenzong of the Song dynasty. The seventh child of the family, he was addressed as Xianggong (a term of address for young men of rich or cultured families in feudal China) Zhang Qi. At the age of 17, Zhang Qi traveled to Macheng, where he found many illicit temples and destroyed them all. The temple owners appealed to the government authorities. Zhang was then given a three-year prison sentence. When a fire occurred in the town, knowing that his adversity was coming to an end, Zhang Qi asked someone to tell the governor that he was able to avert it. Being set free, he rode on a black horse, with a red stick in hand. Fire died out once he pointed at it. Then Zhang Qi rode westward to the Xianggong Bridge and there flew to immortality together with his horse. Witnesses saw him stop on Mt. Wunao, so they built a temple at the foot of the mountain to worship him. In the Song dynasty, he was honored as Marquis of Purple Subtlety, and in the Ming dynasty, as King Who Serves the Empire and Follows the Will of Heaven ( 助國順天王 Zhuguo Shuntian Wang ). Ever since the Qing dynasty, the Temple of the Imperial Lord has been a place of Eremitic Practice ( 隱修 Yinxiu ) for Daoists of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真 Quanzhen ). In the “Great Cultural Revolution”, the statues of deities were all torn down and the Daoists were dismissed. In 1985, the temple was open again as a place for Daoist activities and was repaired. [[zh:五腦山帝主廟（湖北麻城市）]] e4fdbdb3ee50fb9ec182db87f3fa22f8abdd6e64 0 110 151 2009-07-27T01:42:52Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Mt. Mulan is situated 30 kilometers north of the Huangpi District (the original Huangpi County), Wuhan City, Hubei Province. According to legend, it is the birthplace of the anci...' wikitext text/x-wiki Mt. Mulan is situated 30 kilometers north of the Huangpi District (the original Huangpi County), Wuhan City, Hubei Province. According to legend, it is the birthplace of the ancient heroine Hua Mulan. Looking like a mighty loin roaring to the sky at a distance, the mountain was originally named the Green Lion Ridge. It was also called the Ox Head Mountain. In the 37th year of the Wanli era of the Ming dynasty (1609), its name was changed to the present one. Its highest peak is over 600 meters high, and the mountain range has a circumference of 30 square kilometers. Mt. Mulan has a long Daoist history. From the Sui and Tang dynasties to the Ming dynasty, seven palaces, eight temples and thirty-six halls were built on it successively. The buildings were constructed in accordance with the lie of the mountain, either high or low in picturesque disorder. The stone steps first lead up to the first entrance to the temple. On its left is the Hall of the Thunder Patriarch ( 雷祖 Leizu ), and on its right is the Preaching Hall. Upward is the second entrance. Standing in it is the “archway in memory of General Mulan of the Tang dynasty”, inscribed with four characters, “loyalty, piety, bravery, integrity”. Inside the archway is the Mulan Hall, which enshrines the statue of General Mulan. According to local chronicles, General Mulan was a native of Xiling, Huangpi. She was surnamed Zhu, the given name of her father was Shoufu, and her mother was surnamed Zhao. From childhood she was tall and sturdy, looked like a boy, and was fond of martial arts. In her childhood, she often offered incense with her father, and was well acquainted with Daoists Tieguan and Jingsong. Seeing her strong body and upright nature, the Daoists accepted her as their disciple and imparted her martial arts. As Mulan was especially good at using short spears (hua qiang), people called her Hua Mulan. When she grew up, Mulan resolutely joined in the army in place of her father. She fought gallantly on the battlefield and repeatedly performed outstanding service. Her story of disguising herself as man to fight in place of her father spread far and wide among the people. Since it was on this mountain that Mulan learnt her martial skills, people built a hall in this place to worship her. On the left of the Mulan Hall stands the Temple of [[The Big Dipper]] ( 斗姥 Doumu ). Above it there are still the Hall of Gratitude, the Temple of emperors, and the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ). At the top of the mountain is the Hall of the Golden Summit, which enshrines the gold-plated bronze statue of [[The Great Perfect Warrior Emperor]] ( 真武大帝 Zhenwu Dadi ), with his hair hanging down loosely and his feet bare. The Golden Lad ( 金童 Jintong ) and Jade Maiden ( 玉女 Yunu ) and the Water and Fire generals stand on either side in attendance. These statues are beautifully shaped and finely cast. Below the summit is the Myriad Dangers Peak, on which stands the Pavilion of [[The Jade Emperor]] ( 玉皇 Yuhuang ). Most of the the buildings on Mt. Mulan are constructed with the technique of “dry rubble steen”. The flagstones pile up without slurry applied. The buildings thus show a unique appearance. [[zh:木蘭山道觀（湖北黃陂縣）]] 7e65c8deb8de81d701eec69b5d06afef2b919f8e 0 111 152 2009-07-27T01:53:33Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Southern Sacred Mountain is located in Shishou city, Hubei province. Shaped like a dragon wreathing itself around a precious canopy, it was originally called the Dragon-Canop...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Southern Sacred Mountain is located in Shishou city, Hubei province. Shaped like a dragon wreathing itself around a precious canopy, it was originally called the Dragon-Canopy Mountain. It was renamed afterwards because on the mountain there was a Great Hall of the Southern Sacred Mountain. It is recorded that as early as the Han Dynasty, Daoists inhabited the mountain for secluded cultivation, and that in the period of the Three Kingdoms, the Great Hall of the Southern Sacred Mountain, the Seven Ladies Temple, etc. started to be established. In the Tang dynasty, when Li Jing, following Li Xiaogong, fought Xiao Xian, he once stationed troops at this place, so the later generations built the Shrine of the State-Defending Duke on the southern side of the Great Hall of the Southern Sacred Mountain. Zhu Di, Emperor Chengzu of the Ming dynasty, venerated [[The Great Perfect Warrior Emperor]] ( 真武大帝 Zhenwu Dadi ) and so massively built temples on [[Mt. Wudang]]. As the Southern Sacred Mountain has always had a reputation as the "lesser Mt. Wudang", Daoists on the mountain took the opportunity to extend the construction of temples there. They altered the Seven Ladies Temple into [[The Jade Emperor]] ( 玉皇 Yuhuang ) Tower, newly built the Hall of the Perfect Warrior Patriarch, the Hall of [[The Thunder Patriarch]] ( 雷祖 Leizu ), the Hall of [[The Numinous Official]] ( 靈官 Lingguan ), the Purple Gold Hall and the Southern Heavenly Gate ( 南天門 Nantian Men ), and built Daoist temples in succession from the northern foot to the peak of the mountain: the First Heavenly Palace, the Second Heavenly Palace, and the Third Heavenly Palace (i.e., the Kuiwen Pavilion). All these constructions were carved with dragons and painted with phoenixes, looking splendid in green and gold. At that time the monastic Daoists amounted to more than one hundred, and visiting wandering Daoists, pilgrims, and tourists came and went continuously all year round. Between the end of the Ming dynasty and the beginning of the Qing dynasty, temples, towers, pavilions, and altars around the foot of the mountain were built now and then. Brilliant and magnificent, the mountain became a tourist resort, and its name was changed to its present designation. In the fourth year of the Xianfeng era of the Qing dynasty (1854), some of the constructions were burnt down. Later, due to endless wars, only the Great Hall of the Southern Sacred Mountain and the First Heavenly Palace remained extant till the 1940s. Nowadays, the Temple of the Southern Sacred Mountain is taking on a new look after renovations. With the verdant pines, green bamboos, scarlet blossoms, and grotesque rocks, the scenery is serene and beautiful. Especially, to the east of the temple, there is "a stone pond, also known as 'dragon's cave'", which was recorded in books such as the Book of Rivers (shuijing) and the Summarized Local Records (fangyu jiyao). To this day, sweet and limpid water has been gushing unceasingly. There is always an endless stream of tourists who search for ancient relics and scenic spots. Besides, to the south of Guizhou there is also "the Southern Sacred Mountain", or "the Liansi Mountain". It is the birthplace of Guizhou Daoism. According to Daoist masters, temples were formally built in the Jin and Ming dynasties, the front hall being the Hall of the Saintly Pass which enshrined the mountain spirit of the Southern Sacred Mountain, while the back hall enshrined the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ). [[zh:南嶽山道觀（湖北石首市）]] 44fd622d19a9b3070f084d4637b2246346aef690 0 112 153 2009-07-27T02:02:13Z Admin 1 Created page with 'As the second highest peak on Mt. Yuelu, Changsha city, Cloudy Mountain, also known as Linlu mountain, boasts another title: “Blissful Realm of Pervasive Perfection” ( 洞真...' wikitext text/x-wiki As the second highest peak on Mt. Yuelu, Changsha city, Cloudy Mountain, also known as Linlu mountain, boasts another title: “Blissful Realm of Pervasive Perfection” ( 洞真福地 Dongzhen Fudi ), highlighting its status as one of [[The Seventy-Two Blissful Realms]]. On the top stands Cloudy Mountain Temple, which was constructed in the 14th Chenghua year in the Ming dynasty by King Jijian, governor of Changsha in that period. During emperor Jiaqin’s ruling years, repair work sponsored by Changsha Governor Shun Fu was done by local Daoist Li Kejing who also had trees planted in the temple. During Ming emperor Longqing’s ruling years, Jin Shoufen, a Daoist, raised some money to get more reconstruction work done. Since then, the temple began to use the name “Cloudy Mountain Temple”. In the end of the Ming dynasty, the temple was totally destroyed in the war. It saw its next reconstruction during emperor Qianlong’s rule in the Qing dynasty, when five more halls were built. Among them was the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones, the biggest building in the temple, which boasted its metal tiles and stone pillars. Since then, warfare destroyed the temple in the 2nd Xianfeng year of the Qing dynasty and again in 1944, and reconstructions were followed in the 2nd Tongzhi year of the Qing dynasty and in 1957. In 1965, the Wanxiang Chamber was built. Today, the temple consists of the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 Sanqing Dian ), the Patriarchs' Hall ( 祖師殿 Zushi Dian ) , the Hall of the Five Sacred Mountains ( 五岳殿 Wuyue Dian ), Wanxiang Chamber ( 望湘樓 Wangxiang Lou ), and the Hall of the Heavenly Consort ( 天妃殿 Tianfei Dian ), etc. In front of the temple stands a large stone called Mountain Worship Stone. It is said that from here, worshipers’ eyesight can go as far as the Southern Sacred Mountain. From the branches of a tree outside the temple hang a bronze bell. According to the inscriptions on the bell, they were made in the 4th Wanli year of the Ming dynasty. After so many years, it still rings beautifully, reminding Daoists in the temple of their daily schedules. In some specific days, the bell sounds like reciting “return” in Chinese. For this reason, it is also known as the Bell of Return. On sunny days, the Wanxiang Building in the temple provides visitors a perfect view overlooking the Xiang river, the bustling boats upward to North. Further behind stands Changsha, a mixture of an ancient city and a modern metropolis. [[zh:嶽麓山雲麓宮（湖南長沙市）]] c8af4fa3039f6d9fdbcdadf97a1a60ed18bdff5c 0 113 154 2009-07-27T02:08:58Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Great Temple on the Southern Sacred Mountain ( 南岳大廟 Nanyue Damiao ) is situated in the north of Nanyue County at the foot of Mt. Hengshan in Hengyang city, Hunan prov...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Great Temple on the Southern Sacred Mountain ( 南岳大廟 Nanyue Damiao ) is situated in the north of Nanyue County at the foot of Mt. Hengshan in Hengyang city, Hunan province. This temple enshrines the spirit of Mt. Hengshan, the Great Emperor of the Southern Sacred Mountain ( 南岳大帝 Nanyue Dadi ). The year of its first construction is unknown. According to the Excerpts of Records about the Southern Sacred Mountain (nanyue xiaolu) by Li Chongzhao of the Tang dynasty, on Mt. Hengshan there had originally been Zhu Rong's Temple, which stood at the top of Zhu Rong Peak, and in the Sui dynasty, it was moved to the foot of the mountain. According to the Records of the Southern Sacred Mountain (nanyue zhi), in the early Tang dynasty, King Huo's Hall was built inside the temple; in the ninth year of the Kaiyuan era (721), Emperor Xuanzong granted upon the spirit of the Southern Sacred Mountain the title "King Who Governs Heaven ( 司天王 Sitian Wang ) ", in the thirteenth year (725), the Perfect Sovereign's Shrine ( 真君祠 Zhenjun Ci ) was also built in the temple, and the back hall was built in the fifth year of the Dazhong-Xiangfu era in the Song dynasty (1012). After several reconstructions and expansions, the temple's scale was gradually enlarged. The extant buildings on the Southern Sacred Mountain were reconstructed in the eighth year in the Guangxu era of the Qing dynasty (1882). There are altogether nine rows of halls from the south to the north. The first row is the Lingxing Gate, a four-poled, three-storied, imitation wood-structured stone memorial archway. The second row is the Kuixing Pavilion, which is commonly called the Wreathing Dragon Pavilion, a name acquired because of a woodcarving of a wreathing dragon placed in the sunk panel of the stage on the second floor. The third row comprises the Main Southern Gate, which is made up of three semicircular arches and shaped as the character "chuan" (that is why the gate is also called the Main Chuan Gate), and the eastern and western chuan gates on both sides. The fourth row is the Pavilion of the Imperial Tablet, where a tablet on which is erected the inscription Reconstructing the Temple on the Southern Sacred Mountain by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing dynasty. The fifth row is the Fine Reception Gate, which comprises seven bays and features single-layer eaves and a hipped gable roof. In history it was the ceremonial gate where guests were greeted. The sixth is the Tower of Imperial Books, which used to conserve seven imperial horizontal inscribed boards, funeral orations and prayer texts of past dynasties, and the tablet recording the titles conferred to the mountain spirits, etc. Regrettably, these valuable historical relics were all destroyed in the catastrophe of the "Great Cultural Revolution". The Tower of Imperial Books is now an exhibition place, which mainly exhibits over 200 valuable cultural relics unearthed and conserved round the Southern Sacred Mountain. The seventh row is the main hall of the temple, the Saintly Emperor's Hall. There stand inside and outside the hall altogether 72 steles that represent the 72 peaks of Mt. Hengshan. Enshrined in the center of the hall is the Southern Sacred Mountain Emperor Who Governs Heaven and Displays Saintliness ( 南岳司天昭聖帝 Nanyue Sitian Zhaosheng Di ), i.e., the Fire Spirit ( 火神 Huoshen ) Zhu Rong. The stone railings around the hall are inlayed with more than 100 double-faced white marble reliefs. The eighth row is the Sleeping Hall, which is also called the back hall. The Great Emperor of the Southern Sacred Mountain and his wife Empress Jingming's statues in sitting posture are set in the divine throne in the hall. The last row is the Northern Back Gate, which comprises three bays and features single-layer eaves. On the east side of the gate is the Hall of Instilling Life, while on the west is the Hall of Governing Spirit. Eight Daoist temples and eight Buddhist temples stand respectively on the east and the west of the temple. It is extremely rare that the same temple embraces both Buddhism and Daoism. [[zh:衡山南嶽大廟（湖南衡陽市）]] 856d0ccdbcadd0c35214a362a89b169f41b80128 0 114 155 2009-07-27T02:12:50Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Mystery Metropolis Temple ( 玄都觀 Xuandu Guan ) is situated between the Zhu Rong Peak on Mt. Hengshan and Nanyue Town. It was formerly a pavilion halfway up the mountain,...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Mystery Metropolis Temple ( 玄都觀 Xuandu Guan ) is situated between the Zhu Rong Peak on Mt. Hengshan and Nanyue Town. It was formerly a pavilion halfway up the mountain, which was also known as the Absorbing Clouds Temple. Originally built in the period of the Qi and Liang of the Southern Dynasties, it was extended into a temple in the fourth year in the Guangxu era of the Qing dynasty (1878), and established as one of the Temples of the Ten Directions ( 十方叢林 Shifang Conglin ) of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真派 Quanzhen Pai ) of Daoism. Its full title was the Mystery Metropolis Temple of the Ten Directions. Afterwards, it was repeatedly destroyed and restored. The present buildings were reconstructed in recent years, including the gate, the Hall of [[The Numinous Official]] ( 靈官殿 Lingguan Dian ), [[The Jade Emperor]] Hall ( 玉皇殿 Yuhuang Dian ), and the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 Sanqing Dian ), etc. The antithetical couplet at the entrance says, "Advancing along the Way, you still have to work hard halfway up the mountain; though a short distance in visualization, reaching the summit still requires effort." This couplet both shows the position of the pavilion, and explains the philosophy of practicing the Dao. Outside the temple there is a huge stone, which is divided in the middle, as if cut by a knife. It is said that it was the stone for trying swords used by Huang Chao, the leader of a peasant uprising of the Tang dynasty. [[zh:南嶽玄都觀（湖南衡陽市）]] a1ce38357d82ab2727716f60ab241e944ef74428 0 115 156 2009-07-27T02:18:45Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The River Chart Temple ( 河圖觀 Hetu Guan ) is located in Aoyu village, Shuitang township, Changsha county, Changsha city, Hunan province. It was created by Yi Benxin (styled ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The River Chart Temple ( 河圖觀 Hetu Guan ) is located in Aoyu village, Shuitang township, Changsha county, Changsha city, Hunan province. It was created by Yi Benxin (styled Zhuxin), a Daoist of the 15th generation of [[The Dragon Gate Sect]] ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真 Quanzhen ) of [[Mt. Wudang]], Hubei, in the second year of the Tongzhi era in the Qing dynasty (1863), extended in the 15th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu (1890), and rebuilt in the 22nd year of the Republic of China (1933). In 1982 and 1986, the government allocated money twice for its restoration. Today, the temple covers an area of 1,400 square meters, with its floor area being over 800 square meters. The major buildings include the ceremonial gateway, the gate, the great hall, the Hall of the Numinous Patriarch ( 祖 Zu ), the Hall of Patriarch Qiu, the Hall of Patriarch Lu, etc. The colored glaze gateway was reconstructed in 1986. The horizontal board on the gate is inscribed with five big characters, "the River Chart Temple of the Ten Directions", and the antithetical couplet on its both sides says, "Purple air, silver river, dragon gate and Grotto Heaven ( 洞天 Dongtian ); unique scriptures, sublime charts, heavenly library and Blissful Realm ( 福地 Fudi )". In the hall, to the left of the front ridgepole is the Hall of the Numinous Patriarch, to the right is the Hall of Patriarch Qiu, and the center is its main quarter. Behind the great hall is the main hall the Hall of Patriarch Lu, a place for the Daoists of the temple to have religious activities. There is an antithetical couplet in the main hall, which says, "From the empty upper realm comes an immortal, riding on a white crane, to save all the people; may you regard the contention for supremacy in the Central Plain as a Golden Millet dream". It was written by Chen Hezhong (styled Songgu), the second abbot of the temple. Outside the main hall, both the left and right vermilion steps leading up to it are full of flowers and trees, among which a camellia named "a red spot in snow" is the most famous and precious. There's also a rare ancient "sweet tea tree" in the courtyard of the temple. This tea tastes piercingly sweet and luscious. In addition, in the temple there are also big or small relief sculptures, such as "[[The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea]]" and "The Immortals Congratulating on One's Birthday". At present the temple is reserved for female Daoists. [[zh:河圖觀（湖南長沙縣）]] 915f17ccff881d130b7c27a5709a2f5290d8b82b 0 116 157 2009-07-27T02:22:20Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Located in Mt. Linxiang, an eastern suburb of Changsha, Hunan province, the temple saw its first construction in the Tianjian years of the Liang dynasty, and was repaired in the ...' wikitext text/x-wiki Located in Mt. Linxiang, an eastern suburb of Changsha, Hunan province, the temple saw its first construction in the Tianjian years of the Liang dynasty, and was repaired in the following dynasties. An important reconstruction was done under emperor Kangxi’s rule, and a major expansion finished during emperor Guangxu’s ruling years. Since then, buildings such as the main hall, the subsidiary hall and the playhouse took their shape. From 1931 to 1933, repair work was done over the playhouse, which, since then, became an important destination for visitors and spotlight of the temple. In the first month and the eighth month every year, theatrical performances and religious ceremonies, the locally important events in the spring and fall, were held in the playhouse. In the Cultural Revolution, the temple suffered severe damage. In 1986, it was designated as a cultural heritage site by the provincial government, which allocated money to rebuild the gateway to the mountain and the playhouse in the following years. Since then, the temple and all facilities were returned to Daoists. Covering an area of 2.5 mu or so, the temple includes buildings such as the gateway, the playhouse, the main hall and subsidiary halls, totaling 1317 square kilometers. A couplet was written on the stone pillars of the playhouse, reminding people of the remarkable history of the temple and important figures leaving their footprints in the mountain. Daoist philosophical implication was intangibly revealed between the lines. The major deities in the temple are Tao Dan and his nephew Tao Hen. As the grandson of Tao Kan, a remarkable politician and strategist in the Jin dynasty, Tao Dan committed himself to recovering the central part of China, which had been conquered by northern nomadic tribes. Unfortunately, his life ended in failure, and his two sons also died in the warfare. Having experienced all these setbacks, Tao Dan and his nephew Hen secluded themselves in the mountains. In the following years, they lived in a humble cottage by the Xian river. In the third Tianjian year of the Liang dynasty, cultivation of Dao brought forth their deliverance from the corpse. Local people built temples to commemorate their remarkable merits. Since then, on the 13th day of the first month and the 17th day of the 8th month in every year, the alleged birthdays of the Perfect Men, a Temple Fair has been held in this area. [[zh:陶公廟（湖南長沙縣）]] b55dfb5b9048c9e50f9d55d2830e83828cdff6ac 0 117 158 2009-07-27T02:27:42Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The temple is located on the west bank of the Fushui river on the border of Zhijiang county, Hunan province. According to the Record of Zhijiang County by some immigrants from Fu...' wikitext text/x-wiki The temple is located on the west bank of the Fushui river on the border of Zhijiang county, Hunan province. According to the Record of Zhijiang County by some immigrants from Fujian, it was originally built in the 13th Qianlong year of the Qing dynasty. In its early days, the temple covered an area of 6532 square metres, much larger than its current size of about 1970 square metres. Stretching out from west to east, the whole temple consists of Stone Railings and a Memorial Gate in the front, the Playhouse, the Main Hall and Guanyin Hall in the middle, the Hall of the Spirit of Wealth on the east and the Halls of the Chamber of the Saintly Warrior ( 武聖樓 Wusheng Lou ) and of the Five Communion Spirit ( 五通神殿 Wutongshen Dian ) on the right. The old Dressing Chamber has been dismantled. Currently, the most valuable building is the Memorial Gate, which is constructed with high quality stones from Guizhou, and well known for its remarkable structure and delicate design. 10.6 meters high, and 6.3 meters wide, the arch-like gate features its multi-eaved roof, remarkable stone lions and drums on both sides, as well as relief sculptures including 95 carved or hollowed masterpieces, featuring followers, grasses, forests, animals, birds, immortals and famous buildings nationwide, etc. In an artistically delicate style, the relief sculptures illustrate famous Chinese stories such as the Eight Immortals’ Crossing the Sea, the Blessings Delivered by Immortal Aunt Ma, the Star of Longevity’s Presenting Flat Peaches and renowned scenes such as Luo Yang Bridge, Wu Han’s Three Sectors, etc. In 1983, the Memorial Gate was designated as a provincial historical heritage site. In 1997, the Provincial Daoist Association was founded at the temple, and Daoist activities were resumed since then. [[zh:天后宮（湖南芷江縣）]] 5c7fa689528bc085af6c8c879f43d8c2ace5d497 0 118 159 2009-07-27T02:34:38Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Triple Origin Temple ( 三元宮 Sanyuan Gong ) is located at the piedmont of Yuexiu Mountain in Guangzhou City. It is a celebrated sacred space in the Baiyue region and has ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Triple Origin Temple ( 三元宮 Sanyuan Gong ) is located at the piedmont of Yuexiu Mountain in Guangzhou City. It is a celebrated sacred space in the Baiyue region and has a long history of over 1,600 years. It is recorded that in the second Daxing year during the reign of Emperor Yuandi of the Eastern Jin dynasty, Prefect Bao Jing of the Southern Sea built a place for his daughter Bao Gu to cultivate Dao and practice medicine. As it was located at the foot of Yuexiu Mountain, it was named "Yuegang Court"; as it was north of the city, it was also called "the northern temple" by people of later generations. In the 16th Chongzhen year of the Ming dynasty (1643), the imperial official in charge of astronomy came to Guangzhou and said to local squires, "Heaven protects all the Santai constellations, whose light brightens the Sui City in turn. The Yuexiu Moutain is full of vital breath. You should change the Yuegang Court into the Triple Origin Temple and worship the Great Emperors of the Triple Origin ( 三元大帝 Sanyuan Dadi ) so as to correspond to the heavenly auspicious vital breath." All agreeing on this, the local squires raised funds to rebuild the Yuegang Court into the Triple Origin Temple, making the statues of the deities of the three origins (the upper one, the middle one and the lower one) in the main hall and moved the statue of Bao Go to a side hall. In the 39th Kangxi year of the Qing dynasty (1700), Pingnan King Shang Kexi and Imperial Inspector Li Qifeng came to govern the Yue prefecture. Suffering from drought and required by squires, they asked abbot Du Yangdi of the Temple of Emptiness ( 沖虛觀 Chongxu Guan ) of [[Mt. Luofu]] to pray for rain in Sui. Then timely rain fell heavily. The happy officials and people thus asked Du Yangdi to be the abbot of the Triple Origin Temple. Proposed by Shang Kexi, they raised money to enlarge the temple, building in succession the Hall of [[Numinous Officials]] ( 靈官殿 Lingguan Dian ) at the mountain gate, the main hall the Triple Origin Hall, the Bell and Drum Tower, the Hall of Patriarch Lü, the Hall of Bao Gu, the Hall of [[The Venerable Sovereign]] ( 老君 Laojun ), the Hall of [[The Jade Emperor]] ( 玉皇 Yuhuang ), the Hall of [[The Big Dipper]] ( 斗姥 Doumu ) along with quite a few houses. Du Yangdi was originally a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) at the end of the Ming dynasty and was once the chief examiner. After the fall of the Ming dynasty, unwilling to be an official of the Qing dynasty, he led a secluded life on Mt. Luofu and became the abbot of the Temple of Emptiness. Later, he held concurrent posts as abbot of the Triple Origin Temple of Guangzhou and the Yuanmiao Temple of Huizhou. After his death, the three temples contended fiercely for his corpse. At last, the government judged that it should be buried on Mt. Luofu because he originally lived in this famous mountain; that his clothes and hat belonged to the Triple Origin Temple and that a burial mound should be built for them; that his statue belonged to the Yuanmiao Temple and that it should be hung in the Ancestral Shrine for commemoration. During the Tongzhi years, the warrior Huang Zongsheng, following Liu Yongfu of the Black Banner Army, fought the French army in Annan and established marvelous military exploits time and again. After his demobilization, he became the abbot of the Triple Origin Temple. The governor of Guangdong and Guangxi Ruilin presented a tablet inscribed with the words "guarding the country and protecting the people", which is hung at the hall. In the 29th Guangxu year (1903), abbot Liang Zongqi of the Triple Origin Temple appropriated the temple's entire 623-mu field for the founding of "Shimin School" to foster talents for the country. The court bestowed a horizontal tablet inscribed with the words "hiding capacities and encouraging study", which was hung on the mountain gate. During the anti-Japanese war, the Triple Origin Temple was heavily damaged. After liberation, abbot He Chengrui begged alms and reconstructed it. During the "Cultural Revolution", the Daoists were forced to leave the temple, and none of the deities' statues and historical relics remained. Since 1982, the Guangzhou Daoist Association has started to renovate it comprehensively, and now the temple has taken on an entirely new look. The whole temple is built against the mountain. The halls and pavilions are arranged on different levels, and the courts are concealed in forests. This serene and elegant place can be regarded as a scenic spot in the south of the Five Ridges. ==Contact== '''Address:''' Yingyuan Road, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province '''Traveling route:''' go by city bus in Guangzhou City '''Tele:''' 86-20-83551548 b1625f76688628e22eedb1ea2901285315b86d45 0 119 160 2009-07-27T02:40:02Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Situated on the Suzhu hillock of Wufeng Village, Chunyang Temple ( 純陽觀 Chunyang Guan ) was founded in the sixth year (1826) of the Daoguang era of the Qing dynasty. Rather ...' wikitext text/x-wiki Situated on the Suzhu hillock of Wufeng Village, Chunyang Temple ( 純陽觀 Chunyang Guan ) was founded in the sixth year (1826) of the Daoguang era of the Qing dynasty. Rather large in size, it once had over 20 mansions, such as the Mountain Gate, the Hall of the Numinous Officer, the Great Hall, the Tower for Ancestral Master Hua Tuo, the Platform for Worshiping the Dipper, etc., covering about ten thousand square meters. Now only the Mountain Gate, the Hall of [[The Numinous Officer]] ( 靈官殿 Lingguan Dian ), the Great Hall, the Tower for Worshiping ( 拜亭 Bai ting ), and the Platform for Worshipping the Dipper ( 朝斗台 Chaodou Tai ) remain. In 1987, the Great Hall, the Hall of the Numinous Officer, and the Tower for Worshiping were rebuilt successively. Above the gate, hangs the stone stele "Chunyang Temple" in seal characters, and on both sides the couplet "Ancient is the pathway in pine trees leading to the numinous mountain; High is the gate of rocks at the shore of Tao ". Across the gate, steps under corridor meanders lead to the Tower for Worshiping and the Hall of Chunyang on the hilltop. In the hall are the ancestral masters [[Lu Chunyang]] in the middle and [[Wang Chongyang]] and [[Qiu Changchun]] in both sides. Lying behind the Hall of Chunyang, the Platform for Worshipping the Dipper is a construction of granite with a stele of "Yi Yun Tan" by Ruan Yuan. As the site where Li Mingche observed the stars and the oldest observatory in the Guangdong area, it is ratified as a municipally protected cultural relic. It has a stone chamber and a kitchen in the lower floor and dozens of stone steps leading to the top. Behind the platform are the tombs of Du Yangdong and Li Mingche, the ancestral Daoists of the Palace of the Triple Origins and Chunyang Temple. Li Mingche, the ancestral Daoist of Chunyang Temple, was titled Feiyun and nicknamed Qinglai. He became a Daoist at the age of 12 and once cultivated in the Temple of Emptiness in [[Mt. Luofu]]. Later, he learned astronomy from the royal astronomer and wrote the Round-Heaven Chart and Illustration. Ruan Yuan, the Governor of Guangdong, invited him to draw maps for the compilation of the Universal Records of Guangdong. In the fourth year of the Daoguang Era, under the help of Ruan, Li Mingche founded Chunyang Temple on the Suzhu hillock and spent the rest of his years here. Chunyang Temple, with its learned abbot Li and its quiet environment, once attracted the literati and formed many precious cultural relics. The "Stele and Record of the Construction of Chunyang Temple" erected by Li Mingche in the ninth year of the Daoguang Era recorded in detail the reasons, process, and size of the temple's construction. Though the stele does not exist now, it gives people first hand material about the temple, for its book of rubbings is kept by the Cultural Relic Preservation Committee of Guangzhou. Ju Chao and Julian, famous artists in the late Qing dynasty, once lived in the temple. Gao Jianfu and Chen Shuren, great masters of the southern school of art in Republican China, often gathered here to write poems and draw pictures. On the Tanjing Rock in front of the Hall of Chunyang, there are some stone inscriptions, such as "companion of the upright and high-principled" from the tenth year of the Daoguang Era, and "Plum Society" from the Republican period. [[zh:純陽觀（廣東廣州市）]] 69124da850e537a2bff044499f4efd8765e96ca2 0 120 161 2009-07-27T03:12:11Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Situated on the beautiful northern bank of the West Lake of Huizhou, the Temple of Original Sublimity ( 元妙觀 Yuanmiao Guan ) is a famous ancient temple and the site of Hiuzh...' wikitext text/x-wiki Situated on the beautiful northern bank of the West Lake of Huizhou, the Temple of Original Sublimity ( 元妙觀 Yuanmiao Guan ) is a famous ancient temple and the site of Hiuzhou Daoist Association, founded in 1993. First built in the 7th year (748) of the Tianbao Era in the Tang dynasty, it was named Chaoyuan Temple and later renamed as Kaiyuan Temple. In the 9th year (1016) of the Xiangfu Era in the Song dynasty, it was named by the emperor as Tianqing Temple. In the Yuan dynasty, because the name of the dynasty was taboo according to Chinese custom, it was renamed Xuanmiao Temple. In the Jiaxing Era of the Ming dynasty, it was renamed Temple of Original Sublimity. This name remains till now. Just as [[The Triple Origin Temple]] ( 三元宮 Sanyaun Gong ) in Guangzhou, it belongs to [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]]. Some say the Temple of Original Sublimity is a branch of the Temple of Emptiness ( 沖虛觀 Chongxu Guan ) in [[Mt. Luofu]]. But according to the elder abbot Wang Chengqian, this is a misunderstanding caused by the fact that Du Yangqian, abbot of the Temple of Emptiness, was once invited to be a part-time abbot of the Temple of Original Sublimity in the Kangxi Era. Since its founding, the Temple of Original Sublimity has experienced rises and falls. According to the ''Brief Record of the Construction of the Temple of Original Sublimity'', the temple enjoyed its prime in the Yuan. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, people repaired it several times and built [[The Jade Emperor]] Tower ( 玉皇閣 Yuhuang Ge ). In 1942, Japanese invaders stationing in the temple saw some anti-Japanese slogans on the walls and burned the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones, the Jade Emperor Tower and a side hall. After so many years, only the mountain gate now retains the characteristics of the Ming structure. A couplet carved on the stone pillar says, "Original is the purple mansion founded in the Tang; Sublime is the Feng Lake separating worldly affairs". In the 1950's, the remaining mountain gate, the left side hall, several images of deities such as the Jade Emperor, and several Daoists still existed. In the Cultural Revolution, the images were ruined and the Daoists dismissed. In 1982, the temple resumed its religious activities, with the left side hall and the images of deities such as the Jade Emperor and Guanyin being rebuilt first. In 1985, under the help of Daoists at home and abroad, the temple prepared to rebuild the halls of the Jade Emperor and of the Three Pristine Ones. People laid the base of the halls in 1987 and finished the construction in 1989. In 1990, the Temple of Original Sublimity was ratified as a municipal cultural relic protection unit. With the Precious Hall of the Jade Emperor in the front and the Hall of Three Pristine Ones at the rear, the temple consists of two courts with, as annexes, the Incense Offering Tower, the Heavenly Steps before the Hall and Steps to the Frontispiece. The Heavenly Steps before the Hall have two pathways with a chart of the Supreme Ultimate and the twelve animals representing the earthly branches in the middle. They form an axis with the main construction. The recovered buildings in the temple include the Hall of Sixty Jiazi, the Hall of the Northern Emperor, the Hall of Guanyin, the Hall of Baozheng, the Hall of Emperor Guan, etc. In the Song Dynasty, Su Dongpo became a frequent guest of the Daoists in the temple when exiled to Huizhou. He drank with Daoists and wrote many poems. [[Bai Yuchan]], a.k.a. Perfect Man Ziqing, once cultivated in the then Tianqing Temple. In the Kangxi Era, the city mayor Wang Ying built the Ziqing Tower in memory of the Perfect Man and carved the stone tablet of Explanations for Not Erecting an Image of Perfect Man Bai in Ziqing Tower. This is one of the older tablets in Huizhou. [[zh:元妙觀（廣東惠州市）]] 27138812e88093660ee624bca3bc694c97eaca95 0 121 162 2009-07-27T03:16:13Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Lying at Dongxiang Baizigang in the eastern outskirts of Meizhou, Aiding Creation Temple ( 贊化宮 Zanhua Gong ) is the largest of Meizhou's temples and the site of Meizhou Dao...' wikitext text/x-wiki Lying at Dongxiang Baizigang in the eastern outskirts of Meizhou, Aiding Creation Temple ( 贊化宮 Zanhua Gong ) is the largest of Meizhou's temples and the site of Meizhou Daoist Association. It was previously called the Temple of Emperor Lu. In the 13th year (1887) of the Guangxu era of the Qing dynasty, Li Peng and Jin Guixin, the mayors of the Jiaying county and city, prepared to build the Temple of Emperor Lu at Xiaguanjingtou in Jinshanding and completed it in the second year. In the 23rd year (1897) of the Guangxu era, the mayor of Changle County wrote an essay to record the process and inscribed it in a tablet. The temple is named after a sentence from the ''Doctrine of the Mean'' ( 《中庸》 Zhongyong ) , saying, "Aiding the Creation of Heaven and Earth." The temple is divided into a central hall and a rear hall. The central hall is the Precious Hall of Emperor Lu and the rear hall has three floors. The top floor is the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones and the second floor is the Hall of the Jade Emperor with the Precious Hall of the Three Teachings (for the worship of Sakyamuni, [[Laozi]] and Confucius) and the Hall of the Eight Immortals to its right, and the Tower of the Immortal Aunt and the Tower of Guanyin to its left. The first floor has the Hall of the Perfect Warrior in the middle, the Hall of the Emperor to the right and the Hall of the God of Wealth to the left. The right and left courts house the medicine house, the scriptures tower, the recitation hall, etc. In the form of concentric squares, the structure looks very magnificent. Today's Aiding Creation Temple originates from the Temple of Emperor Lu of the Qing dynasty and the Aiding Creation Society of the Anti-Japanese War Period. The Temple of Emperor Lu offered medical lots for its followers. According to Liang Bocong's (1871-1946) 200 Poems about the Customs of Meixian, "The common prescriptions deal with different diseases. Answering every prayer, immortal Lu in the North of the City is better than physicians for he asks for no fee." Medical lots had five sections: surgery, ophthalmology, gynecology, pediatrics, etc. The temple had a Pharmacy house and produced medicine to give to the people for free. The medical lots and pharmacy came from a centuries-long accumulation of the experience of famous doctors. In 1940, Daoist followers Zhang Gongjian and Chen Daosheng incorporated the temple with the Merit Hall of Universal Benefits and founded the Aiding Creation Society. Situated in the Temple of Emperor Lu, it established a primary school for poor children and held charitable activities as giving congee, medicine, coffins, etc. to the poor. Local and overseas personages supported its budget. During the anti-Japanese war, the temple gave rice and congee during times of famine and distributed cotton-padded clothes in winter. In 1950 the temple was changed into the Jinshan Primary School. In 1958, the charity society moved to the Merit Hall of Bliss and Benefits by the Meijiang River, and continued its medical philanthropy until it was disbanded during the Cultural Revolution. The Aiding Creation Temple was not big in size before 1980, when devotees of Ancestor Lu came from Thailand to visit their families and asked to rebuild the Temple of Emperor Lu. Being granted the right to choose a site to rebuild the Aiding Creation Temple in 1983, they founded the Temple of Emperor Lu Rebuilding Preparation Committee and chose Baizigang in the eastern outskirts as the site of the new Temple of Emperor Lu. In 1985, when the Hall of Ancestor Lu was complete, they built up a Motherland and Ancestral Temple Pilgrimage Group of over 100 people to attend the opening ceremony. The temple formally resumed its activities on the mid-autumn festival the same year. In 1988, the temple was named the Daoist Aiding Creation Temple of Majiang District in Meizhou City. Although rebuilt at a new site, the Aiding Creation Temple preserved some cultural relics, such as the stone tablet of the "Temple of Emperor Lu" of the Guangxu Era in the wall of the Recitation Hall, and the tablet of the Temple of the Imperial Sovereign and Trustworthy Protector. [[zh:贊化宮（廣東梅州市）]] 8cc4896ccf71d4458903ed8657320e9440f87b9a 0 122 163 2009-07-27T03:36:34Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Stone Cave Jade Dragon Temple ( 石洞玉龍宮 Shidong Yulong Gong ) is located at the north of Mt. Dongshan in Chaoyang City. It was originally built in the end of the Qing...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Stone Cave Jade Dragon Temple ( 石洞玉龍宮 Shidong Yulong Gong ) is located at the north of Mt. Dongshan in Chaoyang City. It was originally built in the end of the Qing dynasty. In those days, the townspeople often saw hairlike light at night there. They traced it to this place and saw a gigantic stone. After the dust was removed from the stone, a natural cave appeared beneath. It was covered by a huge stone and so was called stone cave. The townspeople worshipped Patriarch Hongjun and the Highest Jade Emperor ( 玉皇上帝 Yuhuang shangdi ) in the cave, and built a temple outside it, which they called Jade Dragon Temple. Later, only dilapidated walls remained due to changes brought by time. The Stone Cave Jade Dragon Temple started to be restored in the 1990's. In 1991, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ) was firstly constructed to the north of the cave. It was formally opened to the public in 1994. In 1995, the Precious Hall ( 大羅寶殿 Daluo Baodian ) of All-Embracing Heaven was reconstructed. Now all the divinity's statues are carved in whole white marbles. They are exquisitely made and extremely lifelike. The statue of Patriarch Hongjun is 2.2 meters high and weighs 4 tons. Standing on either side of it are the Stellar Sovereigns ( 星君 Xingjun ) of Supreme Yang and Supreme Yin. The statues are placed in huge shrines carved in blue stones, and around the shrine are balustrades carved in bluestone in the images of the 12 animals symbolizing the years of birth. Upstairs along the balustrades, there is a cave-in-a-cave. On the top of it is worshipped the Highest Jade Emperor. In the northern side door of the cave-in-a-cave, there is another cave, where [[The Three Great Emperor-Officials[[ ( 三官大帝 Sanguan Dadi ) are worshipped. Still up from the side door is the "second cave", which enshrines [[The Venerable Grandma of Mt. Li]] ( 驪山老母 Lishan Laomu ). Up again from the second cave there are five more caves. Altogether there are seven caves; they are known as "Caves Inhabited by the Seven Cranes". According to legend, whenever a Daoist persists in Cultivation and Refinement ( 修煉 Xiulian ), he will finally attain the Dao and fly to immortality on a crane. In 2000, another big hall was built to the south of the stone cave. In front of the hall there is a large memorial archway completely built in blue stone. Seventy-two divinities, including [[The Golden Grandma of Jasper Lake]] ( 瑤池金母 Yaochi Jinmu ), the Life-giving Lady ( 注生娘娘 Zhusheng Niangniang ), the Earthly Mother ( 地母娘娘 Dimu Niangniang ), [[The Big Dipper Lady]] ( 斗姥娘娘 Doumu Niangniang ), and [[The Supreme Year Star in Charge of the Sixty-Year Cycle]] ( 六十太歲 Liushi Taisui ), are worshipped in the hall. A bell tower and a drum-tower are built on either side of the hall. The Stone Cave Jade Dragon Temple is one of the largest Daoist temples in the whole eastern Yue region at present. [[zh:石洞玉龍宮（廣東潮陽市）]] 8f1370098c9f23a4dcd1f1b172c83b933c6e1eda 0 123 164 2009-07-27T03:46:19Z Admin 1 Created page with '"The two Mt. Qiao are reckoned as the most famous mountains in the region of southern Yue." The eastern Mt. Qiao refers to [[Mt. Luofu]], in Luo County, Guangdong Province, and t...' wikitext text/x-wiki "The two Mt. Qiao are reckoned as the most famous mountains in the region of southern Yue." The eastern Mt. Qiao refers to [[Mt. Luofu]], in Luo County, Guangdong Province, and the western Mt. Qiao refers to Mt. Xiqiao in Nanhai City, Guangdong Province. There is a Daoist temple on the mountain, namely the Immortal Temple of Cloudy Springs ( 雲泉仙觀 Yunquan Xianguan ), which was originally founded in the 28th Daoguan year of the Qing dynasty (1848). Its predecessor was an academy. In the 42nd Ganlong year of the Qing dynasty (1777), a native of Nanhai, Li Gongyu, built Gongyu Tower for a group of intellectuals to study there and prepare for the imperial examinations. Later, another Nanhai native, Ceng Huaijin, built Sanhu Academy in the 54th Ganlong year (1789). With more and more students coming to study here, the house was enlarged and renamed Yulou Academy. However, the bachelors just studied there temporarily, and whenever examinations at the provincial level began, each just went his own way. Nobody looked after the courtyard; it could not avoid being desolated. Then everybody agreed to reconstruct it into the "Immortal Temple of Cloudy Springs", where [[Patriarch Lü]] was to be worshipped and Daoists would be the Abbots ( 住持 Zhuchi ). The first abbot of the temple was Li Zongjian, a native of Nanhai. He was originally a Daoist at the Temple of Correspondence with the Origin ( 應元宮 Yingyuan Gong ) in Guangzhou City and then lived in seclusion at the Immortal Temple of Cloudy Springs. He was well versed in calligraphy, painting, and poetry and enjoyed great fame at that time. No matter who asked for his calligraphies and paintings, whether refined or popular, he satisfied their demands and invested all the payments he got in the construction of the temple. He meticulously compiled a copybook titled ''Model Calligraphy of the Three Doctrines'' ( 三教 Sanjiao ). It is a copybook of Ou-styled regular script, carved in stone plate, and printed by skillful hired workers. Following the regulations and commandments of [[The Temple of Emptiness]] ( 沖虛觀 Chongxu Guan ) on Mt. Luofu and [[The Triple Origin Temple]] ( 三元宮 Sanyuan Gong ) in Guangzhou, which belong to [[The Dragon Gate Sect]] ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真 Quanzhen ), Li Zongjian made the regulations for the Immortal Temple of Cloudy Springs. He was a noble-minded person and was given to doing charitable work. He tried his best to aid the poor, visited the diseased Daoist believers in person, and gave them medicine free of charge, which always proved to be extraordinarily efficacious. After Abbot Li ascended to immortality, Liang Woyun, Director of Receptions at the Temple of Emptiness on Mt. Luofu, was elected Abbot through a public discussion, and the title was changed to Temple Director. From then on all the later Abbots were called Directors. The current director, Feng Tengfei, is a native of Nanhai, Guangdong and an inheritor of the Mt. Hua Sect of the Complete Perfection tradition. Director Feng puts forward that "moral cultivation, scripture recitation and confession, and martial arts are the required courses for the Cloudy Springs Daoists." He invites Reverend Daoist ( 道長 Daozhang ) Li Fajun, who is expert in Dragon Gate shadow boxing, to take charge of Daoist martial arts training at the temple. Moreover, he spreads the teaching of martial arts in society and leads the masses to do exercises, which is very well received by the local people. The Immortal Temple of Cloudy Springs is a group of grand buildings. Its main buildings include the Hall of Patriarch Lü, the Diqin Hall, the Mozhuang Manor, the Ancestral Hall, the Handan Villa, and the Daiyun Temple. The upturned eaves, pottery sculptures, carved beams and painted rafters all show exquisite workmanship. The Immortal Temple of Cloudy Springs enjoys a great reputation in the locality. Every year on the fourteenth day of the fourth lunar month, the birthday of Patriarch Lü, tens of thousands of people come to Mt. Xiqiao from the countryside for the festival. From early dawn to late dusk, the endless stream of people and the mass of bobbing heads all over the mountain constitute a marvelous spectacle of the southern Yue area. The Immortal Temple of Cloudy Springs situated at #L, second floor, No. 107-109, western Defudao Street, Hong Kong, was once a subsidiary temple of the Immortal Temple of Cloudy Springs on Mt. Xiqiao. [[zh:西樵山雲泉仙館（廣東南海市）]] e071738db4b9a13f094f3cb5fb5fe2d56f2decc9 0 124 165 2009-07-27T03:58:41Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Temple of Emptiness ( 沖虛觀 Chongxu Guan ) is located to the south of the Zhuming Grotto at the northern piedmont of [[Mt. Luofu]] in Guangdong Province. Its former addre...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Temple of Emptiness ( 沖虛觀 Chongxu Guan ) is located to the south of the Zhuming Grotto at the northern piedmont of [[Mt. Luofu]] in Guangdong Province. Its former address is the southern temple, which is named Duxu, one of the four temples built by Daoist [[Ge Hong]] of the Eastern Jin dynasty. After Ge Hong ascended to immortality, the temple was changed into the Shrine of Ge Hong to honor him in the first Yixi year during the reign of Emperor Andi of the Jin dynasty (1087). In the Tianbao years during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty (742-756), it was enlarged and renamed "Shrine of Immortal Ge". Then it was given the name "Temple of Emptiness" by the emperor in the second Yuanyou year during the reign of Emperor Zhezong of the Song dynasty (1087). The temple was repaired during subsequent dynasties. Now it is one of the national key temples. This ancient temple, surrounded by verdant pines and cypresses in a quiet environment, consists of the prime of the scene of Mt. Luofu. Standing in front of the temple is the Immortal Assembling Bridge. Inside the temple there are five lines of buildings, namely the Hall of [[The Numinous Official]] ( 靈官殿 Lingguan Dian ), the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 Sanqing Dian ), the Hall of Great Immortal Huang, the Hall of Patriarch Lü, and the Hall of Immortal Ge. Besides, there are over 100 attached buildings, such as small houses for Daoists. The Hall of the Three Pristine Ones is the main hall. It was built during the Guangxu era of the Qing dynasty. The hall primarily is the place of worship of the spirits of the Three Pristine Ones, and secondarily the four Perfect Sovereigns ( 真君 Zhenjun ), i.e. Zhang Daoling, Ge Xuan, Xu Xun and Sa Shoujian. On the two sides are established delicate shrines, the shrine for [[The Heavenly Lord of Universal Transformation Whose Voice of Thunder Resonates with the Origin of the Nine Heavens]] ( 九天應元雷聲普化天尊 Jiutian Yingyuan Leisheng Puhua Tiabzun ) on the east and that for [[The Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery]] ( 太乙救苦天尊 Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun ) on the west. The whole hall is richly and splendidly ornamented in green and gold. Worshiped in the Hall of Great Immortal Huang is the disciple of Ge Hong, Huang Yeren ([[Huang Chuping]]). It is said that when Huang Yeren refined elixirs on Mt. Luofu with his master, Ge Hong, one day he went out on business, and when he came back, his master had already ascended to immortality. Later he found an elixir his master had left between pillars and ate it. Then he became an earth immortal and was always alive. It is said that he used to rush about in mountains and Champaign and treated the common people widely. Therefore, there are lots of pilgrims seeking him in the southeast. The Hall of Patriarch Lü worships [[Lü Dongbin]], one of [[The Eight Immortals]] ( 八仙 Baxian ). It is said that Su Dongpo once encountered Lü Dongbin on Mt. Luofu, who cured his son Su Guo of his eye disease. The Shrine of Immortal Ge worships the sitting statues of Ge Hong and his wife Baogu. Baogu is the single daughter of Baojing, the prefect of the Southern Sea. She accepted paternal teaching in her childhood and was adept at medicine, especially moxibustion. She was famous for treating warts and tumors and was called Immortal Lady Bao ( 鮑仙姑 Bao Xiangu ). There are many of Ge Hong's relics in the Temple of Emptiness. They have been introduced in the item "Mt. Luofu", so no more details are to be given here. [[zh:沖虛觀（廣東惠州市）]] 2f8a90bace21d75331470b0508d5d87ba7cbfcf3 0 125 166 2009-07-27T05:05:00Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Temple of Extasy ( 酥醪觀 Sulao Guan ) is situated in a quiet and secluded valley of Mt Luohu, in the northwest of Buoluo County, Guangdong Province. It was founded by [[G...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Temple of Extasy ( 酥醪觀 Sulao Guan ) is situated in a quiet and secluded valley of Mt Luohu, in the northwest of Buoluo County, Guangdong Province. It was founded by [[Ge Hong]] of the Eastern Jin dynasty, and was initially named the "Northern Temple". It is said that An Qishen of the Qin dynasty met Divine Lady Shang at Xuanqiu, warmed with wine at the Brewing Spring, and discussed profound theories with her. When they were drunk, the vapor of their breath turned into extasy. They each went away on wind carts, leaving "a taste of shortbreads and junkets filling all the heavens", so the temple was named the "Temple of Extasy". It is also said that the [[Chisongzi]] once wandered to this place, so the temple is also called the Ancient Grotto of Immortals. It was renovated and enlarged in different dynasties. The present buildings were mostly rebuilt by Abbot Ke Shanzhi in the fifth year of Yongzheng of the Qing dynasty. The main buildings of the Temple of Extasy include the mountain gate, the main hall, the Penglai Pavilion, the dining room, the sitting room, the houses for Daoist priests, etc. The three characters "Su Lao Guan" (Temple of Extasy) engraved in the stone tablet at the gate of the temple were written by Bao Jun from the Fragrant Mountain of the Qing dynasty. Worshiped in the temple are [[The Thunder Patriarch]] ( 雷祖 Leizu ), Patriarch ( 祖師 Zushi ) [[Lu Chunyang]], and Ge Hong, the Immortal Elder Ge ( 葛仙翁 Ge Xianweng ). The eight-meter-high platform in front of the main hall is where the Abbot instructs the disciples, holds ritual offerings ( 醮 Jiao ) and transmits scriptures. The flowerpot "Treasure Furnace" and the Ancient Bed of Dao of Original Chaos ( 混元 Hunyuan ) of the Qing dyansty are kept in the Penglai Pavilion on the left side of the main hall. In front of the temple there is a lotus pond, where the fragrance of lotuses wafts in summer. People call it the lotus pond. At the end of the winding corridor is the uniquely peaceful and scenic "first tower of Mt Hu", on whose sides there are couplets saying "Promise me peace in this small tower, and allow the vast land to bear the business of others". At the Halting Cranes Pavilion on the top of the mountain behind the temple, one can appreciate the sea of clouds and scenes under heaven in the distance, or touch the Waterfall of the White Water Gate, which is called "the first waterfall of the southern Yue" nearby. The stream rushes straight down from the 150-metre-high cliff, flies down three steep inclines, and pours to the Dragon pool. The magnificient spot can be most properly described by Li Bai's lines, "The pouring water rushes straight down for three thousand miles, as if the Milky Way were tumbling down from the Nine Heavens". Below the White Water Gate, there is a huge stone named "Free Mind Stone" ( 忘機石 Wangji Shi ). It is said that 'travelers can hold themselves aloof from the world when sitting on this stone". Down the stream from the stone is the "Seven Sisters Pool". It is said that the seven sisters descend to the human world on the seventh evening of the seventh lunar month every year, and frolic and bathe in the water. "The Brewing Spring" is to the right of the Dipper Platform. The spring water is limpid and luscious, and can be made into wine. The water is fragrant and the wine is crystal-clear. It is said that Han Yu of the Tang dynasty and Su Dongpo of the Song dynasty were also attracted by the reputation of the Temple of Extasy, and drank from the Brewing Spring and looked at the holy land with reverence. A hundred steps in front of the Brewing Spring is a high platform piled up by stones, which is called the 'Platform of Unfetteredness'. It means that those who stand aloof from the vulgar and cultivate Dao calmly are free and unrestrained. One also finds the Pine Shadow Pavilion on the hill slope opposite to the platform. Down the Southern Mountain Stream of the Daoist Temple that flows to the west, there is an eddy stone in the shape of a kitchen range. It is said to be the big pot for the immortals to decoct and refine jadelike wine. Inscribed on the forehead of the kitchen range are the three characters "zhu shi chu" (place for boiling stones). The torrent pours out of the mouth of the stone kitchen range, and then it begins to flow gently to a pool, which is as clear as a mirror and named the "Deep Green Pool". The small Penglai is halfway up the mountain. The Ancient Grotto of Huang Xian, behind the two mountains to the south of the small Penglai, is the place where Huang Xian, a disciple of Ge Hong, used to travel. From the grotto a stream rushes straight down from a dented place that is over ten meters high. The two characters "kong tao" (frightening billow) are carved in the wall. The grotto is sequestered by fine trees which shelter it from above, and below it limpid water converges into a pool, where no human sound but the splash of the waterfall can be heard, and people can feel like being freed from this world. Engraved in the stone wall of the limpid pool below it are inscriptions such as "flying clear water", "refreshment", and "gurgling clouds". It is said that the pool was opened up by Immortals, and people can prolong their life if they drink the water. The Temple of Extasy is an important Daoist sacred site, where Chinese Daoist culture was carried forward in the past. During the years of Guangxu of the Qing dynasty, Chen Botao, the Abbot of the Temple of Extasy, once rushed about everywhere, promoting his vision and urging the Chinese at home and abroad to raise funds to start schools so as to rejuvenate China. As a result, "Jinan University" was founded in Guangzhou in 1960. The Temple of Extasy was famous in Guangdong for attracting a large number of pilgrims in former days. Branches of the temple were set up on Daxin Road of Guangzhou City, in Shilong Town of Dongguan City, and in Xishan Village of Zengcheng City, in order to make it convenient for the devotees from various places to burn joss sticks and worship. On the spirits' birthdays, numerous men of wealth, country gentlemen, distinguished persons and refined scholars came from various places to worship. However, the Temple of Extasy, which had suffered from the wear and tear of over 1,600 years of history, was bound to show signs of decay. In October 1998, assisted by some Daoist communities such as the Ching Chung Taoist Association ( 青松觀 Qingsong Guan ) of Hong Kong and the [[Fung Ying Seen Koon]] ( 蓬瀛仙館 Pengying Xianguan ), the Temple of Extasy developed a large-scale construction project. The renovated temple has now taken on a new image. ==Contact== Contact address: No. 122, Xiangjiang Road, Licheng, Zengcheng City Telephone: (020) 9811001986 Route: # Get off the bus at Taozi Yuan from the Ancient Temple of Emptiness of Boluo County to Nieshi Lu, and enter the temple from Chashan Ao; # Enter the mountain from the stone path behind the Ancient Temple of Emptiness, reach the Fenshui Ridge through the Buyun Grotto Heaven and the Xiao Feiyun (the Frog Stone), and then enter the White Water Gate under the top of the Feiyun Ridge; # Enter the temple from the newly opened route beside the mountain from Zhengguolan Stream, Zengcheng County. [[zh:酥醪觀（廣東惠州市）]] 76ac7d63e2993202cf667d7e55185407cabffb0e 0 126 167 2009-07-27T05:45:01Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Ancient Temple of the Yellow Dragon ( 黃龍古殿 Huanglong Guguan ) is situated to the west of Mt Luohu in Boluo County, Guangdong province. The Yellow Dragon Grotto ( 黃...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Ancient Temple of the Yellow Dragon ( 黃龍古殿 Huanglong Guguan ) is situated to the west of Mt Luohu in Boluo County, Guangdong province. The Yellow Dragon Grotto ( 黃龍洞 Guanglong Dong ), the predecessor of the temple, is the old site of Ge Hong's Guqing temple of the Jin dynasty, located to the west of Mt Luohu. The sovereign of the Southern Han of the Five Dynasties once dreamed of a Divine Man ( 神人 Shenren ) who gave him advice, saying, "Where two peaks overlap opposite to where a river flows, you may construct a temple". So he sought the place and built the Heavenly Flower Temple ( 天華宮 Tianhua Gong ) there. During the years of Jiajing of the Ming dynasty, Zhan Ruoshui, a great master of the Neo-Confucian philosophical school, set up the Shrine of the Four Persons of Virtue ( 四賢祠 Sixian Dian ) at this place for the cult of the four scholars of the past, namely Zhou Dunyi, Li Yanping, Luo Qingshun, and Chen Baisha. During the years of Kangxi of the Qing dynasty, the adept Zhang Miaosheng of the Mt Lao sect chose to found the Yellow Dragon Temple here and took it as an Enclosure of the Dao ( 道場 Daochang ). Since then the Yellow Dragon Temple began to take shape. Having passed the first decorated archway halfway up the mountain, you may find Chinese redbuds, flamboyant trees and green pines that line both sides of the way and a tortuous mountain path. Then passing two other simple but elegant decorated archways, you can reach the Ancient Temple of the Yellow Dragon. On the right side of the ancient temple, the small shops, parking lot, the Rose-tinted Clouds Garden, the Ancestors Hall, the Clouds and Pines Vegetarian Restaurant, the Splendid Light Pavilion, the Decorated Archway of the Eastern Tower and the Blissful Realms, and the Immortal Garden are linked to form an integrated whole. On the left side, descending step by step, you may find a small bridge crossing a stream with a Cinnabar Well by its side. It is said that the water can cure sickness and save the ill, so it is called the miraculous elixir. Less than ten feet away is the Kind and Benevolent Pavilion, in front of which there is a pond for setting free animals. The main body of the Ancient Temple of the Yellow Dragon consists of the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 Sanqing Dian ) and the Three Masters Hall ( 三師殿 Sanshi Dian ). The great Three Masters Hall is a group of circular buildings, including the Peiyuan Studio and the Baopu Studio on the eastern and western sides of the main hall, and the Doctrine Protection Hall ( 護法殿 Hufa Dian ) in the front. The unsophisticated, solemn and respectful great hall reflects the Daoist idea of returning to simplicity and perfection. Chiefly worshiped in the main hall are Patriarch ( 祖師 Zushi ) [[Lü Chunyang]], Patriarch [[Wang Chongyang]] and Patriarch [[Qiu Chuji]]. Worshiped on the two sides of the three masters are the Primordial Sovereign of [[The Elderly Dipper Lady]] ( 斗姥元君 Doumu Yuanjun ) and Huang Yeren, who secured Dao and Immortality on [[Mt Luofu]] respectively. Chiefly worshiped in the Doctrine Protection Hall is the Doctrine Protection Spirit, [[Numinous Official]] ( 靈官 lingguan ) Wang, on whose left and right are Marshals Heng and Ha. In front of the gate of the great Three Masters Hall, a large platform can hold several thousands of devotees at the celebrations on festivals. Below the platform, there is a place for the pilgrims to rest. Leaning on the balustrades and looking far into the distance, the pilgrims can have a panoramic view of the Eastern River and the fields. Descending step by step to the Sublime Lotus Pond, they may see red and white lotuses contending in beauty. When the cool breeze gently blows, the lotuses exhale delicate fragrances. The natural stone tortoise in the pond and the nine porcelain cranes in different shapes and flavors form a landscape painting that denotes the longevity symbolized by the tortoise and the crane. Schools of fish in the pond play among the lotus leaves so leisurely and comfortably that they forget about the world. Carved on a horizontal wall beside the pond are the twenty-four stories about filial piety. Above the fresco shines "[[Mt Luohu]], the seventh Grotto Heaven" ( 洞天 Dongtian ). Further down the mountain path are the Dragon Bead Pavilion and the Waterfall Lookout Pavilion, where it is particularly pleasant to watch the waterfall that rushes down like a heavenly curtain. Over the great Three Masters Hall is the great Hall of the Three Pristine Ones. This hall, splendid in green and gold, symbolizes the supreme imposing air of the sublime realm of the Three Pristine Ones and the Immortals of the Nine Heavens. Worshiped on the two sides of the Three Pristine Ones are the divine sculptures of Wang Xuanfu, Imperial Sovereign Donghua ( 東華帝君 Donghua Dijun ), and Zhong Liquan, Imperial Sovereign ( 正陽帝君 Zhengyang Dijun ) Zhengyang, for [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真 Quanzhen ) was handed down from the two Imperial Sovereigns to Lü Chunyang, Wang Chongyang and Qiu Changchun and then to the later generations. Worshiped respectively on the two sides of the Magical Altar ( 法壇 Fatan ) in front of the Three Pristine Ones are the sculptures of the four great Perfect Sovereigns ( 真君 Zhenjun ) (i.e. [[Zhang Daoling]], [[Ge Xuan]], [[Xu Xun]] and Sa Shoujian). Up about 250 metres along the path on the west of the great Hall of the Three Pristine Ones is the Hidden Green Grotto, a natural grotto that is the most quiet secluded place of the Yellow Dragon Grotto. The gushing spring in the Sun and Moon Pond before the grotto flows endlessly, and the spring water is limpid and luscious. Less than three km above is the Eight Trigrams Platform, high up in the air and seeming aloof and proud, where one can look into the distance as far as one can see. On the side of the platform grow osmanthus fragrances, peaches, plums, bamboo and yulan magnolias. The valley is filled with fragrance in all four seasons. Behind the platform is the peaceful and wild Eight Trigrams Grotto, a good place for cultivating and practising alone. Inside the grotto there is a natural gushing spring, which is limpid and luscious and said to be drinkable. The Daoist Studies Academy ( 道學院 Daoxue Yuan ) projected to be built will be grand. It will be the seat of learning for fostering talents in Daoist learning and temples. The hillside behind the academy is where Daoist priests through the ages passed away. Going through a small tunnel, you may see the Gate of Dao and its Virtue built beside the stream. A stone bridge leads to "the other shore". Below the stone bridge the gurgling water flows past the old sites of the Heavenly Flower Temple and the Platform for Song and Dance of the past. Up about 300 feet against the stream is the Washing Medicinal Materials Pond left by Ge Hong of the Jin dynasty, who is said to have cleansed the crude drugs used for the cultivation of immortality and refinement of Dao day and night. Since 1992 the [[Ching Chung Taoist Association]] ( 青松觀 Qingsong Guan ) of Hong Kong has furnished funds for rebuilding the Ancient Temple of the Yellow Dragon, and now the project is still going on. The rebuilt Ancient Temple of the Yellow Dragon is supposed to be perfectly equipped and will grandly occupy the whole mountain. The Immortal Garden and the Patriarch Hall are set for devotees to place the spirit tablets of their ancestors, so as to carry on the virtues of honoring heaven and following the example of ancestors, and carefully attending the funeral rites of parents and following them when gone with due sacrifices. The six-floored Cloud and Pine Vegetarian Restaurant is well-equipped, elegant and clean. The vegetarian food is supplied to the public, but the hotel just entertains honorable guests and does not provide service for profit. ==Route== Turn from the main body of Guangshan Road to Changning Road, and arrive at the Ancient Temple of the Yellow Dragon half way up the mountain after about 25 minutes' drive. [[zh:黃龍古觀（廣東惠州市）]] 87d6a864bec13af2b24a6ee4913495773069038c 0 127 168 2009-07-27T06:00:29Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The temple stands on the top of Mt. Laojun in the Nanan district of Chongqing city. It was built in the Tang dynasty, originally as a Buddhist temple, which was called the Temple...' wikitext text/x-wiki The temple stands on the top of Mt. Laojun in the Nanan district of Chongqing city. It was built in the Tang dynasty, originally as a Buddhist temple, which was called the Temple of Universal Salvation ( 廣化寺 Guanghua Si ) by its old name. In the 9th Wanli year of the Ming dynasty, it was turned into a Daoist temple and renamed the Temple of the Supreme Ultimate ( 太極宮 Taiji Gong ). It was subsequently renovated during the reigns of Emperors Daoguan, Tongzhi and Guangxu in the Qing dynasty, when the temple's nine hall divisions came into shape, namely, the Hall of Three Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 Sanqing Dian ), the Civil and Martial Hall ( 文武殿 Wenwu Dian ), the Hall of Compassionate Salvation ( 慈航殿 Cihang Dian ), the Hall of [[Patriarch Lü]]( 呂祖殿 Lüzu Dian ), the Hall of [[The Perfect Warrior]] ( 真武殿 Zhenwu Dian ), the Hall of Sanfeng ( 三丰殿 Sanfeng Dian ), the Hall of Patriarch Qiu ( 邱祖殿 Qiuzu Dian ), [[The Big Dipper]] Hall ( 斗姆殿 Doumu Dian ) and [[The Jade Emperor]] Hall ( 玉皇殿 Yuhuang Dian ). The total structure of the halls was based on the geographic characters of the mountain, creating an incomparable sense of subtlety. On the precipitous stone walls of the temple were engraved relief sculptures of figures from Daoist or Buddhist stories. Among them, the artistic value of sculptures at Jiulongbei and bananyan are widely recognized. On the top of the mountain stretched historic sites such as the Venerable Sovereign's Cave ( 老君洞 Laojun Dong ), Safeng Cave, Chunyang Cave, the Cave of Stone Monkey ( 石猴洞 Shihou Dong ), the Cave of the Three Sages ( 三聖洞 Sansheng Dong ) and Randen Cave, etc. Originally, the temple was a cultivation place of Daoists from [[The Orthodox Oneness Tradition]]. During the Qianlong years of the Qing dynasty, however, Zhu Yiping, a [[Dragon Gate]] Daoist from White Cloud Temple in Beijing, took over the temple, putting it under control of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ). Historically, the temple and the relics inside it underwent severe damages. In recent years, a series of renovations have been undertaken in a bid to preserve this historic site. In 1988, the temple was reopened to the public. Since then, it is attracting an increasing number of pilgrims and tourists from home and abroad year after year. [[zh:老君洞道觀（重慶）]] 94e1d658fc9cd5a46b4225caf33aede8673e6d2a 0 128 169 2009-07-27T06:30:45Z Admin 1 Created page with '==History== The Black Sheep Temple ( 青羊宮 Qingyang Gong ) belongs to [[The Dragon Gate Sect]] ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==History== The Black Sheep Temple ( 青羊宮 Qingyang Gong ) belongs to [[The Dragon Gate Sect]] ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ) and is the oldest Daoist temple in the region of Ba and Shu (Sichuan). Located in the southwest of Chengdu, it faces Baihuatan and Wuhouci parks in the south, approaches Du Fu's Thatched Cottage in the west, and is adjacent to the Cultural Park in the east (which was formerly one of the famous Temples of the Ten Directions ( 十方叢林 Shifang Conglin ) and named "The Temple of the Two Immortals ( 二仙奄 erxian an )"). First built in the Zhou dynasty, the Black Sheep Temple was named the Black Sheep Monastery (Si) at first, renamed the Black Sheep Observatory (Guan) during the period of the Three Warring States, and then again renamed as Xuanzhong Temple in the Tang dynasty. In the Song dynasty, it began to be called the Black Sheep Palace (Gong), which remains its name till today. The Imperial Biography of the King of Shu ( 蜀王本紀 Shuwang Benji ) written by [[Yang Xiong]] of the Han dynasty records that [[Laozi]] wrote ''[[The Book of Dao and Its Virtue]]'' ( 道德經 Daode Jin ) for Yin Xi, the official in charge of the Pass, and when parting, he said, "Practice Dao for a thousand days, and then you may find me at the Black Sheep Monastery in Chengdu." Yin Xi kept the promise and went there. Displaying his image, [[The Venerable Sovereign]] ( 老君 Laojun ) sat on the purple golden lotus throne and disseminated Daoist skills for him. From then on, the Black Sheep Temple has become a sacred site where Immortals converge and the Venerable Sovereign transmits Dao. ==Buildings== As for the layout of the Black Sheep Temple, distributed along its medium line are the major halls worshiping deities, such as the Numinous Patriarch Hall, the Original Chaos Hall, the Happiness Hall, the Eight Trigrams ( 八卦 Bagua ) Pavilion, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 Sanqing Dian ), the Dipper Hall, the Birth Giving Platform, the Skills Preaching Platform, the Hall of [[The Jade Emperor]] ( 玉皇 Yuhuang ), and the Hall of the King of Tang, etc. Worshiped in the main hall, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones, are the statues of the Three Pristine Ones and of the Twelve Golden Immortals. In the hall, there are also two divine goats, one with a single horn and the other with double horns, which are said to be able to cure pains. In the Eight Trigram Pavilion dedicated to the worship of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign, there are the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate ( 太極圖 Taiji Tu ) and relief sculptures of the twelve symbolic animals. Drawn up and down the pavilion are the Eight Trigrams of Anterior Heaven ( 先天 Xiantian ) and of Posterior Heaven ( 後天 Houtian ), as well as the sixty-four hexagrams respectively. The eight pillars with winding dragons at the tips of the eight corners of the outer eaves are eight hollowed gold dragons in relief, giving a sense of great momentum. There are altogether eighty-one dragons in the whole pavilion, which symbolizes Laozi's eighty-one transformations. ==The Temple of the Two Immortals== The Temple of the Two Immortals was situated on the right side of the Black Sheep Temple and is now the Cultural Park of Chengdu. Its construction started in the 34th year of the reign of emperor Kangxi of the Qing dynasty, and it was so called because it was dedicated to the worship of Lü [[Dongbin]] and [[Han Xiangzi]] of [[The Eight Immortals]] ( 八仙 Baxian ). It was a relatively large-scale temple and was once a center for printing Daoist scriptures. The more than 14,000 cut blocks of ''[[The Selections from the Daoist Canon]]'' ( 道藏輯要 Daozang Jiyao ) carved on both sides in pear wood by the Temple of the Two Immortals during the reign of emperor Guangxu of the Qing dynasty, are unique blocks of Daoist scriptures in the world today. Arranged in the order of the Twenty-Eight Constellations, they bring together the essence of the culture of Daoist philosophy. They include books written by philosophers of Daoism and other schools since the Zhou and Qin dynasties, covering Daoist history, Breathing Arts ( 氣功 Qigong ) and alchemical skills, astronomy and geography, medicine, and the Science of Changes ( 易學 Yixue ) since the Six Dynasties. The Selections from the Daoist Canon can never be replaced by the [[''Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). ==Services== The Black Sheep Temple runs a printing press that specially prints the Selections from the Daoist Canon and Daoist scriptures and books of rituals. It also has a guesthouse, a vegetarian restaurant for Nourishing Life, a tea garden, and a travel-service section which sells scriptures and informative articles. ==Contact== '''Address:''' Black Sheep Temple, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, China '''Telephone:''' 8628-7766584 '''Directors:''' Temple Inspector Chen Mingchang and Abbot Zhang Yuanhe '''Postal address:''' Black Sheep Temple, No. 9 Second Western Section, First Ring Road, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, China [[zh:青羊宮（四川成都市）]] 5011e3b2771b9cb766da8bacee88a5c33125875c 0 129 170 2009-07-27T06:53:24Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Eternal Dao Temple ( 常道觀 Changdao Guan ) stands on the level ground between Baiyun stream and Haitang stream on [[Mt. Qingcheng]], Dujiangyan City, Sichuan Province. It...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Eternal Dao Temple ( 常道觀 Changdao Guan ) stands on the level ground between Baiyun stream and Haitang stream on [[Mt. Qingcheng]], Dujiangyan City, Sichuan Province. It is commonly called the Celestial Masters' Grotto ( 天師洞 Tianshi Dong ) because of the grotto behind the temple, which was inhabited by [[Zhang Daoling]], the Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ) of the Han dynasty. Founded during the reign of Daye of the Sui dynasty (605-618), it was formerly named "Temple of Prolonged Blessings ", ( 延慶觀 Yanqing Guan ) and renamed as "Temple of Eternal Dao" in the Tang dynasty and "Temple of Revealed Blessings " ( 昭慶觀 Zhaoqing Guan ) or "Shrine of [[The Yellow Emperor]] " ( 黃帝 Huangdi ) in the Song dynasty. Its present buildings were reconstructed in the period of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing dynasty (1662-1722), under the direction of Abbot ( 住持 Zhuchi ) Chen Qingjue, and restored again by Abbot Peng Chunxian in 1920-1939. The temple has been maintained by the Daoist Association of Mt. Qingcheng since 1980. The main halls of the Eternal Dao Temple include the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ), the Shrine of the Yellow Emperor, and the Hall of the Celestial Master. The Hall of the Three Pristine Ones is the principal hall of the Eternal Dao Temple. It is a double-eaved pavilion building rebuilt in 1923. Nine flights of stone steps are laid in front of the hall, and six big stone columns are arrayed under the front roof. Five rooms are arranged horizontally in the unsophisticated and grand, double-eaved and upturned-ridged hall. Right in the middle hangs a horizontal board inscribed with the words "Elixir Platform of the Azure Grotto", written by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing dynasty. Enshrined and worshiped in the hall are the supreme Daoist gods and Patriarchs of Dao ( 道祖 Daozu ), the Three Pristine Ones. Upstairs is the Hall of Infinity ( 無極 Wuji ), where there are eight wooden-carved screens, which were are to have been made in the Ming dynasty. An old tree stands beside the Ginkgo Pavilion in front of the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones. It is said to have been planted in person by Celestial Master Zhang of the Eastern Han dynasty. The Shrine of the Yellow Emperor was originally built in the Sui dynasty. It is the oldest hall in the Temple of the Eternal Dao. On the horizontal board right in the middle are four golden characters "Ancient Shrine of the Yellow Emperor", written by Yu Youren,. In the corridor in front of the shrine there is a "stele of the shrine of Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan", inscribed on which is a eulogy written by general Feng Yuxiang in 1943. A golden statue of Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan is worshiped in the shrine. One stone statue of Fuxi, one of Shennong and one of the Yellow Emperor are enshrined and worshiped in the Hall of the Three August Ones ( 三皇 Sanhuang ). In front of the throne is a "stele with an inscription written by Emperor Shenwu during the Kaiyuan years of the great Tang dynasty". It was handed down in past dynasties as a treasure of the temple. In the hall there are also a "stele of the lineage of [[The Azure Grotto Lineage]] ( 碧洞宗 Bidong Zong ) of The Dragon Gate Sect]] ", ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) a "stele in memory of the rebuilding of the Eternal Dao temple directed by Perfect Man ( 真人 Zhenren ) Peng Chunxian", and a stele inscribed with a portrait of the Celestial Master drawn by Zhang Daqian. The Hall of the Celestial Master is located in front of the grotto on the Chaotic Origin Peak ( 混元頂 Hunyuan Ding ). It was reconstructed in the tenth Guangxu year of the Qing dynasty (1884). The grotto behind the hall is the so-called Celestial Master's Grotto. Worshiped in a stone niche in the grotto is a statue carved in the Sui Dynasty of Celestial Master Zhang Daoling, looking dignified with three eyes in his face. There is a huge stone on the left of the Celestial Master's Grotto. According to legend, it is the stone that the Celestial Master used for vanquishing demons. [[zh:青城山常道觀（四川都江堰市）]] bfb7e1e1129311991d31073afdc4ae65690670a5 0 130 171 2009-07-27T07:13:16Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Temple of the Highest Clarity ( 上清宮 Shangqing Gong ) is situated on the eastern slope of the Peak of Pengzu on [[Mt. Qingcheng]], in Dujiangyan City, Sichuan Province. ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Temple of the Highest Clarity ( 上清宮 Shangqing Gong ) is situated on the eastern slope of the Peak of Pengzu on [[Mt. Qingcheng]], in Dujiangyan City, Sichuan Province. It was originally built in the Jin dynasty and reconstructed in the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty. The present building was rebuilt in stages between the late Qing dynasty and the first years of the Republic of China. The entrance to the temple is a cave of laid stones. Right on the entrance are three big characters, "Temple of the Highest Clarity" autographed by Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kai-shek), and on the two sides are couplets written by Yu Youren, which say, "All the grass and trees are bred by the mysterious Dao in the present time; this famous mountain has been waiting for saints since ancient times." Behind the mountain entrance to the Temple of the Highest Clarity, stone steps lead to the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 Sanqing Dian ). Then a winding corridor leads to the Jade Emperor Hall ( 玉皇殿 Yuhuang Dian ). There are two wells in front of the southern tower on the right of the hall. It is said that they were dug in the period of the Former Shu in the Five Dynasties. One is square; the other is round. They symbolize a male and a female. The sources of the two wells are interlinked, but water in one well is clear while water in the other is turbid. A long corridor on the left of the hall leads to the subsidiary hall, where Confucius and Guan Yu are enshrined and worshiped. This hall is named the "Hall of Civil and Military Officials". Under the throne there is an exquisite relief of nine dragons, and on its two sides are the stone inscriptions of the portraits of [[The Queen Mother]] ( 王母 Wangmu ), Lady Ma, the founding master Sanfeng, and Madam Huarui drawn by Zhang Daqian. On the right side below the Hall of Civil and Military Officials is the Pond of Lady Ma, which is said to be the place where Lady Ma washed elixirs. The pond is half-moon-shaped, and several chi deep and wide. Its green water never dries up trough the year. Out of the court exit in front of the hall and up along a stone path is the newly built Hall of Imperial Sovereign Donghua ( 東華帝君 Donghua Dijun ) . Further up toward the summit is the newly built Pavilion of the Venerable Sovereign ( 老君閣 Laojun Ge ). In the pavilion there is a huge stone statue of the Venerable Sovereign riding on a black ox, which was molded recently. The Pavilion of the Venerable Sovereign crouches majestically on the top of the highest peak of Mt. Qingcheng. It has several floors, namely the Platform for Transmitting Dao ( 授道台 Shoudao Tai ), the Hall of Realized Perfection ( 悟真堂 Wuzhen Tang ), the Tower for Contemplating Sublimity ( 觀妙樓 Guanmiao Lou ), and the Mysterious Origin ( 玄元頂 Xuanyuan Ding ) Peak in turn. The whole building looks lofty and magnificent, grand and imposing. When one stands in the pavilion, both the front and back hills of Mt. Qingcheng, flatlands, and river courses all come clearly into view. [[zh:青城山上清宮（四川都江堰市）]] 84c3ab13198f48beada2ed8215a2190634ad62e2 0 131 172 2009-07-27T07:24:05Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Temple of Accumulated Blessings ( 建福宮Jianfu Gong ) is situated on the left of the mountain entrance under the Elder's ( 丈人 Zhangren ) Peak of Mt. Qingcheng, in Duji...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Temple of Accumulated Blessings ( 建福宮Jianfu Gong ) is situated on the left of the mountain entrance under the Elder's ( 丈人 Zhangren ) Peak of Mt. Qingcheng, in Dujiangyan City, Sichuan Province. It was first founded in the eighth Kaiyuan year of the Tang dynasty (730) and originally named the Shrine of the Elder or Temple of the Elder. Both the name of the Elder's Peak and the name of the Shrine of the Elders originate from the tale of Elder Ningfengzi of the Five Sacred Mountains ( 五岳 Wuyue ). According to legend, Ningfengzi was an official in charge of making pottery in the period of the Yellow Emperor ( 黃帝 Huangdi ). Having attained the Dao, he lived in seclusion on the northern cliff of Mt. Qingcheng. The Yellow Emperor heard about it and went there to ask about the Dao. Ningfengzi transmitted him the ''Book of the Dragon Flight'' ( 龍礄經 Longqiao Jing ). After reading it, the Yellow Emperor became able to travel to the Eight Extremes ( 八極 Baji ) by riding on clouds and dragons. Then he established a terrace and venerated Ningfengzi as the Elder governing the Five Sacred Mountains. ''The Stele Inscription of the Shrine of the Elder on Mt. Qingcheng'' written by Xu Taiheng of the Tang dynasty says, "According to imperial order, the Temple of the Elder on Mt. Qingcheng should follow the same rule as the Temple of the Perfect Sovereign ( 真君 Zhenjun ) of the Five Sacred Mountains." In the first Zhonghe year during the reign of Emperor Xizong of the Tang dynasty (881), Ningfengzi was honored as Perfect Sovereign Xiyi. In the third Yuanfeng year of the Northern Song dynasty (1080), he was granted by imperial order another title, "Perfect Man Who Reserves Good Fortune and Controls Destiny ". ( 儲福定命真君 Chufu Dingming Zhenjun ) In the second Chunxi year of the Southern Song dynasty (1175), following a petition to the emperor by Fan Chengda, the official in charge of military affairs in the border areas of Chengdu, the court bestowed the favor of changing the name of the Temple of the Elder into "Temple of Assembled and Accumulated Blessings ", ( 會慶建福宮 Huiqing Jianfu Gong ) later called "Temple of Accumulated Blessings" for short. The present temple was reconstructed in the fourteenth year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing dynasty (1888) and rebuilt again in large scale in recent years. The three characters "Temple of Accumulated Blessings" on the inscribed board on the door were autographed by Lin Sen, chairman of the national administration in 1940. Nowadays there are three rows of halls in the Temple of Accumulated Blessings. The first hall is called the "Hall of Changsheng", in which is worshiped Fan Changsheng, the Heavenly and Terrestrial Elder Master of the Four Seasons and Eight Solar Terms ( 四時八節天地太師 Sishi Bajie Tiandi Taishi ) of the Jin dynasty. The second hall is called the "Hall of the Elder", in which are worshiped the Elder of the Five Sacred Mountains, Perfect Sovereign Ningfeng, and Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ) Du Guangting. Worshiped in the third hall are the Supreme Venerable Sovereign ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ), Imperial Sovereign Donghua ( 東華帝君 Donghua Dijun ), and the founding master Wang Chongyang. The long couplets of 394 words hung on the principal columns of the hall are one of the unique features of Mt. Qingcheng. In ancient times, in front of the Temple of Accumulated Blessings stood Yuhua Tower, which was so magnificent as to be "the best of buildings", but it does not exist today. The ''Record of the Daoist Canon on the Flying Wheel Preserved by the Temple of Assembled and Accumulated Blessings'' ( 會慶建福宮飛輪道藏記 Huiqing Jianfu Gong Feilun Daozang Ji ) of the Song dynasty, and some articles such as big stone vats and stone candlesticks have been excavated since 1958. They seem to be relics of the Temple of Accumulated Blessings or of Yuhua Tower. [[zh:青城山建福宮（四川都江堰市）]] f8324ecbd48b1ebcd595fae59134c5747de09417 0 132 173 2009-07-27T07:31:05Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Lying at the foot of Yulei Mountain, on the eastern bank of the Minjiang River, Dujiangyan City (formerly Guanxian County), Sichuan, Two Kings Temple 1 worships Li Bing and his s...' wikitext text/x-wiki Lying at the foot of Yulei Mountain, on the eastern bank of the Minjiang River, Dujiangyan City (formerly Guanxian County), Sichuan, Two Kings Temple 1 worships Li Bing and his son who had the Dujiangyan irrigation works built. First built in the Eastern Han, it was the Shrine of the Wangdi Emperor ( 望帝祠Wangdi Ci ) in memory of Duyu, King of the Ancient Shu State. During the Jianwu Era (494-498) of Qi in the Southern Dynasties, the Governor of Yizhou Prefecture had the Shrine of the Wangdi Emperor moved to Pi County and worshipped Li Bing in the temple renamed as Temple of Lofty Virtue ( 崇德廟Chongde Miao ). In the 5th year (972) of the Kaibao Era of the Song, people added a statue of Erlang, Son of Li Bing. In the 7th year (1117) of the Zhenghe Era, the temple suffered a fire disaster and was recovered soon. In the 12th year of the Jiajing Era of the Ming, the temple was rebuilt. In the Qing Dynasty, the temple was formally named as Two Kings Temple and experienced repairs and extensions many times. In 1925, the temple painfully suffered a severe fire disaster and lost most of its halls. In the same year, Abbot Li Yunyan began to rebuild the temple with money gained through selling real estate and donations. It took ten years to finish the reconstruction. After the founding of the Peoples’ Republic, the temple was listed as a national key protection unit of cultural relics and enjoyed good preservation. This large-sized temple has from its mountain gate (Tower of Music) three tiers of main halls and 16 tiers of side halls. Among the main halls, the Great Hall of Two Kings is for the worship of the three-eyed god Erlang with a wooden statue of Yang Erlang; the Hall of the Elder King worships Li Bing and his Wife; the Hall of the Venerable Sovereign worships [[The Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] with the Immortal Elder of South Pole ( 南極仙翁Nanji Xianweng ). The side halls on the left and right include the Hall of the Green Dragon, the Hall of the White Tiger, the Hall of [[The Three Officials]], the Hall of [[The Numinous Official]], the Hall of [[The City God]], the Hall of [[The Earth Spirit]], the Hall of [[The Jade Emperor]], the Hall of Grandma, the Palace for Prayer for the Son, the Shrine of Gentleman Ding, the Hall of the Holy Mother, the Pavilion of the Kui Star, and the Hall of the Dragon Deity. The most characteristic building of the temple is the Tower of Music. A sloping mountain-top-style construction built in the 8th year (1743) of the Qianlong Era of Qing, the tower bestrides upon the temple entrance of stone steps. Extruding eaves reach out 20 meters, the tower is a finely designed masterpiece. The Daoist priests in the temple attached great importance to collecting Li Bing and others’ experience about water control. They carved in the temple stonewalls the essentials such as “Dig Deep in shoal and build weir low” as lessons for later water controllers. On both sides of the back hall are tablets of pictures of heavenly horses, jade maidens and the story of the millet dream by famous painters as Xu Beihong, Zhang Daqian and Guan Shanyue. [[zh:二王廟（四川都江堰市）]] affd96182ee7185ca28a2bba8cf34c59ef0d9d58 0 133 174 2009-07-27T07:36:58Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Situated in Tiantai village among the high mountains in the southwest of Jiangyou, Sichuan, Gaoguan Temple ( 高觀Gaoguan ) has three main halls and two side halls respectively ...' wikitext text/x-wiki Situated in Tiantai village among the high mountains in the southwest of Jiangyou, Sichuan, Gaoguan Temple ( 高觀Gaoguan ) has three main halls and two side halls respectively for the worship of [[The Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君Taishang Laojun ), [[Imperial Sovereign Saint Guan]] ( 關聖帝君Gaunsheng dijun ) and the Daoist Master of the Compassionate Salvation ( 慈航道人Cihang Daoren ). The time when the main hall was first built is not clear. The two side halls, according to the stone tablet in the temple, were built in the 51st year (1786) of the Qianlong Era of the Qing. The temple is small but exquisitely structured. Surrounded by the ridges and peaks of the green mountains, it forms a very bewitching scene. In 1935, Complete Perfection Daoists Wang Chonglin and He Chongsen came from Cloud Platform Temple, Santai County to dwell in Gaoguan. Healing diseases for a long period, the two Daoists won with their simple life and lofty virtue the respect of the local people. Till present the Gaoguan Temple still enjoys popularity among followers. Every temple fair pilgrims come in an endless stream. [[zh:高觀（四川江油市）]] 04815daca9dd00300e68c965aebe60cd1a9ccefc 0 134 175 2009-07-27T08:11:01Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Mt. Heming, which is also known as Mt. Huming, is located in Yuelai Town, Heming Village, Dayi County, Sichuan Province. In the period of Emperor Shundi of the Eastern Han dynast...' wikitext text/x-wiki Mt. Heming, which is also known as Mt. Huming, is located in Yuelai Town, Heming Village, Dayi County, Sichuan Province. In the period of Emperor Shundi of the Eastern Han dynasty, Ancestral Celestial Master ( 祖天師 Zu Tianshi ) [[Zhang Daoling]] founded [[The Tradition of the Mighty Commonwealth of Orthodox Oneness]] ( 正一盟威道 Zhengyi Mengwei Dao ) on the mountain, which is therefore honored as the cradle of Daoism. Records show that the earliest Daoist temple on the mountain is the Temple of the Highest Clarity ( 上清宮 Shangqing Gong ) built by founder Zhang Daoling. Enlarged through different dynasties, the temple already had over a hundred halls such as the Hall of the Highest Clarity, the Hall of the Celestial Master, the Hall of Ziyang, the Hall for Welcoming Immortals, the Hall of Wenchang, etc. in the period of the Republic of China. Mt. Heming Daoist Temple was destroyed severely during the "Cultural Revolution". In 1987, it was reopened as a place for Daoist practice. Today some halls, such as the Pavilion for Welcoming Immortals, the Temple for Inviting Auspiciousness, the Big Dipper ( 斗姥殿 Doumu Dian ) Hall, the Temple of the Three Sages, and the Hall of the Celestial Master have been renovated or built. The three-floored Pavilion for Welcoming Immortals is the entrance to Mt. Heming Daoist Temple. Behind it is the Temple for Inviting Auspiciousness. Up along the steps from it there are very tall old trees and a great number of steles. Above the Temple for Inviting Auspiciousness is the Big Dipper Hall, which is linked to subsidiary towers on its both sides. Behind it are first the Hall of Compassionate Salvation and then the Temple of the Three Sages, which was sponsored by the Hong Kong Buddhist-Daoist association of the Flying Crane Grotto ( 飛雁洞 Feiyan Dong ). Worshiped in the temple are [[The Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ), [[Lü Chunyang]], and [[Zhang Sanfeng]]. There is an old cypress outside the temple. As the story goes, it was personally planted by Zhang Sanfeng. About 100 meters behind the Temple of Three Sages is the Hall of the Celestial Master, sponsored by a local believer, Mr. Li Yaoheng. Enshrined there is a statue of Ancestral Celestial Master Zhang Daoling, and hung on the walls on both sides are pictures depicting his birth and his cultivating the Dao, attaining the Dao, and ascending to immortality on a crane. The contemporary eminent Daoist Zhang Zhiyi was once the Abbot ( 住持 Zhuchi ) of Mt. Heming Daoist Temple. Reverend Daoist ( 道長 Daozhang ) Zhang was formerly chairman of Dayi Martial Arts Association. He enjoyed a reputation for Daoist martial arts among Daoists. After Reverend Daoist Zhang passed away, his fellow Daoists buried his relics on the mountain and built a pavilion for commemoration. [[zh:鶴鳴山道觀（四川大邑縣）]] a006bf3f6d5e154340a1ce595ade63361cef77f5 0 135 176 2009-07-27T08:32:22Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Cloud Platform Temple ( 雲台觀 Yuntai Guan ) is situated on Mt. Yuntai, in Anju Village, Santai County, Sichuan Province. It was originally built in the second Kaixi year ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Cloud Platform Temple ( 雲台觀 Yuntai Guan ) is situated on Mt. Yuntai, in Anju Village, Santai County, Sichuan Province. It was originally built in the second Kaixi year of the Southern Song dynasty (1206), and its founder was Zhao Faying. Again in the third Jiading year of the Southern Song dynasty (1210), Zhao Faying and his disciples raised money to build a hall, which was later named Temple of the Mysterious Northern Heaven ( 玄天宮 Xuantian Gong ). Enshrined in the temple is an iron statue of the Perfect Warrior ( 真武 Zhenwu ). The temple kept attracting worshipers in the Song and Yuan dynasties and was thrived in the Ming dynasty. On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month in the eleventh Yongle year (1413), Zhu Chun, Prince Xiangwang of Shu, who was made military governor of Sichuan, sent an executive official to take charge of building the Gongchen Tower and renovating the principal hall of the Cloud Platform Temple. In the fifth Tianshun year (1461), Abbots Xie Yingxuan and He Xuancheng solicited contributions to reconstruct the Gongchen Tower, which had been destroyed in ravages of war. In the second Chenghua year (1466), the prince of Shu sponsored building a hall with roofs of glazed tiles for the temple. In the tenth Zhengde year (1515), Emperor Wuzong of the Ming dynasty sent a chamberlain on a pilgrimage to the temple, with instructions to make a golden statue of [[The Jade Emperor]] ( 玉帝 Yudi ) and build jasper steps for the temple, an Imperial Jade Seal Terrace below the steps, and an Octagonal Tower on the terrace, which was titled "Tianyi Pavilion" as inscribed on its horizontal tablet. In the sixteenth Wanli year (1588), the prince of Shu bestowed money to build three stone gates. In the 27th year of the Ming dynasty (1599), Emperor Shenzong granted the temple a ''[[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ) and an imperial edict. (As for the Canon, part of it was later lost in the ravages of war, and the rest was handed over to Sichuan University in the 1940's and has been preserved to this day.) In the 32nd Wanli year, a fire broke out in the Cloud Platform Temple, and the Tianyi Pavilion and its two corridors were burnt down. Emperor Shenzong alotted money and sent a eunuch to reside in the temple to supervise its restoration. According to the "stele inscription on renovating the Cloud Platform Temple" written by Wan An of the Ming dynasty, the temple was restored over ten times in the Ming dynasty, resulting in its grand halls and large scale. In the eight year in the period of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing dynasty (1669), the Daoist Chen Qingjue came from [[Mt. Wudang]] to [[Mt. Qingcheng]] to spread [[The Dragon Gate Sect]] ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真 Quanzhen ). Zhang Qingyun, one of the five Daoists who accompanied Chen, became Abbot of the Cloud Platform Temple, and converted it into a temple of the Dragon Gate Sect. Another fire befell the temple in the 12th Guangxu year (1886). It burnt down the front hall and the Gongchen Tower. Santai County and other eight counties and villages around made donations for repair. The front hall and the Gongchen Tower were rebuilt into the Hall of Vanquishing Demons ( 降魔殿 Xiangmo Dian ) on their original ground. The existing buildings of the Ming and Qing dynasties of the Cloud Platform Temple include the Temple of the Mysterious Northern Heaven, the temple of the Three August Ones ( 三皇 Sanhuang ), the Hall of the City God ( 城隍 Chenghuang ), the Compassionate Salvation Pavilion, the Hall of the Black Dragon ( 青龍 Qinglong ), the Hall of the White Tiger ( 白虎 Baihu ), the Ten-Hall, the Nine-Room, the Hall of the Numinous Official ( 靈官殿 Lingguan Dian ), the Hall of Vanquishing Demons, the Scriptorium ( 藏經閣 Cangjing Ge ), the Hall of Zitong, the Hall of Mao'an (where founder Zhao Faying is worshiped), the Fragrant Pavilion, the wooden memorial archway, the bell tower, the drum-tower, the Returning Dragon Pavilion, the Long Corridor Pavilion, the stone ornamental columns, the cave gate, the triple gate, the Three Heavens gate, the Jade Belt Bridge, etc. They extended over one kilometre between the entrance and the Hall of the Mysterious Northern Heaven. The major building, the Mysterious Northern Heaven has a single-eaved roof. There are six columns and five rooms. All the dougong (sets of brackets on top of the columns supporting the beams within and roof eaves without) and wooden roof beams are decorated with colored drawings, and the colors remain bright up to the present. The roof of the hall is covered with yellow and green glazed tiles, which form three pieces of diamond patterns. Three iron statues of divinities are enshrined right in the middle of the hall. Another important building is the magnificent Hall of Vanquishing Demons. It has thirty ten-meter high columns, so big that two persons are needed to put their arms around them. In the principal hall, there is a clay sculpture of the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor ( 真武大帝 Zhenwu Dadi ) vanquishing demons. It is three meters high. The Great Perfect Warrior Emperor is barefooted. He bristles with anger, with a long sword in hand. In 1981, the Santai County Administration classified the Cloud Platform Temple as a historical and cultural site under state protection. In May, 1986, the temple was formally opened as a Daoist site. The Daoist Association of Santai County is just located in it. [[zh:雲台觀（四川三台縣）]] 2aa7eef09faa4211998a5f628b17d747061bf373 0 136 177 2009-07-27T08:38:16Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Situated in Jinhua Town, Shehong County, Sichuan, Mt. Jinhua was named Yandunling in Han Dynasty. In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Daoist Chen Xun came here to cultivate Dao in a hut....' wikitext text/x-wiki Situated in Jinhua Town, Shehong County, Sichuan, Mt. Jinhua was named Yandunling in Han Dynasty. In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Daoist Chen Xun came here to cultivate Dao in a hut. In the Tianjian Era (502-519) of the Liang, Emperor Wudi mandated to build the Jinhua Temple (Golden Flowers Temple) ( 金華觀Jionhua Guan ). At the time of the Taizong Emperor of the Tang, it was renamed Jiuhua Guan (Nine Flowers Temple) ( 九華觀Jiuhua Guan ). In the 2nd year (1065) of the Zhiping Era of the Song, the emperor bestowed the temple the name “Jade Capital Temple” ( 玉京觀Yujing Guan ). In the 2nd year (1315) of the Yanyou Era of the Yuan, Daoist priests rebuilt the temple and renamed it Jinhua Guan again. Experiencing repair many times in the Ming and Qing, the temple now still preserves over 20 halls and over 1000 very high ancient cypress trees. The main constructions of the temple include the Hundred-step Flying Rainbow Bridge, the Major Mountain Gate, the Minor Mountain Gate, the Southern Heavenly Gate, the Hall of Numinous Officers, the Hall of Celestial Masters, the Hall of Supreme Oneness, the Hall of the Eastern Sacred Mountain, the Hall of the King of Medicine, the Hall of the Perfect Warrior, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones, the Tower of Scriptures, the Pavilion of the Jade Emperor. All the constructions are built in accordance with the shape of the mountain. Row upon row in tiers higher and higher they form a grand sight. The main deity worshipped in Jinhua Mountain is [[The Patriarch Perfect Warrior]] ( 真武Zhenwu ). Every 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month the mountains hold a temple fair in memory of the date when the Perfect Warrior legendarily achieved Dao. Sites of interest in Jinhua Mountain also include the Platform of Study of Chen Zi’ang, a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty. Chen wrote a poem titled “Mounting Jinhua Temple in Spring”. Du Fu, the Saintly Poet, once visited the platform and wrote the poem titled “Visiting Mt. Jinhua Daoist Temple and Seeing the Remains of the School Gentleman Chen Attended”. Together with [[Mt. Qingcheng]] Daoist Temple, Black Sheep Temple ( 青羊宮Qingyang Gong ) in Chengdu, and Cloud Platform Temple ( 雲台觀Yuntai Gaun ) in Santai County, Mt. Jinhua Daoist Temple is known as one of the four most famous Daoist temples in Sichuan. [[zh:金華山道觀（四川射洪縣）]] ca401d054b214b63f4bd8acc225b2f1833e337d7 178 177 2009-07-27T08:38:57Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki Situated in Jinhua Town, Shehong County, Sichuan, Mt. Jinhua was named Yandunling in Han Dynasty. In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Daoist Chen Xun came here to cultivate Dao in a hut. In the Tianjian Era (502-519) of the Liang, Emperor Wudi mandated to build the Jinhua Temple (Golden Flowers Temple) ( 金華觀 Jionhua Guan ). At the time of the Taizong Emperor of the Tang, it was renamed Jiuhua Guan (Nine Flowers Temple) ( 九華觀 Jiuhua Guan ). In the 2nd year (1065) of the Zhiping Era of the Song, the emperor bestowed the temple the name “Jade Capital Temple” ( 玉京觀 Yujing Guan ). In the 2nd year (1315) of the Yanyou Era of the Yuan, Daoist priests rebuilt the temple and renamed it Jinhua Guan again. Experiencing repair many times in the Ming and Qing, the temple now still preserves over 20 halls and over 1000 very high ancient cypress trees. The main constructions of the temple include the Hundred-step Flying Rainbow Bridge, the Major Mountain Gate, the Minor Mountain Gate, the Southern Heavenly Gate, the Hall of Numinous Officers, the Hall of Celestial Masters, the Hall of Supreme Oneness, the Hall of the Eastern Sacred Mountain, the Hall of the King of Medicine, the Hall of the Perfect Warrior, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones, the Tower of Scriptures, the Pavilion of the Jade Emperor. All the constructions are built in accordance with the shape of the mountain. Row upon row in tiers higher and higher they form a grand sight. The main deity worshipped in Jinhua Mountain is [[The Patriarch Perfect Warrior]] ( 真武 Zhenwu ). Every 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month the mountains hold a temple fair in memory of the date when the Perfect Warrior legendarily achieved Dao. Sites of interest in Jinhua Mountain also include the Platform of Study of Chen Zi’ang, a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty. Chen wrote a poem titled “Mounting Jinhua Temple in Spring”. Du Fu, the Saintly Poet, once visited the platform and wrote the poem titled “Visiting Mt. Jinhua Daoist Temple and Seeing the Remains of the School Gentleman Chen Attended”. Together with [[Mt. Qingcheng]] Daoist Temple, Black Sheep Temple ( 青羊宮 Qingyang Gong ) in Chengdu, and Cloud Platform Temple ( 雲台觀 Yuntai Gaun ) in Santai County, Mt. Jinhua Daoist Temple is known as one of the four most famous Daoist temples in Sichuan. [[zh:金華山道觀（四川射洪縣）]] 4167dc261c66f9c5338e32826d1533995494f08e 0 137 179 2009-07-27T08:40:41Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Lying 20 kilometers north of the Pengxi County seat, Sichuan, the elegant Mt. Gaofeng (High Peak) is also called the High Phoenix Mountain, for its shape looks like a resting pho...' wikitext text/x-wiki Lying 20 kilometers north of the Pengxi County seat, Sichuan, the elegant Mt. Gaofeng (High Peak) is also called the High Phoenix Mountain, for its shape looks like a resting phoenix. Originally there was a Buddhist temple named Guangjiao Temple or Gaofeng Temple built in the early Tang. At the end of the Qing, Daoist priest Wang Yuanqing and his disciple Fan Mingqing (Dao name: Yunfeng or Cloudy Peak) lived here as guests. In October 1932, Li Weiru, Commander of the 29th corps, collected all public properties in Xichong and Pengxi, and the temple was in the list of the properties to be sold. Daoists Wang and Fan raised money by all means and succeeded in a bid for the temple and changed it into a Daoist temple. Fan Mingqing expanded this temple twice from 1932 to 1947 with money raised. The temple ten has over 200 rooms and over ten halls, such as the Hall of the Numinous Officer, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones, the Hall of the Jade Emperor, the Hall of the Patriarch, the Hall of the King of Medicine, and the Hall of the Three Teachings. The general arrangement of the constructions set four gates in the east, west, south and north according to the trigrams Qian, Kuan, Kan, Li. Simple and natural, the temple has its unique style. The temple has preserved over 300 tablets written by famous persons from the end of the Qing till the Republican period. At its prime the temple housed over 400 priests and workers. After the founding of the People’s Republic, the government attached great importance to Mt. Gaofeng Daoist Temple and issued documents many times to protect it. Though suffering some damage in the Cultural Revolution, the temple has still preserved over 230 rooms covering 4,800 m2, over 5,000 scenic trees and 1300 fruit trees. In 1986 the Suining People’s Government approved the temple to open as a site of Daoist activities and returned it to the hands of the Daoists. [[zh:高峰山道觀（四川蓬溪縣）]] e11573cbb326ee784dfdd87edca236f5029acc49 0 138 180 2009-07-27T08:48:42Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Situated on Qiqu Mountain 10 kilometers north of the Zitong county seat, Sichuan, Wenchang Temple in Zitong was originally the Shrine for Yazi founded by local people in memory o...' wikitext text/x-wiki Situated on Qiqu Mountain 10 kilometers north of the Zitong county seat, Sichuan, Wenchang Temple in Zitong was originally the Shrine for Yazi founded by local people in memory of Zhang Yazi ( 亞子祠Yazi Ci ), a local of Qiqu Mountain who died for his country in a war in the Jin Dynasty. Stories about Zhang manifesting himself spread among local people and they established a temple for him and worshipped him as the Zitong God ( 梓潼神Zitong Shen ). In the 3rd year (1316) of the Yanyou Era of the Yuan,the Renzong Emperor bestowed on the Zitong God the title “Imperial Sovereign Wenchang, Promoter of Benevolence and Controller of Wealth Who Serves the Origin and Initiates Salvation” ( 輔元開化文昌司祿宏仁帝君Fuyuan Kaihua Wenchang Silu Hongren Dijun ) and praised him as a loyal, pious, beneficent and righteous deity. From then on the Zitong God was united with Wenchang God and people consequently built the Wenchang Temple in the Qiqu Mountain. Expanded many times through the Yuan, Ming and Qing, the temple became a grand and complete ancient complex. Occupying 12,000 m2, the grand temple is composed of 23 groups of buildings from different times. The main buildings include the Hall of Wenchang, the Temple of Emperor Guan, the Tower of Wind Tunnel, the Hall of the White Bull, the Hall of the Patriarch in Charge of Plagues, the Pavilion of Timely Rain, the Hall of Familial Bliss and the Hall of the Heavenly Lord. Built in accordance to the shape of the mountain, the constructions form a very charming arrangement and show great momentum in their gold-plating tiles, multiple ridges and extruding wings. The Hundred-Feet Tower on the frontispiece is a construction of the Ming Dynasty famous in the Ba and Shu area and comparable to Yueyang Tower and Yellow Crane Tower, famous in Xiang and Chu Area. Completely exhibiting the constructive styles of different times from the Yuan till the Republican period, Wenchang Temple in Zitong is a very precious physical material for the study of Chinese architectural history. A national key protection unit of cultural relics, Qiqu Mountain, shining with the ancient constructions, ancient cypresses along an ancient road and zigzagged Tong River, is now both a sacred place for sacrificial rites and a beautiful scenic area. Every 1st to 15th of the 2nd lunar month and 8th lunar month, people hold Zitong Temple Fairs according to local tradition. [[zh:梓橦文昌宮（四川梓潼縣）]] 6bb3d986797b5998139f7783ff662a6bee6768c3 0 139 181 2009-07-27T09:00:24Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Dragon Spring Temple== The Dragon Spring Temple ( 龍泉觀 Longquan Guan ), which is also known as Mt. Longquan Daoist Temple, is situated on Mt. Longquan in the northern sub...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Dragon Spring Temple== The Dragon Spring Temple ( 龍泉觀 Longquan Guan ), which is also known as Mt. Longquan Daoist Temple, is situated on Mt. Longquan in the northern suburbs of Kunming City. Spring water gushes out of the Black Dragon Pond under the mountain, which, as the ancients believed, was inhabited by a flood dragon. In the period of the Nanzhao Kingdom of Dali, the local people prayed to the pond whenever floods or droughts occurred. The Dragon King ( 龍王 Longwang ) Temple was once built at the beginning of the Yuan dynasty, but it was destroyed in disasters of war afterwards. At the beginning of the Ming dynasty, Duke Houmu of Xiping "assumed that crops in the state would wither without the spring, and divinities wouldn't dwell in the unrepaired temple" ''(Records of Mt. Longquan Daoist Temple)'', so he constructed a Daoist temple to enshrine Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ) Zhang, and asked Daoist Xu Ritong to be its Abbot ( 住持 Zhuchi ). Later, when Daoist leader Liu Yuanran offended some influential officials and lived in Yunnan in banishment, he dwelled in the Dragon Spring Temple. Liu Yuanran had a great influence among the common people of Yunnan for his superior attainments in Daoism. "Whenever the Dian natives suffered severe calamities, they all went to him for aid, and any of their wishes was satisfied." During his stay in Yunnan, Liu Yuanran enrolled disciples extensively, the most famous of whom included Shao Yizheng and so on. Later, when recalled to the capital, Liu Yuanran specially recommended Shao Yizheng to the court and thereby Shao was appointed as Orthodox Oneness ( 正一 Zhengyi ) deputy of the Daoist Administration Office ( 道錄司 Daolusi ). Besides, Liu Yuanran "reported to the court, asking to establish three Daoist Discipline Offices ( 道紀司 Daojisi ) in Yunnan, Dali and Jinchi" ''(Records of the Shrine of Perfect Man ( 真人 Zhenren ) Changchun of the Dragon Spring Temple)''. Daoism thus developed vigorously within the boundaries of Yunnan. The Dian people once built an ancestral temple and a tomb of effects of Liu Yuanran in the Dragon Spring Temple to commemorate him. The existing buildings in the Dragon Spring Temple include the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ), [[The Jade Emperor]] ( 玉皇 Yuhuang ) Hall, the Founder's Hall, etc. However, nowadays the temple has no Daoist abbot, but has become part of the Black Dragon Pond Park. Up the steps of the park's boulevard is the entrance to the Dragon Spring Temple, where hangs a horizontal board inscribed with "Mystery Metropolis of the Purple Extreme". The temple is built along the axis of the middle ridge upward the mountain slope, well arranged and looking grand. Just behind the entrance stands the Founder's Hall, or the Hall of the Polar Star ( 北極 Beiji ). It is said the hall originally enshrined Bai Yuchan, the fifth master of the Southern Lineage of the Golden Elixir Sect ( 金丹派南宗 Jindanpai Nanzong ), but now it enshrines [[The Great Perfect Warrior Emperor of the Polar Star]] ( 北極真武大帝 Beijizhenwu Dadi ). To the east of the Founder's Hall is the Hall of the Perfect Man (which enshrines Perfect Man Changchun, Liu Yuanran) and behind it is the Jade Emperor Hall. To the east of the latter is the Hall of Wenchang, and behind it is the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones. Around the Dragon Spring Temple, old trees reach to the sky, and the surroundings are elegant. Today in the temple there are one plum tree of the Tang dynasty, two cypresses of the Song dynasty, a few firs of the Yuan dynasty, tea trees of the Ming dynasty, and yulan magnolias of the Qing dynasty, which add beauty to this Daoist temple. ==The Golden Hall in the Palace of Supreme Harmony ( 太和宮 Taihe Gong )== On a mountain named Mt. Mingfeng (singing phoenix) or Mt. Yingwu (parrot) in the northeastern suburbs of Kunming City, there is a Daoist temple named the Palace of Supreme Harmony. The big bronze hall inside the temple is just the "Golden Hall", which enjoys widespread renown. This hall was first built in the 13th Wanli year of the Ming dynasty (1602). According to legend, instructed by [[Lü Dongbin]], Chen Yongbin, the temporal imperial inspector (xunfu) of Yunnan, ordered the construction of the Palace of Supreme Harmony on Mt. Mingfeng and cast the bronze Hall of the Perfect Warrior in imitation of the temple and hall of the same name on [[Mt. Wudang]] in Hubei. In the tenth year of the reign of Emperor Chongzhen (1637), Imperial Inspector Zhang Fenghe moved the bronze hall to Mt. Jizu, Binchuan, Dali. In the tenth year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing dynasty (1671), Wu Sangui, King of Pingxi rebuilt a bronze hall on Mt. Mingfeng, which is just the present Golden Hall. It lies on two layers of marble base, and is built with a wood-structured, double-eaved-roof. The hall is 6.7 meters high, 7.8 meters wide, and 7.8 meters deep. It has 16 pillars and 36 lattice doors. The whole bronze hall weighs more than 250 tons. Enshrined right in the center of the hall is the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor; on his either side in attendance stand the Golden Lad and the Jade Maiden, and on their left and right are the two generals, tortoise and snake (all the divine statues are bronze statues). The bronze flags of the sun, the moon and the seven stars stand in the front of the hall. In 1982, the State Council acknowledged this hall as a major historical and cultural site under state protection. [[zh:龍泉觀、太和宮金殿（雲南昆明）]] 9357cd9afd10d0066138bf5964190cbf1e2162a7 0 140 182 2009-07-27T09:05:36Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Great Dragon Cave Temple ( 大龍洞道觀Dalongdong Daoguan ) is situated in Jiulong Shan (Nine Dragons Mountain) 10 kilometers north of Zhaotong City, Yunnan. In the deep woods...' wikitext text/x-wiki Great Dragon Cave Temple ( 大龍洞道觀Dalongdong Daoguan ) is situated in Jiulong Shan (Nine Dragons Mountain) 10 kilometers north of Zhaotong City, Yunnan. In the deep woods at the foot of the mountain, a pure spring flows out from a huge dragon-like rock in a big cave, which is thus named Great Dragon Cave. With fine water quality, the spring is one of the main water sources of Zhaotong City. According to a record on a tablet, at the time of the Qianlong Era (1736-1795), there was only a small shrine here for local people offering incense. During the Xianfeng Era (1851-1861) it was changed into a Daoist temple when Kuang Yongyao, a Daoist priest of [[The Dragon Gate Sect]] ( 龍門派Longmen Pai ) came to live here. During the Guanxu Era (1875━1908), Abbot Wu Yuanzheng repaired and extended the temple. Then priests Zhou Yongqing and Dai Zongcheng successively presided over the temple and made some repairs. The temple now has two main halls for Statues of Celestial Master Zhang, [[The Great Perfect Warrior Emperor]], [[Lü Dongbin]], [[Qiu Chuji]], the King of Medicine and [[The Three Officials]]. Besides, it has dozens of rooms, such as the gate-tower and side rooms. In the mountains and rivers, there are several alcoves and a stone boat. In 1982, the Great Dragon Cave Temple was opened as a park. In 1983, Zhaotong government invited a Daoist priest from Qingcheng Mountain, Sichuan to preside as abbot in the temple. Near mountains and rivers, Great Dragon Cave Temple has gorgeous scenery. With the progress in repair and development, it attracts more and more pilgrims and tourists. Every 8th of the 2nd lunar month Zhaotong people enjoy their traditional festival of “Playing in the Dragon Cave”. [[zh:大龍洞道觀（雲南昭通市）]] d940c0a05a7bdacd78a5a5ee910a5593b2f2120a 0 141 183 2009-07-27T09:16:04Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Mt. Weibao, or Mt. Wei, is situated in Dalizhou Huishan Yi and Hui Autonomous County of Yunnan Province. According to the general records of the mountain, [[The Five Pecks of Ric...' wikitext text/x-wiki Mt. Weibao, or Mt. Wei, is situated in Dalizhou Huishan Yi and Hui Autonomous County of Yunnan Province. According to the general records of the mountain, [[The Five Pecks of Rice Tradition]] ( 五斗米道 Wudou Midao ) founded by [[Zhang Ling]] of the Eastern Han dynasty once spread to this region, where many stories about Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ) Zhang still go round to this day. In the period of the Three Kingdoms, Meng Huo’s brother Meng You got books of immortality from an extraordinary person and settled on Mt. Weibao to aid the people with Magical Arts ( 方術 Fangshu ). Besides, local legend has it that [[The Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ) once enlightened the founder of the Nanzhao, Xinuluo on Mt. Weibao, and for this reason the imperial descendents of Nanzhao built the Hall of the Venerable Sovereign on the mountain in the Tang dynasty. Also, it is recorded in Chapter six in the Brief History of Dian by Xie Zhaozhe of the Ming dynasty that [[Du Guangting]], an eminent Tang Daoist, once propagated teachings on Mt. Weibao. Furthermore, the story goes among the people that [[Lü Dongbin]] once drifted to Mt. Weibao and disseminated doctrines there. Between the end of the Ming and the beginning of the Qing dynasty, a good many Daoists went to Mt. Weibao, being hermits there and cultivating themselves, taking in disciples and spreading teachings. Moreover, in addition to the already existing hall and temples, such as the Mountain-Inspecting Hall, the Wenchang Temple, the Mountain Spirit Temple, and the Dragon King Temple ( 龍王廟 Longwang Miao ), they set up over twenty new halls and temples, including the Green Cloud Temple, the Jade Emperor ( 玉皇 Yuhuang ) Pavilion, the Hall of the Three Officials ( 三官殿 Sanguan Dian ), the Hall of Three Masters, the Hall of the Three August Ones ( 三皇 Sanhuang ), the Kui Star Pavilion, the Big Dipper ( 斗姥 Doumu ) Pavilion, the Infinity ( 無極 Wuji ) Hall, the Emerald Cloud Temple, the Cloud and Crane Temple, the Dao Origin Temple, the Hall of the Spirit of Wealth ( 財神 Caishen ), etc. In the Qing dynasty, Daoism on Mt. Weibao developed to great prosperity. It attracted the largest number of worshippers in history, and hundreds of Daoists entered into the religion for cultivation on this mountain, which became a Daoist sacred site. The existing temples on Mt. Weibao are compactly and neatly arranged, double-eaved and standing high, shaped with evident features of ancient buildings of the minority nationalities and local characteristics. The mural paintings in the temples involve rich and varied subjects, and the images are lifelike and vivid. The Mountain-Inspecting Hall is the main hall on Mt. Weibao. It was so named because it was said that the Supreme Venerable Sovereign once honored Xinuluo, founder of Nanzhao, as Mountain-Inspecting King. The local fellowmen of the Yi nationality hold Ancestor Worship ( 祭祖 Jizu ) ceremonies twice a year in this hall. In the period of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing dynasty, the local people initiated the Temple Fair ( 廟會 Miaohui ) of pilgrimage to Mt. Weibao, which lasted half a month---- from the first to the fifteenth day of the second lunar month. This activity gradually declined in the period of the Republic of China. In recent years, with the implementation of the policy of freedom of religious belief and the development of the tourist industry, the Temple Fair of Mt. Weibao has been rejuvenated, and meanwhile, the traditional concert of Cavern Scripture Music ( 洞經音樂 Dongjing Yinyue ) and the Yi nationality’s singing festival on Mt. Weibao have been revived. [[zh:巍寶山道觀（雲南巍山縣）]] ca0dd0ec75c2a3a29783b86e3e5e09f818d46df4 0 142 184 2009-07-28T01:34:05Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Mt. Yunfeng, also called Mt. Jian, is situated to the northwest of the county seat of Tengchong County, Yunnan Province. Its highest peak is 2,445 meters high. Mt. Yunfeng Daoist...' wikitext text/x-wiki Mt. Yunfeng, also called Mt. Jian, is situated to the northwest of the county seat of Tengchong County, Yunnan Province. Its highest peak is 2,445 meters high. Mt. Yunfeng Daoist Temple was initially built in the Ming dynasty. According to legend, at that time someone chased a deer to the top of the mountain, but the deer disappeared suddenly, only leaving footprints on the stones. Thinking it supernatural, he built a temple on the mountain. The Ming Geographer Xu Xiake climbed Mt. Yufeng in the 12th year of the reign period of Emperor Chongzhen (1639). In his diary he wrote, “The top (of the mountain) is five zhang across from east to west and half that distance from north to south. In the center stands [[The Jade Emperor]] ( 玉皇 Yuhuang ) Pavilion. Worshipped in the part of its three front columns is the Great Man in White (Guanyin), and worshipped in the part of its three back columns are the Sages of the Three Doctrines ( 三教 Sanjiao )”; “The southern and northern wings hang half in the air”; “The northern wing enshrines [[The Perfect Warrior]] ( 真武 Zhenwu ), while the southern one enshrines the Mountain Spirit.” Mt. Yunfeng Daoist Temple reached its heyday between the end of the Ming dynasty and the beginning of the Qing dynasty. In that period the buildings included the Jade Emperor Pavilion, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ), the Hall of Patriarch ( 祖 Zu ) Lü, and the Hall of the Perfect Warrior at the mountaintop, the Temple of Emperor Guan ( 關帝 Guandi ) at the mountainside, and the temple of Myriad Blessings and the Temple of Initiation at the piedmont. During history, the temples were destroyed and reconstructed several times. During the “Great Cultural Revolution”, most of the temples on the mountain were damaged, and only a few dilapidated rooms remained. In the 1980s, the Jade Emperor7 Pavilion, and the Hall of Patriarch Lü and other temples were rebuilt one after another and basically restored to their original appearance. In 1983, Mt. Yunfeng Daoist Temple was classified as county-level major historical and cultural site under state protection. In 1988, the Daoist Association of Tengchong County was moved to this temple. Most temples on the mountain were built on rocks at the mountaintop. With the distinctive upturned eaves high up in the air, this architectural complex enjoys the laudatory title “immortal metropolis in the air”. The “three-section zigzagged scaling steps” through cliffs and precipices are renowned as the best of the twelve landscapes in Tengchong. Mt. Yunfeng is a famous Daoist sacred place and scenic spot in western Dian. During the annual mountain fair and temple fair, a continuous flow of sightseers and worshippers tour or pilgrimage to this mountain. [[zh:雲峰山道觀（雲南騰衝縣）]] e1825f0f9c91f086bb3a12c9242794c692b4b50a 0 143 185 2009-07-28T02:08:44Z Admin 1 Created page with '==History== The Lookout Tower Platform ( 樓台觀 Louguantai ) is the place where [[Laozi]] preached ''[[The Book of Dao and its Virtue]]'' ( 道徳經 Daode Jing ). It is so ca...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==History== The Lookout Tower Platform ( 樓台觀 Louguantai ) is the place where [[Laozi]] preached ''[[The Book of Dao and its Virtue]]'' ( 道徳經 Daode Jing ). It is so called because Yin Xi, a senior official of the Zhou dynasty who had a good command of astronomy and astrology, built a straw tower there to observe constellations and clouds. He welcomed Laozi to preach scriptures and doctrines at this place. Therefore, the Lookout Tower Platform can be considered to be the origin of the culture of philosophical Daoism and a Daoist ancestral court, an Immortal Metropolis and a sacred site. From the Zhou to the Qing dynasties, over sixty emperors went there in person or sent officials to worship Laozi over a hundred times, and sponsored constructions many times. For example, emperor Shihuang of the Qin dynasty built the Pristine Temple in front of the straw tower, emperor Wudi of the Han dynasty set up the Gazing Immortals Temple there, and emperor Gaozu of the Tang dynasty established the Worshiping Sages Temple as the imperial ancestral temple. ==Present Situation== The Lookout Tower Platform is an independent religious community directed by the Daoist association of Xi'an City, Shanxi Province, one of the first large temples opened in present China, the largest Temple of the Ten Directions ( 十方叢林 Shifang Conglin ) in the northwest, and one of the ten great scenic spots of Xi'an. It often receives people from home and abroad who go for sightseeing or pilgrimage, and is the site of prayers for blessings and good fortune for pilgrims and believers. For example, in 1998, both the German Chen Lineage Taijiquan association and the Taiwan Daoist Culture Meeting for Exchange Between the Two Banks of the Strait of Taiwan gathered there for communication. As a temple of [[The Dragon Gate Sect]] ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ), the Lookout Tower Platform is managed according to the traditional rules of Daoist temples, which have been combined with modern management experience into a unique system. The temple has raised a generation of Daoist priests versed in Daoist rituals of Fasts and Offering ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ), Cultivation and Refinement ( 修煉 Xiulian ) and Nourishing Life ( 養生 Yangsheng ), Martial Arts and medicine, and the Eight Trigrams ( 八卦 Bagua ) of ''[[The Book of Changes]]'' ( 易經 Yijing ). ==Geography== Located in the northern foothills of the Qinling Mountains fifteen kilometers southeast of Zhouzhi County of Xi'an, it is 60 kilometers distant from Xi'an and 65 kilometers away from Xianyang International Airport. It is adjacent to the hut where Kumarajiva translated Buddhist scriptures in the east, close to Chongyang Temple, the ancestral court of the Complete Perfection Tradition, and adjoins Xianyou Temple and the site of the key construction project for drawing water from the Heihe River in the west. Its northwest flank faces Famen Temple, its central north side faces the Qian Tomb of Wu Zetian, its south leans on the Qinling Mountains, and its southwest corner points to Taibai Mountain. With the Lookout Tower Platform at the center, the net of Daoist culture radiating through the central Shanxi plain takes shape. It is usually called "the Zhongnan Blissful Realm ( 福地 Fudi )". ==Construction Arrangement== The Lookout Tower Platform, with its pleasant circumstances, peaceful ravine and clear spring, luxuriant and tall forests, is famed as "the First Blissful Realm in the world". In this scenic spot, marvelous peaks and steep cliffs, waterfalls and water-eroded caves, zigzagging rivers and thermal springs, rare flowers and exotic plants are found everywhere. The historic relics of temples, towers, platforms, caves, and springs, etc. of the Lookout Tower Platform spread all over the place. There are over 60 relics, such as Yuhua Temple, Patriarch Lü 's Cave, Laozi's Tomb, the Queen Mother Temple, and the like. The stone tablets in the temple total more than 90, such as the ''Records of the Imperial Temple of the Great Tang Dynasty'' ( 大唐宗聖觀記 Datangzong Shengguan Ji ) written by Ouyang Xun and The ''Ancient Laozi'' written in sealed characters by Gao Wenju of the Yuan dynasty. Eminent Daoists and writers, such as Zhongli Quan, Lü Dongbin, Li Bai, Bai juyi and Su Shi, have left a number of beautiful poems at the Lookout Tower Platform through the ages. ==Contact== '''Address:''' Lookout Tower Platform scenic spot, Zhouzhi County, Shanxi Province. '''Director:''' Abbot Ren Farong Postal Address: Lookout Tower Platform, Zhouzhi County, Shanxi Province (postal code: 710402) '''Telephone:''' 8629-8988044 '''Fax:''' 8629-8988093 '''Route:''' along Longhai Road and the No. 108 National Road 52dba55033eac44876575abaa4e4a236a4c865f5 0 144 186 2009-07-28T02:26:24Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Eight Immortals Temple ( 八仙宮 Baxian Gong ) (baxian gong), which was called "baxian an" (eight immortal temple) in ancient times, is located at Changle Lane, Dongguan of...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Eight Immortals Temple ( 八仙宮 Baxian Gong ) (baxian gong), which was called "baxian an" (eight immortal temple) in ancient times, is located at Changle Lane, Dongguan of Xi'an city, the seat of Xingqing Temple of the Tang dynasty. It is said that during the Tang dyansty this place was "Chang'an wineshop", where [[Lü Dongbin]] was transformed by [[Zhongli Quan]] and became a Daoist while drinking. It is also said that as the sound of thunder underground was often vaguely heard, a Thunder Spirit Temple was built up to guard the place. At the end of the Song dynasty, a student named Zheng rested at the temple and encountered [[The Eight Immortals]] who traveled to dine there. Thus the legend of the "Eight Immortals" came into existence. During the Jin and Yuan dynasties, [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真 Quanzhen ) thrived and constructed a building named "baxian an". This temple had become a well-known Daoist temple in the Ming dynasty. In the first Kangxi years of the Qing dynasty, a celebrated Daoist Ren Tianran renovated the temple and expanded the eastern court. At that time, Ren Tianran opened the altar and transmitted precepts, turning "baxian an" into one of the Temples of the Ten Directions ( 十方叢林 Shifang Conglin ) of the Complete Perfection Tradition. In the 11th Jiaqing year (1806), the alms-begging Daoist Dong Qingqi (who was called "bare-footed Perfect Man ( 真人 Zhenren ) Dong" by his contemporaries for roaming the world barefoot all the year round) from Zhengzhou, Henan became the abbot of the temple. He begged for alms and raised money to repair the halls and build the western court. Afterwards, eminent Daoists such as Han Heyi, Liu Helun, Zhu Jiaoxian and the like stayed here. They all made good contribution. During the Gengzi turmoil in the 26th Guangxu year (1900), empress dowager Cixi took emperor Guangxu to escape to Xi'an. During their stay in Xi'an, Cixi often visited "banxian an", burning incenses and worshiping spirits to divert herself from melancholy and terror. A clump of green peonies in the western garden of the temple most pleased her, and she drew a central scroll of peony specially and bestowed it to the temple. Li Zongyang, the abbot at that time, was treated especially well by Cixi. He was conferred the title "Perfect Man Wearing Jade Hat and Dressed in Purple Robe" and a tablet inscribed with the words "supreme Dao of Jade Purity". In addition, he was given 1,000 liang silver to build temples. After Cixi returned, she granted the temple the title "Longevity Temple of the Eight Immortals at the Eastern Pass of Xi'an" ( 西安東關萬壽八仙宮 Xi’an Dongguan Wanshou Baxian Gong ), and thus "baxian an" was promoted to be the Eight Immortals Temple. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the government once appropriated money to repair the temple in 1958. During the "Cultural Revolution", the temple suffered from damage. After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, the Chinese Communist Party renovated the Eight Immortals Temple and made this famous Daoist spot display a new appearance. The renovated temple is located in the north and faces south. The whole building covers over 8,200 square meters. It basically keeps the arrangement of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The temple is divided at the central court between the eastern and western yards. The central part consists of the great screen wall, the memorial archway, the market, the mountain gate, the Hall of Numinous Officials ( 靈官殿 Lingguan Dian ), the Hall of the Eight Immortals, and the Hall of [[The Big Dipper]] ( 斗姥 Doumu ) from the front to the back. The eastern buildings include the Hall of Patriarch Lü, the Hall of the King of Medicine, the Hall of Spirit Taibai, the kitchen, and the living quarters. The western buildings include the Hall of Patriarch Qiu, the inspector's house, the Yunyin Hall, and the office of the municipal Daoist association. The central court is separated from the eastern and western yards by the stele corridor and wing-rooms. The whole group of buildings is arranged well and put in good order. It takes on an impressive and dignified look. The main hall of the temple is the Eight Immortals Hall. There is a tablet with the emperor's inscription "precious registers transmitted by immortals" on its gate. In the hall, the Imperial Sovereign Donghua ( 東華帝君 Donghua Dijun ) sits uprightly in the middle and the eight immortals sit on either side. The Eight Immortals Temple has been recognized by the State Council as a national key temple. ==Contact== '''Address:''' the Eastern Pass, Xi'an, Shanxi '''Traveling route:''' go by city bus in Xi'an '''Tele:''' 86-29-3237725, 2480994 79ceea1c2144546adb2623cf0c0a892b626cf763 187 186 2009-07-28T02:31:24Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki The Eight Immortals Temple ( 八仙宮 Baxian Gong ) (baxian gong), which was called "baxian an" (eight immortal temple) in ancient times, is located at Changle Lane, Dongguan of Xi'an city, the seat of Xingqing Temple of the Tang dynasty. It is said that during the Tang dyansty this place was "Chang'an wineshop", where [[Lü Dongbin]] was transformed by [[Zhongli Quan]] and became a Daoist while drinking. It is also said that as the sound of thunder underground was often vaguely heard, a Thunder Spirit Temple was built up to guard the place. At the end of the Song dynasty, a student named Zheng rested at the temple and encountered [[The Eight Immortals]] who traveled to dine there. Thus the legend of the "Eight Immortals" came into existence. During the Jin and Yuan dynasties, [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真 Quanzhen ) thrived and constructed a building named "baxian an". This temple had become a well-known Daoist temple in the Ming dynasty. In the first Kangxi years of the Qing dynasty, a celebrated Daoist Ren Tianran renovated the temple and expanded the eastern court. At that time, Ren Tianran opened the altar and transmitted precepts, turning "baxian an" into one of the Temples of the Ten Directions ( 十方叢林 Shifang Conglin ) of the Complete Perfection Tradition. In the 11th Jiaqing year (1806), the alms-begging Daoist Dong Qingqi (who was called "bare-footed Perfect Man ( 真人 Zhenren ) Dong" by his contemporaries for roaming the world barefoot all the year round) from Zhengzhou, Henan became the abbot of the temple. He begged for alms and raised money to repair the halls and build the western court. Afterwards, eminent Daoists such as Han Heyi, Liu Helun, Zhu Jiaoxian and the like stayed here. They all made good contribution. During the Gengzi turmoil in the 26th Guangxu year (1900), empress dowager Cixi took emperor Guangxu to escape to Xi'an. During their stay in Xi'an, Cixi often visited "banxian an", burning incenses and worshiping spirits to divert herself from melancholy and terror. A clump of green peonies in the western garden of the temple most pleased her, and she drew a central scroll of peony specially and bestowed it to the temple. Li Zongyang, the abbot at that time, was treated especially well by Cixi. He was conferred the title "Perfect Man Wearing Jade Hat and Dressed in Purple Robe" and a tablet inscribed with the words "supreme Dao of Jade Purity". In addition, he was given 1,000 liang silver to build temples. After Cixi returned, she granted the temple the title "Longevity Temple of the Eight Immortals at the Eastern Pass of Xi'an" ( 西安東關萬壽八仙宮 Xi’an Dongguan Wanshou Baxian Gong ), and thus "baxian an" was promoted to be the Eight Immortals Temple. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the government once appropriated money to repair the temple in 1958. During the "Cultural Revolution", the temple suffered from damage. After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, the Chinese Communist Party renovated the Eight Immortals Temple and made this famous Daoist spot display a new appearance. The renovated temple is located in the north and faces south. The whole building covers over 8,200 square meters. It basically keeps the arrangement of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The temple is divided at the central court between the eastern and western yards. The central part consists of the great screen wall, the memorial archway, the market, the mountain gate, the Hall of Numinous Officials ( 靈官殿 Lingguan Dian ), the Hall of the Eight Immortals, and the Hall of [[The Big Dipper]] ( 斗姥 Doumu ) from the front to the back. The eastern buildings include the Hall of Patriarch Lü, the Hall of the King of Medicine, the Hall of Spirit Taibai, the kitchen, and the living quarters. The western buildings include the Hall of Patriarch Qiu, the inspector's house, the Yunyin Hall, and the office of the municipal Daoist association. The central court is separated from the eastern and western yards by the stele corridor and wing-rooms. The whole group of buildings is arranged well and put in good order. It takes on an impressive and dignified look. The main hall of the temple is the Eight Immortals Hall. There is a tablet with the emperor's inscription "precious registers transmitted by immortals" on its gate. In the hall, the Imperial Sovereign Donghua ( 東華帝君 Donghua Dijun ) sits uprightly in the middle and the eight immortals sit on either side. The Eight Immortals Temple has been recognized by the State Council as a national key temple. ==Contact== '''Address:''' the Eastern Pass, Xi'an, Shanxi '''Traveling route:''' go by city bus in Xi'an '''Tele:''' 86-29-3237725, 2480994 [[zh:八仙宮（陝西西安巿）]] afe171d4cddff84b07bec0a1ea3f07cdfba8a895 0 145 188 2009-07-28T02:31:45Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Lying in the Yuan Mountain at the northern suburb of Baoji, Shaanxi, the Golden Platform Temple ( 金台觀 Golden Platform Temple ) was founded during end of the Yuan and at the...' wikitext text/x-wiki Lying in the Yuan Mountain at the northern suburb of Baoji, Shaanxi, the Golden Platform Temple ( 金台觀 Golden Platform Temple ) was founded during end of the Yuan and at the beginning of Ming, as the place where [[Zhang Sanfeng]], the most famous Daoist then, cultivated Dao. According to Vol. 299 of the History of the Ming Dynasty, “Zhang Sanfeng was a local of Yi Prefecture, Liaodong area. He was named Quanyi and also Quanbao with the title Sanfeng. ……Hearing of his fame, the Taizu Emperor sent envoys for him in the 24th year （1391） of the Hong Era but in vain. Later, he lived in the Golden Platform Temple in Baoji.” The Golden Platform Temple has three parts: the middle courtyard, the east side courtyard and the west side courtyard. The Main constructions and places of interest include the Pavilion of the Jade Emperor, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones, the Hall of Patriarch Lü, the Hall of Compassionate Salvation, the Pavilion of Trigrams, the Cave of Holy Mother, the Cave of Sanfeng, the Cave of the King of Medicine, the Cave Toward the Sun, etc. In the temple stands a high platform from where one can get a sight of the whole city. After the founding of the People’s Republic, the government allocated money many times to repair the ancient buildings and later founded a museum exhibiting many bronze wares of the Western Zhou period and made the temple famous far and near. Every 3rd of the 3rd lunar month and 10th of the 10th lunar month, people hold a Golden Platform Temple Fair and enjoy the activities such as performances of local operas as Qinqiang ( 秦腔 Qinqiang ). [[zh:金台觀（陝西寶雞市）]] d80b9bcdad720553704b5b1620301889739e84cb 0 146 189 2009-07-28T02:52:36Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Yan'an has a famous Daoist scenic spot, Supreme Harmony Mountain ( 太和山 Taihe Shan ). Also called Heavenly Mountain and Lotus Peak, it lies at the top of Cool Mountain to th...' wikitext text/x-wiki Yan'an has a famous Daoist scenic spot, Supreme Harmony Mountain ( 太和山 Taihe Shan ). Also called Heavenly Mountain and Lotus Peak, it lies at the top of Cool Mountain to the north of Yan'an city. Nearby, the Jialing Mountain with a pagoda lies to its south and Phoenix Mountain to its west. A long-standing saying goes: "Among the three mountains, Supreme Harmony is the first." According to historical materials, a Daoist priest named Xun Daoxu erected Purple Pole Palace ( 紫極宮 Ziji Gong ) on Supreme Harmony Mountain in the Yuanfeng Era (1078--1085) in the Northern Song. Mijasahasu, Duke of the Ren State and Grand Governor of Troops in Yan'an Prefecture, rebuilt the Purple Sublimity Hall of the North Pole in the 10th year of the Dading Era in the Jin Dynasty. In the Hongwu Era (1368-1398) of the Ming Dynasty, the government established a Daoist Discipline Office ( 道紀司 Daoji Si ) in the Purple Pole Palace on Supreme Harmony Mountain. After ascending to the throne, the Chengzu Emperor mandated that Taoist temples be built all over the country in thanks to deities' bliss. Under imperial order, Supreme Harmony Mountain enlarged its Daoist halls. In the 15th year (1536) of the Jiajing Era, the Hall of the Perfect Warrior ( 真武殿 Zhenwu Dian ) was built. In the 5th year (1577) of the Wanli Era, Hong Jiyuan, the Governor of Yan'an Prefecture, had the Hall of the Perfect Warrior rebuilt into a magnificent and prosperous temple. In the 39th year (1774) of the Qianlong Era of the Qing Dynasty, people had the Hall of the Holy Grandpa and Holy Grandma ( 聖公聖母殿 Shenggong Shengmu Dian ) rebuilt. Temples on Supreme Harmony Mountain remained in good condition and complete till the end of the Qing and the beginning of the Republic. The main temple of the mountain, the Temple of the Perfect Warrior, or the Palace of Supreme Harmony, lies on the mountain top, the Lotus Peak. It reached its prime in size during the Ming. After damage by wars in the Tongzhi Era (1862-1874) of the Qing, it was restored in the Guangxu Era (1875-1908). In 1938, the Palace of Supreme Harmony suffered from the Japanese invaders'bombs and only one hall, a bronze statue of the Perfect Warrior, a bronze bell, and a mountain gate survived. The People's Government rebuilt the temple twice in 1956 and 1960. After the great calamity of the Cultural Revolution, the Palace of Supreme Harmony almost disappeared except for the basement of the great hall and vestiges of the stone steps to the mountain. In 1985, the religious policy was implemented in Supreme Harmony Mountain. With the support of the Provincial Daoist Association, local Daoist followers collected money and rebuilt the Great Hall of [[The Perfect Warrior Ancestor]] ( 真武祖師大殿 Zhenwu Zushi Dadian ), the Hall of the Four Heavenly Kings ( 四大天王殿 Sida Tianwang Dian ), the Hall of [[The Jade Emperor]] ( 玉皇殿 Yuhuang Dian ), the Hall of [[Guanyin]] ( 觀音殿 Guanyin Dian ), the Hall of [[The Fortune God]] ( 財神殿 Caishen Dian ), the Hall of the Dragon King ( 龍王殿 Longwang Dian ), and the Hall of the Primal Stars ( 元辰殿 Yuanchen Dian ). They also built a paved road and water duct to the mountain. In the 1990s, the Daoist Administration Committee carried out a series of construction projects, including 57 halls and a music hall. Thousands of pine trees planted around the temple beautified the mountain and Yan'an. The present Supreme Harmony Mountain is large and prosperous. It has four traditional temple fairs each year: #The 1st to the 15th of the first lunar month; # The 28th of the third lunar month to the 10th of the fourth month; # The 13th to the 15th of the sixth lunar month; # The 9th to the 11th of the ninth lunar month. 68efb4dcf3d22b8faf4109efd7f237b2a7239565 190 189 2009-07-28T02:53:30Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki Yan'an has a famous Daoist scenic spot, Supreme Harmony Mountain ( 太和山 Taihe Shan ). Also called Heavenly Mountain and Lotus Peak, it lies at the top of Cool Mountain to the north of Yan'an city. Nearby, the Jialing Mountain with a pagoda lies to its south and Phoenix Mountain to its west. A long-standing saying goes: "Among the three mountains, Supreme Harmony is the first." According to historical materials, a Daoist priest named Xun Daoxu erected Purple Pole Palace ( 紫極宮 Ziji Gong ) on Supreme Harmony Mountain in the Yuanfeng Era (1078--1085) in the Northern Song. Mijasahasu, Duke of the Ren State and Grand Governor of Troops in Yan'an Prefecture, rebuilt the Purple Sublimity Hall of the North Pole in the 10th year of the Dading Era in the Jin Dynasty. In the Hongwu Era (1368-1398) of the Ming Dynasty, the government established a Daoist Discipline Office ( 道紀司 Daoji Si ) in the Purple Pole Palace on Supreme Harmony Mountain. After ascending to the throne, the Chengzu Emperor mandated that Taoist temples be built all over the country in thanks to deities' bliss. Under imperial order, Supreme Harmony Mountain enlarged its Daoist halls. In the 15th year (1536) of the Jiajing Era, the Hall of the Perfect Warrior ( 真武殿 Zhenwu Dian ) was built. In the 5th year (1577) of the Wanli Era, Hong Jiyuan, the Governor of Yan'an Prefecture, had the Hall of the Perfect Warrior rebuilt into a magnificent and prosperous temple. In the 39th year (1774) of the Qianlong Era of the Qing Dynasty, people had the Hall of the Holy Grandpa and Holy Grandma ( 聖公聖母殿 Shenggong Shengmu Dian ) rebuilt. Temples on Supreme Harmony Mountain remained in good condition and complete till the end of the Qing and the beginning of the Republic. The main temple of the mountain, the Temple of the Perfect Warrior, or the Palace of Supreme Harmony, lies on the mountain top, the Lotus Peak. It reached its prime in size during the Ming. After damage by wars in the Tongzhi Era (1862-1874) of the Qing, it was restored in the Guangxu Era (1875-1908). In 1938, the Palace of Supreme Harmony suffered from the Japanese invaders'bombs and only one hall, a bronze statue of the Perfect Warrior, a bronze bell, and a mountain gate survived. The People's Government rebuilt the temple twice in 1956 and 1960. After the great calamity of the Cultural Revolution, the Palace of Supreme Harmony almost disappeared except for the basement of the great hall and vestiges of the stone steps to the mountain. In 1985, the religious policy was implemented in Supreme Harmony Mountain. With the support of the Provincial Daoist Association, local Daoist followers collected money and rebuilt the Great Hall of [[The Perfect Warrior Ancestor]] ( 真武祖師大殿 Zhenwu Zushi Dadian ), the Hall of the Four Heavenly Kings ( 四大天王殿 Sida Tianwang Dian ), the Hall of [[The Jade Emperor]] ( 玉皇殿 Yuhuang Dian ), the Hall of [[Guanyin]] ( 觀音殿 Guanyin Dian ), the Hall of [[The Fortune God]] ( 財神殿 Caishen Dian ), the Hall of the Dragon King ( 龍王殿 Longwang Dian ), and the Hall of the Primal Stars ( 元辰殿 Yuanchen Dian ). They also built a paved road and water duct to the mountain. In the 1990s, the Daoist Administration Committee carried out a series of construction projects, including 57 halls and a music hall. Thousands of pine trees planted around the temple beautified the mountain and Yan'an. The present Supreme Harmony Mountain is large and prosperous. It has four traditional temple fairs each year: #The 1st to the 15th of the first lunar month; # The 28th of the third lunar month to the 10th of the fourth month; # The 13th to the 15th of the sixth lunar month; # The 9th to the 11th of the ninth lunar month. [[zh:太和宮（陝西延安市）]] 80dea2b493e700c5ede87056c14314cfc63a2284 0 147 191 2009-07-28T02:56:12Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Lying at the north valley entrance of Mt. Hua in Huayin County, Shanxi Province, Jade Spring Temple ( 玉泉院 Yuquan Yuan ) was the place where Chen Tuan, a famous Daoist of th...' wikitext text/x-wiki Lying at the north valley entrance of Mt. Hua in Huayin County, Shanxi Province, Jade Spring Temple ( 玉泉院 Yuquan Yuan ) was the place where Chen Tuan, a famous Daoist of the Northern Song, isolated himsedf for cultivation. After his passing away, Chen's disciples built the Xiyi Shrine in memory of him, in the Chunyou Era of the Northern Song. Enlarged several times in the Qing Dynasty, it was renamed Jade Spring Temple after a pure spring which, according to legend, connects to the Jade Well in the Mountain Guarding Temple ( 鎮岳宮 Zhenyue Gong ) on the mountain top. Repaired many times with its long corridor enlarged, the temple is now splendid in green and gold with many pavilions, platforms and towers. It has three parts in east, middle and west. The main structure in the middle is the Xiyi Shrine ( 希夷祠 Xiyi Ci ), a quadrangled courtyard. A statue of Chen Tuan sits in the Main Hall of Ancestor Chen Tuan. A Guesthouse and dorms, simple in black bricks and blue tiles, lie along the east and west. In the courtyard lies the Tablet for Establishing Offerings ( 建醮碑 Jianjiao Bei ) by Chen's disciple Jia Desheng. The Tablet is precious material for the study of offering rituals in Northern Song Dynasty. To the west of Jade Spring Temple lie a cloister, a stone ship, the Carefree Pavilion, the Purity Hall, Xiyi cave, Mountain Herb Pavilion, etc. Legendarily built by Chen Tuan, the Mountain Herb Pavilion stands on a huge rock beside a Carefree Tree, also legendarily planted by him. The lively stone carved image of Chen Tuan in Xiyi cave is a fine and ingenious masterpiece of Song Dynasty. At the east of the Jade Spring Temple lie Tomb of Huatuo, a cloister and twelve caves, etc. Availing itself of the beautiful natural environment, Jade Spring Temple is a garden of interest combining mountain and river with bamboo, fog, peaks, pavilions, and cloisters. In 1982, it was approved as one of the key temples of the nation. [[zh:華山玉泉院（陝西華陰市）]] 24a5228bd2b1e96943f8ab07ab645f115631472d 0 148 192 2009-07-28T03:00:22Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Originally named the Nine Heavens Palace ( 九天宮 Jiutian Gong ), the East Dao Temple ( 東道院 Dongdao Yuan ) lies at Qingke Ping, about 10km from the valley entrance of Mt...' wikitext text/x-wiki Originally named the Nine Heavens Palace ( 九天宮 Jiutian Gong ), the East Dao Temple ( 東道院 Dongdao Yuan ) lies at Qingke Ping, about 10km from the valley entrance of Mt. Hua in Huayin County, Shanxi Province. Because it lies to the east of Qingke Bridge, people call it the East Dao Temple. During the Wanli Era (573--1620) of the Ming Dynasty, a Supreme Hua College lied here. In the 53rd year (1714) of the Kangxi Era in the Qing Dynasty, Daoist priest Yun Lihui rebuilt the college as the Nine Heavens Palace. Facing the east, the temple was small, with three main halls and about as many rooms as Daoist dorms, etc. The main hall was for the worship of Mysterious Maiden of the Nine Heavens ( 九天玄女 Jiutian Xuannü ), so it was originally named the Nine Heavens Palace. In 1950 and 1982, the temple was greatly repaired. Several pagoda trees of the Tang Dynasty stand in leafy profusion at the north of the temple. To the south lie Peach Blossom Cave ( 桃花洞 Taohua Dong ), White Coat Cave ( 白衣洞 Baiyi Dong ), and Snowflake Cave ( 雪花洞 Xuehua Dong ), which were excavated in the Yuan Dynasty. Now a branch temple of Jade Spring Temple ( 玉泉院 Yuquan Yuan ) , East Dao Temple belongs to Complete Perfection ( 全真 Quanzhen ) Daoists. In 1982, the temple was approved as one of the key temples of the state. [[zh:華山東道院（陝西華陰市）]] 280bcceadd17ec16f2f1889c38f77f24547df39e 0 149 193 2009-07-28T03:03:03Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Formerly named the Upper Palace ( 上宮 Shang Gong ), the Mountain Guarding Temple ( 鎮岳宮 Zhenyue Gong ) lies in a valley between three peaks, i.e. the Jade Maiden Peak, th...' wikitext text/x-wiki Formerly named the Upper Palace ( 上宮 Shang Gong ), the Mountain Guarding Temple ( 鎮岳宮 Zhenyue Gong ) lies in a valley between three peaks, i.e. the Jade Maiden Peak, the Lotus Peak, and the Descending Wild Goose. Constructed against a crag, it has one courtyard with three wooden chambers as its main hall. In ancient times, people called the Mountain Guarding Temple as the"Jade Well Temple" ( 玉井庵 Yujing An ) owing to the 30-metre-deep well in front of the temple, which was well-known for its sweet water. Near the well, people once set up buildings for Daoist cultivation, and now run a teahouse there. Some say that the well is connected to the spring near the Jade Spring Temple at the mountain foot. Not far to the northeast of the well, there are 28 pits in rocks legendarily left by immortals playing with pearls. In the Qing Dynasty, people enlarged the halls and renamed the temple as the Mountain Guarding Temple. The main hall is for the worship of the Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the West ( 西岳大帝 Xiyue Dadi ). To its west lies the Medicine King Cave (藥王洞 Yaowang Dong ) for the worship of the Medicine King. Subordinate to the Jade Spring Temple and belonging to the Complete Perfection sect, the Mountain Guarding Temple was approved as one of the key temples of the state in 1982. [[zh:華山鎮嶽宮（陝西華陰市）]] c5a70a05213f8b354ed1cb2f91ca4b2a440cb801 0 150 194 2009-07-28T03:09:04Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Situated in Zhu'an Town, Hu County, Shaanxi Province, Chongyang Temple ( 重陽宮 Chongyang Gong ) is the ancestral temple of [[The Complete Perfection School]]. Originally name...' wikitext text/x-wiki Situated in Zhu'an Town, Hu County, Shaanxi Province, Chongyang Temple ( 重陽宮 Chongyang Gong ) is the ancestral temple of [[The Complete Perfection School]]. Originally named Liu-Jiang Village, the place was renamed Zu'an (Ancestral Temple) Town after the rise of the Complete Perfection School ( 全真教 Quanzhen Jiao ). [[Wang Chongyang]], the founder of the Complete Perfection School, set up a small temple and cultivated here. Also, Wang was buried here after his death. Born in the 2nd year of the Zhenghe Era during the Huizong Emperor's reign, Wang was named Zhe, nicknamed Zhiming and titled Master Chongyang. His ancestral home was in Xianyang, and his family moved to Liu-Jiang Village. Born to a rich and powerful family, Wang learned literary and martial knowledge from his childhood. After failing the examinations for selecting civil and military officials, Wang lost any concern for worldly affairs. In the 4th year of the Zhenglong Era of the Jin Dynasty, Wang met some Immortals in Ganhe Town who transmitted him secret formulae of cultivation. According to legend, the immortal he encountered was Lu Dongbin. In order to avoid disturbance from others, Wang pretended to be mad and named himself "Mad Wang" ( 王害風 Wang Haifeng ). Later, he dug a 4-meter deep cave called the"Tomb for the Living Dead" ( 活死人墓 Huo Siren Mu ) in Nanshi Village at the foot of Zhongnan Mountain. Wang lived in the cave for two years cultivating inner alchemy. In the 7th year (1167) of the Dading Era, he set fire to his small hut. While neighbours rushed to help, he danced by the fire and sang to them: "Diligently I practiced for several years, In the village named Liu-Jiang. Day by day in the hut, Worldly labor took time long. All of a sudden the perfect fire lighted all, It burned the hut into the most high. I persuade you not to feel sad, For I have something very deep and beyond. Never coming back where only dust remains, I know the way to Immortal Mountain Penglai and travel along." When others wondered at his words, he answered, "Three years from now on, someone else will come to repair the hut." Wang left his family and friends to transmit the Dao far off to Shandong. At parting, he left a self-portrait and wrote on it, "Where from, there go. Foot unmoving, I was enlightened on my head turning back." In Shandong, Wang accepted Ma Yu, Tan Chuduan, Liu Chuxuan, Qiu Chuji, Wang Chuyi, Hao Daotong, and Sun Bu'er as disciples, and founded a new Taoist school- the Complete Perfection School. Later, his disciples were called the "[[Seven Masters of the Complete Perfection]]" ( 全真七子 Quanzhen Qi Zi ). The Complete Perfection School advocated Perfect Cultivation and Perfect Deeds. Perfect Cultivation is the cultivation of mind and inner alchemy. Perfect Deeds means to benefit the people with Dao. Opposing sectarianism, Wang preached the integration of the Three Doctrines (Daoism, Confucianism and Buddhism). Absorbing the monastic system of Buddhism, he ordained that Complete Perfection Daoists must abandon their family and live a vegetarian and and celibate life in temples in obedience to precepts. In the 10th year (1170) of the Dading Era, Wang Chongyang ascended to immortality at the age of 58. After his passing away, Wang's disciples sent his coffin back to Liu-Jiang Village, Hu County, Shaanxi Province, and repaired his former residence. In the 25th year (1185) of the Dading Era, under the leadership of Qiu Chuji, people built a temple at Wang's former residence. In the Cheng'an Era during Zhangzong's Reign (1196-1200), it was rebuilt and was awarded the stele entitled "Numinous and Empty Temple" by the Emperor. In the 10th year (1238) of Taizong's reign in the Yuan Dyansty, it was renamed Chongyang Temple. In the 4th year (1245) under Queen Naimazhen's reign, the court titled it as the Temple of Chongyang's Longevity. At that time, the temple had over 5,000 halls and pavilions with nearly 10,000 Daoist priests. Pitifully, most of its construction was damaged as Daoism declined during Ming and Qing. After 1949, people built over ten showrooms for the many surviving tablets, among which over 30 valuable ones are collected in one room called the Forest of Tablets of the Ancestral Temple. In recent years, Chongyang Temple is gradually being restored. According to the project, the main constructions of the rebuilt Chongyang Temple will include, from south to north, the Nine Dragons Wall, a lattice star gate, a lotus pond, the Encountering Immortals Bridge, a bell tower, a drum tower, the Hall of Numinous Officials, the Hall of the Seven Perfected Ones, the Hall of Chongyang, the Hall of the Jade Emperor, the Pavilion of the Three Pristine Ones, and the Penglai lane and back garden. Side halls will include the Hall of the Three Officials, the Hall of the Primordial Sovereign, the Hall of the God of Fortune, the Hall of the Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery, and the Hall of the King of Medicine. At the northwest corner will lie the protected area of carved stones, i.e. the Forest of Tablets around the ancient maidenhair tree, and the Numinous Shrine of the White Cloud on the former site of Chongyang's tomb. In the southeast corner will lie the Eight Trigrams Altar and the Chongyang cenotaph. The rebuilt Chongyang Temple will occupy 53 acres of land. At present, the ancestral temple has begun restoration with some buildings completed, such as the Chongyang hall, the bell tower, the drum tower, the Hall of Numinous Officials, and the Hall of the Seven Perfected Ones. It is believed that in the near future, Chongyang Temple will be totally restored and regain its magnificence. [[zh:重陽宮（陝西戶縣）]] 918fbb7bd5d931b76401d99427551145299cc2e6 0 151 195 2009-07-28T03:12:38Z Admin 1 Created page with 'One of the biggest holy lands in the northwestern loess altiplano, the White Cloud Temple on White Cloud Mountain ( 白雲山白雲觀Baiyun Shan Baiyun Guan ) lies at the bank o...' wikitext text/x-wiki One of the biggest holy lands in the northwestern loess altiplano, the White Cloud Temple on White Cloud Mountain ( 白雲山白雲觀Baiyun Shan Baiyun Guan ) lies at the bank of the Yellow River 5 kilometers south of Jia County, Shaanxi. According to records, it was first built in the 33rd year （1605） of the Wanli Era of the Ming and rebuilt and extended in the 2nd year （1724）of the Yongzheng Era of the Qing. Occupying over 80 mu of land, the White Cloud Temple has 53 halls besides the guesthouse, kitchen, storehouse and cave-houses for pilgrims. The main constructions include the Arch, the Five Dragons Palace, the Four Heavenly Gates, the Hall of the Perfect Warrior, the Hall of the Three Officers, the Tower of Scriptures, the Tower of the Jade Emperor, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones, and the Pavilion of Kui Star ( 魁星閣Kuixing Ge ). A beautiful sculpture, the 12-meter-high wood Arch has two-layered eaves, multiple systems of brackets and 26 ornamental ridge beasts on the main ridge. In the tabernacle in the Five Dragons Palace stands the holy statue of the five dragons upholding the saint. On both walls of the hall are frescoes of the story of the Great Sovereign Perfect Warrior Attaining Dao. The main hall of the temple, the Hall of the Perfect Warrior, is a fine construction with ornamental ridge beasts, ornamental precious cauldrons and dragon proboscis made of green glaze decorating both the top ridge and the side ridges. Below the brims are decorative hanging carvings and relief pictures. In the shrine in the magnificent hall stands the bronze statue of the 3-meter-high Perfect Warrior weighing 2500 kilograms. On both stand clay sculptures of ten major marshals. On the wall is the Chart of All Stars Oriented Toward the Holy ( 普天星斗朝聖圖Putian Xingdou Chaosheng Tu ) painted in the Qing Dyansty. With many characters in fluent lines, the picture is a masterpiece of the Qing Dynasty. In the courtyard there are drum and bell towers. In the Bell Tower hangs a huge bell weighing 5000 kilograms, which was casted in the Ming Dyansty. Opposite to the main hall stands an opera tower. Every 3rd of the 3rd lunar month, 8th of the 4th lunar month, and 9th of the 9th lunar month people hold the White Cloud Temple Fair and operas are often performed in the tower. In 1947, Chairman Mao enjoyed an opera here together with the ordinary people. The Tower of Scriptures once collected a decree by the Shenzong Emperor to the abbot and the priests as well as a complete set of the Daoist Canon betowed by the emperor. The Decree is in good condition today but pitifully, the canon does not exist. Now in the White Cloud Temple there remain over 1900 frescoes, 108 tablets, over 40 steles, and stone lions and ancient bells, all of which are an important cultural relic. [[zh:白雲山白雲觀（陝西佳縣）]] 7ba3ea0664274b6faf25792187efb7b6b5d2de1b 0 152 196 2009-07-28T03:18:44Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Dragon Gate Cave Daoist Temple ( 龍門洞道院 Longmen Dong Daoyuan ) lies on Dragon Gate Mountain in Xinjichuan Town, Long County, Shanxi Province. Dragon Gate Mountain, a...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Dragon Gate Cave Daoist Temple ( 龍門洞道院 Longmen Dong Daoyuan ) lies on Dragon Gate Mountain in Xinjichuan Town, Long County, Shanxi Province. Dragon Gate Mountain, anciently named the Numinous Immortal Cliff ( 靈仙岩 Lingxian Yan ), is rich in karstic caves. It is well known because [[Qiu Chuji]], the Master of Eternal Spring ( 長春子 Changchun Zi ), the ancestor of [[The Dragon Gate Sect]] ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ), cultivated here in seclusion in caves for seven years--from the 20th year to the 26th year of the Dading Era (1180-1186) in the Jin Dynasty. As hermit in Dragon Gate Mountain, Qiu didn't build temples. He lived with his pupils in caves under the Chaotic Origin Peak ( 混元峰 Hunyuan Feng ), called the Cave of Eternal Spring and the Rock of Spiritual Ordeals ( 磨性石 Mo Xing Shi ). 80 years after Qiu's leaving the mountain, i.e. the 3rd year of the Zhiyuan Era of the Shizu Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty (1266), Zhang Zhikuan, the Director of Daoism in Longxi Lu, and He Zhizhen, the Vice Director, together with 12 Daoists, came to Dragon Gate Mountain. They renamed the mountain as Jingfu Mountain and built some constructions such as the Scripture Library Tower, Facing the Origin Tower, and the Shrine of the Numinous Official. In the 13th year of the Zhiyuan Era (1276), the Shizu Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty bestowed the stele "Jade Heaven Temple" ( 玉宸宮 Yuchen Gong ). There are then no records about Daoism in the Dragon Gate Cave from the mid Yuan till the 4th year of the Wanli Era of the Ming (1576), when Daoist stone inscriptions such as the Tablet of Ascending to the Jingfu Grotto Heaven ( 《登景福洞天》 Deng Jingfu Dongtian ) appeared. During the Wanli period, Daoists rebuilt and enlarged the Jade Heaven Temple. In this period, the Jade Heaven Temple Fair formed and it became a custom that Daoist followers in nearby counties came for pilgrimage to this mountain. The Jade Heaven Temple and the Dragon Gate Cave were damaged during the warfare at the end of the Ming dynasty. During the Shunzhi and Kangxi periods (1644-1722) in the Qing, under the successive efforts of Zhang Xianzhong, Tian Shoucun, Zeng Shouyun, Miao Qingyang, Huang Benshan, and Xue Jiaoyu, not only were the past halls of the Dragon Gate Cave restored, in addition, some new constructions were built to become the largest group of Daoist temples in the west of Shaanxi. After the temple was rebuilt in the Qing, people never used the name of Jade Heaven Temple. All the stele records used the name of Dragon Gate Cave. In the 6th year of the Republic (1917), in memory of the eminent Daoists who had rebuilt the temple in the early Qing, people rebuilt the Shrine of Gentleman Huang as the Tower of Eight Immortals with the lower storey as a shrine for four respected men, i.e. Tian Shoucun, Zeng Shouyun, Huang Benshan, and Miao Qingyang. Later generations regarded the four as founding ancestors. In 1963, the people's government of Long County publicized Dragon Gate Cave as a key cultural relic protection unit. In the Cultural Revolution, the religious relics of the temple suffered damage but the main construction luckily escaped heavy destruction. After the 1980s, with help from people of all walks of life, Daoists repaired and rebuilt the Dragon Gate Cave Daoist Temple, which now includes the Hall of the Supreme, the Hall of King of Medicine, the Hall of Salvation from Misery, the Chaotic Origin Peak ( 混元頂 Hunyuan Ding ), the Hall of Er'lang, the Hall of the Earth Deity, the Palace of Offspring, the Hall of the Queen Mother, the Hall of the Black Tiger and the Pavilion of the Jade Emperor, etc. [[zh:龍門洞道院（陝西隴縣）]] fdf8dbdcdaebb1e26db475d4d77a454add6b238b 0 153 197 2009-07-28T03:26:57Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Venerable Grandma's Temple on Mt. Li ( 驪山老母殿Lishan Laomu Dian ) lies in the Xiu Peak west of [[Mt. Li]], Lintong County, Xi’an city, Shaanxi. According to legend, Ven...' wikitext text/x-wiki Venerable Grandma's Temple on Mt. Li ( 驪山老母殿Lishan Laomu Dian ) lies in the Xiu Peak west of [[Mt. Li]], Lintong County, Xi’an city, Shaanxi. According to legend, Venerable Grandma's on Mt. Li was Nüwa ( 女媧Nuwa ) who patched the leaking heaven with refined stones and transmitted [[The Book of Secret Correspondences]] ( 《陰符經》Yinfu Jing ) to Li Quan under this mountain during the period of the Xuanzong Era of the Tang. First built in the Tang, the temple remains a structure of Ming and Qing style, for it experienced major repairs in the 47th year (1619) of the Wanli Era of Ming. The whole construction includes the three-chamber mountain gate, the three-chamber of Hall of Three Immortals, the five-chamber Hall of Offerings, the five-chamber Main Hall, the six-chamber of wing rooms, and the four-chamber side palaces. In the Hall of Three Immortals stand the statues of the three female immortals named Yunxiao (Cloudy Heaven), Qiongxiao (Jade Heaven) and Bixiao (Blue Heaven) who are worshipped respectively as goddess bestowing bliss and longevity, goddess curing eyes and goddess giving sons. In the Main Hall stands the golden statue of the Venerable Grandma on Mt. Li (Nüwa). In the 8th year, the people built a Scripture Tower of behind the main hall. The Scripture Tower was destroyed in the republican period and now only the ruins remain. In recently years, the temple has completely repaired the front platform and roads and newly built the stone steps to the Hall. Preserved in the mountain gate hall are an iron pot and an iron crock made in the 16th year (1588) of the Wanli Era of the Ming. In front of the statue of the Venerable Grandma there is an iron bell made in the Ming Dynasty. Preserved in the Main Hall is the Stele of the Venerable Grandma on Mt. Li Transmitting Scriptures ( 《驪山老母授經碑》Lishan Laomu Shoujing Bei ) erected in the 1st year （763）of the Guangde Era of the Tang, recording the story of the Venerable Grandma on Mt. Li transmitting the Book of Secret Correspondences to Li Quan under this mountain. On every 20th of the 1st lunar month, the 8th of the 4th lunar month and the 15th of the 6th month, people hold fairs of Venerable Grandma on Mt. Li ( 驪山老母會Lishan Laomu Hui ).Most of the pilgrims to the fairs are elder women. [[zh:驪山老母殿（陝西西安巿）]] 41132b291c09dcd846c2e61d1884e6240b9ae006 0 154 198 2009-07-28T03:32:46Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Situated southeast of Zibo Mounatin, Liuba County, Shaanxi, Zhang Liang Temple ( 張良廟Zhang Laing Miao ) is also called the Shrine of Liuhou ( 留侯祠Liuhou Ci ). Legendari...' wikitext text/x-wiki Situated southeast of Zibo Mounatin, Liuba County, Shaanxi, Zhang Liang Temple ( 張良廟Zhang Laing Miao ) is also called the Shrine of Liuhou ( 留侯祠Liuhou Ci ). Legendarily, Zhang Liang of the Western Han retired here in his late years. Reputedly founded by Zhanglu, the Lineal Master ( 系師Xishi ) in the end of the Han, the temple was ruined in wars during the end of Ming and rebuilt in the 22nd year （1683） of the Kangxi Era of the Qing. In the 19th year （1839） of the Daoguang Era, Abbot Ren Yongzhen, transmitting commandments and spreading Daoism, expanded the construction of the temple and opened it to outsiders as a temple of the Ten Directions ( 十方叢林Shifang Conglin ) of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真派Quanzhen Pai ). Having over 150 rooms in 6 big courtyards on 14200 m2 of land, Zhang Liang Temple was then the biggest Taoist temple in the Hanzhong area. A construction of black bricks, the mountain gate has on its lintel five big red characters: “Shrine of Han Marquis of Liu”. Inscribed on the sides is a couplet saying, “A shout in Bolang quaked the heaven and earth. Thrice shoe picking at Siqiao led to clouds and glows.” The first sentence praises his courage in assassinatingthe First Emperor of Qin at Bolang and the second his modesty in learning from Huangshi Gong at Siqiao. Erected to the right side of the gate is a stone tablet inscribed “The place where Zhang Liang, the Han Marquis of Liu, abstained from Grains ( 辟穀Pigu )”. Passing the gate, one will see a wooden bridge named Shoe-presenting Bridge, commemorating Zhangliang’s picking and presenting a shoe thrice for elder Huangshi Gong. Passing the bridge, one comes to the Courtyard for Protecting Security. The main hall in the courtyard is for the worship of Zhang Liang. In front of the main hall lies the hall for worshiping. Besides, there are the Hall of the Numinous Officer, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones, the Hall of the Three Officials, and the Bell and Drum Towers. To the west of the main hall lie the Abbot’s Courtyard and the Southern Park with its pool, the Pavilion for Memorizing Zhang’s Abstention from Grains, and the Five Clouds Tower. To the east lie the Northern Park where there is the Pavilion commemorating Zhang’s learning as a pupil of Huangshi Gong. Going out from the southwest of the Northern Park, one can climb along stone steps to the top of the mountain. There stands on the top a pavilion named Book Transmitting Tower in memory of Huangshi Gong’s transmitting to Zhang a secret book. Built with marbles and Nanyang Jade, the pavilion 100 meters above the ground looks extraordinarily elegant. There are many sentences with rich poetic flavor in the many couplets in Zhang Liang Temple. All schools of Chinese calligraphy are displayed in the near 100 stone tablets and cliff inscriptions in the temple. [[zh:張良廟（陝西留壩縣）]] e5f315a2747d1ff17b44a6a18378276ec68e5197 0 155 199 2009-07-28T03:38:33Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Also known as Patriarch Lu Temple ( 呂祖廟 Lvzu Miao ) in the Golden City, it is a famous Complete Perfection ( 全真教 Quanzhen Jiao ) temple in Gansu and the headquarter o...' wikitext text/x-wiki Also known as Patriarch Lu Temple ( 呂祖廟 Lvzu Miao ) in the Golden City, it is a famous Complete Perfection ( 全真教 Quanzhen Jiao ) temple in Gansu and the headquarter of the Daoist Associations of Gansu and Lanzhou. The temple consists of upper and lower sectors. The upper temple used to stand on the top of Mt. Jishou in Cijiaya. Today, however, nothing can be seen there. The lower sector is the White Cloud Temple we can see today. The temple stands south of Nabinghe Rd, on the eastern bank of the Leitan River, which runs into the Yellow River at Chengguan district of Lanzhou. Consequently, it stands opposite to the Golden City Pass on the northern bank of the Yellow River, and overlooks the 'white horse waves' in the river. The temple was constructed to worship[[ Lu Dongbing]], the most well known figure among [[The Eight Immortals]]. According to Chen You's ''Record of White Cloud Temple Tablet'' ( 《白雲觀碑記》 Baiyunguan Beiji ), Patriarch Lu was seen traveling by the waves of the Yellow River during emperor Jiaqing's rule in the Qing dynasty. Since there was no temple exclusively dedicated to the worship of Patriarch Lu in Lanzhou, the local intellectuals appealed to Husonge, governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, that a temple should be constructed. The plan was ratified in short time. Then, led by Dang Zhongzhen, local devotees started to raise funds. In the 14th Daoguang year of the Qing dynasty, 'land for the temple was cleared up in the Northwest of the city, just beside the Yellow River'. Construction lasted for 4 years. The temple was completed in the 18th Daoguang year. Since then, it was called the White Cloud Temple, or Patriarch Lu's Temple, after Lu Dongbing. In the next year, the temple was listed among the officially recognized ritual sites as the biggest Daoist temple in Lanzhou in the Qing dynasty. According to historical records, the original structure of the temple featured two parallel sectors, which consisted of a playhouse, an honorific arch, a main hall, a worship hall and Daoist halls in the eastern and western wings. Behind the worship hall were the Eight Immortals' Pavilion, the Hall of Elegance, the Crane and Deer Pavilion, and the Brilliant Square Pavilion. Further in the rear lay the Pavilion for Immortals' Assemblies, the Bridge of Flying Immortals, and the Chamber for Gathering Immortals. In its history, the temple underwent many destructions. Up to the 1980's, on the spot stood only about 20 buildings: the three halls, the playhouse, the bell and drum arch, and some chambers and auxiliary rooms in the eastern and western wings. In 1986, the local government decided to reopen the temple to the public. In 1988, the city government funded the renovation of the front hall, namely, Patriarch Lu's Hall. Then, local Daoists and citizens raised some money, having the statues in the hall renovated. Thanks to financial aid from the reverend Daoist Hou Baoyuan of the Ching Chung Taoist Association ( 青松觀 Qingsong Guan ) and the Tan Zaoci foundation, the central hall, namely, the Jade Emperor Hall ( 玉皇殿 Yuhuang Dian ), and the rear hall, namely, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 Sanqing Dian ) were also renovated in the fall of 2000. On the 23rd day of the 9th lunar month in that year, thousands of people participated in the inauguration ceremony. Today, the renovation of the auxiliary halls and facilities on both wings is almost completed. Inside the halls, the statues of the immortals have been reconstructed. At present, about 20 Daoists of the Complete Perfection sect inhabit the temple. [[zh:白雲觀（甘肅蘭州市）]] 4ed6070a4650043105e4bf73966f82f680bb7e99 0 156 200 2009-07-28T03:43:02Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Also known as the Thunder Altar Temple ( 雷壇廟 Leitan Miao ), it stands on Xijingdong Rd. in Qilihe District, Lanzhou city, near the west bank of the Leitan River. The tem...' wikitext text/x-wiki Also known as the Thunder Altar Temple ( 雷壇廟 Leitan Miao ), it stands on Xijingdong Rd. in Qilihe District, Lanzhou city, near the west bank of the Leitan River. The temple was constructed by King Suzhuang, the local governor and a devout believer of Daoism, in emperor Hui's second Jianwen year in the Ming dynasty, at the location of a temple built in the Song dynasty . After its completion, he named it 'Temple of Golden Heaven', and invited Sun Biyun, the reverend Daoist of the Jade Emptiness Temple on Mt. Wudang. It is said that Zhang Sanfeng himself paid a visit to the temple, discussing ''[[the Book of Changes]]'' ( 《易經》 Yijing ) with Sun Biyun. The temple saw large-scale renovations in the 4th Yongle year of the Ming dynasty and the 31st Jiaqing year of the Qing dynasty. In the 46th Qianlong year of the Qing dynasty, however, it was burned down during battles between the Qing and the rebellious Hui people. In the 59th Qianlong year, the temple was reconstructed thanks to the governor of Gansu, who donated his salary. More renovations were done in the 11th Jiaqing year of the Qing dynasty when the statues in the temple were covered with gold foil. In the 3rd Daoguan year of the Qing dynasty, La Yancheng, governor of Shanxi and Gansu, had an ancestral temple constructed in memory of his late father. In 1928, policemen and soldiers of the Republican government were stationed in the halls and houses in the temple. Consequently, the religious activities were seriously interrupted, and the statues and other relics terribly damaged. In the first years of the founding of the Peoples' Republic of China, there were about 40 Daoists in the temple. In 1958, the temple was converted into a Workers' Culture Palace. As a result, the religious facilities and objects were destroyed. Then, only a few Daoists were still permitted to live in the temple. During the Cultural Revolution, they were forced to leave the temple, returning to the laity. In 1985, according to the instructions of the local government, Patriarch Hua's Hall was reopened to Daoist activities. Located in the west of the temple, the hall was originally constructed by the instruction of governor La Yancheng in the second Daoguang year of the Qing dynasty, to commemorate Hua Tuo, the famous doctor in ancient China. It was expanded in the 13th Daoguang year. In the 26th Daoguang year, governor Lin Zhexu, the famous hero, went to the hall, praying for his recovery from disease. On the occasion, he wrote a couplet for the temple, praising Hua Tuo's magic skills in medical treatment. Historically, the Golden Heaven Temple boasted many quantity of halls and houses. Its main halls included the Thunder Patriarch Hall ( 雷祖殿 Leizu Dian ), the Infinity Hall ( 無極殿 Wuji Dian ) and the Four Heavenly Ministers Hall ( 四御殿 Siyu Dian ). The auxiliary halls consisted of the Three Officials Hall ( 三官殿 Sanguan Dian ) and the Three Rays Hall ( 三光殿 Sanguang Dian ). Today, as facilities for religious activities, only one main hall and one auxiliary hall are available. There are only 8 Daoists living in the temple. [[zh:金天觀（甘肅蘭州市）]] 78c740726c763f9337ee1842cb0646a5bb9b8788 0 157 201 2009-07-28T04:57:57Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Jade Spring Temple stands at the foot of Mt. Tianjing in the north of Tianshui city, Gansu. For previous centuries, it remained a holy site of Daoism, famous for its dense fo...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Jade Spring Temple stands at the foot of Mt. Tianjing in the north of Tianshui city, Gansu. For previous centuries, it remained a holy site of Daoism, famous for its dense forests and high temples. In the mountain ran a spring called Jade Spring, whose water was considered highly efficacious in curing diseases. The temple was thus named after it. According to historical records, in the fall of the 8th Zhiyuan year of the Yuan dynasty, Liang Zhitong, a disciple of Patriarch [[Qiu Chuji]], came to this place on his tour to Shaanxi. Attracted by the scenery, he constructed a shelter here, spending years as a hermit. In the 13th Zhiyuan year, the Venerable Sovereign Hall ( 老君殿 Laojun Dian ) was constructed to commemorate [[The Five Patriarchs]] and [[Seven Perfect Ones]] ( 五祖七真 Wuzu Qizhen ) of [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真教 Quanzhen Jiao ). It became the first hall of the Jade Spring Temple. The temple saw several renovations and expansions in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Since then, it became a very big temple, consisting of more than 90 houses. Since the collapse of the Qing dynasty, the temple was severely damaged. The latest renovation started in 1981. The Ming and Qing dynasties saw the construction of most of the houses we see today, which consist of the Hall of the Five Patriarchs and of the Seven Perfect Ones, the Bridge Leading to Immortality, the Jade Emperor Pavilion, the Honorific Arch of the First Mountain, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones, Sovereign Wenchang's Palace, the Hall of the Perfect Warrior, the Hall of the Big Dipper, The Thunder Patriarch Temple, the Hall of the Three Officials, Zhuge Shrine, Togong Shrine, Cangjie Palace, and the Jade Spring. Among them, the Jade Emperor Pavilion ( 玉皇閣 Yuhuang Ge ), which stands at the top of 53 steps, is the biggest building. There is a spring beside Cangjie Palace. According to historical stories, Perfect Man Liang Zhitong used to use the water in the spring to cure his eyes when he was living in the shelter he built for himself in this place. Since then, it has also been known as the Spring for Clear-sightedness. In the south of the spring, there is the Immortals' Grotto, the alleged place where Perfect Man Lu of the Han dynasty, Perfect Man Liang of the Yuan dynasty and Perfect Man Ma of the Qing dynasty flew to immortality. The tale was partially proven by Perfect Man Liang's handwriting, that can still be seen on the wall of the cave. Today, just from the cliff, pine trees stretch out into the air. On the top of the cliff stand the oldest pine trees, boasting their roots, which are seen interweaving on the ground, just like well-worn hair queues. They have become a very famous view in the temple. Southwest of the grotto stood a pavilion. Inside, four steles boasted the handwritings of Zhao Menfu, the famous calligraphist in the Yuan dynasty. All the inscriptions were poems by famous poets such as Li Bai, Weir Yingwu and Wang Anshi. Further in the southwest stood another pavilion named the 'Pavilion for Collecting Views'. Overlooking its top, you feel that the good views of the whole area are all close at hand. On the opposite side of the grotto is the Southern Hill where lay the Shrine for Togong, a building constructed in the Qing dynasty and the Building of Heavenly Tranquility. All buildings were granted special designs and unique styles. The temple fair was held on the 9th day of the 1st lunar month each year, a day of celebrations, performances and businesses, which attracted many people in local areas. [[zh:玉泉觀（甘肅天水市）]] e7d1553bba01b3f6ee4e1fc63fed0aaf12c9eba9 0 158 202 2009-07-28T06:17:27Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Mt. Kongtong, a famous Taoist site, is about 30 kilometers away from Pingliang city, Gansu province. It is famous for its historical records about [[The Yellow Emperor]]’s cons...' wikitext text/x-wiki Mt. Kongtong, a famous Taoist site, is about 30 kilometers away from Pingliang city, Gansu province. It is famous for its historical records about [[The Yellow Emperor]]’s consultation with [[Guangchengzi]], who was living in this place. In the mountain, there were many Daoist temples, among which were the Temple of Consulting Dao ( 問道宮 Wendao Gong ), which was constructed before the Tang dynasty, and the Yellow Emperor’s Temple, which was built in the Tang dynasty at the top of the mountain, but moved to the court of the Heavenly Immortals Temple ( 天仙宮 Tianxian Gong ) in the Qing dynasty. During the Qiande years of the Northern Song dynasty, on the top of Mt. Mazong, the Perfect Warrior Hall ( 真武殿 Zhenwu Dian ) was constructed, and in the following Zhenhe years, the Consulting Dao Temple was reconstructed under instructions from Emperor Huizong himself. In the 20th Jiajing year, king Han of the vassal state of Pingliang decided to construct a temple city on the top of the Mt. Mazong. He allocated money for the reconstruction of the Hall of the Perfect Warrior, the roofs of which were covered with metal sheets. After its completion, the hall embraced such incredible subtlety, reminding people of an immortals’ residence. Other buildings, such as the Medicine King Hall ( 藥王殿 Yaowang Dian ), the Venerable Sovereign’s Chamber ( 老君樓 Laojun Lou ), the Great Harmony Chamber ( 太和樓 Taihe Lou ), the Jade Emperor Pavilion, and the Numinous Official Grotto, were also constructed inside the temple complex. In the meantime, along the road from the bottom up to its top were scattered new constructions such as the Immortals Assembly Bridge ( 聚仙橋 Juxian Qiao ), the Queen Mother Temple ( 王母宮 Wangmu Gong ), the Purple Heaven Temple ( 紫霄宮 Zixiao Gong ), the Temple for Encountering the Perfected Ones ( 遇真宮 Yuzhen Gong ), the Southern Cliff Temple ( 南崕宮 Nianya Gong ), the Heavenly Immortals Temple, the Big Dipper Temple, the Tranquil Pleasure Temple ( 靜樂宮 Jingle Gong ), the Mysterious Saint Temple ( 玄聖宮 Xuansheng Gong ), the Pavilion of Flying Immortals ( 飛仙閣 Feixian Ge ), the Needle-rubbing Temple ( 磨針觀 Mozhen Guan ), the Twelve Marshals Hall ( 十二帥殿 Shiershuai Dian ), the White Tiger Hall ( 白虎殿 Baihu Dian ), the Shrine for Imperial Sovereign Donghua ( 東華庵 Donghua An ), and the Chaotic Origin Chamber ( 混元樓 Hunyuan Lou ). On the top of Mt. Leishen stood the Thunder Patriarch Hall, the Jade Emperor Chamber, the Holy Parents Chamber ( 聖父聖母樓 Shengfu Shengmu Lou ) and the Three Officials Hall. On the way from Zhongtai up to the temple complex were three heavenly gates. Inside the second heavenly gate, the Gate of the Three Teachings was constructed. In the same period, projects for renovating the Consulting Tao Temple and for constructing the Complete Perfection Pavilion were undertaken. In emperor Kangxi’s reign during the Qing dynasty, Miao Qingyang, the famous Daoist of the Dragon Gate Tradition ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) was invited to the temple. Since then, Mt. Kongtong was converetd into a Daoist site. In the following years, more buildings were built at the place. In front of the temple complex, the bell and drum arches were built. On the top of Mt. Leishen, new buildings such as the Three Stars Hall ( 三星殿 Sanxing Dian ), the Dragon Sovereign Hall ( 龍君殿 Longjun Dian ) and the Eye Light Hall ( 眼光殿 Yanguang Dian ) were constructed; on the top of Mt. Xiangshan, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones was constructed; at the Gate of Worshiping Heaven, the Medicine King Grotto was built; at Dongtai, the Emperor Guan Hall, at Zhongtai, the Ascension Temple ( 飛升宮 Feishen Gong ) and the Three Emperors Chamber, and at the Hall for Inviting Cranes ( 招鶴堂 Zhaohe Tang ), the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones and the Temple of Imperial Sovereign Wenchang ( 文昌宮 Wenchang Gong ). In the Republican period, at Nantai, Patriarch Qiu Hall, at Mt. Fenghua, the Supreme Clarity Temple, and at Mt. Lazhu, the Eight Immortals Hall, and at Mt. Qipan, the Three Saints Hall were respectively erected. Since 1958, most Daoists were forced to leave the temple, which underwent serious damages. Up to the 1980’s, only some buildings in the temple complex -- the Purple Heaven Temple and the Thunder Patriarch Hall survived, while other buildings, unfortunately, totally disappeared in the ruins and debris. In 1982, funds were raised for the reconstruction of buildings on the top of Mt. Leishen, the renovation of buildings in the temple complex and the transmission of the Jade Emperor Pavilion into five great halls. Up to 1989, the Consulting Dao Temple and the Queen Mother Temple were renovated, and the Heavenly Immortals Temple, the Supreme Clarity Temple, the Three Emperors Chamber, the Three Saints Chamber, the Descendants Temple and the Yellow Emperor Chamber were reconstructed. [[zh:崆峒山道觀（甘肅平涼市）]] 6f49371327593863d418e53d94cc5c2c7a28bcb5 203 202 2009-07-28T06:17:52Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki Mt. Kongtong, a famous Taoist site, is about 30 kilometers away from Pingliang city, Gansu province. It is famous for its historical records about [[The Yellow Emperor]]’s consultation with [[Guangchengzi]], who was living in this place. In the mountain, there were many Daoist temples, among which were the Temple of Consulting Dao ( 問道宮 Wendao Gong ), which was constructed before the Tang dynasty, and the Yellow Emperor’s Temple, which was built in the Tang dynasty at the top of the mountain, but moved to the court of the Heavenly Immortals Temple ( 天仙宮 Tianxian Gong ) in the Qing dynasty. During the Qiande years of the Northern Song dynasty, on the top of Mt. Mazong, the Perfect Warrior Hall ( 真武殿 Zhenwu Dian ) was constructed, and in the following Zhenhe years, the Consulting Dao Temple was reconstructed under instructions from Emperor Huizong himself. In the 20th Jiajing year, king Han of the vassal state of Pingliang decided to construct a temple city on the top of the Mt. Mazong. He allocated money for the reconstruction of the Hall of the Perfect Warrior, the roofs of which were covered with metal sheets. After its completion, the hall embraced such incredible subtlety, reminding people of an immortals’ residence. Other buildings, such as the Medicine King Hall ( 藥王殿 Yaowang Dian ), the Venerable Sovereign’s Chamber ( 老君樓 Laojun Lou ), the Great Harmony Chamber ( 太和樓 Taihe Lou ), the Jade Emperor Pavilion, and the Numinous Official Grotto, were also constructed inside the temple complex. In the meantime, along the road from the bottom up to its top were scattered new constructions such as the Immortals Assembly Bridge ( 聚仙橋 Juxian Qiao ), the Queen Mother Temple ( 王母宮 Wangmu Gong ), the Purple Heaven Temple ( 紫霄宮 Zixiao Gong ), the Temple for Encountering the Perfected Ones ( 遇真宮 Yuzhen Gong ), the Southern Cliff Temple ( 南崕宮 Nianya Gong ), the Heavenly Immortals Temple, the Big Dipper Temple, the Tranquil Pleasure Temple ( 靜樂宮 Jingle Gong ), the Mysterious Saint Temple ( 玄聖宮 Xuansheng Gong ), the Pavilion of Flying Immortals ( 飛仙閣 Feixian Ge ), the Needle-rubbing Temple ( 磨針觀 Mozhen Guan ), the Twelve Marshals Hall ( 十二帥殿 Shiershuai Dian ), the White Tiger Hall ( 白虎殿 Baihu Dian ), the Shrine for Imperial Sovereign Donghua ( 東華庵 Donghua An ), and the Chaotic Origin Chamber ( 混元樓 Hunyuan Lou ). On the top of Mt. Leishen stood the Thunder Patriarch Hall, the Jade Emperor Chamber, the Holy Parents Chamber ( 聖父聖母樓 Shengfu Shengmu Lou ) and the Three Officials Hall. On the way from Zhongtai up to the temple complex were three heavenly gates. Inside the second heavenly gate, the Gate of the Three Teachings was constructed. In the same period, projects for renovating the Consulting Tao Temple and for constructing the Complete Perfection Pavilion were undertaken. In emperor Kangxi’s reign during the Qing dynasty, Miao Qingyang, the famous Daoist of the Dragon Gate Tradition ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) was invited to the temple. Since then, Mt. Kongtong was converetd into a Daoist site. In the following years, more buildings were built at the place. In front of the temple complex, the bell and drum arches were built. On the top of Mt. Leishen, new buildings such as the Three Stars Hall ( 三星殿 Sanxing Dian ), the Dragon Sovereign Hall ( 龍君殿 Longjun Dian ) and the Eye Light Hall ( 眼光殿 Yanguang Dian ) were constructed; on the top of Mt. Xiangshan, the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones was constructed; at the Gate of Worshiping Heaven, the Medicine King Grotto was built; at Dongtai, the Emperor Guan Hall, at Zhongtai, the Ascension Temple ( 飛升宮 Feishen Gong ) and the Three Emperors Chamber, and at the Hall for Inviting Cranes ( 招鶴堂 Zhaohe Tang ), the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones and the Temple of Imperial Sovereign Wenchang ( 文昌宮 Wenchang Gong ). In the Republican period, at Nantai, Patriarch Qiu Hall, at Mt. Fenghua, the Supreme Clarity Temple, and at Mt. Lazhu, the Eight Immortals Hall, and at Mt. Qipan, the Three Saints Hall were respectively erected. Since 1958, most Daoists were forced to leave the temple, which underwent serious damages. Up to the 1980’s, only some buildings in the temple complex -- the Purple Heaven Temple and the Thunder Patriarch Hall survived, while other buildings, unfortunately, totally disappeared in the ruins and debris. In 1982, funds were raised for the reconstruction of buildings on the top of Mt. Leishen, the renovation of buildings in the temple complex and the transmission of the Jade Emperor Pavilion into five great halls. Up to 1989, the Consulting Dao Temple and the Queen Mother Temple were renovated, and the Heavenly Immortals Temple, the Supreme Clarity Temple, the Three Emperors Chamber, the Three Saints Chamber, the Descendants Temple and the Yellow Emperor Chamber were reconstructed. [[zh:崆峒山道觀（甘肅平涼市）]] 703987a19b83ecb956e88dbf27235e63f8cd018e 0 159 204 2009-07-28T06:20:52Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Lying in the western suburb of Dunhuang city, the West Cloud Temple ( 西雲宮 Xiyun Guan ) was first built in the 8th year (1730) of the Yongzheng Era. Tradition has it that lo...' wikitext text/x-wiki Lying in the western suburb of Dunhuang city, the West Cloud Temple ( 西雲宮 Xiyun Guan ) was first built in the 8th year (1730) of the Yongzheng Era. Tradition has it that long, long ago, the Queen Mother ( 王母 Wangmu ) lived in Sanwei Mountain near Dunhuang. She came to and fro between Sanwei and the Jade Pond. Accompanying her journey east and west, purple air and auspicious clouds appeared. Looking from the ancient city wall in the evening, one could see rays shining from the west. The local people thus collected money and built a temple here named West Cloud Temple (also Resting Cloud Temple). West Cloud Temple stands against Sanwei Mountain, [[The Queen Mother]] Tower ( 王母樓 Wangmu Lou ) and the Venerable Sovereign Hall ( 老君堂 Laojun Tang ). Together with the Crescent Spring Ancient Temples, they form a group of temples laid out like the legs of a tripod. Originally, the West Cloud Temple had front, middle and rear halls all with mountain-like sloping roofs and three rooms. Rebuilt twice during the Republican period, the temple had seven magnificent halls. The south and north dipper towers stood beautifully upright with willow trees and flower pavilions around. The color statues depicting stories from the ''Journey to the West'', the Luban windows and the flower-and-bird paintings on the folding screens were praised as "the three unrivaled" by the local people. Though damaged in the Cultural Revolution, most of its constructions survived. In 1981, the county government listed the temple as a cultural relic protection unit and then approved to the temple's opening as a Daoist activity site. In the 1990s, local people collected over ten thousand Yuan to repair its halls, statues and frescoes. West Cloud Temple regained its prime as one of the scenes of interest in Dunhuang. [[zh:西雲觀（甘肅敦煌市）]] b5433381b1eb7ffb168dc19bb37df9a30aec688f 0 160 205 2009-07-28T06:23:20Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Lying on the slope of Beiyuan Mountain in the northern suburb of Linxia, Gansu, Longevity Temple ( 萬壽觀Wanshou Guan ) was called the Temple of the Great Hermit and Feiyang I...' wikitext text/x-wiki Lying on the slope of Beiyuan Mountain in the northern suburb of Linxia, Gansu, Longevity Temple ( 萬壽觀Wanshou Guan ) was called the Temple of the Great Hermit and Feiyang Immortal Courtyard in ancient times. Originally built in the 6th year of the Dade Era of the Cheng Emperor of Yuan, it was mainly comprised of the Hall of the Perfect Warrior, the Pavilion of the Jade Emperor, the Pavilion of the Three Pristine Ones, the Pavilion of the Original Chaos and the Tower of Original Qian, etc. Rebuilt many times in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was ruined by war in 1928. Later, local people such as Zhao Tiankui and the Daoist priest Wang Yunping collected money and rebuilt it. Suffering some damages later, the temple was repaired in 1983. Tier upon tier, the temple has seven tiers of constructions, at the top of which stands the nine-storied octagon named the Precious Tower of Original Qian. Near the temple lie some other Daoist sites of interest, such as the Cave of the Resting Immortal, the Temple of Erlang and the Hall of the Patriarchs, etc. [[zh:萬壽觀（甘肅臨夏市）]] 13b3b1b19b3deaba8d3c701a514b290325118321 0 161 206 2009-07-28T06:26:29Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Lying in the Earth Tower Mountain north of Xining city, the Earth Tower Temple ( 土樓觀 Tu Lou Guan ) was originally built with the name of Shrine of the Saints in memory of D...' wikitext text/x-wiki Lying in the Earth Tower Mountain north of Xining city, the Earth Tower Temple ( 土樓觀 Tu Lou Guan ) was originally built with the name of Shrine of the Saints in memory of Deng Xun, the Qiang People’s Protecting Gemadar of the Han dynasty. In the Northern Wei Dynasty, it was changed into a Buddhist temple of different names, such as Earth Tower Mountain Temple, North Mountain Temple, Ever Flourishing Temple ( 永興寺 Yongxing Si ), North Chan Temple ( 北禪寺 Bei Chan Si ), etc. Located on the southern route of the Silk Road, the Earth Tower Temple accommodated both Daoists and Buddhists respectively worshiping their own deities and Buddhas. Later, as Daoism prevailed there it became a completely Daoist temple with its present name. The temple has its unique elegant demeanor harmonizing earth cliffs and cave-houses with pavilions and halls. The main buildings include the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones, Hall of the Jade Emperor, the Hall of the Queen Mother of the West, the Shrine of the Patriarch Lü, the Hall of the Thunder Patriarch, the Hall of the Big Dipper and the Palace of Imperial Sovereign Wenchang. The Mountain is famous for its “nine caves and eighteen hollows”, such as the Cave of the Jade Emperor, the Cave of the Infinite,the Cave of the Seven Perfect Ones, the Cave of the City God, the Cave of Emperor Guan, the Cave of the Black Tiger, etc. Connected by trestles and verandas, the caves house fine statues and frescoes. On the top of the Earth Tower Mountain stands a brick tower named the Tower of Peace and Longevity ( 寧壽塔Ning Shou Ta ). 15 meters in height, the five-storied solid hexagon was first built in the Ming Dynasty. Rebuilt in 1915, the tower is now an important cultural relic of the temple. A key cultural relic protection unit of Qinghai Province, the Earth Tower Temple now houses the Qinghai Daoist Association. [[zh:土樓觀（青海西寧市）]] 9e3956a9f3e3d582c1c47f2891ce670ef77d0e6a 0 162 207 2009-07-28T06:36:48Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Located 15 kilometers to the southwest of Huangzhong city, about 3265 meters above sea level is Mt. Xiyuan, which, in the middle of peaks rising one upon another, commands a spec...' wikitext text/x-wiki Located 15 kilometers to the southwest of Huangzhong city, about 3265 meters above sea level is Mt. Xiyuan, which, in the middle of peaks rising one upon another, commands a spectacular natural landscape. Mt. Xiyuan is ranked sixty-sixth among [[The Seventy-Two Blissful Realms]] ( 七十二福地 Qishier Fudi ). According to some historical records, in the 17th Wanli year of the Ming dynasty, Shu and Wan, two Daoists, came to this place on a pilgrimage tour, and decided to settle down. They lived in the Green Willow Cave, exercising cultivation and refinement for dozens of years. Finally, they obtained the secrets of immortality from a carp and became immortals themselves. After their ascension to heaven, the place was visited daily by local people who, in later periods, had eight halls and six pavilions constructed just by the cliff. Another well-known Daoist in Mt. Xiyuan was Yuan Shoudao, a twentieth-generation disciple of [[The Dragon Gate Sect]] ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ), who was called Mingfa by his Daoist name, or Sanfeng by his title. Master Yuan was born in Xining in 1858, and passed away in 1953 at the age of 103. In local tales, he is described as an immortal who was often seen traveling on the back of a deer. He was also good at Daoist arts, martial arts, painting, and practicing calligraphy. Even today, stories about his magic skills are still heard now and then. During the Cultural Revolution, the temple was totally destroyed, and the Daoists driven away from the mountain. It was not until the 1980's that they were permitted to go back to the temple. Since then, sponsored by local people, eleven halls as well as other facilities such as a dining house and cultivation house were reconstructed. In parallel with the new buildings, pines and willows were planted in a bid to recover its tranquility. Now the temple is one of the most popular destinations for tourism and pilgrimage in the summer. [[zh:西源山道觀（青海湟中縣）]] 5c0c9da0e987dc0641ac450634e9e0213d47177a 0 163 208 2009-07-28T06:44:37Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Located 7.5 km west of Xi’an Town, Haiyuan County, Ningxia Autonomous Region, the Heavenly Capital Mountain had many caves excavated for Buddhism and Daoism in the Northern Wei...' wikitext text/x-wiki Located 7.5 km west of Xi’an Town, Haiyuan County, Ningxia Autonomous Region, the Heavenly Capital Mountain had many caves excavated for Buddhism and Daoism in the Northern Wei and Tang periods. In the Northern Song, people had built temples there. According to Vol. 510 of the Supplementary Long Compilation of the Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government ( 《續資治通監長編》Xu Zizhitongjian Changbian ), on the Date of Bingwu, the 5th lunar month, the 2nd year of the Yuanfu Era of Zhe Emperor of Song, Zhangci, the leader of the local ethnic people, supplicated to build the Heavenly Capital Mountain Temple. The emperor bestowed on the god of the Temple the title Marquis of Acclimation ( 順應侯Shunyiong Hou ) and gave the temple a stele inscribed Acclimation. The temple fell into decadence since the Yuan and was rebuilt in the 26th year of the Wanli Era of the Ming. Destroyed in wars during the Tongzhi Era （1862-1874）of the Qing, it was recovered through six years’ work lasting through the year Guiwei（1883）to the year Wuzi（1888）in the Guangxu Era. Ruined again in an earthquake in the 9th year of Republican China (1920), it was rebuilt again from 1938 to 1944. In the nationwide iron-refining movement in 1958, the temple was completely pulled down for the copper produced in the mountain. In 1980, Daoist priest Zhang Liqiong went to the mountain and rebuilt the temple named Heavenly Capital Mountain Daoist Temple. Three platforms formed naturally in tiers in the Heavenly Capital Mountain. The Daoist Temple is correspondingly constructed in three courtyards. The upper courtyard, almost at the top of the mountain, is small and exquisite with the Tower of The Supreme Sovereign as the loftiest building on a cliff. In the stone wall below excavated side by side are three caves. The upper is the Cave of Jade Emperor excavated in the 8th year of the Kangxi Era of the Qing. Below is the Cave of Guanyin, rebuilt in 1980. Still lower is the Cave of the Patriarch, a square cave of 9 meters in length, 5 meters in width and height, which is the biggest cave in the mountain. Down along the stone peak lie the Bell Tower and the Hall of the Thunder Patriarch. The second courtyard consists of three stone caves. The left is the Palace of Offspring, the right the Shrine of the Loyal and the Righteous, the middle the Cave of the Buddha. To their right is the Hall of Great Completion. Beside the cliff is a 2-sotried pavilion whose upper floor is the Pavilion of the Kui Star and the lower the Hall of Wenchang. The third courtyard is being built. Below the third courtyard are the Pavilion for the King of Law ( 法王閣Pavilion fot the King of Law ), the Hall of the Numinous Officer, and the Hall of the King of Medicine. Down the mountain there are some small temples for the locust, dragon and mountain god, etc. [[zh:天都山道觀（寧夏海源縣）]] a5edc052792c3747319d06b5ebb0647e3f93fa48 0 164 209 2009-07-28T06:48:28Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Foundation== The Wan Tsuen Seen Koon ( 雲泉仙館 Yunquan Xianguan ), which was originally located on Mt. Xiqiao in Nanhai County, Guangdong Province, worshiped patriarch [[L...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Foundation== The Wan Tsuen Seen Koon ( 雲泉仙館 Yunquan Xianguan ), which was originally located on Mt. Xiqiao in Nanhai County, Guangdong Province, worshiped patriarch [[Lü Chunyang]] and was very prosperous. In 1938, the Japanese army swept across the region of Guangzhou and stationed itself on Mt. Xiqiao. During the War of Resistance against Japan, Hong Kong was occupied and transportation was blocked. Unable to return to the Patriarch's Hall on Mt. Xiqiao in Nanhai to celebrate the birthday of the Patriarch and pay homage to him, some disciples set up a branch of the temple in Hong Kong so as to continue Daoist activities and save, relieve and aid the people. Later, it was registered as a non-profit limited corporation, and all its affairs were managed by an administrative committee. In 1975, the temple bought a new site in Pingfeng, Fenling. In 1986, "Chunyang Hall" was enlarged and completed, and the first chrysanthemum show was held at that time. From then on, the temple has attracted more and more pilgrims, and it has held a chrysanthemum show every year. ==Guidelines== The temple always takes venerating teachers and teachings and practicing benevolence as its guidelines. At its beginning, it gave gruel to aid the hungry and saved numerous countrymen residing abroad when Hong Kong was occupied. After being recovered, it has never stopped donating clothes and medicine, assisting students and honoring the aged, giving alms to disaster areas, and propagating the teachings and persuading people to do good deeds. ==Address== #21/F Building No. 335-339, Aberdeen Main Road West, Hong Kong. #Ping Che Road, Ta Ku Ling, New Territories, Hong Kong. Telephone: (852) 25472569 / 26742194 Fax: (852) 254009977 87ae8c8393923e29dbf24f0f80b954fcfa69cd69 0 165 210 2009-07-28T07:02:06Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Purpose== Shang Sin Chun Tong ( 省善真堂 Xingshan Zhentang ) is a Daoist and Buddhist philanthropic religious organization. The character Xing indicates that those who prac...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Purpose== Shang Sin Chun Tong ( 省善真堂 Xingshan Zhentang ) is a Daoist and Buddhist philanthropic religious organization. The character Xing indicates that those who practise and cultivate Dao should "examine themselves three times every day"; Shan indicates a calm and kind mind that knows benevolence and understands nature; Zhen indicates the cultivation of body and spirit and returning to simplicity and perfection; and Tang indicates being dignified and the practice of benevolence and accumulation of merits. The founding of this Daoist hall aims at the cultivation of oneself and the encouragement of virtues, the comprehension of Dao and the practice of benevolence, the fostering of a kind nature in pursuit of the written precepts of immortals and spirits revealed by the planchette, and the cultivation of oneself in observance of the eight virtues. ==Founding== In 1952, the year of Renchen, the fourteen founders of Shang Sin Chun Tong rented a small building on Yingpan Road of Kowloon for the enlightenment of Dao on a reed cushion, the concealment of one's capacities, and the biding of one's time. Besides, they set up altars for the worship of [[The Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ), the Heavenly Lord and Preacher of the Law Manjusri ( 文殊廣法天尊 Wenshu GuangFa Tianzun ), the Great Immortal Master ( 大仙師 Daxian Shi ) [[Li Tieguai]], and the Great Immortal Master [[Lu Chunyang]], in order to carry forward the doctrines and publicize Dao. ==Development== In 1959, Shang Sin Chun Tong moved to Tangong Road in Kowloon, and the hall became fairly spacious. From then on the affairs of the hall developed more quickly, and there were more and more disciples day by day. In 1967, ''Shang Sin Chun Tong'' was registered by the Hong Kong government as a "limited corporation", and ratified to be a non-profit and tax-free philanthropic organization. It enthusiastically takes part in social and philanthropic service, and its affairs are developing day by day. At the beginning of 1997, the hall bought the whole location of No. 8, Lulun Road, which occupies over a million feet, where the present hall is situated. Garden designs are the basis of the hall, and in the hall there are buildings such as the Hall of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign, the Manjusri Hall, the Planchette Writing Altar, the Dipper Pavilion, the Memorial Hall, and the Missing Parents Pavilion. Solemn and peaceful, the hall can be regarded as a place for peaceful cultivation. Since 1990, in order to coordinate with the development of Daoist affairs, the hall has bought the whole space of neighbouring No. 7, enlarged the Main Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ), the Great Manjusri Hall, the Dipper Pavilion, the Planchette Writing Altar, etc. In addition, the Guanyin Hall, the Big Building at the Solemn Main Entrance, and so on have recently been built. The spirits worshiped in the halls vary, yet are all solemn and respectful. Later, the Closest Relative Pavilion, the Best Love Pavilion and the Respecting Parents Pavilion were also built for the devotees to place the ashes of their late parents, and to express their filial piety. Then the equipments of the Daoist hall have become more and more perfected. ==Activities== #A branch of ''Shang Sin Chun Tong'' registered in Canada has been ratified as a tax-free and non-profit religious organization. #Three issues of ''Affinity with Dao'' ( 道綠 Daoyuan ), the journal of the Daoist hall, are published every year and given free by the publisher. #''[[The Book of Supreme Peace]]'' ( 太上清靜經 Taishang Qingjing Jing ), ''[[The Tablet of Supreme Correspondence]]'' ( 太上感應篇 Taishang Ganying Pian ) and ''the Vernacular Explanation to the Book of Dao and its Virtue'' ( 道徳經白話解說 Daodejing Baihua Jieshuo ) are given free by the publisher. #A two-year "Daoist Learning Course" has been started. The course content includes the history of Daoism, knowledge about planchette writing, the Two Images ( 兩儀 Liangyi ) and Eight Diagrams ( 八卦 Bagua ), the [[Five Agents]] ( 五行 Wuxing ) and Five Images ( 五儀 Wuyi ), practice, etc. ==Contact== '''Address:''' 7-8 Rutland Quadrant , Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong '''Telephone:''' (852) 23361578, 23369715 '''Fax:''' (852) 23045969 [[zh:省善真堂（香港）]] d02659cad8a7b59ab2744c49c14c9ee066ea063f 0 166 211 2009-07-28T07:06:38Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Brief History== The Shun Shin Chee Kit Yin Koon ( 紫闕玄觀 Zique Xuanguan ) is a temple of the Chunyang sect of Supreme Oneness ( 太乙 Taiyi ) Daoism. In 1964, it was fou...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Brief History== The Shun Shin Chee Kit Yin Koon ( 紫闕玄觀 Zique Xuanguan ) is a temple of the Chunyang sect of Supreme Oneness ( 太乙 Taiyi ) Daoism. In 1964, it was founded in Macau on the third floor of No. 17, Luoli Street, by Qu Zhanbie, Luo Lianzong, Deng Lianxue, Deng Lianyin, and Luo Lianhui. Afterwards, the disciples Luo Ziyan and Luo Lianhui returned to Hong Kong; unable to sustain itself, the original temple in Macau was closed temporarily. In 1973, the disciple Luo Ziyan bought the present site at Shenshuibu. Thanks to the kind and generous help of the Xinshan Ancestral Altar, the Erfen Altar, the Sanfen Altar, Liuhe Sacred House, and the Liyi Mysterious Temple, the great ceremony of Opening Light was held on the seventh day of the tenth month of the Guichou year (1973). In 1975, the temple was registered as a non-profit limited corporation named Shun Shin Chee Kit Yin Koon. In 1977, some believers offered section No. 95 (a public area), No. 3 District, Baitian Village, Shatin. The location became the "Quiet Temple for the Cultivation of the Aged at the Shun Shin Chee Kit Yin Koon ". From then on believers have increased day by day. "Shi Kuanqun", abbot of the neighboring Fragrant Rays Garden, donated for free the neighbouring plot No. 96 and its buildings. In 1979, after the construction of paths and platforms using funds raised in many ways, the Shun Shin Chee Kit Yin Koon was opened. ==Organization== By 1982, the organization of the temple was perfected. Daoists made the site of the Mysterious Temple in Shatin the general altar for the believers. It consists of the Shun Shin Ancestral Altar, the Shun Shin Erfen Altar, the Shun Shin Altar, Liuhe Sacred House, the Chunyang Immortal Cave, the Shun Shin Liyi Mysterious Altar, the Shun Shin Mysterious Temple, the Shun Shin Temple, the Dize Temple, the Shun Shin Scriptures Research Institute, the Shun Shin Chee Kit Yin Koon Mysterious Temple, etc. ==Guidelines== Respecting teachers and valuing teachings, carrying forward the traditional spirit of Chinese Daoism, taking loyalty, filial piety, incorruption, frugality, honesty, benevolence, kindness and propriety as essentials, saving people and making them do good, offering medical care and medicine, sympathizing with orphans and aiding widows, doing all kinds of social charitable works, building non-profit rest homes, founding Daoist schools, etc. ==Services== # A Chinese medicine department has been opened in the temple located on Yiju Street, Shenshuibu. It offers medical care and medicine in the morning and evening every day, except on the first and fifteenth days of each month of the lunar calendar, Sundays, and public holidays. #Planchette-writing altars for universal salvation, transferring the sacred Dao and directing believers. #Participation in charitable activities, such as raising money. #Developing education, and founding over 40 middle schools, elementary schools, kindergartens, and orphanages. #Aiding people in emergencies and dangers, raising funds to relieve disaster areas, sending Daoists to investigate the situation in disaster areas; aiding poor regions and improving medical services. ==Address of the altar== #136, Yee Kuk Street, 6th & 7th floors, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, Hong Kong #Dd. 181, Area 3, Pak Tin village, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong Telephone: (852) 27280137, 26911163 Fax: (852) 28580478 [[zh:紫闕玄觀（香港）]] 475e0c8de9d83f652098707d7f6bbb41153f930b 0 167 212 2009-07-28T07:52:06Z Admin 1 Created page with '== The Founding and History of the Fung Ying Seen Koon == The Fung Ying Seen Koon was founded as an affiliate of [[the Dragon Gate sect]] of [[the Complete Perfection Tradtion. T...' wikitext text/x-wiki == The Founding and History of the Fung Ying Seen Koon == The Fung Ying Seen Koon was founded as an affiliate of [[the Dragon Gate sect]] of [[the Complete Perfection Tradtion. The birth of the Fung Ying Seen Koon is as follows: He Jinyu and Chen Sikai, two Daoist priests who had learned the orthodox teachings of the Dragon Gate sect, together with senior Daoist priest Mai Xingjie, the abbot of the Triple Origin Temple of Guangzhou, once travelled along the Xiangjiang River to visit Li Daoming, the owner of Benli Garden in Anle Village, Fen Ridge. The reason for their visit was that they were aware that the manners and morals of the time were decaying and that they were past their prime, so they thought it necessary to find a holy place for secluded cultivation from which to advocate Daoism in order to remedy the ills of the age. Arriving at their destination, they saw at a distance green mountains surrounded by a very great number of pines. The place was named Double Fish Grotto and Great Happiness Village. Just as the morning sun began to shine, auspicious clouds in five colors drifted halfway up the hill, making it look like a natural fairyland. Seeing this, they decided to found a Daoist temple of the orthodox Dragon Gate sect on the spot. After their visit, they asked their Daoist friends Liang Qimei, Zhou Langshan, Su Shouqi, Su Yaochen and Ruan Chanqing to pool a huge sum of money to purchase the land, and they bought the piedmont of the Double Fish Grotto from the relatives and friends of their Daoist friend Feng Yaoqing. There they built a Daoist temple named Fung Ying Seen Koon. At first, the Supreme Venerable Sovereign and Patriarch Chunyang was enshrined, and later, patriarch Qiu Changchun was also enshrined. From then on the Fung Ying Seen Koon has transmitted its mysterious lineage and expounded the Dao and the scriptures. In the early days of the Fung Ying Seen Koon, the buildings were dilapidated and the equipment was simple and crude. Later, in 1929, the Jisi year, through the generous financial assistance of the Daoist directors Ruan Chanqing and Su Yaochen, the Eastern Hall was built as a Quiet Chamber for Cultivating the Dao. In the spring of 1951, the western chamber was built, and in the winter of the same year, the senior Daoist Luo Zongxu ceded his Quiet Chamber back to the FungYing Seen Koon, and its name was changed to the Southern Chamber. During the following several years, the two Pavilions, "Plum" and "Orchid," were also built to provide shelter from sunlight and rain for pilgrims, and the Hall of Eternal Memory was established for later generations to honor ancestors with sacrifices. By then, the Fung Ying Seen Koon had become one of the largest Daoist temples in Hong Kong. In 1950, the gengyin year, the Board of Directors and Advisors was established to administer Daoist pracitce. Soon after that, the Fung Ying Seen Koon applied to the government and was granted the land at the back of the mountain, and opened up new gardens. In 1952, the renchen year, Daoist priests raised funds to build the octagonal Pavilion of Joyous Benevolence. In 1954, the jiawu year, the senior Daoist priest Zhang Yujie donated money to build the Pavilion of Accumulation of Kindness. In 1955, the yiwei year, some colleagues proposed to build the Penglai Pavilion and the Joyful Rain Pavilion. In the winter of 1965, the yisi year, the son of the senior Daoist priest Mai Congfu donated money to build the Congfu Pavilion to commemorate his ancestors. In 1966, the bingwu year, colleagues of the temple enthusiastically donated money to build the Terrace of Light. Since then the Fung Ying Seen Koon has grown from a private Daoist temple for secluded cultivation into an officially registered, non-profit charitable and religious body. Later, it revised its rules and regulations, accepted female Daoist priests, and built a temple for female Daoist priests so that they could enter the temples to cultivate secretly and accumulate merit. Moreover, we enlarged the Hall of Eternal Memory to offer sacrifices to ancestors, and built or renovated the Hall of Eternal Joy, the Hall of Eternal Happiness, the Hall for the Accumulation of Kindness, the Hall of Foresight, and the Hall of Eternal Remembrance to place funerary caskets, recite scriptures and repent at the appropriate times and seasons, in order that those in both this world and in the nether world would enjoy safety and happiness. Later, the Fung Ying Seen Koon expanded the Great Palace of the Three Sages (1977), the Southern Chamber (1986), the Hall for Female Daoist Priests (1987), the Eastern Chamber (1988), and the Western Chamber (1988), and made preparations for the construction of the Tower of Seasonable Rain (1994) and the Palace of Original Stars (1997), in a manner appropriate to the development of the affairs of the Fung Ying Seen Koon. During the past decade, in order to further the perfection of the management of our Daoist temple, the seventh Board of Directors of the Fung Ying Seen Koon, led by President Feng Diping, President-for-Life Qiu Fuxiong, Chairmen Li Xianhua and Lu Weigan, Vice-Chairmen Huang Chiquan and Zhu Yongchang, and the colleagues of all previous boards of directors of the Fung Ying Seen Koon, have spared no effort in their promotion of Daoism and their participation in public welfare and charity activities, to include: ==Service to society == #Offering medical treatment and medicine: We have set up a Chinese and a Western medical clinic that are free of charge. We also produce and export medicinal alcohol for injuries from falls and fractures. #Setting up schools and cultivating talent: We have established two kindergartens and two self-study rooms for youth. #Nurturing the young and caring for the aged: We have founded two service centers for senior citizens. ==Disseminating the religion and elucidating the Dao== #Lectures teaching the Dao are held to expound and advocate Daoist philosophy, to preach the Dao, and to spread virtue. #Rituals of scriptural confession include praying for blessings, redeeming lost souls, deliverance from hell, and offerings for the benefit of this world. #Support of ancestors: We spread the principle of filial piety, carry out funeral rites for parents and provide for the worship of ancestors. #Training classes for masters of the scriptures and scriptural study classes for Daoist priests: We enable the faithful and disciples to engage in advanced studies of rites and scriptures, and to conduct research into Daoist arts. #Organization of the Hong Kong Daoist Philharmonic Society: Through performances meant to introduce Daoist music at home and abroad, we aim to correct misconceptions of Daoism among the people and to acquaint them with the riches of Daoist culture. In addition, in order to enable Daoist culture to spread properly, the Fung Ying Seen Koon has established the Daoist Culture and Information Center. We invite scholars from home and abroad, senior Daoist priests, and eminent Daoist priests from brother Daoist temples to join in the organization of the executive committee and to make plans for the future of our religion. [[zh:蓬瀛仙館（香港）]] 2f32b3dc9fcbcde2bdadd62a7a4a2bfc533cef36 0 168 213 2009-07-28T08:22:21Z Admin 1 Created page with '==A Brief Introduction== The Cultural Institute is a temple, a school, and a charitable group serving the masses. With Daoist philosophy as its foundation, the distinguished teac...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==A Brief Introduction== The Cultural Institute is a temple, a school, and a charitable group serving the masses. With Daoist philosophy as its foundation, the distinguished teachings as its tool for education and salvation, and with the maxims "respect but do not pray to gods for blessing", "there is a special way to ask the gods", "educate the common people", and "foster talents" as its guidelines, it realizes its ideal of saving the people with religious zeal. ==History== The Cultural Institute was founded in 1962. It evolved out of Jishan Hall, whose founder was Mr. Cai Wen. Initiated by the spirit patriarch Wenluo Qingshui at Zhiyan Hall in Gaoxiong City and trained as "Chief Planchette Writer ( 正筆 Zhengbi )", Mr. Cai, together with his colleagues Shen Shiyu, Chen Tianhe, Guo Qizhang and Huang Shizhu, founded the hall at the patriarch temple in Xinxing District, Gaoxiaong City, in the name of Jishan Hall. At that time, the spirits were distinguished and known to people near and afar. More and more people came to seek teachings and conversion. This founded the base of The Cultural Institute. In 1963, Jishan Hall was named The Cultural Institute. In 1969, it was moved to its present site, 44 Second Minsheng Street. Several years later, the academy faculty raised money to build the General Academy of The Cultural Institute, a four-story temple-like building. In 1974, after the setting up of the General Cultural Academy, summoned by Mr. Cai, an administrative committee was founded and registered by the government. Since then academic affairs became more and more onerous. Just as a disciple donated a 3 mu mountainside plot of land in Tongling Village, Dashu Township, Gaoxiong County, the committee prepared to found the heavenly altar of Mt. Xuanhua of The Cultural Institute, which, seven years later, was set up in 1982. In 1984, the two Nine-Dragon ''Du'' of the Heavenly Altar were completed. ==Organization== The administrative committee has one director, two vice directors, twelve members, one standing inspector and four inspectors. All of them are elected at the believers' conference, the highest policy-making organization of The Cultural Institute. The president of the Academy holds the concurrent post of director, who represents the Academy outside and administers production, supervises the carrying out of Academy affairs, decides on Academy affairs, and is responsible for the believers' conference inside. Besides, there are three vice-presidents and several members of the council who are in charge of internal and external administrative and teaching affairs. Other units have been set up, such as the religious research department, the Dao propagation department, the rituals department, the charity society, the general affairs department, the sacred books press, the Guanxiwo magazine office, the monthly academic news office, the ''Advancement of Virtue and Cultivation of Obedience'' monthly comic book office, etc. ==Doctrines== Taking loyalty and filial piety as guidelines, advocating morality and developing human nature with the Daoist spirit of upholding justice and saving the people, and instructing the whole faculty not to harm others to benefit oneself. ==Significance of the Emblem of The Cultural Institute== #Five connected rings -- the Five Teachings (Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam) are related to each other, and only by mutual assistance can they save the people in accordance with the heavenly principles. # Five parallel rings -- the Five Teachings are equal to each other, and none is superior than another, so it is impossible to tell which is better. #The middle of the five linked rings is shaped like the character "Wen"; it represents the character "Wen" in "Wenhua Yuan" (Cultural Academy). # There is a leaf-like shape in the connected part of the five rings. It implies that the leaf spreads teachings and represents the character "Hua" in "Wenhua Yuan". #The integration of the five rings stands highly. It implies that the integration of the Five Teachings is made up of Five Directions and forms the system of the Academy. It represents the character "Yuan" in "Wenhua Yuan". #Implications of the five colors: yellow represents the Centre, which is equal to "earth" of the Five Agents ( 五行 Wuxing ), "Daoism" among religions, and "honesty" of the Five Eternal Virtues ( 五常 Wuchang ). Green represents the East, wood, "Confucianism", and "benevolence". White represents the west, gold, "Buddhism", and "wisdom". Black represents the north, water, "Christianity", and "propriety". Red represents the south, fire, "Islam" and "righteousness". ==Buildings and Spirits Worshiped== The Cultural Institute consists of the General Academy, the five halls, and the Altar of Heaven. The General Academy is a four-storey palace-like building, the site of the general office. On the first floor is worshiped the divine seat of Confucius. The second floor is the Fuluan Hall and the Daoist place for Sitting in Meditation ( 打坐 dazuo ) and for the worship of Emperor Guan. On the third floor are worshiped Guanyin, the Heavenly Lord ( 天尊 Tianzun ), [[the Elder Lady of the Big Dipper]] ( 斗姥 Doumu ), and [[64 Supreme Year Stars]] ( 太歲 Taisui ). The major spirit worshiped on the fourth floor is patriarch Wenluo Qingshui, who is expert at medicine and devoted all his life to the salvation of the people. ==Preaching Dao== Religious education is spread in multiple ways, such as education by planchette writing, founding a Daoist institute with Peking University, taking the lead in founding the association for the study of sages, running a long-term Japanese class and national philharmonic society, and holding study camps, life aesthetics camps and summer camps. The Cultural Institute regularly holds activities of conferring posthumous titles and offering cults to ancestors, and occasionally holds activities for saving the souls of the dead and dispelling disasters. It organizes planchette writing groups, scripture chanting groups and youth groups to communicate with other planchette writing organizations. Besides, it offers free services of stabilizing the spirit by spiritual healing, treating patients, and calming people down and modulating one's spirit. In terms of social services, it actively participates in activities for aiding disaster areas and public welfare activities. ==Periodicals== ''Guanxiwo, News of The Cultural Institute'' '''Address:''' 44 2nd Minsheng Street, Gaoxiong City, Taiwan (886-07-2813436, 2821723) ==Related Organizations== ===Altar of Heaven of The Cultural Institute=== '''Address:''' No.88-6, Tongling Village, Dashu Township, Gaoxiong County, Taiwan (beside Qinan Road) '''Telephone:''' 886-07-656-2501,6562152 === Wenluo Academy=== '''Address:''' No. 6, 4th floor, 91 1st Dashun Street, Zuoying District, Gaoxiong City, Taiwan (beside the Longhua Middle School) '''Telephone:''' 886-07-3150553, 3150554 '''Fax:''' 886-07-3328349 ===Nanhai Hall=== '''Address:''' 15-126 Shuiguan Street, Zhuhou Village, Ren Township, Gaoxiong County, Taiwan '''Telephone:''' 886-07-3519259 ===Taibei Cultural Palace of the Three Pristine Ones (8)=== '''Address''': 4th Floor, No. 3, Lane No. 2, Alleyway No. 39, 2nd Section, East Zhongxiao Street, Taibei City '''Telephone:''' 886-02-23515151, 23515757 Fax: 886-02-23517899 ===Academy of the Three Pristine Ones=== '''Address:''' 2nd Floor, No.1, Lane No. 2, Alleyway No. 39, 2nd Section, East Zhongxiao Street, Taibei City '''Telephone:''' 886-02-23219756 [[zh:高雄文化院（台灣高雄）]] 04332540fc6c10d905c175f89dc8bd6295116a88 214 213 2009-07-28T08:36:10Z Admin 1 /* Periodicals */ wikitext text/x-wiki ==A Brief Introduction== The Cultural Institute is a temple, a school, and a charitable group serving the masses. With Daoist philosophy as its foundation, the distinguished teachings as its tool for education and salvation, and with the maxims "respect but do not pray to gods for blessing", "there is a special way to ask the gods", "educate the common people", and "foster talents" as its guidelines, it realizes its ideal of saving the people with religious zeal. ==History== The Cultural Institute was founded in 1962. It evolved out of Jishan Hall, whose founder was Mr. Cai Wen. Initiated by the spirit patriarch Wenluo Qingshui at Zhiyan Hall in Gaoxiong City and trained as "Chief Planchette Writer ( 正筆 Zhengbi )", Mr. Cai, together with his colleagues Shen Shiyu, Chen Tianhe, Guo Qizhang and Huang Shizhu, founded the hall at the patriarch temple in Xinxing District, Gaoxiaong City, in the name of Jishan Hall. At that time, the spirits were distinguished and known to people near and afar. More and more people came to seek teachings and conversion. This founded the base of The Cultural Institute. In 1963, Jishan Hall was named The Cultural Institute. In 1969, it was moved to its present site, 44 Second Minsheng Street. Several years later, the academy faculty raised money to build the General Academy of The Cultural Institute, a four-story temple-like building. In 1974, after the setting up of the General Cultural Academy, summoned by Mr. Cai, an administrative committee was founded and registered by the government. Since then academic affairs became more and more onerous. Just as a disciple donated a 3 mu mountainside plot of land in Tongling Village, Dashu Township, Gaoxiong County, the committee prepared to found the heavenly altar of Mt. Xuanhua of The Cultural Institute, which, seven years later, was set up in 1982. In 1984, the two Nine-Dragon ''Du'' of the Heavenly Altar were completed. ==Organization== The administrative committee has one director, two vice directors, twelve members, one standing inspector and four inspectors. All of them are elected at the believers' conference, the highest policy-making organization of The Cultural Institute. The president of the Academy holds the concurrent post of director, who represents the Academy outside and administers production, supervises the carrying out of Academy affairs, decides on Academy affairs, and is responsible for the believers' conference inside. Besides, there are three vice-presidents and several members of the council who are in charge of internal and external administrative and teaching affairs. Other units have been set up, such as the religious research department, the Dao propagation department, the rituals department, the charity society, the general affairs department, the sacred books press, the Guanxiwo magazine office, the monthly academic news office, the ''Advancement of Virtue and Cultivation of Obedience'' monthly comic book office, etc. ==Doctrines== Taking loyalty and filial piety as guidelines, advocating morality and developing human nature with the Daoist spirit of upholding justice and saving the people, and instructing the whole faculty not to harm others to benefit oneself. ==Significance of the Emblem of The Cultural Institute== #Five connected rings -- the Five Teachings (Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam) are related to each other, and only by mutual assistance can they save the people in accordance with the heavenly principles. # Five parallel rings -- the Five Teachings are equal to each other, and none is superior than another, so it is impossible to tell which is better. #The middle of the five linked rings is shaped like the character "Wen"; it represents the character "Wen" in "Wenhua Yuan" (Cultural Academy). # There is a leaf-like shape in the connected part of the five rings. It implies that the leaf spreads teachings and represents the character "Hua" in "Wenhua Yuan". #The integration of the five rings stands highly. It implies that the integration of the Five Teachings is made up of Five Directions and forms the system of the Academy. It represents the character "Yuan" in "Wenhua Yuan". #Implications of the five colors: yellow represents the Centre, which is equal to "earth" of the Five Agents ( 五行 Wuxing ), "Daoism" among religions, and "honesty" of the Five Eternal Virtues ( 五常 Wuchang ). Green represents the East, wood, "Confucianism", and "benevolence". White represents the west, gold, "Buddhism", and "wisdom". Black represents the north, water, "Christianity", and "propriety". Red represents the south, fire, "Islam" and "righteousness". ==Buildings and Spirits Worshiped== The Cultural Institute consists of the General Academy, the five halls, and the Altar of Heaven. The General Academy is a four-storey palace-like building, the site of the general office. On the first floor is worshiped the divine seat of Confucius. The second floor is the Fuluan Hall and the Daoist place for Sitting in Meditation ( 打坐 dazuo ) and for the worship of Emperor Guan. On the third floor are worshiped Guanyin, the Heavenly Lord ( 天尊 Tianzun ), [[the Elder Lady of the Big Dipper]] ( 斗姥 Doumu ), and [[64 Supreme Year Stars]] ( 太歲 Taisui ). The major spirit worshiped on the fourth floor is patriarch Wenluo Qingshui, who is expert at medicine and devoted all his life to the salvation of the people. ==Preaching Dao== Religious education is spread in multiple ways, such as education by planchette writing, founding a Daoist institute with Peking University, taking the lead in founding the association for the study of sages, running a long-term Japanese class and national philharmonic society, and holding study camps, life aesthetics camps and summer camps. The Cultural Institute regularly holds activities of conferring posthumous titles and offering cults to ancestors, and occasionally holds activities for saving the souls of the dead and dispelling disasters. It organizes planchette writing groups, scripture chanting groups and youth groups to communicate with other planchette writing organizations. Besides, it offers free services of stabilizing the spirit by spiritual healing, treating patients, and calming people down and modulating one's spirit. In terms of social services, it actively participates in activities for aiding disaster areas and public welfare activities. ==Periodicals== ''Guanxiwo, News of The Cultural Institute'' '''Address:''' 44 2nd Minsheng Street, Gaoxiong City, Taiwan (886-07-2813436, 2821723) ==Related Organizations== ===Altar of Heaven of The Cultural Institute=== '''Address:''' No.88-6, Tongling Village, Dashu Township, Gaoxiong County, Taiwan (beside Qinan Road) '''Telephone:''' 886-07-656-2501,6562152 === Wenluo Academy=== '''Address:''' No. 6, 4th floor, 91 1st Dashun Street, Zuoying District, Gaoxiong City, Taiwan (beside the Longhua Middle School) '''Telephone:''' 886-07-3150553, 3150554 '''Fax:''' 886-07-3328349 ===Nanhai Hall=== '''Address:''' 15-126 Shuiguan Street, Zhuhou Village, Ren Township, Gaoxiong County, Taiwan '''Telephone:''' 886-07-3519259 ===Taibei Cultural Palace of the Three Pristine Ones (8)=== '''Address''': 4th Floor, No. 3, Lane No. 2, Alleyway No. 39, 2nd Section, East Zhongxiao Street, Taibei City '''Telephone:''' 886-02-23515151, 23515757 Fax: 886-02-23517899 ===Academy of the Three Pristine Ones=== '''Address:''' 2nd Floor, No.1, Lane No. 2, Alleyway No. 39, 2nd Section, East Zhongxiao Street, Taibei City '''Telephone:''' 886-02-23219756 [[zh:高雄文化院（台灣高雄）]] c741b7e06191e697210ce46b37011a1fbcc11fec 0 169 215 2009-07-29T01:45:04Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The one-volume ''The Prologue to the Sublime Glossary of All Daoist Scriptures'' ( 一切道經音義妙門由起 Yiqie Daojing Yinyi Miaomen Youqi ), or simply, The Prologue, wa...' wikitext text/x-wiki The one-volume ''The Prologue to the Sublime Glossary of All Daoist Scriptures'' ( 一切道經音義妙門由起 Yiqie Daojing Yinyi Miaomen Youqi ), or simply, The Prologue, was compiled by Shi Chongxuan et al. of the Tang dynasty. At the beginning of the book is Preface to The Pronunciation and Meaning of All Daoist Scriptures written by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty. It is said in the preface that the emperor ordered Daoist priests and scholars of the two palaces to give all the existing Daoist scriptures their pronunciation and meaning according to books such as Yupian (a dictionary) and ''Explanations of the Chinese Characters'' ( 說文解字 Shuowen Jiezi ). There were 140 volumes in all, not including the catalogue of the pronunciation and meaning or that of the scriptures. But according to Preface to the Prologue written by Shi Chongxuan, ''The Glossary of All Daoist Scriptures'' came into being as a pronunciation notation to over 2,000 volumes extant in the library of the capital and six sections of The Prologue were written in addition. The catalogue of pronounced scriptures combined with those of the old scriptures, together amount to 113 volumes. The textual criticism by the recent scholar Chen Guofu proves that Shi Chongxuan's Preface to the ''Glossary of All Daoist Scriptures'' written by imperial order was mistakenly entitled Preface to the ''Prologue''. ''The Glossary of All Daoist Scriptures'' is a Daoist dictionary that has been lost. The six sections of The Daoist Origin existing today abstract Daoist scriptures and divide them into six categories. This book is actually a Daoist encyclopedia that gives an account of the evolution of Daoism and Daoist scriptures. It cites 77 Daoist scriptures and is of specific reference value to the study of Daoist books. The book is collected in the Supreme Peace Section ( 太平部 Taiping Bu ) of [[''The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). [[zh:一切道經音義妙門由起]] 2d539e307ecb9130651fab5a71953a88ccf076ee 0 170 216 2009-07-29T01:57:09Z Admin 1 Created page with '''Elixir Mirror'' ( 入藥鏡 Ruyao Jing ) was written by Cui Xifan of the Tang dynasty. Chapter bibliographies of History of the Song collect three volumes of ''Elixir Mirror by...' wikitext text/x-wiki ''Elixir Mirror'' ( 入藥鏡 Ruyao Jing ) was written by Cui Xifan of the Tang dynasty. Chapter bibliographies of History of the Song collect three volumes of ''Elixir Mirror by Master Cui''. Today's ''[[The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ) collects four versions, namely ''The Upper Chapter of Elixir Mirror'' and ''The Middle Chapter of Elixir Mirror'' in volume 37 of the ''Pivot of Dao'' ( 道樞 Daoshu ), and ''Commentaries on Elixir Mirror by Master Cui'' and ''Elixir Mirror of Heavenly Origin'' in volumes 13 and 21 of ''Ten Books on the Cultivation of Perfection'' ( 修真十書 Xiuzhen Shishu ). "Yao" (elixir) refers to man's essential matter, vital breath and spirit, i.e. man's "three subtleties". The process of the inner refinement of essential matter, vital breath and spirit is called "ru". "Jing" (mirror) refers to man's heart, whose nature is fire. The inner brightness of heart fire can brighten everything, so the mirror of mind is indispensable for the refinement of essential matter, vital breath and spirit. This is what the title of the book indicates. The book integrates the [[Science of Changes]] ( 易學 Yixue ) and [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ) and constructs a system of theories and methods of inner alchemy refinement. It stresses that the guideline of inner alchemy refinement consists in the integration with Dao into perfection and the imitation of the quietness and nonintervention of the nature. Moreover, it takes the heart and kidney as the basis for refining elixirs and divides the process into 16 levels. One passes the levels from the easiest to the most difficult, and attains immortality after nine times of transformation. This book is an important work on Daoist inner alchemy of the late Tang dynasty and the Five Dynasties, and bares profound influences on the science of inner alchemy of the Song and Yuan dynasties. [[zh:入藥鏡]] 7c3b1b07aedacda981f969d640e6c9bade394f74 0 171 217 2009-07-29T02:16:14Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The ''Thirty-Six Lofty Scriptures'' ( 三十六部尊經 Sanshiliu Bu Zunjing ) refer to the ''Twelve Pervasive Perfection Sections of the Supreme Numinous Treasure'' ( 太上靈...' wikitext text/x-wiki The ''Thirty-Six Lofty Scriptures'' ( 三十六部尊經 Sanshiliu Bu Zunjing ) refer to the ''Twelve Pervasive Perfection Sections of the Supreme Numinous Treasure'' ( 太上靈寶洞真 Taishang Lingbao Dongzhen ), the ''Twelve Pervasive Mystery Sections of the Supreme Numinous Treasure'' ( 太上靈寶洞玄 Taishang Lingbao Dongxuan ), and ''the Twelve Pervasive Divinity Sections of the Supreme Numinous Treasure'' ( 太上靈寶洞神 Taishang Lingbao Dongshen ). According to the ''Supreme Pervasive Divine Scripture of Grandpa Heaven's Dispelling Demons and Protecting the State'' ( 《太上洞神天公消魔護國經》Taishang Dongshen Tiangong Xiaomo Huguo Jing ), the thirty-six scriptures total 1,884,220 volumes. The ''Twelve Pervasive Perfection Sections'' tell about the creation of Heaven and Earth, the changes of Yin and Yang, the way to Immortality through the Nine-Cycle Revision Elixir ( 九轉還丹 Jiuzhuan Hundan ), and Refining the Body with Liquid Gold ( 金液煉形 Jinye Lianxing ). The ''Twelve Pervasive Mystery Sections'' tell how to dispel misfortunes and diseases, perform repentance, and save the dead. The Twelve ''Pervasive Divinity'' Sections tell the way of cultivating the body and governing the family state. [[zh:三十六部尊經]] 590c9e6779143bebd6d0701b6ee3c5f65fbd33d7 0 172 218 2009-07-29T02:56:54Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 1-volume Essence of the Book of Changes from the Three Heavens ( 《三天易髓》 San Tian Yisui ) was written by Yingchanzi Li Zhichun and edited by Hunranzi. It contains ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 1-volume Essence of the Book of Changes from the Three Heavens ( 《三天易髓》 San Tian Yisui ) was written by Yingchanzi Li Zhichun and edited by Hunranzi. It contains four parts: #Supreme Ultimate in Confucian Terms ( 儒曰太極 Ru Yue Taiji ) • The Direct Pointing to Fire Phases ( 火符直指 Huofu Zhizhi ). This part explains inner alchemy using the theory of Book of Changes in fifteen poems and notes about "not using the hidden dragon" in the Book of Changes to correspond to the number of 3 multiplies 5. It says: The so-called pearl of mystery ( 玄珠 Xuanzhu ) of Buddhism, Supreme Ultimate of Confucianism and Golden Elixir ( 金丹 Jindan ) are just three names for the same thing. #Chart Illustrating Golden Elixir Clearly ( 金丹了然圖 Jindan Liaoran Tu ). The chart is lost while nine 8-lined poems of 5 words per line remain, which are about the practice of inner alchemy: beginning, setting furnace ( 安爐 Anlu ), fetching medicine ( 采藥 Caiyao ), running breath, keeping full, nourishing elixir, harmonizing spirit ( 調神 Tiaoshen ), leaving embryo ( 脫胎 Tuotai ), completion. # Complete Enlightenment ( 圓覺 Yuanjue ) in Buddhism and Direct Pointing to Heart Sutra ( 心經直指 Xinjing Zhizhi ). This part explains the Buddhist Heart Sutra, holding that the sutra focuses on emptiness from beginning to end. It explains Buddhism with Daoist thoughts. # Commentary of the Book of Secret Correspondence. This part explains the Book of Secret Correspondence as exposing the correspondence of Yin and Yang and way of all things. The part is meant to prove Daoism with Confucianism and Buddhism, and thus tell the learners that the three teachings are just the same. Collected in Subsection of Skills, Pervasive Perfection Section ( 洞真部 Dongzhen Bu ) of the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era, the book is important for the study of Daoist syncretism and inner alchemy. [[zh:三天易髓]] 9bc62663c0cdf9a3b8971d8b06be3562c04507dd 0 173 219 2009-07-29T03:03:21Z Admin 1 Created page with '''The Purse of Pearls from the Three Grottoes'' ( 三洞珠囊 Sandong Zhunang ) is a Daoist encyclopedia. It is written, "This book is compiled by Luhai Daoist Wang Xuanhe of th...' wikitext text/x-wiki ''The Purse of Pearls from the Three Grottoes'' ( 三洞珠囊 Sandong Zhunang ) is a Daoist encyclopedia. It is written, "This book is compiled by Luhai Daoist Wang Xuanhe of the great Tang dynasty". Collecting the essential parts from 212 Daoist books of the Three Grottoes ( 三洞 Sandong ), the book is therefore titled ''The Purse of Pearls from the Three Grottoes''. Emperor Wudi Yu Wenyong of the Northern Zhou dynasty once ordered the Daoist Wang Yan of the Tongdao Temple to collate the scriptures of and charts of the Three Grottoes. The seven-volume The Purse of Pearls from the Three Grottoes compiled by Wang Yan has been lost. Wang Xuanhe lived in a period later than Wang Yan. He was a Daoist of the Tang dynasty, but there is no record of his life. The title of the book he compiled is the same as that compiled by Wang Yan. Both the category of immortals in chapter "bibliographies" of History of the Song and the subcategory of philosophical Daoism, category of various philosophical theories in Summary of Comprehensive Records record that the book has 30 volumes, and 10 volumes, 30 sections are collected in the Supreme Peace Section ( 太平部 Taiping Bu ) of ''[[The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). Most of them are ancient mythologies and deeds of Daoists before the Southern and Northern Dynasties, and some are collections of inner and outer alchemy and fasting rituals and precepts. The Purse of Pearls from the Three Grottoes contains many lost Daoist books. It is an important reference for the study of the history of Daoism before the Tang dynasties. [[zh:三洞珠囊]] 89c5365bb21047f7a8d4c3d07a35909d7e38ffbf 0 174 220 2009-07-29T03:17:35Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The author of ''The Book of the Three Emperors'' ( 三皇經 Sanhuang Jing ) is unknown. The book is also titled ''The Writ of the Three Emperors'' ( 三皇文 Sanhuang Wen ) or ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The author of ''The Book of the Three Emperors'' ( 三皇經 Sanhuang Jing ) is unknown. The book is also titled ''The Writ of the Three Emperors'' ( 三皇文 Sanhuang Wen ) or ''The Inner Writ of the Three Emperors'' ( 三皇內文 Sanhuang Neiwen ), the general names for ''The Writ of the Heavenly Emperor'', The Writ of the Terrestrial Emperor, and The Writ of the Human Emperor. It is said that the version Bo He obtained in the period of The Three Kingdoms was the most ancient one. Later, Zheng Yin transmitted it to [[Ge Hong]]. This is just the so-called ''Writ of the Three Emperors of Small Existence'' ( 小有三皇文 Xiaoyou Sanhuang Wen ), which is also named ''Book of Small Existence'' ( 小有經 Xiaoyou Jing ) because people say it is kept in the jade mansion of the heaven of small existence. According to Daoism, when Bao Jing studied Dao at [[Mt. Song]] in the Western Jin dynasty, he received this writ in the Yongkang years during the reign of Emperor Huidi (300-301) and transmitted it to Ge Hong afterwards. This writ is just ''The Writ of the Three Emperors of Great Existence'' ( 大有三皇文 Dayou Sanhuang Wen ), which is also called ''Book of Great Existence'' ( 大有經 Dayou Jing ), for it is said that the secret book is kept in the palace of great existence. Later, [[Lu Xiujing]], Sun Youyue and [[Tao Hongjing]] transmitted it in turn. Moreover, Tao supplemented other Daoist scriptures and fast rituals and compiled a book of 13 volumes, which became the basis of the books in the Pervasive Divinity Section ( 洞神部 Donshen Bu ). According to Ge Hong, The Book of the Three Emperors is mainly about controlling and summoning ghosts and spirits, talismans and charts, and methods of meditation, and thus is a talismanic book. Scriptures in the Pervasive Section grounded on The Book of the Three Emperors also have these as their main content. In the 20th year of the Zhenguan era (646), Emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty ordered the abolishment of The Book of the Three Emperors. Today the ancient version of the book has been lost. The subsection of methods in the ''Pervasive Divinity Section of The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ) collects the three-volume ''Inner Secret Writs of the Three Emperors of the Divine Chapters of the Eight Extremes from the Immortal Book of Supreme Clarity and Golden Porte and Jade Flowers'' ( 太清金闕玉華仙書八極神章三皇內秘文 Taiqing Jinque Yuhua Xianshu Baji Shenzhang Sanhuang Nei Miwen ) and one-volume Secret Remains of ''the Inner Writ of the Three Emperors'' ( 三皇內文遺秘 Sanhuang Neiwen Yimi ), neither of which belongs to ''The Book of the Three Emperors''. Nevertheless, it retains some of the contents of the ancient ''Book of the Three Emperors'', and is still of reference value for the study of the Daoist history of the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties. [[zh:三皇經]] ac7fad5e305940152f6397cf679cb86e0f097c48 0 175 221 2009-07-29T03:28:29Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The ''Perfect Book of the Great Grotto of the Highest Clarity'' ( 上清大洞真經 Shangqing Dadong Zhenjing ) is also entitled the Thirty-Nine-Chapter Scripture ( 三十九章...' wikitext text/x-wiki The ''Perfect Book of the Great Grotto of the Highest Clarity'' ( 上清大洞真經 Shangqing Dadong Zhenjing ) is also entitled the Thirty-Nine-Chapter Scripture ( 三十九章 Sanshijiu Zhangjing ). Its author is unknown, and some say that it was written by Yang Xi of the Easter Jin dynasty in the name of a spirit. It is a representative scripture of [[the Highest Clarity Sect]] ( 上清派 Shanqing Pai ), which regards it as the first of the Three Daoist wonders. It is said that if one gets the ''Perfect Book of the Great Grotto'' ( 大洞真經 Dadong Zhenjing ) and reads it ten thousand times, one can attain immortality without the help of the Dao of Golden Elixirs ( 金丹 Jindan ). Therefore, the book has continued to be transmitted through the ages. There have been different versions from the beginning. We generally regard the true versions to be the ''Perfect Book of the Great Grotto of the Highest Clarity'' in six volumes and the ''Meanings of the Jade Formulae of the Perfect Book of the Highest Clarity's Great Grotto'' ( 上清大洞真經玉訣義 Shangqing dadong Zhenjing Yujue Yi ) written by Chen Jingyuan. The first volume entitled "Recitation of Scriptures and Jade Formulae" recounts people who cultivate, recite and chant the Visualization ( 存思 Cunsi ) rituals in front of the thirty-nine chapters of the ''Perfect Book of the Great Grotto'', and visualize emphatically the Vital Breath ( 氣 Qi ) of the Five Directions, of the sun, of the moon and of the Twenty-Four Constellations. Volumes two to six are the "Thirty-Nine-Chapter Scripture". Each chapter concerns visualizing a spirit's descent to some position in the body of the practitioner, silently reading incantations, visualizing and calling the name of the spirit, and praying for its protection. This is the typical way of refinement of the Highest Clarity Sect and an extension of the practises described in the ''Book of the Yellow Court'' ( 黃庭經 Huangting Jing ). It is significant to some degree in our study of the scriptures and history of the Highest Clarity Sect and of Daoist theories of Refinement and Nourishment. The book is collected in the ''Original Texts'' ( 本文類 Ben Wen Lei ) of the Pervasive Perfection Sect ( 洞真部 Dongzhen Bu ) subsection of the [[''Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengting Daozang ). [[zh:上清大洞真經]] c27403155966ec6c2a0f2621072d5f7a6caf17fc 0 176 222 2009-07-29T03:44:57Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The two-volumed ''Direct Pointers to the Great Elixir'' ( 《大丹直指》 Dandan Zhizhi ) by [[Qiu Chuji]] in Yuan Dynasty is a Daoist book about the theory and way of [[inner...' wikitext text/x-wiki The two-volumed ''Direct Pointers to the Great Elixir'' ( 《大丹直指》 Dandan Zhizhi ) by [[Qiu Chuji]] in Yuan Dynasty is a Daoist book about the theory and way of [[inner alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). It holds that the secret of the golden elixir lies in nature and in life. Nature as heaven lies in the nature-root ( 性根 Xinggen ) head top, while life as earth in life-root ( 命蒂 Mingdi ) navel. One who orients his five breaths to their origin ( 五氣朝元 Wuqi Chaoyuan ) and his spirit to the head top can become an immortal. Man, descending his heart vital breath ( 心氣 Xinaqi ) and ascending kidney vital breath ( 腎氣 Shenqi ) for their intercourse in the middle palace as true essence ( 真精 Zhenjing ) and true vital breath ( 真氣 Zhenqi ) invoked by true mind ( 真心 Zhenxin ), can refine it with spiritual fire ( 神火 Shenhuo ) and make it flow all over the body. Full vitality and perfect spirit, combining as golden elixir, can help one to achieve not only longevity, but also sainthood if added with merits. The book divides nine steps for cultivation: intercourse of dragon and tiger ( 龍虎交溝 Longhu Jiaogou ), Fire Phases of the Cosmic Orbit ( 周天火侯 Zhoutian Huohou ), ascending golden essence behind elbows ( 肘後飛金精 Zhouhou Fei Jinjing ), reversion elixir of liquefied gold ( 金液還丹 Jinyie Huandan ), refining form with supreme Yang ( 太陽煉形 Taiyang Lianxing ), harmony of three elixir fields ( 三田既濟 Santian Jiji ), refining spirit into the head top ( 煉神入頂 Lianshen Ruding ), refining spirit into the Dao ( 煉神合道 Lianshen Hedao ), entering sainthood. It summarizes these into three ways of minor, middle and great achievement, and illustrates each with charts, explanations and formulae. Citing much from Shi Jianwu, it is similar to the ''[[Record of the Realization of Perfection by the Concourse of Immortals of West Mountain]]]'' ( 《西山群仙會真記》 Xishan Qunxian Huizhen Ji ) and the ''[[Transmission of Dao by Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbi]]'' ( 《鍾呂傳道集》 Zhonglu Chuandao Ji ). The book is collected in Subsection of Skills, Pervasive Perfection Section ( 《洞真部》 Dongzhen Bu ) of the ''[[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). [[zh:大丹直指]] 6f79e55147a15d8b1543c8ad908d492c49cebda2 0 177 223 2009-07-30T01:36:57Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 3-volumed Record of the Dadi Grotto Heaven ( 《大滌洞天記》 Dadi Dongtian Ji ) is a Daoist geographical book compiled by Deng Muxin of Yuan Dynasty. Deng, a hermit who...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 3-volumed Record of the Dadi Grotto Heaven ( 《大滌洞天記》 Dadi Dongtian Ji ) is a Daoist geographical book compiled by Deng Muxin of Yuan Dynasty. Deng, a hermit who lived from the end of the Song to the beginning of the Yuan, dwelled in the Pervasive Heaven Palace in the Dadi Mountain (in present Yuhang county, Zhengjiang province). He cooperated with a Daoist named Sun Zongbao and wrote the 6-volumed Charted Records of the Pervasive Heaven Palace ( 《洞霄圖志》 Dongxiao Tuzhi ), which was not collected in the Daoist Canon of Zhengtong Era. By comparison, the two books are actually the same in contents but with different titles. So the Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography of the Four Repositories ( 《四庫提要》 Siku Tiyao ) hold that the Record of the Dadi Grotto Heaven is just a renamed and abridged version of the Charted Records of the Pervasive Heaven Palace republished by Daoists in Ming Dynasty. The book has several prefaces by different people in different times: the 43rd-generation Celestial Master Zhang Yuchu in the 31st year Hongwu era of Ming, Wu Quanjie in the 3rd year Zhida era and Shen Duofu in the 9th year Dade era of Yuan Dynasty. The book records the sceneries, history of the temples and anecdotes of immortals in the Dadi Mountain, one of the 72 blissful lands, in five sections: Palaces and Temples, Various Sceneries, Grotto Mansions, Historic Sites and Tablets. Collected in the Biographies Class, Pervasive Divinity Section ( 洞神部 Dongshen Bu ), [[Daoist Canon of Zhengtong Era]] ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ), this book is valuable material for the study of grotto heavens ( 洞天 Dongtian ) and blissful realms ( 福地 Fudi ) as well as the history of Daoist temples. [[zh:大滌洞天記]] b0133a70cc591ed68ec8b3510743bf7112e15c41 0 178 224 2009-07-30T02:00:02Z Admin 1 Created page with '''Essays on Harmony'' ( 中和集 Zhonghe Ji ) was written by [[Li Daochuan]] and compiled by his disciple Cai Zhiyi. The title of the book comes from the concept of "harmony" ex...' wikitext text/x-wiki ''Essays on Harmony'' ( 中和集 Zhonghe Ji ) was written by [[Li Daochuan]] and compiled by his disciple Cai Zhiyi. The title of the book comes from the concept of "harmony" explained in the ''Book of Rites'' ( 禮記 Liji ). There are altogether six volumes. The first volume elaborates on the Supreme Ultimate ( 太極 Taiji ), the second on [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ), and the other four volumes discuss teachings on nature, life and Inner Alchemy. The book vigorouly advocates the theory of the Integration of the Three Doctrines ( 三教合一 Sanjiao Heyi ) of Daoism, Confucianism and Buddhism. It holds that the three doctrines evolved in different ways but have the same origin, and advocates that in all three doctrines there is the practise of "Silent Meditation" ( 靜定 Jingding ). "Illumination" ( 圓覺 Yuanjue ) in Buddhism is equal to the "Golden Elixir" ( 金丹 Jindan ) in Daoism, and is called the "Supreme Ultimate" in Confucianism. The book also absorbs the Neo-Confucian theory of "harmony", and changes it into an important skill of Cultivation and Refinement of Inner Alchemy, especially emphasizing "Keeping to the Middle" ( 守中 Shouzhong ). "Keeping to the Middle" just means keeping to the Mysterious Pass ( 玄關 Xuanguan ). Yin is motionless while Yang is in motion, and ultimate motionlessness gives birth to motion. "The position in motion is the Mysterious Pass". At two and six o'clock, if cultivating the mind in motion, the cultivating person could naturally see the Mysterious Pass. When this happens, the use of elixirs and heat control, as well as the transformation from the physical body into the spirit, take place at this pass. This theory of Keeping to the Middle is a distinctive own system in Daoist Inner Alchemy, and was called [[The Middle Way Sect]] ( 中派 Zhongpai ) by Daoism in later ages. The book is an important scripture in the history of Daoist ideas. It is collected in the ''Methods subsection of the Pervasive Perfection Section'' ( 洞真部 Dongzhen Bu ) in the ''[[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). [[zh:中和集]] dd00d18703f974a39bdce9dbea87702034bb9f47 0 179 225 2009-07-30T02:52:08Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The ''Book of the Five Dippers'' ( 五斗經 Wudou Jing ), whose author is unknown, is a Daoist scripture. It collects the ''Mysterious and Numinous Big Dipper's Supreme Perfect ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The ''Book of the Five Dippers'' ( 五斗經 Wudou Jing ), whose author is unknown, is a Daoist scripture. It collects the ''Mysterious and Numinous Big Dipper's Supreme Perfect Book for Prolonging One's Fundamental Destiny'' ( 太上玄靈北斗本命延生真經 Taoshang Xuanling Beidou Benming Yansheng Zhenjing ), the Sublime ''Book of the Southern Dipper's Six Offices for Prolonging Life and Salvation Revealed by the Supreme Venerable Sovereign'' ( 太上說南斗六司延壽度人妙經 Taishang Shuo Nandou Liusi Yanshou Duren Miaojing ), the ''Sublime Book of the Eastern Dipper's Governing and Guarding Life Revealed by the Supreme Venerable Sovereign'' ( 太上東斗主算護名妙經 Taishang Shou Dongdou Zhusuan Huming Miaojing ), the ''Sublime Book of the Western Dipper's Register of Names and Guarding of the Body Revealed by the Supreme Venerable Sovereign'' ( 太上西斗記名護身妙經 Taishang Shuo Xidou Jiming Hushen Miaojing ), and the ''Sublime Book of the Protection of Life by the Kui Star in the Middle Dipper Revealed by the Supreme Venerable Sovereign'' ( 太上說中斗大魁保命妙經 Taishang Shuo Zhongdou Dakui Baoming Miaojing ). According to Volume 63, ''Preaching Commandments'' ( 說戒 Shuojie ) of the [[Great Collection of Daoist Rituals]] ( 道門科範大全集 Daomen Kefan Daquanji ), when the Song dynasty started to be prosperous, Tanhui Li in Chengdu worshiped the Perfect Sovereign ( 真君 Zhenjun ), who descended to his home and transmitted the ''Book of the Five Dippers'' for him to transmit it. Now the ''[[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ) divides it into five chapters, and it is collected in the [[Dipper section of the Selections from the Daoist Canon]] ( 道藏輯要 Daozang Jiyao ). It is considered to be a work revealed through Planchette Writing ( 扶乩 Fuji ) by Daoist priests in Shu at the beginning of the Song dynasty. According to the first volume of the ''Commentary on the Supreme Mysterious and Numinous Big Dipper's Perfect Book for Prolonging One's Fundamental Destiny'' ( 太上玄靈北斗本命延生真經注 Taoshang Xuanling Beidou Benming Yansheng Zhenjing Zhu ) written by Xu Daoling, Master of the Mysterious Yang ( 玄陽子 Xuanyangzi ), [[the Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ) descended to Chengdu many times and transmitted to the Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ) and Perfect Sovereign of Silent Correspondence ( 靜應真君 Jingying Zhenjun ) the scriptural formulae for prolonging one's life and the Numinous Scriptures of the Five Dippers ( 五斗靈文 Wudou Lingwen ). On the seventh day of the first month of the lunar calendar in the first Yongshou year of the Han dynasty, he transmitted the Mysterious and Numinous Big Dipper's Perfect Book of Fundamental Destiny ( 北斗玄靈本命真經 Beidou Xuanling Benming Zhenjing ), and on the fifteenth day he transmitted the Sublime Book of the ''Southern Dipper's Six Offices for Prolonging Life and Salvation'' ( 南斗六司延壽度人妙經 Nandou Liusi Yanshou Duren Miaojing ). On the seventh day of the first month of the lunar calendar in the second Yongshou year, he preached the Perfect Book of the ''Eastern Dipper in Charge of Longevity and Guarding of Life'' ( 東斗長生護命真經 Dongdou Changsheng Humin Zhenjing ), on the fifteenth day he preached the ''Book of the Western Dipper in Charge of Matters of Vital Importance and Guarding of the Body'' ( 西斗大計護身經 Xidou Daji Hushen Jing ), and then ascended to the Seat of the Yuju Diocese ( 玉局座 Yuju Zuo ) to preach the ''Mysterious, Perfect and Sublime Book of the Middle Dipper's Protection and Prolonging of Life'' ( 中斗保命延生玄真妙經 Zhingdou Baoming Yansheng Xuanzhenmiao Jing ). The Northern Big Dipper is located in the palace of the Kan trigram where the Heavenly One gives birth to water, so he transmitted firstly the Perfect Book of the Big Dipper ( 北斗真經 Beidou Zhengjing ). The Southern Dipper is located in the palace of the Li trigram where the Earthly Two gives birth to fire, so he transmitted secondly the Perfect ''Book of the Southern Dipper'' ( 南斗真經 Nandou Zhenjing ). The scriptures of the Eastern Dipper, the Western Dipper, the Central dipper and the Five Dippers are all preached in their order of creation. This book has some connection with the Daoist worship of the constellation spirits. [[zh:五斗經]] 2ea42d9f06c51957a9bed751f2b1ded9e1f8af09 0 180 226 2009-07-30T02:56:18Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Book of Transformations ( 《化書》 Huashu ), written by Tan Qiao of the Five Dynasties, has 110 essays in 6 volumes about six transformations: Dao, skill, merit, benevole...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Book of Transformations ( 《化書》 Huashu ), written by Tan Qiao of the Five Dynasties, has 110 essays in 6 volumes about six transformations: Dao, skill, merit, benevolence, food and simplicity. Combining Daoist theory with Confucian thought, it holds that the world is rooted in the Emptiness ( 虛 Xu ). The Emptines transforms into spirit, spirit into breath, breath into form, and form returns to the void. The void is the root and destiny of all things. As for life and death, it says, the void transforms into spirit, spirit into breath, breath into blood, blood into form, form into infant, infant into child, child into youth, youth into adult, adult into elderly, elderly into death, and death returns to the void. Life goes on in such an endless cycle. He who masters this truth can enter the realm of eternal life where "spirit does not transform and form does not come into being". The book also discusses the transformation of society, reveals the cause of turmoil, and proposes a remedy. As an important book in the history of Daoist philosophy, the Book of Transformation occupies a certain status in the history of Chinese philosophy. It is collected in the Supreme Mystery Section of the Daoist Canon of the Zhentong Era. In addition, it has commentaries in New Voices about the Book of Transformation ( 《化書新聲》 Huashu Xin Sheng ) by Wang Yiqing, a Daoist of the Ming Dynsaty. [[zh:化書]] f710fcdfd2c66d703ee24021282b5a9c0a0e254b 0 181 227 2009-07-30T03:05:34Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The eight-section ''Heavenly Hermit'' ( 天隱子 Tianyinzi ) was written by [[Sima Chengzhen]] of the Tang dynasty. Since the Song dynasties, most scholars have held that this b...' wikitext text/x-wiki The eight-section ''Heavenly Hermit'' ( 天隱子 Tianyinzi ) was written by [[Sima Chengzhen]] of the Tang dynasty. Since the Song dynasties, most scholars have held that this book was not written by Sima Chengzhen, but rather in his name. According to the content, Heavenly Hermit and ''[[Discourse on Sitting in Oblivion]]'' ( 坐忘論 Zuowang Lun ) must have the same author. Therefore, in the three chapters of '''Discourse on Sitting in Oblivion''' collected in the ''[[Pivot of Dao]]'' ( 道樞 Daoshu ) by Zeng Zao of the Song dynasty, the two books are integrated into one section under Sima Chengzhen's name. Heavenly hermit is divided into eight chapters, #the first on immortals, #the second on simplicity, #the third on gradualism, #the fourth on fasting, #the fifth on peaceful life, #the sixth on meditation, #the seventh on sitting in oblivion, #the eighth on the transcendent mind. The book maintains that longevity is the foundation of immortality while nourishing vital breath is the essential of longevity; that vital breath is born by heaven and earth and harmonized by Yin and Yang; that empty Yin-Yang spirit is called mind, and that mind governing day and night is called soul; and that man can obtain the immortal Dao through diligent cultivation. This book is indeed the companion volume of Discourse on Sitting in Oblivion. It is collected in the Supreme Mystery Section ( 洞玄部 Dongxuan Bu ) of ''The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). [[zh:天隱子]] d34e9b17f7e9770e5014a8ecaa5743c0b412941d 0 182 228 2009-07-30T03:16:13Z Admin 1 Created page with '''Sublime Book of the Mind's Correspondence with the Nine Supreme Essentials'' ( 太上九要心印妙經 Taishang Jiuyao Xinyin Miaojing ), ''Book of the Mind's Correspondence w...' wikitext text/x-wiki ''Sublime Book of the Mind's Correspondence with the Nine Supreme Essentials'' ( 太上九要心印妙經 Taishang Jiuyao Xinyin Miaojing ), ''Book of the Mind's Correspondence with the Nine Essentials'' for short, is a Daoist book on Inner Alchemy ( 內丹 Neidan ) compiled by Zhang Guo of the Tang dynasty. The book divides inner alchemy into three categories and regards the great nine-cycle elixir as the first-rate category. It holds that in the process of making elixirs, each of the nine cycles has its own center, so there are nine essentials. #The first one is "secret essential of perfect oneness". (Both spirit and vital breath are to be refined, and both spiritual nature and bodily life are to be cultivated.) #The second one is "secret essential of wind box". (Heart and kidney are tools for refining and nourishing spirit and vital breath. What is important is to regularize the latter by the former and to stabilize the former by the latter.) #The third one is "pivotal essential of 3-5-1". (3-5-1 refers to the 3 Yangs, the 5 agents, and the one vital breath. Dao follows spontaneity and never departs from the vital breath.) #The fourth one is "crucial essential of 3-1". (3-1 means that 3 is transformed into 1 vital breath, composed of the upper immortal Dao of embracing oneness and refining spirit, the middle breath-refining technique for making the country rich and stable, and the lower essence-refining skills for fortifying soldiers and defeating enemies.) #The fifth is "perfect essential of the souls of the sun and the moon". (The souls of the sun and the moon refer to "Yin and Yang", the sun being the soul of Yang while the moon being the soul of Yin. In every month, the Yang soul guards the Yin soul in the first 15 days and the Yin souls guards the Yang soul in the second 15 days. Refining the souls in one hour equals one year's merits.) #The sixth is "key essential of ordinary activity and the five agents". (The ordinary activity refers to the mutual guarding of spirit and vital breath, which never separate from each other. The five agents means that the heart is in charge of spirit, the liver in charge of the Hun soul, the spleen in charge of mind, the kidney in charge of will, and the lung in charge of the Po soul. Condensed, the five agents are transformed into elixirs.) #The seventh is "simple essential of seven-cycle reversion elixir". (This means to close the seven apertures, looking but not seeing, listening but not hearing, and so on.) #The eighth is "general essential of the eight trigrams' returning to the origin", which is also called "the Dao of the eight trigrams' returning to the origin and root". (In the eight trigrams, the heart is the Kan trigram and the kidney is the Li trigram. One is Yin and the other is Yang; one is the inner vital breath and the other is the outer vital breath.) #The ninth is "overall essential of the nine's returning to one vital breath". (Here nine is a Yang number, returning means integration, and one refers to the vital breath.) The whole book is a fairly systematic set of skills of ingesting vital breath. It is a superb work about the Daoist theory of ingesting vital breath of the Tang dynasty and an important reference for the study of Daoist inner alchemy of the Tang dynasty. The book is colleted in the subsection of methods, the Pervasive Perfection Section ( 洞真部 Dongzhen Bu ) of ''[[The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). [[zh:太上九要心印妙經]] e52012c9b79108c66057b18dc5c9c87e1c2329ab 229 228 2009-07-30T03:16:54Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki ''Sublime Book of the Mind's Correspondence with the Nine Supreme Essentials'' ( 太上九要心印妙經 Taishang Jiuyao Xinyin Miaojing ), ''Book of the Mind's Correspondence with the Nine Essentials'' for short, is a Daoist book on [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ) compiled by Zhang Guo of the Tang dynasty. The book divides inner alchemy into three categories and regards the great nine-cycle elixir as the first-rate category. It holds that in the process of making elixirs, each of the nine cycles has its own center, so there are nine essentials. #The first one is "secret essential of perfect oneness". (Both spirit and vital breath are to be refined, and both spiritual nature and bodily life are to be cultivated.) #The second one is "secret essential of wind box". (Heart and kidney are tools for refining and nourishing spirit and vital breath. What is important is to regularize the latter by the former and to stabilize the former by the latter.) #The third one is "pivotal essential of 3-5-1". (3-5-1 refers to the 3 Yangs, the 5 agents, and the one vital breath. Dao follows spontaneity and never departs from the vital breath.) #The fourth one is "crucial essential of 3-1". (3-1 means that 3 is transformed into 1 vital breath, composed of the upper immortal Dao of embracing oneness and refining spirit, the middle breath-refining technique for making the country rich and stable, and the lower essence-refining skills for fortifying soldiers and defeating enemies.) #The fifth is "perfect essential of the souls of the sun and the moon". (The souls of the sun and the moon refer to "Yin and Yang", the sun being the soul of Yang while the moon being the soul of Yin. In every month, the Yang soul guards the Yin soul in the first 15 days and the Yin souls guards the Yang soul in the second 15 days. Refining the souls in one hour equals one year's merits.) #The sixth is "key essential of ordinary activity and the five agents". (The ordinary activity refers to the mutual guarding of spirit and vital breath, which never separate from each other. The five agents means that the heart is in charge of spirit, the liver in charge of the Hun soul, the spleen in charge of mind, the kidney in charge of will, and the lung in charge of the Po soul. Condensed, the five agents are transformed into elixirs.) #The seventh is "simple essential of seven-cycle reversion elixir". (This means to close the seven apertures, looking but not seeing, listening but not hearing, and so on.) #The eighth is "general essential of the eight trigrams' returning to the origin", which is also called "the Dao of the eight trigrams' returning to the origin and root". (In the eight trigrams, the heart is the Kan trigram and the kidney is the Li trigram. One is Yin and the other is Yang; one is the inner vital breath and the other is the outer vital breath.) #The ninth is "overall essential of the nine's returning to one vital breath". (Here nine is a Yang number, returning means integration, and one refers to the vital breath.) The whole book is a fairly systematic set of skills of ingesting vital breath. It is a superb work about the Daoist theory of ingesting vital breath of the Tang dynasty and an important reference for the study of Daoist inner alchemy of the Tang dynasty. The book is colleted in the subsection of methods, the Pervasive Perfection Section ( 洞真部 Dongzhen Bu ) of ''[[The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). [[zh:太上九要心印妙經]] 7998c6a3185953b02e59f6328fc81d3dc8dc897a 0 183 230 2009-07-30T03:29:18Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 1-volumed Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Spontaneous Arising from the Root of Emptiness ( 《太上老君虛無自然本起經》 Taishang Laojun Xuwu Ziran Benqi ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 1-volumed Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Spontaneous Arising from the Root of Emptiness ( 《太上老君虛無自然本起經》 Taishang Laojun Xuwu Ziran Benqi Jing ), by an anonymous author, describes the generation of the universe and cultivation of the Dao. Based on "one generating two?two generating three and three generating the myriad things" in the Book of Dao and its Virtue, it proves the trinity of Dao. The red breath of the Dao's origin changes into yellow breath of Man's origin and in turn white breath of breath's origin. These three, containing and mixing with each other, form the so-called Chaos from which all things are generated. The trinity of the Dao manifests as emptiness ( 虛 Xu ), non-being ( 無 Wu ) and the void ( 空 Kong ). Formless bright essence is emptiness. Immaterial and invisible breath is called non-being. Non-existence of all things is called the void. Cultivation is aimed at being identical with Dao by attaining the features of emptiness, non-being and the void. Only by beginning with emptying the mind of desires, sights and voices, can one return to Dao. The way of pertaining to Dao should starts at seeking spiritual nature and cutting off desires. Collected in the Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Wanli Era ( 《萬曆續道藏》 Wnali Xu Daozang ), the book is reference material for the study of Daoist cultivation. [[zh:太上老君虛無自然本起經]] d7c01942b5bfdc6c02e85cfb09242197be6aab76 0 184 231 2009-07-30T03:43:46Z Admin 1 Created page with '''The Sublime Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Teachings on Eternal Purity and Tranquility'' ( 《太上老君常說清靜妙經》 Taishang Laojun Shuochang Qingjing Ji...' wikitext text/x-wiki ''The Sublime Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Teachings on Eternal Purity and Tranquility'' ( 《太上老君常說清靜妙經》 Taishang Laojun Shuochang Qingjing Jing ) , also known as the ''Book of Purity and Tranquility'' ( 《清靜經》 Qingjing Jing ) or the ''Book of Eternal Purity and Tranquility'' ( 《常清靜經》 Chang Qingjing Jing ), was written by an unknown author. It may have been finished in the Tang, for the earliest version with notes and commentaries known to us was by [[Du Guangting]], who lived at the end of the Tang and during the Five Dynasties (907-960). Though only 391 characters long, the book had a great influence on later developments of Daoist philosophy. The three encomiums at the end of the book are attributed by scholars to Immortal Elder Ge, Perfect Man Zuo Xuan and the Perfect Man of Orthodox Oneness are considered by scholars to be attributed to them. The book has 2 chapters. The first chapter tells about attaining Dao through enjoying purity and tranquility while the second tells about sinking in the sea of sufferings through chasing after lust. With purity and tranquility as its main theme, the book holds that the great Dao, though formless, nameless and emotionless, can create Heaven and Earth, move the sun and the moon, and nourish all beings. Human nature is originally pure and tranquil. "Human nature is eternally pure and tranquil, Heaven and Earth returns to it." However, though the human spirit loves purity, the heart disturbs it. The heart loves tranquility, but desire distracts it. The key to returning to our original nature of purity and tranquility lies in "dispelling desires". The way to dispel desires is through meditation: seeing no heart through inward meditation of the heart; seeing no form through outward meditation of form; seeing no objects through far meditation of objects. Through seeing no heart, no form and no objects, one can realize the void of the meditator as well as the void of the void. Further, even the "void of the void" is dispelled. One thus achieves the realm of eternal purity and tranquility where there is no desire. Since there is no desire, it is true tranquility. Responding to things with a mind of true tranquility, one attains the true and eternal nature. Eternally responding to things with eternal tranquility, one achieves the realm of eternal purity and tranquility and thus enters Dao gradually till he finally attains it. The second chapter analyzes the reasons why man can't attain Dao. Man has an untrue mind, which discords with the Great Dao and man's original nature. The untrue mind, disturbing the spirit and clinging to objects, gives birth to desires and consequently becomes attached. Man thus wanders in a sea of cycles of life and death. Only through realizing the true Dao can one attain Dao and achieve the realm of eternal purity and tranquility. Though very short, the book was very influential. The Complete Perfection lineage especially attaches great importance to it. Most of the commentaries of the book now existing in the Daoist Canon are by Complete Perfection Daoists. The book is a must in [[the morning and evening recitation and practices]] ( 功課 Gongke ) of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真 Quanzhen ). The book, teaching man to purify his mind through dispelling his desires, is a valuable reference for modern people to analyse their psychology. [[zh:太上老君說常清靜妙經]] 9b931527e66ab02063afd734c524499eaa477c00 0 185 232 2009-07-30T03:49:43Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Book of Divine Incantations of the Supreme Pervasive Abyss ( 太上洞淵神咒經 Taishang Dongyuan Shenzhou Jing ), whose author is unknown, is also called the Book of Divi...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Book of Divine Incantations of the Supreme Pervasive Abyss ( 太上洞淵神咒經 Taishang Dongyuan Shenzhou Jing ), whose author is unknown, is also called the Book of Divine Incantations in short and has twenty volumes. In its preface by [[Du Guangting]], it is said that in the last years of the Western Jin dynasty, the [[Supreme Sovereign of Dao]] ( 太上道君 Taishang Daojun ) conferred the scripture upon Daoist Wang Zuan of Mt. Maji, Jintan. Some say that the book was not written by a single author at one time, because the first and last ten volumes are different from the other volumes in style. The book elaborates on the idea that the birth of the Perfect Sovereign ( 真君 Zhenjun ) results in universal peace. It holds that after the disturbance of the kalpa in the final age, Perfect Sovereign Li Hong is born and is assisted by sages, virtuous people, Immortals and Daoists. He brings great joy to the world, the prosperity of Daoist Skills, and the prolonging of the human life. The book is an important reference for the study of the Daoist political ideas of the Wei and Jin dynasties. It is collected in the Original Texts subsection ( 本文 Benwen ) of the Pervasive Mystery Section ( 洞玄部 Dongxuan Bu ) in the [[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]] ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). [[zh:太上洞淵神咒經]] ac4b54218a56242afe8f1d5b69c5acfafd382069 0 186 233 2009-07-30T05:39:31Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The ''Book of Supreme Peace'' ( 太平經 Taiping Jing ), also called the ''Black Scarf Book of Supreme Peace'' ( 太平清領書 Taiping Qingling Shu ), is a major scripture of ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The ''Book of Supreme Peace'' ( 太平經 Taiping Jing ), also called the ''Black Scarf Book of Supreme Peace'' ( 太平清領書 Taiping Qingling Shu ), is a major scripture of early Daoism. According to historic records, three different versions circulated in the Han dynasty, namely the twelve volumes of the ''Heavenly Official Calendar and Book of Supreme Peace of All-embracing Origin'' ( 天官曆包元太平經 Tianguanli Baoyuan Taiping Jing ) written by a Qi native, Gan Zhongke, during the reign of emperor Chengdi of the Western Han dynasty, the 170 volumes of the ''Black Scarf Book of Supreme Peace'' ( 太平清領書 Taiping Qingling Shu ) obtained by teacher Yu Ji at the Quyang spring and then presented by Gong Chong during the reign of emperor Shundi of the Eastern Han dynasty, and the 144 volumes of the ''Book of the Pervasive Extremity of the Supreme Peace'' ( 太平洞極經 Taiping Dongji Jing ) written by [[Zhang Ling]]. All of them are lost. The Book of Supreme Peace collected in the ''[[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ) has only 57 volumes. Also collected are ten volumes of ''Extracts from the Book of Supreme Peace'' ( 太平經阿鈔 Tiaping JingChao ) by L¡L1qiu Fangyuan of the last years of the Tang dynasty, and the Secret Guidelines of the Book of Supreme Peace Initiated by the Sagely Sovereign ( 太平經聖君密旨 Taiping Jing Shengjun Mizhi ). Varied and jumbled in content, the book is not the work of a single author. It regards following Heaven and Earth and obedience to the Five Agents ( 五行 Wuxing ) as essential, and holds that rulers can achieve longevity by using it. The book contains many "Shamanist words", but it is also rich in ideas reporting the sufferings and demands of the poor people, and criticizes the social and political problems of its time. It played a theoretically instructive function in Zhang Jiao's spreading of the Supreme Peace Tradition ( 太平道 Taiping Dao ) and the organization of the Yellow Turban Army's Uprising. In addition, Zhang Ling made use of it when he founded [[the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition]] ( 五斗米道 Wudou Midao ). Moreover, it had significant influence on the development of Daoism and Daoist ideas in later ages. The book is collected in the ''Supreme Peace section of the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era''. Today, Wang Ming's Collected Collation of the ''Book of Supreme Peace'' ( 太平經合校 Taiping Jing Hejiao ) (China Press, 1960) is a convenient reference for scholars. [[zh:太平經]] b1c2b35d55ce3a836a1ffc37a20d16073bc0e34b 0 187 234 2009-07-30T06:09:07Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Highest Ancient Scripture of the Dragon and Tiger ( 《古文龍虎上經》 Guwen Longhu Shangjing ), or the Ancient Scripture of the Dragon and Tiger, Golden Elixir Formula...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Highest Ancient Scripture of the Dragon and Tiger ( 《古文龍虎上經》 Guwen Longhu Shangjing ), or the Ancient Scripture of the Dragon and Tiger, Golden Elixir Formula Secretly Leading to the Way of Gold and Green, simply the Scripture of the Dragon and Tiger, the Highest Scripture of Dragon and Tiger, the Scripture of Dragon and Tiger of the Way of Gold and Green, is attributed to [[Yellow Emperor]]. Commonly regarded earlier than the Three Ways Unified and Normalized, it, according to Contemporary Scholar Wang Ming, is actually another title of the Golden Elixir Formula Secretly Leading to the Way of Gold by Yang Shenwei of the Tang Dynasty. Zhu Xi of the Song also held that the book was a later work instead of an ancient book. Divided into 32 or 26 chapters, the book, in obscure language, is similar in content to [[Three Ways Unified and Normalized]] ( 《參同契》 Cantong Qi ). Similarly, it symbolizes a cauldron with trigrams Qian and Kun, medicine with Kan and Li and the fire phases with rest 60. It compiles elixir formulae in images from the Book of Changes, and as appendix the Chart of fire Phases of the cosmic orbit ( 《攢簇周天火候圖》 Cuancu Zhoutian Huohou Tu ) and the Chart of Medicine Generation at Intercourse Between Gold ( 《金水相交生藥圖》 Jinghuo Xiangjiao Shengyao Tu ) and Fire. But it is erroneous in deduction of the Three Ways Unified and Normalized and use of the Han theory about I-Ching. The book is collected in the Supreme Mystery Section of the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era. Commentaries on the book are: 3-volume Commentary and Explanation of The Scripture of Dragon and Tiger by Wang Dao in Song, Notes to The Highest Scripture of Dragon and Tiger by Unknown author. [[zh:古文龍虎上經]] 05527373f52c4ee99de0bdb30744632a82b9b418 0 188 235 2009-07-30T06:42:08Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Tenets== Worshiping Heaven and ancestors, cultivating the Dao and practicing its teachings, and benefiting the world being the tenets of Daoism, Daoists free themselves from s...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Tenets== Worshiping Heaven and ancestors, cultivating the Dao and practicing its teachings, and benefiting the world being the tenets of Daoism, Daoists free themselves from sins since birth and spread to others the highest Dao of the ancestral masters through recitation, prayer and repentance in Daoist rituals. Enabling mental communication between man and deities, scripture recitation is the ladder leading the cultivators to the realm of transcendence. ==Contents== The contents of the recited scriptures, mainly comprising the Precious Declarations ( 寶誥 Baogao ) expressing respects for the holy and perfected ones, and the Divine Incantations ( 神咒 Shenzhou ) purifying the mundane mind, include Pure and Clear Tones, the Heavenly Lord of Eternal Purity and Tranquility ( 常清常靜天尊 Changqing Changjing Tianzun ), the Heavenly Lord of Manifest Might ( 神威如在天尊 Shenwei Ruzai Tianzun ), the ''Divine Incantations for Purifying the Mind'', the '''Divine Incantations for Purifying the Mouth''', the ''Divine Incantations for Pacifying the Earth'', the ''Divine Incantations for Purifying Heaven and Earth'', the Divine ''Incantations for Blessing the Incense'', the ''Divine Incantations of the Golden Rays, the Hymns for Opening the Scriptures'' ( 開經偈 Kaijing Ji ), the ''Book of Eternal Purity and Tranquility Revealed by the Supreme Venerable Sovereign, the Lofty Jade Emperor's Sublime Book on the Mind's Correspondence'' ( 高上玉皇心印妙經 Gaoshang Yuhuang Xinyin Miaojing ), the ''Precious Declaration of the Jade Clarity'', the ''Precious Declaration of the Highest Clarity, the Precious Declaration of the Supreme Clarity'', the ''Precious Declaration of the Jade Emperor'', the ''Precious Declaration of the Heavenly Emperor'', the ''Precious Declaration of the Stellar Ruler'', the Precious ''Declaration of the Imperial Earth God'', the ''Precious Declarations of the Mysterious Northern Heaven'', the ''Precious Declaration of the South Pole'', the ''Precious Declarations on Salvation from Misery'', the ''Precious Declaration of the Big Dipper'', the ''Precious Declarations of the Three Officials'', the ''Precious Declarations of the Mysterious Northern Heaven'', the ''Precious Declaration of the Ancestral Celestial Master'' ( 老祖天師寶誥 Laozu Tianshi Baogao ), the ''Precious Declaration of Celestial Master Xujing'', the ''Precious Declaration of Elder Immortal Ge'', the ''Precious Declaration of the Perfected Sovereign Xu'', the ''Precious Declaration of the Sacred Mountain of the East'' ( 東嶽寶誥 Dongyue Baogao ), the ''Universal Declaration of the Thunderbolts'' ( 雷霆總誥 Leiting Zonggao ), the ''Incantation of the Soil Agency'' ( 社司咒 Shesi Zhou ), the ''Pious Conversion Ritual'' ( 志心皈命禮 Zhixin Guiming Li ), the ''Incantations of the Earth Spirits'', etc. ==Differences between Morning Rites and Evening Rites== The texts recited in Morning Rites and Evening Rites are the same with slight differences in the last several texts. With the Universal Declaration of the Thunderbolts, the Morning Rites begin with "To report reverently" ( 仰啟 Yangqi ) and end with "please come on my invitation" while the Evening Rites begin with "seating the deities " ( 安奉 Anfeng ) and end with "seating the deities in the altar". With the Incantations of the Earth Spirits, the part "To report reverently and invite" in the Morning Rites is replaced by "seating the deities" in the Evening Rites. [[zh:正一早晚功課經]] d5f6e503f792131ff9859d5510c13b8b7f8bdcc9 236 235 2009-07-30T06:42:35Z Admin 1 /* Tenets */ wikitext text/x-wiki ==Tenets== Worshiping Heaven and ancestors, cultivating the Dao and practicing its teachings, and benefiting the world being the tenets of Daoism, Daoists free themselves from sins since birth and spread to others the highest Dao of the ancestral masters through recitation, prayer and repentance in Daoist rituals. Enabling mental communication between man and deities, scripture recitation is the ladder leading the cultivators to the realm of transcendence. ==Contents== The contents of the recited scriptures, mainly comprising the Precious Declarations ( 寶誥 Baogao ) expressing respects for the holy and perfected ones, and the Divine Incantations ( 神咒 Shenzhou ) purifying the mundane mind, include Pure and Clear Tones, the Heavenly Lord of Eternal Purity and Tranquility ( 常清常靜天尊 Changqing Changjing Tianzun ), the Heavenly Lord of Manifest Might ( 神威如在天尊 Shenwei Ruzai Tianzun ), the ''Divine Incantations for Purifying the Mind'', the '''Divine Incantations for Purifying the Mouth''', the ''Divine Incantations for Pacifying the Earth'', the ''Divine Incantations for Purifying Heaven and Earth'', the Divine ''Incantations for Blessing the Incense'', the ''Divine Incantations of the Golden Rays, the Hymns for Opening the Scriptures'' ( 開經偈 Kaijing Ji ), the ''Book of Eternal Purity and Tranquility Revealed by the Supreme Venerable Sovereign, the Lofty Jade Emperor's Sublime Book on the Mind's Correspondence'' ( 高上玉皇心印妙經 Gaoshang Yuhuang Xinyin Miaojing ), the ''Precious Declaration of the Jade Clarity'', the ''Precious Declaration of the Highest Clarity, the Precious Declaration of the Supreme Clarity'', the ''Precious Declaration of the Jade Emperor'', the ''Precious Declaration of the Heavenly Emperor'', the ''Precious Declaration of the Stellar Ruler'', the Precious ''Declaration of the Imperial Earth God'', the ''Precious Declarations of the Mysterious Northern Heaven'', the ''Precious Declaration of the South Pole'', the ''Precious Declarations on Salvation from Misery'', the ''Precious Declaration of the Big Dipper'', the ''Precious Declarations of the Three Officials'', the ''Precious Declarations of the Mysterious Northern Heaven'', the ''Precious Declaration of the Ancestral Celestial Master'' ( 老祖天師寶誥 Laozu Tianshi Baogao ), the ''Precious Declaration of Celestial Master Xujing'', the ''Precious Declaration of Elder Immortal Ge'', the ''Precious Declaration of the Perfected Sovereign Xu'', the ''Precious Declaration of the Sacred Mountain of the East'' ( 東嶽寶誥 Dongyue Baogao ), the ''Universal Declaration of the Thunderbolts'' ( 雷霆總誥 Leiting Zonggao ), the ''Incantation of the Soil Agency'' ( 社司咒 Shesi Zhou ), the ''Pious Conversion Ritual'' ( 志心皈命禮 Zhixin Guiming Li ), the ''Incantations of the Earth Spirits'', etc. ==Differences between Morning Rites and Evening Rites== The texts recited in Morning Rites and Evening Rites are the same with slight differences in the last several texts. With the Universal Declaration of the Thunderbolts, the Morning Rites begin with "To report reverently" ( 仰啟 Yangqi ) and end with "please come on my invitation" while the Evening Rites begin with "seating the deities " ( 安奉 Anfeng ) and end with "seating the deities in the altar". With the Incantations of the Earth Spirits, the part "To report reverently and invite" in the Morning Rites is replaced by "seating the deities" in the Evening Rites. [[zh:正一早晚功課經]] bc4ab2f7d2047638d73852fa593b2d10ee28ce16 0 189 237 2009-07-30T06:49:55Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 1-volumed Book of Rituals of the Orthodox Oneness ( 《正一威儀經》 Zhengyi Weiyi Jing ) by an unknown author collects 131 kinds of rituals of the Orthodox Oneness trad...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 1-volumed Book of Rituals of the Orthodox Oneness ( 《正一威儀經》 Zhengyi Weiyi Jing ) by an unknown author collects 131 kinds of rituals of the Orthodox Oneness tradition. According to a myth in the book, [[the Primeval Lord of Heaven]] ( 元始天尊 Yuanshi Tianzun ) transmitted this Book in Jade Clarity Palace of Triple Essence ( 玉清三華殿 Yuqing Sanhua Dian ) to [[the Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ) and the latter in turn to Zhang Daoling as well as all kind-hearted people. Containing rituals for receiving the Dao, wearing Daoist clothes, entering the meditation room, presenting memorials, reading scriptures, preaching scriptures, and attending to teachers, the book, collected in the Subsection of Rituals, Pervasive Divinity section of [[the Daoist Canon of Zhengtong Era]] is valuable material for the study of Orthodox Oneness rituals. [[zh:正一威儀經]] 4b915a5e450a332e6f52acb19b0f590ae833e74e 0 190 238 2009-07-30T07:06:58Z Admin 1 Created page with '''Records of Mysterious Pearls'' ( 玄珠錄 Xuanzhu Lu ) was transmitted orally by Wang Xuanlan and written down by Wang Taixiao of the Tang dynasty. This two-volume work of quo...' wikitext text/x-wiki ''Records of Mysterious Pearls'' ( 玄珠錄 Xuanzhu Lu ) was transmitted orally by Wang Xuanlan and written down by Wang Taixiao of the Tang dynasty. This two-volume work of quotations was collected according to people's notes, by Wang Xuanlan's disciple, Wang Taixiao. It is an important source for the study of the Daoist thought of Wang Xuanlan. The whole book collects about more than 120 quotations from Wang Xuanlan that expound theoretical problems such as Dao and substance, body of Dao, Dao-nature, being and nonbeing, the true and the untrue, motion and motionlessness, and mind and nature. A distinguishing feature of the book consists in that it integrates Buddhism into the learning of Laozi, that is to say, it applies the Buddhist philosophy of the Middle Way ( 中觀 Zhingguan ) to its argument. A typical work that mixes Buddhism and philosophical Daoism, this book reflects the tendency of the development of Daoist theories in the Tang dynasty. In the author's opinion, Dao, existing in all things universally and absolutely, is in every place and everything comes into being with Dao; the originally motionless Dao comes into motion in correspondence to outside things, yet it is not confined by them, but instead, "the perfect body keeps motionless"; the true form of the body of Dao is "nothingness" just as "the body of a mirror"; in the pair of categories, i.e. mind and context, the major one is often the mind, whose existence and disappearance determine those of outside phenomena, and the "perfect nature" of man's mind has unlimited power; and so on. The book is collected in the Supreme Mystery Section ( 太玄部 Taixuan Bu ) of ''[[The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). [[zh:玄珠錄]] 4f70ca1613a71277b214a82e2f10df8d239c887d 0 191 239 2009-07-30T07:24:12Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 5-volumed Records of the Mysterious Hierarchy ( 《道品錄》 Dao Pin Lu ) by Zhang Tianyu of the Yuan Dynasty is a book of Daoist biographies. The author, a Maoshan sect D...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 5-volumed Records of the Mysterious Hierarchy ( 《道品錄》 Dao Pin Lu ) by Zhang Tianyu of the Yuan Dynasty is a book of Daoist biographies. The author, a Maoshan sect Daoist, compiled Records of [[Mt. Mao]] and thus titled himself Nongovernmental Historian of Gouqu ( 句曲外史 Gouqu Waishi ). The author wrote a preface for the book. The book contains ten chapters, each of several biography: Dao and its Merits ( 道德 Daode ), Dao and its Changes ( 道權 Daoquan ), Dao and its Transformations ( 道化 Daohua ), Daoist Confucians ( 道儒 Daoru ), Daoist Skills ( 道術 Daoshu ), Daoist Hermits ( 道隱 Daoyin ), Daoist Silence ( 道默 Daomo ), Daoist Words ( 道言 Daoyan ), Daoist Essence ( 道質 Daozhi ) and Daoist Phenomena ( 道華 Daohua ). Covering a period from the Zhou to the Song Dynasties, it records over 130 Daoist figures with a biography for each. Though somewhat miscellaneous, the book is rather valuable for the study of Daoist figures. It is collected in the Biographies Class, Pervasive Divinity Section ( 洞神部 Dongshen Bu ) of [[the Daoist Canon of Zhengtong Era]]. [[zh:玄品錄]] c77db5e49b3c2d720b1560eac13459cd32e16a97 240 239 2009-07-30T07:24:41Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki The 5-volumed Records of the Mysterious Hierarchy ( 《道品錄》 Dao Pin Lu ) by Zhang Tianyu of the Yuan Dynasty is a book of Daoist biographies. The author, a Maoshan sect Daoist, compiled Records of [[Mt.Mao]] and thus titled himself Nongovernmental Historian of Gouqu ( 句曲外史 Gouqu Waishi ). The author wrote a preface for the book. The book contains ten chapters, each of several biography: Dao and its Merits ( 道德 Daode ), Dao and its Changes ( 道權 Daoquan ), Dao and its Transformations ( 道化 Daohua ), Daoist Confucians ( 道儒 Daoru ), Daoist Skills ( 道術 Daoshu ), Daoist Hermits ( 道隱 Daoyin ), Daoist Silence ( 道默 Daomo ), Daoist Words ( 道言 Daoyan ), Daoist Essence ( 道質 Daozhi ) and Daoist Phenomena ( 道華 Daohua ). Covering a period from the Zhou to the Song Dynasties, it records over 130 Daoist figures with a biography for each. Though somewhat miscellaneous, the book is rather valuable for the study of Daoist figures. It is collected in the Biographies Class, Pervasive Divinity Section ( 洞神部 Dongshen Bu ) of [[the Daoist Canon of Zhengtong Era]]. [[zh:玄品錄]] 5456af7581b4df535f0f312e98bc08f9af9b1053 0 192 241 2009-07-30T07:52:26Z Admin 1 Created page with 'On ''the Mysterious Matrix'' ( 玄綱論 Xuangang Lun ) was written by Wu Yun of the Tang dynasty. The book consists of three sections and thirty-three chapters altogether. The f...' wikitext text/x-wiki On ''the Mysterious Matrix'' ( 玄綱論 Xuangang Lun ) was written by Wu Yun of the Tang dynasty. The book consists of three sections and thirty-three chapters altogether. The first part illustrates morality, where we can find Wu Yun's theory of the generation of the universe, his ideas on the cultivation of morality, and his view of society and politics. It holds that the generation of the universe and of all beings is a natural process, and things are different because they are endowed with different kinds of Vital Breath ( 氣 Qi ). One can free oneself from life and death if one conforms to Dao, identifies being with nothingness, and keeps one's mind tranquil. The middle part argues about the teaching of Skills. It explains various concrete ways of cultivating Dao from a micro point of view, and advocates restraint of behaviour to obtain sublimity, studying Dao in the right order, tranquility of the mind, and Non-Interference. The last part analyzes obstacles. It responds to the worldly worries of the people in a question-and-answer style, and further illustrates the ideas presented in the first and middle parts. These ideas are similar to those of Sima Chengzhen, and reflect the theoretical level of the Mt. Mao Lineage( 茅山宗 Maoshan Zong ) of the Tang dynasty. The book is an important source for the study of the history of Daoism in the Tang dynasty. It is collected in the ''Supreme Mystery Section'' of the ''Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). [[zh:玄綱論]] 31242a0c4170788017eec000840d32b6d843b419 0 193 242 2009-07-30T09:20:14Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Essentials== The Morning and Evening Rites of recitation are practised every day in order to make offerings to spirits in terms of the teachings. In addition, they serve to mak...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Essentials== The Morning and Evening Rites of recitation are practised every day in order to make offerings to spirits in terms of the teachings. In addition, they serve to make the Daoist priests practise scriptural confession diligently, and not forget the divine precepts of the founder of their sect, so as to produce results from their cultivation of moral character and accumulation of merit. ==Brief introduction== The daily Morning and Evening Recitation of the Complete Perfection Tradition is an ordinary religious activity in the temples of the tradition. This recitation tradition came into existence when Wang Chongyang, the Daoist founder of the sect in the Jin dynasty, established the Daoist temple system, so it has a history of 800 years lasting till today. Following this recitation tradition, all the Daoist priests who have renounced their family and live in temples should get up at five olock every morning, and after sweeping the courts and temples, having breakfast and a bath, washing their face and rinsing their mouth, and adjusting their dresses and hats, they should go to the temple to recite the scriptures for recitation at the morning altar. After supper in the evening, as soon as the drum is beaten, the Daoist priests in the temple adjust their dresses and hats, and ascend the altar to recite the scripture for evening recitation at the evening altar. This routine is followed every day the year round. ==The content of the daily Morning Recitation of the Complete Perfection Tradition== What is recited at the Morning and Evening Recitation varies with different inherited habits and different founders of the temples. Take the [[White Cloud Temple]] ( 白雲觀 Baiyun Guan ) in Beijing as an example. What is recited in the morning includes: the ''Clear and Pure Rhythm'' ( 澄清韻 Qingjing Yun ), the ''Hanging Rhythm'' ( 吊掛 Diaogua ), the Outline ''Rhythm'' ( 提鋼 Tigang ), the ''Divine Incantation for Purifying the Mind'' ( 淨心神咒 Jingxian Shenzhou ), the Divine ''Incantation for Purifying the Mouth'' ( 淨口神咒 Jingkou Shenzhou ), the Divine ''Incantation for Purifying the Body'' ( 淨身神咒 Jingshen Shenzhou ), the ''Incantation for Pacifying the Earth Spirits'' ( 安土地咒 an Tudi Zhou ), the ''Divine Incantation for Purifying Heaven and Earth'' ( 淨天地咒 Jing Tiandi Zhou ), the ''Joss Stick Prayer Incantation'' ( 祝香咒 Zhuxiang Zhou ), the ''Divine Incantation of Golden Light'' ( 金光神咒 Jinguang Shenzhou ), the ''Mysterious and Profound Incantation'' ( 玄蘊咒 Xuanyun Zhou ), the ''Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Teachings on Eternal Purity and Tranquility'' ( 太上老君說常清靜咒 Taishang Laojun Shuo Chang Qingjing Jing ), ''The Supreme Sublime Book of the Numinous Treasure of Pervasive Mystery for Ascending to Mystery, Eliminating Calamities and Protecting Lives'' ( 太上洞玄靈寶升玄消災護命妙經 Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Shengxuan Xiaozai Huming Miaojing ), the ''Perfect Book of the Supreme Heavenly Lord of the Numinous Treasure's Teachings on Averting Misfortunes and Adversities'' ( 太上靈寶天尊說禳災度厄真經 Taishang Lingbao Tianzun Shuo Rangzai du’e Zhenjing ), the ''Lofty Jade Emperor's Sublime Book of the Mind Seal'' ( 高上玉皇心印妙經 Gaoshang Yuhuang Xinyin Miaojing ), the ''Precious Declarations of Jade Clarity'' ( 玉清寶誥 Yuqing Baogao ), the ''Precious Declarations of the Highest Clarity'' ( 上清寶誥 Shanqing Baogao ), the ''Precious Declarations of Supreme Clarity'' ( 太清寶誥 Taiqing Baogao ), the ''Precious Declarations of the Jade Emperor'' ( 玉帝寶誥 Yudi Baogao ), the ''Precious Declarations of the Heavenly Emperor'' ( 天皇寶誥 Tianhuang Baogao ), the ''Precious Declarations of the Stellar Ruler'' ( 星主寶誥 Xingzhu Baogao ), the ''Precious Declarations of the Earth God'' ( 后土寶誥 Houtu Baogao ), the ''Precious Declarations of the South Pole'' ( 南極寶誥 Nanji Baogao ), the ''Precious Declarations of the Five Northern Patriarchs'' ( 北五祖寶誥 Bei Wuzu Baogao ), the ''Precious Declarations of the Five Southern Patriarchs'' ( 南五祖寶誥 Nan Wuzu Baogao ), the ''Precious Declarations of the Seven Perfect Ones'' ( 七真寶誥 Qizhen Baogao ), the ''Precious Declarations on Universal Salvation'' ( 普化寶誥 Puhua Baogao ), the ''Written Prayers to the Sages'' ( 祝聖文 Zhusheng Wen ), the ''Written Confessions'' ( 懺悔文 Chanhui Wen ), and the ''Small Odes for Morning Recitation'' ( 早課小贊 Zaoke Xiaozan ) (also, the Incantations of the Numinous Officials ( 靈官咒 Lingguan Zhou ), the ''Incantations of the Earth Spirits'' ( 土地咒 Tudi Zhou ), the ''Great Conversion'' ( 大皈依 Da Guiyi ), and the ''Three Conversions'' ( 三皈依 San Guiyi )). ==The content of daily Evening Recitation of the Complete Perfection Tradition== The ''Hanging Rhythm, Offering Joss Sticks to the Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Benevolence'' ( 香供養太乙救苦天尊 Xiang Gongyang Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun ), the ''Outline Rhythm'', the ''Mysterious and Profound Incantation, the Precious Declarations of the Elder Lady of the Big Dipper'' ( 斗姥寶誥 Doumu Baogao ), the ''Precious Declarations of the Three Heavenly Officials'' ( 三官寶誥 Sanguan Baogao ), the ''Precious Declarations of Mysterious Northern Heaven'' ( 玄天寶誥 Xuantian Baogao ), the ''Precious Declarations of Patriarch Lu'' ( 呂祖寶誥 Luzu Baogao ), the ''Precious Declarations of Patriarch Qiu'' ( 邱祖寶誥 Qiuzu Baogao ), the ''Precious Declarations of Patriarch Sa'' ( 薩祖寶誥 Sazu Baogao ), the ''Precious Declarations of the Numinous Officials'' ( 靈官寶誥 Lingguan Baogao ), the ''Precious Declarations on Saving the Suffering'' ( 救苦寶誥 Jiuku Baogao ), the ''Precious Declarations on Showing Gratitude'' ( 報恩寶誥 Bao’en Zhou ), the ''Incantations of the Earth Spirits'', the ''Three Conversions'', the ''Incantation for Offering Sacrifices''( 供養咒 Gongyang Zhou ), and the ''Incantation for Ending Fasts'' ( 結齋咒 Jiezhai Zhou ). [[zh:全真早晚功課經]] 9a0cb48673b740918152996a7fa0708f1796b54c 0 194 243 2009-07-30T09:24:46Z Admin 1 Created page with '''The Inscription on Visualizing Spirits and Refining Vital Breath'' ( 存神煉氣銘 Cunshen Lianqi Ming ) was written by [[Sun Simiao]] of the Tang dynasty. The book first dea...' wikitext text/x-wiki ''The Inscription on Visualizing Spirits and Refining Vital Breath'' ( 存神煉氣銘 Cunshen Lianqi Ming ) was written by [[Sun Simiao]] of the Tang dynasty. The book first deals with the relationship between the body and spirit and vital breath, holding that in order to keep the body one must first stabilize spirit and vital breath, the latter being the mother of the former while the former being the son of the latter, and that longevity can be attained when the two co-exist. Then it tells that when visualizing spirits and refining vital breath, one should first pass five hours and then seven periods of time. In the first hour, the mind is just as that of ordinary people, being rather active than inactive. In the second hour, the mind is more active than inactive, and this shows one begins to approach the Dao. In the third hour, half active and half inactive, the mind starts to be in harmonious proportion gradually. In the fourth hour, more inactive than active, the mind is concentrated. In the fifth hour, the mind remains inactive, never being influenced by anything. Then one comes to the seven periods of time. In the first period, the mind settling down, one has obtained the Dao. In the second period, one lives longer than man usually does, and recovers one's youthful appearance. In the third period, with life span prolonged to 1,000 years, one is known as an immortal. In the fourth period, being able to choose to live or die, one is known as a perfect man. In the fifth period, refining the vital breath into spirit, one is known as a divine person. In the sixth period, refining spirit into substance, one is known as a supreme person. In the seventh period, transcending this world and reaching the original Dao, one attains exhaustive perfection. This book provides reference for the Daoist learning of Breathing Arts ( 氣功 Qigong ) of the Tang dynasty. It is collected in the subsection of methods, Pervasive Divinity Section ( 洞神部 Dongshen Bu ) of ''[[The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). [[zh:存神煉氣銘]] 929c230939a2d8a98466fb015a22e90662c2ebc8 0 195 244 2009-07-31T01:58:10Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The background of the ''Book of Laozi's Conversion of the Barbarians'' ( 老子化胡經 Laozi Huahu Jing ) is as follows. During the reign of emperor Huidi of the Western Jin dy...' wikitext text/x-wiki The background of the ''Book of Laozi's Conversion of the Barbarians'' ( 老子化胡經 Laozi Huahu Jing ) is as follows. During the reign of emperor Huidi of the Western Jin dynasty (AD 290-306), Wang Fu, the Libationer ( 祭酒 Ji Jiu ) of [[the Celestial Masters Tradition]] ( 天師道 Tianshi Dao ) often debated with the Buddhist monk Bo Yuan about which religion was the orthodox one. Thus he wrote the one- volume ''Book of the Conversion of Barbarians'' ( 化胡經 Huahu Jing ), which narrates the story that [[Laozi]] went to India, changed into Buddha, and converted the barbarians to Buddhism, "so as to defame Buddhism". Later, the book was gradually enlarged and adapted into ten volumes and became a basis for Daoists to attack Buddhism, thus raising the position of Daoism above Buddhism. This led to a fierce conflict between the two religions. Both emperor Gaozong and emperor Zhongzong of the Tang dynasty once gave orders to prohibit it. In the twenty-second Zhiyuan year of the Yuan dynasty (AD 1285), emperor Shizu ordered to burn the false scriptures in ''[[the Daoist Canon]]'' ( 道藏 Daozang ), and the first one was the ''Book of the Conversion of Barbarians''. It was lost from then on and so does not exist in the ''[[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ) of the Ming dynasty. In the last years of the Qing dynasty, incomplete handwritten volumes of the book were found in Dunhuang. Some of them are entitled Book of Laozi's Western Ascension and Conversion of Barbarians ( 老子西升化胡經 Laozi Xisheng Huahu Jing ) (Bo 2007), and some are entitled the ''Supreme Numinous Treasure's Sublime Book of Laozi's Conversion of the Barbarians'' ( 太上靈寶老子化胡妙經 Taishang Lingbao Laozi Huahu Miaojing ) (Si 2081). They are different names for the same book. The incomplete versions of the ''Book of the Conversion of Barbarians'' stored in England, France and so on are the version in ten volumes, which is not the original book written by Wang Fu. [[zh:老子化胡經]] 8492c1db181862f6afaa058fd428d2d6deea8e7a 0 196 245 2009-07-31T02:14:55Z Admin 1 Created page with '''Cheng Xuanying's Commentary on the Laozi'' ( 老子成玄英疏 Laozi Cheng Xuanying Shu ), is compiled by Cheng Xuanying of the Tang dynasty. The original commentary is missin...' wikitext text/x-wiki ''Cheng Xuanying's Commentary on the Laozi'' ( 老子成玄英疏 Laozi Cheng Xuanying Shu ), is compiled by Cheng Xuanying of the Tang dynasty. The original commentary is missing. It sporadically appears in ''Commentary on the Mysterious Virtue of the Perfect Book of Dao and Its Virtue'' ( 道德真經玄德纂疏 Daode Zhenjing Xuande Zuanshu ) by [[Qiang Siqi']] and Commentary on the Perfect Book of Dao and its Virtue ( 道徳真經註疏 Daode Zhenjing Zhushu ) by Gu Huan that are collected in ''[[The Daoist Canon]]'' ( 道藏 Daozang ). The recent scholar Meng Wetong collected them and sorted them out. Then he collated them and compiled the six-volume Cheng Xuanying's Commentary on the Laozi, which was printed by Sichuan Provincial Library in 1946. In addition, there are two other collated versions. One is the five-volume Commentary on the ''Title and Preface of the Book of Dao and its Virtue'' by Yan Lingfeng, and another is Collection and ''Collation of the Commentaries on the Book of Dao and its Virtue'' by the Japanese scholar Tengyuan Gaonan. In the book, Cheng Xuanying elaborated on "the Dao of Twofold Mystery ( 重玄 Chongxuan )". He holds that "mystery" means profundity. It persists neither in Being nor in Nonbeing, i.e., "neither the Being nor the Nonbeing". But, meanwhile, in order to illustrate the Dao of twofold mystery, one should not persist in "mystery", but negate it, i.e., "not neither in Being nor in Nonbeing". This merely explains Laozi's word, "mysterious and mysterious". Such explanation introduces Zhuangzi's thought and the Buddhist philosophy of the Middle Way ( 中觀 Zhongguan ). It is a distinguishing feature of the book. The book reflects the theoretical, speculative level of Daoist philosophy in the Tang dynasty, and is one of the representative works of the Tang Daoist school of Twofold Mystery. [[zh:老子成玄英疏]] 1bb96222c501ec3f43610608ae6ee8aba23035e8 0 197 246 2009-07-31T02:25:03Z Admin 1 Created page with '''Lirong's Notes on the Laozi'' ( 老子李榮注 Laozi Lirong Zhu ) was compiled by Li Rong of the Tang dynasty. Both the sections of bibliographies of The Old History of the Ta...' wikitext text/x-wiki ''Lirong's Notes on the Laozi'' ( 老子李榮注 Laozi Lirong Zhu ) was compiled by Li Rong of the Tang dynasty. Both the sections of bibliographies of The Old History of the Tang Dynasty and A New History of the Tang Dynasty collect the four-volume ''Collection of Explanations to the Laozi'' ( 老子集解 Laozi Jijie ), which is no longer extant. Today's ''[[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ) has the incomplete version by Li Rong. A hand-written copy of the book produced during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang dynasty was discovered at Dunhuang. The recent scholar Meng Wentong compiled the four-volume ''Lirong's Commentary on the Book of Laozi'' according to the incomplete version collected in The Daoist Canon and the Dunhuang versions kept in the Beijing Library and the Paris Library. Besides, a collated version by Yan Lingfen is collected in the third section of the first edition of ''Annotations of the Book of Laozi Collected by the Wuqiubei Study'' ( 無求備齋老子集成 Wuqiubei Zhai Laozi Jicheng ). The book illustrates the theory of Twofold Mystery ( 重玄 Chongxuan ) and the Dao of Harmony ( 中和 Zhonghe ), which are basically identical to Cheng Xuanying's Dao of Twofold Mystery. It holds that the being and the nonbeing should be got rid of by means of "mystery", and after that, "mystery" is also negated. This is called twofold mystery, which is meant to imply "the door to myriad secrets". Moreover, the book gives a metaphor, saying that after the medicine of the Dao of twofold mystery cures the disease of persisting in the being or the nonbeing, the medicine itself is also discarded. Not owning a thing, one enters the wonderful condition of twofold mystery. The book is one of the representative works of the Daoist School of twofold mystery in the Tang dynasty. It provides important reference material for the study of this school. [[zh:老子李榮注]] 9f3163c1e0c7451f14044aa249f30b2c4fced9cf 0 198 247 2009-07-31T02:40:39Z Admin 1 Created page with '''Xiang'er's Commentary on Laozi'' ( 老子想爾注 Laozi Xiang’er Zhu ), which is also entitled ''Xiang'er's Interpretation of Laozi's Book of Dao and its Virtue'' ( 老君...' wikitext text/x-wiki ''Xiang'er's Commentary on Laozi'' ( 老子想爾注 Laozi Xiang’er Zhu ), which is also entitled ''Xiang'er's Interpretation of Laozi's Book of Dao and its Virtue'' ( 老君道德經爾訓 Laojun Daodejing Xiang’er Xun ), is a major work of early Daoism. During the last years of the Eastern Han dynasty, [[the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition]] ( 五斗米道 Wudou Miadao ) took the ''Five-Thousand-Character Classic'' ( 五千文 Wuqian Wen ) as its major scripture, and ''Xiang'er's Commentary'', which had long been lost, was the commentary on Laozi used in the preaching of the Libationers ( 祭酒 Ji Jiu ) of the Rice Tradition ( 米道 Midao ). During the last years of the Qing dynasty, an incomplete manuscript of ''Xiang'er's Commentary on Laozi's Book of Dao and its Virtue'' ( 老子道德經想爾注 Laozi Daodejing Xiang’er Zhu ) of the Six dynasties was found in Mogao Grotto, Dunhuang. The book is now stored in the British Museum. As for its author, some say it is [[Zhang Daoling]], some say it is Zhang Lu, and some say that "Xiang'er" is the name of an Immortal. Most of the content of the book conforms to that of ''[[the Book of Supreme Peace]]'' ( 太平經 Taiping Jing ). It both absorbs the religious ideas and social and political views of the ''Book of Supreme Peace'' and contains Heshang Gong's interpretations to the ''Laozi''. The book is the most original and valuable source for the study of the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition. The ''Collation and Critical Studies of Xiang'er's Commentary on Laozi's Book of Dao and its Virtue'' ( 老子想爾注校證 Laozi Xiang’er Zhu Jiaozheng ) (Shanghai Ancient Books Press, 1991) compiled by Rao Zongyi in modern times is an indispensable aid for the study of this book. [[zh:老子想爾注]] e8784a112d5f8dbcfcb26a0df45a4f9706a4de58 0 199 248 2009-07-31T02:52:20Z Admin 1 Created page with '''The Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Book of Commandments for Chanting'' ( 老君音誦戒經 Laojun Yinsong Jiejing ) was written in one volume by [[Kou Qianzhi]] of the Northern...' wikitext text/x-wiki ''The Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Book of Commandments for Chanting'' ( 老君音誦戒經 Laojun Yinsong Jiejing ) was written in one volume by [[Kou Qianzhi]] of the Northern Wei dynasty. In the second Shenrui year during the reign of emperor Mingyuan of the Northern Wei dynasty (AD 415), Kou Qianzhi declared that [[the Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ) had conferred upon him twenty volumes of ''Commandments of the New Ordinances from the Clouds'' ( 雲中音誦新科之戒 Yunzhong Yinsong Xinke Zhijie ), and ordered him to rectify Daoism and get rid of the "false skills of the three persons named Zhang". ''The Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Book of Commandments for Chanting'' is the remaining part of the ''Commandments of the New Ordinances from the Clouds''. The book claims that the Venerable Sovereign granted to Kou Qianzhi the orthodox position of Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ), and commanded him to teach the people, assist in governing the state, to carry out the new skill of chanting commandments, and eliminate the "false scriptures and rituals". Moreover, it describes all the miraculous phenomena which took place at the birth of the Venerable Sovereign, and says that the Venerable Sovereign granted to those who are destined to achieve longevity divine elixirs for them to ascend to immortality and be saved. All of the rituals mentioned in the book, such as Founding of Dioceses ( 設治 Shezhi ), Appointment ( 署職 Shuzhi ), [[Transmission of Registers]] ( 授籙 Shoulu ), and Presentation of Petitions ( 上章 Shangzhang ), make changes to the Skills of the Zhang Celestial Masters and reflect Kou Qianzhi's desire to rectify the Celestial Masters tradition. The book is collected in the Commandments and Rules subsection ( 戒律 Jiellu ) of the ''Pervasive Divinity Section'' ( 洞神部 Dongshen Bu ) of the ''[[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). [[zh:老君音誦誡經]] ed1ce82b71d8b3a57df2a619eadab8e7c3449710 0 200 249 2009-07-31T03:24:08Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 5-volumed ''Record of the Realization of Perfection by the Concourse of Immortals of West Mountain'' ( 《西山群仙會真記》 Xishan Qunxian Huizhen Ji ) was authored by...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 5-volumed ''Record of the Realization of Perfection by the Concourse of Immortals of West Mountain'' ( 《西山群仙會真記》 Xishan Qunxian Huizhen Ji ) was authored by Shi Jianwu and compiled by Li Song. Shi, whose title was "The Perfect Man of Huayang" ( 華陽真人 Huayang Zhenren ) lived during the Tang Dynasty. After his success in the national civil service examinations, Shi remained secluded as a Daoist on the West Mountain (present Jiangxi province) to cultivate the Dao. But some say that there were two men named "Shi Jianwu". the Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography of the Four Repositories ( 《四庫提要》 Siku Tiyao ) say some Daoists, under the name of Shi, wrote this book during the Jin and Yuan Dynasties. Still some hold that the book should have been completed no later than the Northern Song. The preface by the author states, the book, in secret accordance with earlier and later sages, imitating the number of [[five agents]] ( 五行 Wuxing ) and corresponding to the pure Yang one-breath ( 純陽一氣 Chunyang Yiqi ), expounds the mystery and supreme truth of the Zhong-Lu lineage in one five-volume book. The contents, similar to ''[[the Transmission of Dao by Zhongli Chuan and Lü Dongbin]]'' ( 《鍾呂傳道集》 Zhinglu Chuandao Ji ), explains the ways of inner alchemy, citing the ''Supreme Hidden Book'' ( 《太上隱書》 Taishang Yinshu ), ''Record of the Western Mountain'' ( 《西山記》 Xishan Ji ), ''Numinous Treasure Book of Inner Contemplation'' ( 《靈寶內觀經》 Lingbao Neiguan Jing ), the ''Book of Communion with the Mystery'' ( 《通玄經》 Tongxuan Jing ) and quotations of the immortals Ge, Yin and Lu. The theme, based on ''[[Three Ways Unified and Normalized]]'' ( 《參同契》 Cantong Qi ), expounds the theory about increasing and reducing fire ( 抽添 Choutian ) and the practice that leads to liberation. Volume 1 includes five chapters: #Knowing Dao, #Knowing Methods, #Knowing Man, #Knowing Time and #Knowing Things. Volume 2 includes: #Cultivating Life, #Cultivating Form, #Cultivating Breath, #Cultivating Mind and #Cultivating Longevity. Volume 3 includes: #Nourishing Interior, #Nourishing Breath, #Nourishing Essence, #Nourishing Strength and #Nourishing Deficit. Volume 4 includes: #True Water and Fire, #True Dragon and Tiger, #True Elixir and Medicine, #True Led and Mercury and #True Yin and Yang. Volume 5 includes: #Refining Daoist Arts into Dao ( 煉法入道 Lian Fa Rudao ), #Refining Form into Vital Breath ( 煉形化氣 Lianqi Huanxing ), #Refining Vital Breath into Spirit ( 煉氣化神 Lianqi Huashen ), #Refining Spirit into Dao ( 煉神合道 Lianshen Hedao ) and #Refining Dao into the Holiness ( 煉道入聖 Liandao Rusheng ). As systematic and theoretic works on inner alchemy Collected in the Subsection of Skills and Arts, Pervasive Perfection Section of the ''[[Daoist Canon of the Zhentong Era]''] ( 《正統道藏》 Zhengtong Daozang ), it is very valuable to the study of inner alchemy of Song and Yuan Daoism. [[zh:西山群仙會真記]] ce79a338afe4f1cb066196bf322a370e7cf566e8 250 249 2009-07-31T03:24:33Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki The 5-volumed ''Record of the Realization of Perfection by the Concourse of Immortals of West Mountain'' ( 《西山群仙會真記》 Xishan Qunxian Huizhen Ji ) was authored by Shi Jianwu and compiled by Li Song. Shi, whose title was "The Perfect Man of Huayang" ( 華陽真人 Huayang Zhenren ) lived during the Tang Dynasty. After his success in the national civil service examinations, Shi remained secluded as a Daoist on the West Mountain (present Jiangxi province) to cultivate the Dao. But some say that there were two men named "Shi Jianwu". the Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography of the Four Repositories ( 《四庫提要》 Siku Tiyao ) say some Daoists, under the name of Shi, wrote this book during the Jin and Yuan Dynasties. Still some hold that the book should have been completed no later than the Northern Song. The preface by the author states, the book, in secret accordance with earlier and later sages, imitating the number of [[five agents]] ( 五行 Wuxing ) and corresponding to the pure Yang one-breath ( 純陽一氣 Chunyang Yiqi ), expounds the mystery and supreme truth of the Zhong-Lu lineage in one five-volume book. The contents, similar to ''[[the Transmission of Dao by Zhongli Chuan and Lü Dongbin]]'' ( 《鍾呂傳道集》 Zhinglu Chuandao Ji ), explains the ways of inner alchemy, citing the ''Supreme Hidden Book'' ( 《太上隱書》 Taishang Yinshu ), ''Record of the Western Mountain'' ( 《西山記》 Xishan Ji ), ''Numinous Treasure Book of Inner Contemplation'' ( 《靈寶內觀經》 Lingbao Neiguan Jing ), the ''Book of Communion with the Mystery'' ( 《通玄經》 Tongxuan Jing ) and quotations of the immortals Ge, Yin and Lu. The theme, based on ''[[Three Ways Unified and Normalized]]'' ( 《參同契》 Cantong Qi ), expounds the theory about increasing and reducing fire ( 抽添 Choutian ) and the practice that leads to liberation. Volume 1 includes five chapters: #Knowing Dao, #Knowing Methods, #Knowing Man, #Knowing Time and #Knowing Things. Volume 2 includes: #Cultivating Life, #Cultivating Form, #Cultivating Breath, #Cultivating Mind and #Cultivating Longevity. Volume 3 includes: #Nourishing Interior, #Nourishing Breath, #Nourishing Essence, #Nourishing Strength and #Nourishing Deficit. Volume 4 includes: #True Water and Fire, #True Dragon and Tiger, #True Elixir and Medicine, #True Led and Mercury and #True Yin and Yang. Volume 5 includes: #Refining Daoist Arts into Dao ( 煉法入道 Lian Fa Rudao ), #Refining Form into Vital Breath ( 煉形化氣 Lianqi Huanxing ), #Refining Vital Breath into Spirit ( 煉氣化神 Lianqi Huashen ), #Refining Spirit into Dao ( 煉神合道 Lianshen Hedao ) and #Refining Dao into the Holiness ( 煉道入聖 Liandao Rusheng ). As systematic and theoretic works on inner alchemy Collected in the Subsection of Skills and Arts, Pervasive Perfection Section of the ''[[Daoist Canon of the Zhentong Era]]'' ( 《正統道藏》 Zhengtong Daozang ), it is very valuable to the study of inner alchemy of Song and Yuan Daoism. [[zh:西山群仙會真記]] 56e722dfd6dd7ed5c2440e71f7cda3e29a088304 0 201 251 2009-07-31T03:34:39Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The ''Book of Western Ascension'' ( 西升經 Xisheng Jing ), whose author is unknown, is also known by its full name, the ''Book of Laozi's Western Ascension'' ( 老子西升經...' wikitext text/x-wiki The ''Book of Western Ascension'' ( 西升經 Xisheng Jing ), whose author is unknown, is also known by its full name, the ''Book of Laozi's Western Ascension'' ( 老子西升經 Laozi Xisheng Jing ). [[Ge Hong]] of the Jin dynasty mentioned this book in his ''[[Biographies of the Immortals]]'' ( 神仙傳 Shenxian Zhuan ), so it was probably written around the Wei and Jin dynasties. This book tells about Laozi's western ascension, his enlightening the Indians, his being named the Ancient Gentleman ( 古先生 Gu Xiansheng ), his genius for entering the state of Non-Interference, having neither beginning nor end but in a state of permanence. It embodies an obvious goal of converting barbarians so as to deprecate Buddhism. The book discusses the noumenon of the universe and the problem of body and spirit as well, and it inherits Laozi's thought of governing by Non-Interference. Daoist priests of the Lookout Tower Tradition ( 樓觀道 Louguan Dao ) attached much importance to this book. ''The Jade Formulae subsection'' ( 玉訣 Yujue ) of the Pervasive Divinity Section ( 洞神部 Dongshen Bu ) of the ''[[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ) collects six volumes of the Collected Annotations on the Book of Western Ascension ( 西升經集注 Xisheng Jing Jizhu ) by Chen Jingyuan of the Song dynasty, and the ''Original Texts subsection'' ( 本文 Benwen ) contains three volumes of the imperial commentary on the ''Book of Western Ascension'' by emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty. Both of them consist of thirty-nine chapters, but the texts are not entirely the same. [[zh:西昇經]] 96a0fde13bba579e404d7ede5433bc7381084cbe 0 202 252 2009-07-31T03:51:26Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The ''Discourse on Sitting in Oblivion'' ( 坐忘論 Zuowang Lun ) was written in one volume by Sima Chengzhen of the Tang dynasty. The whole book consists of seven parts, name...' wikitext text/x-wiki The ''Discourse on Sitting in Oblivion'' ( 坐忘論 Zuowang Lun ) was written in one volume by Sima Chengzhen of the Tang dynasty. The whole book consists of seven parts, namely #"First Part, Veneration and Belief", #"Second Part, Breaking Free the Bonds of this World ", #"Third Part, Concentrating One's Mind", #"Fourth Part, Simplifying Things", #"Fifth Part, Perfect Contemplation", #"Sixth Part, Deep Meditation", and #"Seventh Part, Attaining Dao". They describe the seven steps and levels of the cultivation of Dao. The book is focused on Sitting in Oblivion and concentrating one's mind, and attaching importance to tranquility and getting rid of desires. It holds that at the beginning of studying Dao, one should sit steadily, concentrate one's mind and forget about things outside oneself, think about nothing, enter the state of emptiness, and so the mind will conform to Dao. Since things are produced by the mind, one's mind can return to "tranquility" and "emptiness" only if it is concentrated and cleaned to transcend worldliness. The theory of attaching importance to tranquility put forward in this book had significant influence on the later school of Neo-Confucianism of the Song dynasty. The theory of "Sitting in Oblivion" originally appeared in the chapter ''Great Master for Worship'' ( 大宗師 Dazongshi ) in the ''[[Zhuangzi]]'', and later it was elaborated on by the Science of Mysteries ( 玄學 Xuanxue ) and Daoism. For example, the Daoist ''Book of Concentration and Contemplation of the Pervasive Mysterious Numinous Treasure'' ( 洞玄靈寶定觀經 Dongxuan Lingbao Dingguan Jing ) illustrates the concentration of the mind, saying "get rid of the mobile mind without getting rid of the illuminated mind". The ''Casual Records of the Nenggai Studio'' ( 能改齋漫錄 Nenggai Zhai Manlu ) written by Wu Zeng of the Southern Song dynasty claims that the Discourse on Sitting in Oblivion written by Sima Chengzhen originates from this. In the atmosphere of practising Outer Alchemy ( 外丹 Waidan ) in the Tang dynasty, combining the ideas of Laozi and Zhuangzi and absorbing the Buddhist skills of Motionlessness and Contemplation ( 止觀 Zhiguan ) and Deep Meditation ( 禪定 Chanding ), Sima Chengzhen vigorously advocated "Sitting in Oblivion", which played an important theoretical function in the Daoist evolution from [[Outer Alchemy]] into [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ), and exerted some influence on the Daoist science of Inner Alchemy in later ages. The book is collected in the Supreme Mystery Section ( 太玄部 Taixuan Bu ) of the ''[[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). [[zh:坐忘論]] 67d44b66c74b890d1fb27420bd1e17f58ad0dcf4 0 203 253 2009-07-31T04:53:32Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The ''Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes'' ( 周易參同契 Zhouyi Cantongqi ), which is also known as the ''Three Ways Unified and Normalized'' ( 參同...' wikitext text/x-wiki The ''Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes'' ( 周易參同契 Zhouyi Cantongqi ), which is also known as the ''Three Ways Unified and Normalized'' ( 參同契 Cantongqi ), is an early Daoist scripture written by Wei Boyang of the Eastern Han dynasty. The whole book discusses Refining Elixirs using the concept of transformations and integrates the three theories of "Great Changes", "the Huanglao School" (derived from the Yellow Emperor and Laozi), and "stove flames". By taking Heaven and Earth as cauldrons, Yin and Yang as dikes, water and fire as burning devices, the Five Agents ( 五行 Wuxing ) as assistants, and Mysterious Essential Matter ( 玄精 Xuanjing ) as the basis of elixirs, it illustrates the principles and methods of Refining Elixirs and is the earliest Daoist scripture that systematically elucidates the Refinement of Elixirs. There are many commentaries on this book. The famous ones include the ''Perfect Explanations to Each Chapter of the Three Ways United and Normalized of the Book of Changes'' ( 周易參同契分章通真義 Zhouyi Cantongqi Fenzhang Tongzhen Yi ) by Peng Xiao of the Later Shu dynasty, the ''Investigations on the Different Versions of the Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes'' ( 周易參同契考義Zhouyi Cantongqi Kaoyi ) by Zhu Xi of the Song dynasty (under the name of Kongtong Daoist Zou Xin), the ''Interpretations of the Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes'' ( 周易參同契解 Zhouyi Cantongqi Jie ) by Chen Xianwei of the Song dynasty, and the ''Elaboration on the Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes'' (周易參同契發揮 Zhouyi Cantongqi Fahui ) by Yu Yan of the Yuan dynasty. All of them are collected in the ''Pervasive Mystery Section'' ( 太玄部 Aixuan Bu ) of the ''[[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). [[zh:周易參同契]] 3344e3a074c65ba0dc01689fcd75a4183f0805e5 0 204 254 2009-07-31T05:26:26Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Pointers on Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life ( 性命圭旨 Xingming Guizhi ), containing volumes entitled Yuan, Heng, Li and Zhen, is attributed to a disciple of Perfect Man...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Pointers on Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life ( 性命圭旨 Xingming Guizhi ), containing volumes entitled Yuan, Heng, Li and Zhen, is attributed to a disciple of Perfect Man Yin in legend. As it has a preface by Yu Yongning in the 43rd year Wanli Era, the book may have been completed during the Ming Dynasty. The book, with a wide-range quotations and charted exposition, illustrates the theory and practice of inner alchemy. The book, first uses the Chart of the Three Sages to express its absorption of Confucianism and Buddhism ( 《三聖圖》 Sansheng Tu ), and concludes its syncretism into Daoism. For example, Volume Yuan collects the Chart of the Supreme Ultimate ( 《太極圖》 Taiji Tu ) by the Song Dynasty Confucian, Zhou Dunyi, the Chart of Esoteric Spells of Avaloketeshvara ( 《觀音密咒圖》 Guanyin Mizhou Tu ) of Buddhsim, and finally sums up with Daoist Chart of Ascending to Heaven ( 《飛升圖》 Faisheng Tu ). Collected in the [[Collections of the Essence of the Daoist Canon]] ( 《道藏精華錄》 Daozang Jinghua Lu ), the book is valuable reference material for the study of the theory and practice of inner alchemy in Yuan and Ming Dynasties. [[zh:性命圭旨]] 1f0a283c1efce5886719ead9950ce8cf89a110f2 0 205 255 2009-07-31T06:22:18Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The ''Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'' ( 抱朴子 Baopuzi ), written by [[Ge Hong]], is composed of the ''Inner Book'' ( 內篇 Neipian ) and the ''Outer Book'' ( ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The ''Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'' ( 抱朴子 Baopuzi ), written by [[Ge Hong]], is composed of the ''Inner Book'' ( 內篇 Neipian ) and the ''Outer Book'' ( 外篇 Waipian ). The ''Inner Book'', which discusses Immortalism and medicine for Immortality ( 方藥 Fangyao ), the transformations of demons and ghosts, nourishing and prolonging life, and exorcism and avoidance of disasters, is a Daoist treatise of altogether twenty volumes, while the Outer Book, which discusses successes and failures in the human world and the good and evil of affairs of human life, is a Confucian work of altogether fifty volumes. The ''Inner Book'' sums up the theories of the Immortalists ( 神仙家 Shenxian Jia ) since the Warring States period, and establishes the Daoist theoretical system of Immortality from then on. It inherits Wei Boyang's theories on Refining Elixirs ( 煉丹 Liandan ) and is the culmination of the Alchemical Skills of the Wei and Jin dynasties. Moreover, it is a valuable source for the study of the history of Daoism and that of Daoist ideas before the Jin dynasty. The book is collected in the Supreme ''Clarity Section'' ( 太清部 Taiqing Bu ) of the ''Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). Tao Hongjing of the Liang dynasty compiled the ''Commentary on the Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'' ( 抱朴子注 Baopuzi Zhu ) in twenty volumes, but it has already been lost. The ''Collation and Interpretation of the Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'' ( 抱朴子內篇校釋 Baopuzi Neipian Jiaoshi ) (China Press, 1985) written by Wang Ming in modern times is now in circulation. [[zh:抱朴子]] 79c554d0ce1a301846ac21e5b8b092da55726b21 256 255 2009-07-31T06:23:03Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki The ''Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'' ( 抱朴子 Baopuzi ), written by [[Ge Hong]], is composed of the ''Inner Book'' ( 內篇 Neipian ) and the ''Outer Book'' ( 外篇 Waipian ). The ''Inner Book'', which discusses Immortalism and medicine for Immortality ( 方藥 Fangyao ), the transformations of demons and ghosts, nourishing and prolonging life, and exorcism and avoidance of disasters, is a Daoist treatise of altogether twenty volumes, while the Outer Book, which discusses successes and failures in the human world and the good and evil of affairs of human life, is a Confucian work of altogether fifty volumes. The ''Inner Book'' sums up the theories of the Immortalists ( 神仙家 Shenxian Jia ) since the Warring States period, and establishes the Daoist theoretical system of Immortality from then on. It inherits Wei Boyang's theories on Refining Elixirs ( 煉丹 Liandan ) and is the culmination of the Alchemical Skills of the Wei and Jin dynasties. Moreover, it is a valuable source for the study of the history of Daoism and that of Daoist ideas before the Jin dynasty. The book is collected in the Supreme ''Clarity Section'' ( 太清部 Taiqing Bu ) of the ''[[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). Tao Hongjing of the Liang dynasty compiled the ''Commentary on the Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'' ( 抱朴子注 Baopuzi Zhu ) in twenty volumes, but it has already been lost. The ''Collation and Interpretation of the Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'' ( 抱朴子內篇校釋 Baopuzi Neipian Jiaoshi ) (China Press, 1985) written by Wang Ming in modern times is now in circulation. [[zh:抱朴子]] f9ac19f0465c34b0ec10ab4ab6c35351cb881b62 0 206 257 2009-07-31T07:00:21Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Yu Yan in the Yuan Dynasty wrote the 1-volumed ''Extraordinary Supplementary Commentary on the Book of Changes'' ( 《易外別傳》 Yiwai Biezhuan ), with a preface by Emperor ...' wikitext text/x-wiki Yu Yan in the Yuan Dynasty wrote the 1-volumed ''Extraordinary Supplementary Commentary on the Book of Changes'' ( 《易外別傳》 Yiwai Biezhuan ), with a preface by Emperor Shizong in the 21st year of the Zhiyuan era. The book, explaining ''[[the theory of Three Ways Unified and Normalized]]'' ( 《參同契》 Cantong Qi ) by Wei Boyang, describes the mystery of anterior-heaven circle middle ( 先天環中 Xiantian Huanzhong ) and considers it a priority for nourishing life to pursue this in one's own body. The book collects the ''Chart of the Supreme Ultimate of Mind'' ( 《心為太極圖》 Xin Wei Taiji Tu ) by Shao Kangjie, ''Chart of Anterior-Heaven Purple Middle of the Supreme Empty'' ( 《太虛紫中先天圖》 Taixu Zizhong Xiantian Tu ) by Zhu Ziyang, ''Chart of 64 Anterior Hexagrams'' ( 《先天六十四卦直圖》 Xiantian Liushi Si Gua Zhitu ), ''Chart of Earth Receiving Breath of Heaven'' (《地承天氣圖》 Di Cheng Tian Qi Tu ), ''Chart of Moon Receiving Light of Sun'' (《月受日光圖》 Yue Shou Ri Guang Tu ), ''Chart of Southern Li and Northern Kan in Post-Heaven Hexagrams'' (《後天卦離南坎北圖》 Houtian Gua Li Nan Kan Bei Tu ), Chart of Heaven-Earth-Kan-Li Trigrams, Chart of 8-7-9-6. Citing Three Ways Unified and Normalized, the Book of Changes of the Zhou Dynasty, the ''Book of Secret Correspondence'' (《 陰符經》 Yin Fu Jing ), and quotations of Shao Yong and Zhu Ziyang, the text explains the charts from the perspective of life cultivation with focus on "changes in the body". Collected in the ''Supreme Mystery Section'' (《太玄部》 Taixuan Bu ) of the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era, the book is valuable for the study of the Daoist study of the I-Ching and cultivation. [[zh:易外別傳]] 0caa9602a38d8db51f1f04ed6777140a1c8b5f9e 0 207 258 2009-07-31T07:27:49Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The one-volume On ''the Essential Meaning of Ingesting Vital Breath'' ( 服氣精義論 Fuqi Jingyi Lun ), was compiled by [[Sima Chengzhen]] of the Tang dynasty. It is divided i...' wikitext text/x-wiki The one-volume On ''the Essential Meaning of Ingesting Vital Breath'' ( 服氣精義論 Fuqi Jingyi Lun ), was compiled by [[Sima Chengzhen]] of the Tang dynasty. It is divided into nine sections, namely on the five sprouts, on ingesting vital breath, on gymnastics, on talismanic water, on taking elixirs, on taboos, on the five internal organs, on healing by means of ingesting vital breath, and on symptoms. It records techniques of still meditation, such as the technique of taking the five perfect sprouts, the supreme clarity technique of vital breath dirigation, technique of ingesting vital breath on six Wu days, technique of ingesting vital breath of 3, 5, 7, and 9, and technique of nourishing the vital breath in the five internal organs that corresponds with the Five Agents ( 五行 Wuxing ). They tell people to control respiration, exhaling the old vital breath and inhaling the new one, and to control the circulation of vital breath in the body with mind, provided that the gesture of the body remains unchanged. In addition, the book advocates motion skills, which make the nourishing and guarding of vital breaths unobstructed and smooth by means of gymnastics, and causes the vital breath to "ascend and descend in good order" in the body. Apart from ingesting vital breath, the book advocates the taking of elixirs. Both ingesting vital breath and taking elixirs can help cure diseases. This book develops [[Tao Hongjing]]'s idea of healing through ingesting vital breath and further perfects Daoist methodology of healing by Breathing Arts ( 氣功 Qigong ). Moreover, the book proposes all kinds of "taboos" about ingesting vital breath. It stresses the modulation of one's spirit and mood, which is just the "essential meaning" of the theory of ingesting vital breath. The book has rather great influences on the Inner Alchemists ( 內丹家 Neidan Jia ) of the Song and Yuan dynasties. It is collected in the subsection of methods, the Pervasive Divinity Section ( 洞神部 Dongshen Bu ) of '''[[The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]''' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ), and is extracted by volume 57 of ''[[Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel]]'' ( 雲笈七簽 Yunji Qiqian ). [[zh:服氣精義論]] 20d0190f29a6371eb287f31774bc5ac11d6f62f3 0 208 259 2009-07-31T08:34:03Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 1-volumed On Dispelling Doubts and Guiding the Errant ( 《析疑指迷論》 Xiyi Zhimi Lun ) was written by Niu Dachun of Yuan Dynasty. It has prefaces by different people ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 1-volumed On Dispelling Doubts and Guiding the Errant ( 《析疑指迷論》 Xiyi Zhimi Lun ) was written by Niu Dachun of Yuan Dynasty. It has prefaces by different people in different times: Liu Daozhen in the 2nd year Dade era, Wang Daoheng in the 3rd year Dade era, and preface by the author in the 2nd year Yuanzhen era. In the form of questions and answers, the book divides into two chapters: #Dispelling Doubts. #Guiding the Errant. Cha. == Dispelling Doubts == Deals with such questions as what is complete perfection ( 全真 Quanzhen ), mind and narure ( 心性 Xinxing ), spirit and and life ( 性命 Xingming ), entity and function ( 體用 Tiyong ), life and basis ( 命基 Mingji ), the five agents, Dao and things ( 道物 Daowu ), stopping the flow of consciousness ( 止念 Zhinian ), complete mergence of all dharma ( 萬法圓融 Wanfa Yuanrong ), method for pacifying mind ( 安心之法 Anxin Zhi Fa ), mystery of creation ( 造化機 Zaohua Ji ), steps of learning Dao, non-cultivation of Dao ( 道本無修 Dao Ben Wuxiu ), golden elixir ( 金丹 Jindan ). Cha. == Guiding the Errant. Cha == Deals with non-question for Dao ( 道不可問 Dao Buke Wen ), non-transmission of Dao ( 道不可傳 Dao Buke Chuan ), forgetting words on attaining meaning ( 得意忘言 Deyi Wangyan ), sudden and gradual enlightenment, awakening to mind and nature, cultivation of life, essentials for refining elixir, ways for refining elixir. The book explains the sublime theory of Complete Perfection, exposing subtlety of Dao, meaning of nature and life and steps of cultivation, to analyze the errors and direct the misled. As the representative works of complete perfection tradition of Yuan Dyansty collected in Skills Class, Pervasive Perfection Section ( 洞真部 Dongzhen Bu ), Daoist Canon of Zhengtong Era, the book is valuable for the study of Daoist thoughts in yuan Dyansty. [[zh:析疑指迷論]] f28f9b0d3f4ad7be06a99f489bb9c92181a01b66 0 209 260 2009-07-31T08:54:02Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 16-volumed Great Essentials for the Golden Elixir ( 《金丹大要》 Jindan Dayao ) or Great Essentials for the Golden Elixir by Master Shangyang ( 《上陽子金丹大要...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 16-volumed Great Essentials for the Golden Elixir ( 《金丹大要》 Jindan Dayao ) or Great Essentials for the Golden Elixir by Master Shangyang ( 《上陽子金丹大要》 Shangyang Zi Jindan Dayao ) is a Daoist book about inner alchemy by Chen Zhixu of Yuan. Originally it was divided into 10 volumes. The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era divided its first seven chapters each into 2 volumes and made it 16 volumes. Chap. 8 was published as an independent book entitled "Chart of the Great Essentials of the Golden Elixir by Master Shangyang" ( 《上陽子金丹大要圖》 Shangyang Zi Jindan Dayao Tu ). Summarizing the elixir way of the northern tradition, the author holds that the way of the golden elixir lies in the cultivation of essence, breath and spirit. Golden elixir is the synthesis of essence, breath and spirit. The three, in mutual correspondence ( 交感 Jiaogan ), can in outflow make one mortal ( 順則成人 Shun Ze Cheng Ren ) and in counter-flow immortal ( 逆則成仙 Ni Ze Cheng Ren ). For "counter-flow", one should preserve form with peaceful mind, cultivate form and refine essence, accumulate and refine essence into breath ( 積精化氣 Ji Jing Hua Qi ), refine breath into spirit and refine spirit into emptiness ( 煉神為虛 Lian Shan Wei Xu ). These finished, the golden elixir is accomplished. In this reverse refining process, the most important lies in the pacified mind and stopped consciousness-flow. Awakened mind being the master in the process, the author sings high praise for "direct pointing to man's heart and attaining Buddhahood on achieving nature" ( 直指人心見性成佛 Zhi Zhi Ren Xin Jian Xing Cheng Fo ) of Chan Buddhism. Thus he proposes the syncretism of the three teachings ( 三教合一 San Jiao He Yi ). Collected in the Supreme Mystery Section of the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era, the book is rather valuable for the study of inner alchemy. In addition, related is another book entitled Records of Immortals and Great Essentials of the Golden Elixir by Master Shangyang. [[zh:金丹大要]] ffae4b31ce1800c5072ead5401def83d46ec1275 0 210 261 2009-07-31T09:15:04Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 1-volumed Essential Formulas of the Golden Elixir ( 《金丹要訣》 Jindan Yaojue ) was written by Wu Shouyang of Ming Dynasty. It contains Principles of the Golden Elixir...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 1-volumed Essential Formulas of the Golden Elixir ( 《金丹要訣》 Jindan Yaojue ) was written by Wu Shouyang of Ming Dynasty. It contains Principles of the Golden Elixir ( 《金丹大旨》 Jindan Dazhi ), Correspondence of the Anterior-heaven with the Post-heaven ( 《先天契後天說》 Xiantian Qi Houtian Shuo ), True Formula for Controlling Mortal Lead and Silver ( 制凡銀凡铅真訣 Zhi Fanyin Fanqian Zhenjue ), True Formula for Controlling Mortal Cinnabar and Mercury ( 制凡砂凡汞下手真訣 Zhi Fanyin Fangong Xianshou Zhenjue ), On Laying Foundation ( 築基說 Zhuji Shuo ), True Formula for Unifying Dead Cinnabar with Living Cinnabar ( 死砂接生砂真訣 Sisha Jie Shengsha Zhenjue ), On Nourishing the Mother ( 補母說 Bummu Shuo ). The book holds that only by combing inner and outer alchemy can one achieve immortality. Inner elixir forms the pure Yin body and outer elixir the pure Yang breath. With the two combined, one can become a heavenly immortal or a Golden Immortal of the Great Overarching Heaven ( 大羅金仙 Daluo Jinxian ). The book is collected in Section 6, Volume Bi of the Selections from the Daoist Canon ( 《道藏輯要》 Daozang Jiyao ). [[zh:金丹要訣]] ee041ed88b7ba7d3aeac5a2f3852c529f8383ddb 0 211 262 2009-08-01T02:16:30Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 5-volumed Records of the Orthodox Sect of the Golden Lotus ( 《金蓮正宗記》 Jinlian Zhengzong Ji ) is book of the Complete Perfection sect compiled in the 13th year (1...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 5-volumed Records of the Orthodox Sect of the Golden Lotus ( 《金蓮正宗記》 Jinlian Zhengzong Ji ) is book of the Complete Perfection sect compiled in the 13th year (1241) in the Taizong Emperor era of the Yuan by Chuli Daoist Qin Zhian, one of the compilers of the Precious Canon of the Mystery Metropolis ( 《玄都寶藏》 Xuandu Baozang ). As biographies of the patriarchs of the Complete Perfection sect, the book records the transmission of the sect. According to legend, Wang Chongyang met in Gan Brook some immortals showing him 7 golden lotuses, symbolic of the seven perfect patriarchs of Northern Lineage of Golden Elixir ( 北七真 Bei Qizhen ). This book is entitled accordingly with "golden-lotus". Vol. One contains the biographies of the Imperial Sovereign of Eastern Essence ( 東華帝君 Donghua Dijun ), [[Chongli Quan]], [[Lu Yan]], and Liu Cao. Vol. Two contains biographies of [[Wang Chongyang]], Yuchan Perfect Man He and Numinous Yang Perfect Man Li. Vol. Three contains the biographies of Ma Yu, and vol. Four contains the biographies of Tan Chuduan, [[Liu Chuxuan]] and Qiu Chuji. Vol. Five contains the biographies of [[Wang Chuyi]], [[Hao Datong]], [[Sun Bu'er]]. The biographies are mixed with myths and legends. As the earliest history of the Complete Perfection tradition collected in the Subsection of Biographies, Pervasive Divinity Section of the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era, the book is important material for the study of the history of [[Complete Perfection sect]]. [[zh:金蓮正宗記]] 5bccb61a8083c28567f6afbe34e0636ac93ebccc 0 212 263 2009-08-01T02:28:15Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 2-volumed Journey to the West of the Perfect Man of Eternal Spring ( 《長春真人西遊記》 Changchun Zhenren Xiyou Ji ) was written by Li Zhichang, one of Qiu Chuji's d...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 2-volumed Journey to the West of the Perfect Man of Eternal Spring ( 《長春真人西遊記》 Changchun Zhenren Xiyou Ji ) was written by Li Zhichang, one of Qiu Chuji's disciples who accompanied him in the journey to snow mountain under Genghis Khan's invitation. The book records the geography and customs seen in the journey as well as Qiu's poems. The end of vol. 2 contains Genghis Khan's imperial descript, decrees and a letter inviting Qiu Chuji to head Tianchang Temple. This book is important for studying [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ), [[Qiu Chuji]] and his relations with the rulers of Yuan Dynasty. Contemporary scholars Wang Guowei and Zhang Xingliang both wrote commentaries and notes for it. It was translated into English, French and Russian. The book is collected in Orthodox Oneness Section of the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era. [[zh:長春真人西遊記]] 46acdd3d74425a2475857916c44711a1d54dba0f 0 213 264 2009-08-01T02:42:59Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Written by [[Wang Chongyang]] of the Jin dynasty, ''Chongyang's Compilation of the Complete Perfection'' ( 重陽全真集 Chongyang Quanzhen Ji ) has 13 volumes. It is an anthol...' wikitext text/x-wiki Written by [[Wang Chongyang]] of the Jin dynasty, ''Chongyang's Compilation of the Complete Perfection'' ( 重陽全真集 Chongyang Quanzhen Ji ) has 13 volumes. It is an anthology of Wang Chongyang's poems, mainly composed of those expressing one's feelings or presented for social intercourse. It later became a feature of the Complete Perfection Tradition ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ) to state one's will and propagate Daoist teachings with poems. This compilation is important literature for the study of the life and ideas of Wang Chongyang, the founder of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]]. It is contained in the Supreme Peace Section ( 太平部 Taiping Bu ) of the [[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]] ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). [[zh:重陽立教十五論]] 264014213a3869fea954b47655392b6a27e0322c 265 264 2009-08-01T02:52:58Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki Written by [[Wang Chongyang]] of the Jin dynasty, ''Chongyang's Compilation of the Complete Perfection'' ( 重陽全真集 Chongyang Quanzhen Ji ) has 13 volumes. It is an anthology of Wang Chongyang's poems, mainly composed of those expressing one's feelings or presented for social intercourse. It later became a feature of the Complete Perfection Tradition ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ) to state one's will and propagate Daoist teachings with poems. This compilation is important literature for the study of the life and ideas of Wang Chongyang, the founder of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]]. It is contained in the Supreme Peace Section ( 太平部 Taiping Bu ) of the ''[[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). [[zh:重陽立教十五論]] 5839442d223cf7f02ae1d142d905efd77181b377 0 214 266 2009-08-01T03:50:49Z Admin 1 Created page with '''Ten Books on the Cultivation of Perfection'' ( 《修真十書》 Xiuzhen Shishu ) is 60-volumed collections of Daoist scriptures by unknown compiler. It collects tens of works...' wikitext text/x-wiki ''Ten Books on the Cultivation of Perfection'' ( 《修真十書》 Xiuzhen Shishu ) is 60-volumed collections of Daoist scriptures by unknown compiler. It collects tens of works of Tang and Song Dynasties, mainly on inner alchemy and art of breath. The works include: ''Master Bai's Chart for Fire Phase of Golden Elixir'' ( 《白先生金丹火候圖》 Bai Xiansheng Jindan Huohou Tu ), ''Chart Illustrating Mystery of Short-cut to Golden Elixir'' ( 《金丹捷徑指玄圖》 Jindan Jiejing Zhixuan Tu ), ''Ye Heshu's Short-cut to Golden Elixir'' ( 《金丹捷徑》 Jindan Jiejing ), ''On Golden Elixir'' ( 《金丹論》 Jindan Lun ), ''On Cultivation of Perfection'' ( 《修真論》 Xiuzhen Lun ), ''Shi Tai's Chapter on Returning To Origin'' ( 《還源篇》 Huanyuan Pian ), P''erfect Man Cuixu's Book of Purple Court'' ( 《紫庭經》 Ziting Jing ), ''Essence of Book of Secret Correspondence'' ( 《陰符髓》 Yinfu Sui ), ''Distinguishing Errors for Immortal Cultivation'' ( 《修仙辨惑論》 Xiuxian Bianhuo Lun ), ''Non-death of Spirit of Emptiness'' ( 《穀神不死論》 Gushen Busi Lun ),''On Ascending and Descending Yin and Yang'' ( 《陰陽升降論》 Yinyang Shengjiang Lun ), ''Words about Skills in Alchemy Chamber'' ( 《丹房法語》 Danfang Fayu ), ''Zhang boduan's Four-hundred-word Book of the Golden Elixir and the Preface'' ( 《金丹四百字並序》 Jindan Sibai Zi Bing Xu ), ''Bai Yuchan's Answer to Zhang Ziyang's Letter'' ( 《謝張紫陽書》 Xie Zhang Shu ), ''A Poem Answering Immortal Teacher's Letter'' ( 《謝仙師寄書詞》 Xie Xianshi Jishu Ci ), ''Song of Elixir Formulae'' ( 《丹訣歌》 Danjue Ge ), ''Xue Daoguang's Rhythmic Formula of the Elixir Essence'' ( 《丹髓歌》 Dansui Ge ), ''Master Xishan's Song of Nourishing Life and the Preface'' ( 《衛生歌並序》 Weisheng Ge Bing Xu ), ''Xiao Tingzhi's Illustrated Chart of Non-Infinity'' ( 《無極圖説》 Wuji Tu Shuo ), ''Song of Tuoyue, On Reversion Elixir of Liquefied Gold'' ( 《金液還丹論》 Jinye Huandan Lun ), ''Questions and Answers about Golden Elixir'' ( 《金丹問答》 Jindan Wenda ), ''Song of Appreciating Dao'' ( 《樂道歌》 Le dao Ge ), ''Shi Jianwu's The Transmission of Dao from Zhongli Quan to Lu Dongbin'' ( 《鍾呂傳道集》 ''Zhonglu Chuandao Ji ), Zhang Boduan's On Realizing Perfectionas as well as its Preface'' ( 《悟真篇》 Wu Zhen Pian ). Collected in Skills and Arts Class, Pervasive Perfection Section, Daoist Canon of Zhentong Era, the book is an important literature for the study of art of breath, inner alchemy, theory on nourishing life from Sui, Tang to Song Dynasties. [[zh:重陽全真集]] 90bf582c41ca1b19e7395b964194eb5b1cc95b7f 0 215 267 2009-08-01T05:27:20Z Admin 1 Created page with '''Essential Secrets of the Most Hig''h ( 無上秘要 Wushang Miyao ) is a Daoist encyclopedia. It was compiled by adepts of the Tongdao Temple under the imperial order from Empe...' wikitext text/x-wiki ''Essential Secrets of the Most Hig''h ( 無上秘要 Wushang Miyao ) is a Daoist encyclopedia. It was compiled by adepts of the Tongdao Temple under the imperial order from Emperor Wudi Yu Wenyong (r. 561-578) of the Northern Zhou dynasty. The sections of bibliographies in The Old History of the Tang Dynasty, The New History of the Tang Dynasty and History of the Song Dynasty collect 72 volumes. The catalogue of the Supreme Peace Section ( 太平部 Taiping Bu ) of ''[[The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ) is ended with the 100th volume, but 31 volumes, i.e. volumes 1-2, 10-14, 36, 58-64, are lost, and 69 volumes really exist. This shows that there were originally 100 volumes in the book, only 72 volumes remained in the Tang and Song dynasties, and three volumes were lost again in the Zhengtong era of the Ming dynasty (1436-1449) when The Daoist Canon was compiled. The book selects the major Daoist books of the Three Grottoes ( 三洞 Sandong ) and Four Complements ( 四輔 Sifu ) and classifies them into different sections. The Daoist books since the Wei, Jin, and the Southern and Northern Dynasties it cites are as many as 287 (see the third edition of ''Historical Studies of Daoist Scriptures'' (daozang jingdian shilun) by Yoshioka Yoshitoyo). This book is an important reference for the study of the history of Daoism of the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties. [[zh:無上秘要]] cf89b05ea652c3574287cb0404858641d7ab0692 0 216 268 2009-08-01T06:15:35Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The ''Perfect Book of Master Dongling'' ( 洞靈真經 Dongling Zhenjing ), i.e., the ''Kangcangz''i, which is also called the Gengsangzi, was said to have been written by Gengsa...' wikitext text/x-wiki The ''Perfect Book of Master Dongling'' ( 洞靈真經 Dongling Zhenjing ), i.e., the ''Kangcangz''i, which is also called the Gengsangzi, was said to have been written by Gengsang Chu of the Zhou dynasty. Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty worshiped Dao. In the first Tianbao year (AD 742), he conferred upon Kangcangzi the title ''Perfect Man'' ( 真人 Zhenren ) ''Dongling'' and respectfully called his book the Perfect Book of Master Dongling. It is not collected in the ''Bibliographical Records'' ( 藝文誌 Yiwenzhi ) of the ''History of the Han Dynasty'' ( 漢書 Hanshu ) nor in the ''Bibliographical Records'' ( 經籍志 Jingjizhi ) of the ''History of the Sui Dynasty'' ( 隨書 Suishu ), while its two volumes are contained in the ''Bibliographical Records of the New History of the Tang Dynasty'' ( 新唐書 Xian Tangshu ). Originally appearing as the allegorical character "Gengsang Chu" in the ''Book of Master Zhuang'' ( 莊子 Zhuangzi ), Kangcangzi was later immortalized in Daoism. Volume four of the ''Mirror of Immortals'' ( 先鑒 Xianjian ) says that he was a native of Chen, and having acquired the Dao of the Venerable Sovereign ( 老君 Laokun ), he was able to look with his ears and listen with his eyes. The whole book is divided into nine chapters, namely ''Comprehensive Dao'' ( 全道 Quandao ), ''Usage of Dao'' ( 用道 Yongdao ), ''The Dao of Government'' ( 政道 Chendao ), ''The Dao of Sovereigns'' ( 君道 Jundao ), ''The Dao of Subjects'' ( 臣道 Chendao ), T''he Dao of Virtuous Persons'' ( 賢道 Xiandao ), ''The Dao of Obedience'' ( 順道 Shundao ), ''The Dao of Agriculture'' ( 農道 Nongdao ), and ''The Dao of Military Affairs'' ( 兵道 Bingdao ). Except for the chapter Comprehensive Dao that is taken from the chapter ''Gengsang Chu in the Book of Master Zhuang'', all the other chapters are taken from the ''Liezi, Wenzi, L¡L1's Spring and Autumn Annals'' ( 呂氏春秋 Lushi Chunqiu ), the ''New Commentary'' ( 新序 Xinxu ), etc. Many of them are ancient and remarkable writings. The existing three volumes of the ''Commentary on the Perfect Book of Master Dongling'' ( 洞靈真經注 Dongling Zhenjing Zhu ) by He Can are collected in the ''Jade Formulae'' ( 玉訣 Yujue ) subsection of the ''Pervasive Divinity section'' ( 洞神部 Dongshen Bu ) in the ''Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). [[zh:洞靈真經]] 2be1b1a810cd2e6161b38c14405aa144742aeb9b 0 217 269 2009-08-01T06:33:34Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The ''Declarations of the Perfected'' ( 真誥 Zhengao ) was complied by [[Tao Hongjing]] of the Liang dynasty. The title refers to the commandments and advice imparted orally by...' wikitext text/x-wiki The ''Declarations of the Perfected'' ( 真誥 Zhengao ) was complied by [[Tao Hongjing]] of the Liang dynasty. The title refers to the commandments and advice imparted orally by Daoist Immortals and Perfect Men. It is said that in the years of Xingning during the reign of emperor Aidi of the Eastern Jin dynasty (AD 363-365), Yang Xi, Xu Mi and somebody else produced the so-called ''Handwritten Revelations by the Three Sovereigns'' ( 三君手書 Sanjun Shoushu ) of the [[Mt. Mao]] Lineage ( 茅山宗 Maoshan Zong ) in the name of "the Perfect Men (who) transferred" the handwritten scriptures. Tao Hongjing sorted them out and made brief annotations according to the declarations imparted orally by the Perfect Men which had been arranged by Gu Huan of the Southern Qi dynasty, thus compiling the Declarations of the Perfected. The whole book has ten chapters and twenty volumes. Volumes one to sixteen were written by Yang and Xu in the name of the "Perfect Men who imparted them orally". Volumes seventeen and eighteen are handwritten commentaries by Yang and Xu. Volumes nineteen and twenty were written by Tao Hongjing. The book is varied and jumbled in content. It records not only Immortals' and Perfect Men's transmission of perfect formulae but also discussion of Predestined Fate ( 冥數 Mingshu ), fortune and misfortune, as well as medicine, Gymnastics ( 導引 Daoyin ), massage, and affairs about Nourishing Life ( 攝養 Sheyang ) and Religious Practice ( 修持 Xiuxhi ). Also, it gives an account of the famous Daoist mountains and grottoes, and the ranks of the Perfect Men and ranks of the Perfect Men and Immortals, etc. The book is an important source for the study of the Mt. Mao Lineage of Daoism and the evolution of the Supreme Clarity ( 上清 Shangqing ) scriptures. It is collected in the Supreme Mystery Section ( 太玄部 Taixuan Bu ) of the ''[[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). [[zh:真誥]] c23f233d8e82cbadb93a8e2a3831977454d9a1f0 0 218 270 2009-08-01T06:43:41Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Rhyme for Dispelling Illusion and Rectifying Dao ( 《破迷正道歌》 Po Mi Zheng Dao Ge ) is a 1-volumed Daoist book about [[inner alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). It was att...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Rhyme for Dispelling Illusion and Rectifying Dao ( 《破迷正道歌》 Po Mi Zheng Dao Ge ) is a 1-volumed Daoist book about [[inner alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). It was attributed to [[Zhong Liquan]], the Zhengyang Perfect Man, who was a legendary a hermit of the Five Dynasties and one of the [[Five Northern Patriarchs]] ( 北五祖 Bei Wuzu ) of [[the Complete Perfection tradition]], in that he was the teacher of the famous immortal [[Lu Dongbing]]. Already transmitted during the Northern Song, the book couldn't have been completed later than that time. The Song praises the way of inner alchemy for it's being rooted in the Anterior-heaven Vital Breath of Oneness ( 先天一氣 Xiantian Yiqi ): Anterior-heaven Vital Breath of Oneness attained, the sun and moon are mastered within one's grasp. A wise man, with the Anterior-heaven One-breath in hand, experiences ceaseless thunders all night. It also describes the medicine, medicine fetching, fire phases for refining golden elixirs ( 火候 Huohou ) of inner alchemy, "Reducing and increasing fire ( 抽添 Choutian ) applied in just a moment, the time is certain for fire phases and embryo forming. True fire fiercely burning the universe, the heaven and earth are red all through." The book stresses the importance of following a teacher in learning alchemy: "These formulae for golden liquid revision elixir are not to be learned without a true teacher." "Lucky enough to be directed by a wise teacher, one can master the creation in just a moment." Inner alchemy of the Song and Yuan Dynasties, much influenced by this song, often cited it. Later scholars also imitated its form of song. The Song, collected in the Subsection of Various Skills, Pervasive Perfection Section of the [[Daoist Canon of the Zhentong Era]], is an essential text for the study of inner alchemy. [[zh:破迷正道歌]] a5811c5efb57869656ec7ef7091d33bbc38aeb4a 0 219 271 2009-08-01T06:47:22Z Admin 1 Created page with '''On the Possibility of Learning to be an Immortal'' ( 神仙可學論 Shenxian Kexue Lun ) was compiled by [[Wu Yun]] of the Tang dynasty and collected in the middle volume of '...' wikitext text/x-wiki ''On the Possibility of Learning to be an Immortal'' ( 神仙可學論 Shenxian Kexue Lun ) was compiled by [[Wu Yun]] of the Tang dynasty and collected in the middle volume of ''Anthology of Gentleman Zongxuan'' ( 宗玄先生文集 Zongxuan Xiansheng Wenji ). The issue whether immortality can be learnt and attained has held an important position in Daoism ever since the Han dynasty, and this book sums it up. The book first raises the question whether immortals exist and holds that "the truth that immortals never die is universal". Immortals exist, thus immortality can be learnt. Sometimes immortality can be attained without cultivation, sometimes it can be attained only through learning, and sometimes it cannot be attained even after learning. We cannot treat different matters as the same. Besides, the book points out seven conditions distant to the way of immortality and another seven that are close to it, and holds that to learn immortality is to "give up the former seven conditions and adopt the latter seven conditions". It concludes, "The feasibility of learning immortality is so evident. "Can't everyone be encouraged by it?" This book is simply a work propagating the Daoist theory of immortality. It is collected in the Supreme Mystery Section ( 太玄部 Taixuan Bu ) of ''[[The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). db9dc74a453da7a1507b4074b834cc6e8220b484 0 220 272 2009-08-06T02:45:43Z Admin 1 Created page with 'he Secretly Transmitted Complete Numinous Treasure Skills of Perfect Man Zhengyang ( 《秘傳正陽真人靈寶畢法》 Michuan Zhengyang ), according to its record, was writte...' wikitext text/x-wiki he Secretly Transmitted Complete Numinous Treasure Skills of Perfect Man Zhengyang ( 《秘傳正陽真人靈寶畢法》 Michuan Zhengyang ), according to its record, was written by [[Zhong Liquan]], the Perfect Man Zhengyang and transmitted by [[Lu Dongbin]]. It is called simply Complete Numinous Treasure Skills. The upper volume, "Four Small Vehicle Ways for Happiness and Prolonged Life", contains: #Matching Yin and Yang ( 匹配陰陽 Pipei Yinyang ). #Concentrating Fire and Water ( 聚散水火 Juxan Shuihuo ). #Mating up Dragon and Tiger ( 交媾龍虎 Jiaogou Longhu ). #Refining Medicine and Elixir ( 燒煉丹藥 Shaolian Danyao ). He who accomplishes these is a human immortal ( 人仙 Renxian ). The middle volume, "Three Middle Vehicle Ways for Immortality", contains: #Lifting Golden Essence Behind Elbows ( 肘後飛金精 Zhouuo Fei Jinjing ). #Jade Liquid Reversion Elixir ( 玉液還丹 Yuye Huandan ). #Reversion Elixir of Liquefied Gold ( 金液還丹 Jinye Huandan ). He who accomplishes these is an earthly immortal ( 地仙 Dixian ). The lower volume, "Three Great Vehicle Ways for Attaining Sainthood", contains: #Returning to the Origin ( 朝元 Chaoyuan ). #Inner Meditation ( 內觀 Neiguan ). #Transcendence ( 超脫 Chaotuo ). He who accomplishes these is a heavenly immortal ( 天仙 Tianxian ). Collected in the Supreme Clarity Section ( 太清部 Taiqing Bu ) of the [[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]], the book is important reference material for the study of the golden elixir of Zhong-Lu Lineage. [[zh:秘傳正陽真人靈寶畢法]] 3a9bd76aa242a1d870e2a7b27ea0a48c50d7a9a8 0 221 273 2009-08-06T03:24:02Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The ''Original Deeds of the Lofty Jade Emperor'' ( 《高上玉皇本行集經》 Gaoshang Yuhuang Benxing Jijing ), or simply the ''Book of the Jade Emperor'' or the ''Book of t...' wikitext text/x-wiki The ''Original Deeds of the Lofty Jade Emperor'' ( 《高上玉皇本行集經》 Gaoshang Yuhuang Benxing Jijing ), or simply the ''Book of the Jade Emperor'' or the ''Book of the Emperor'', based on its description of [[the Jade Emperor]]'s origin and divinity, was likely written in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The ''Divine Powers of the Heavenly Palace of Pure Subtlety'' ( 《淸微天宮神通品》 Qingwei Tiangong Shentong Pin ), as the first volume, narrates the Jade Emperor's origin and divinity. The King of the Light-Ornamented State of Subtle Joy ( 光嚴妙樂園 Guangyan Miaole Guo ) hadn't a son yet. Then the queen was pregnant and gave birth to a son after she dreamed of [[the Supreme Sovereign of Dao]] ( 太上道君 Tiashang Daojun ) giving her a baby. The prince, after succeeding to the throne, administered the state in correct way with great mercy for the people's suffering. Then he abandoned the throne to cultivate Dao in the mountains. After 3200 great eons' repetition of this way, he realized the fruit of Golden Immortality, was titled Pure and Tranquil Tathagata and Perfected King ( 淸淨覺王如來 Qingjing Juewang Rulai ), and taught bodhisattvas the sudden enlightenment of Mahayana and the gradual entrance to the subtle way to the void. After billions of eons' cultivation in this way, he realized the fruit of Jade Emperor. So the Great Jade Emperor can manifest supernatural powers and tell worlds in ten directions the pure and tranquil way to liberation. The ''Great Divine Incantation of Supreme Enlightenment'' ( 《太上大光明圓滿大神咒品》 Taishang Da Guangming ) and ''the Jade Emperor's Merit'' ( 《玉皇功德品》 Yuhuang Gongde Pin ), as the second volume, tells about the divine incantations decreed by Jade Emperor as well as the merits of holding and practicing this scripture. The Great Divine Incantation, as the "subtle language of the Primeval Lord and true decree of the Jade Emperor", can control heavenly mechanisms, and the five numinous and earthly divinities. The incantation is a revised version of the first volume of the ''Book of Crimson and Jade Characters of the Five Primeval Venerables'' ( 《元始五老赤書玉字經》 Yuanshi Wulao Chishu Yuzi Jing ). He who holds this scripture is purified of all sins and ascends to heaven after death. ''Assistance from the Heavenly and Perfected'' ( 《天真護持品》 Tianzhen Huchi Pin ) and the ''Fulfillment of Retribution'' ( 《報應神驗品》 Baoying Shenyan Pin ), as the third and final volume, tells about the 30 kinds of subtle merits and support from imperial sovereigns and divine generals of the Ten Directions, which are gained through holding this scripture. Non-believers and calumniators gain bad retributions. As the basic scripture for the Jade Emperor cult, it is often used in Daoist recitations as a basis of the audience ritual, the repentance ritual and the lantern ritual concerning the Jade Emperor. It is very influential among the Daoists and folk people. [[zh:高上玉皇本行集經]] c0792f1cbc9f6f50f809b594ad3522102e0a1906 0 222 274 2009-08-06T05:17:46Z Admin 1 Created page with '''The Secret Formulas for Attaining Perfection'' ( 登真隱訣 Dengzhen Yinjue ) was compiled by Tao Hongjing of the Liang dynasty. It collects the biographies and formulas of v...' wikitext text/x-wiki ''The Secret Formulas for Attaining Perfection'' ( 登真隱訣 Dengzhen Yinjue ) was compiled by Tao Hongjing of the Liang dynasty. It collects the biographies and formulas of various Perfect Men and techniques of nourishing life of different schools. The whole book is composed of three volumes. #The upper volume discusses true talismans, precious petitions and the nine palaces in one's head; #The middle volume records 37 methods of worship, nourishing life, function, and daily life, six methods of killing and defeating spirits and demons and defense against demons' trials, nine methods of ingesting the vital breath, exhaling the old and inhaling the new, meditation and ingesting clouds, and three formulas revealed by perfect men; #The lower volume gives an account of the way of reciting The ''Book of the Yellow Court'' ( 黃庭經 Huangting Jing ), and the techniques of nourishing the body and the nature, longevity, healing and controlling ghosts, such as entering tranquility, petitions and talismans, inviting officials. This book of secret formulas for immortality is a rather early synthetic Daoist book on methods and formulas for cultivating perfection. It is collected in the subsection of Jade Formulae ( 玉訣 Yujue ), the Pervasive Mystery Section ( 洞神部 Dongshen Bu ) of ''The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). [[zh:登真隱訣]] 5be36d5c894b5417f2b3ec265b6786ce70080bd2 275 274 2009-08-06T05:18:47Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki ''The Secret Formulas for Attaining Perfection'' ( 登真隱訣 Dengzhen Yinjue ) was compiled by Tao Hongjing of the Liang dynasty. It collects the biographies and formulas of various Perfect Men and techniques of nourishing life of different schools. The whole book is composed of three volumes. #The upper volume discusses true talismans, precious petitions and the nine palaces in one's head; #The middle volume records 37 methods of worship, nourishing life, function, and daily life, six methods of killing and defeating spirits and demons and defense against demons' trials, nine methods of ingesting the vital breath, exhaling the old and inhaling the new, meditation and ingesting clouds, and three formulas revealed by perfect men; #The lower volume gives an account of the way of reciting The ''Book of the Yellow Court'' ( 黃庭經 Huangting Jing ), and the techniques of nourishing the body and the nature, longevity, healing and controlling ghosts, such as entering tranquility, petitions and talismans, inviting officials. This book of secret formulas for immortality is a rather early synthetic Daoist book on methods and formulas for cultivating perfection. It is collected in the subsection of Jade Formulae ( 玉訣 Yujue ), the Pervasive Mystery Section ( 洞神部 Dongshen Bu ) of ''[[The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). [[zh:登真隱訣]] c6dfb5f1838ad5778bcd93745042a4f499609edc 0 223 276 2009-08-06T05:39:19Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Seven Slips of Cloudy Satchel ( 《雲笈七簽》 Yunji Qiqian ) is a Daoist reference book compiled by Zhang Junfang during the Tianxi era (1017-1021) of the Northern Song Dyna...' wikitext text/x-wiki Seven Slips of Cloudy Satchel ( 《雲笈七簽》 Yunji Qiqian ) is a Daoist reference book compiled by Zhang Junfang during the Tianxi era (1017-1021) of the Northern Song Dynasty. After the Treasury Canon of the Heavenly Palace of the Great Song ( 《十宋天宮寶藏》 Da Song Tiangong Baozang ) was completed, Zhang selected its essence and compiled the 120-volumed Seven Slips of Cloudy Satchel. Cloudy Satchel means the box for storing Daoist books, and Seven Slips refer to seven sections, i.e. the Three Grottoes and the Four Complements of Daoist canon. It has the following main contents: the meaning of Dao and its merit, evolution of universe, origin of Daoism, lineages of scriptures and their transmission: biographies of immortals, inner and outer alchemy, rituals, grotto heavens and blissful realms ( 洞天福地 Dongtian Fudi ), Daoist instructions, etc. Mainly abstracts of original texts, they are compiled according to the subjects. The book is now collected in the Supreme Mystery Section of [[the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]] ( 《正統道藏》 Zhengtong Daozang ). As an influential large-sized reference book and thus known as the "minor Daoist canon", it provides precious material for the study of Daoism before the Northern Song. [[zh:雲笈七籤]] d46620e8a1782b9845922a9467cae5c3933dfd69 0 224 277 2009-08-06T05:49:02Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Some unknown author wrote the 20-volumed Yellow Emperor's Book of Formulas of the Divine Elixir of the Nine Cauldrons ( 《黃帝九鼎神丹經訣》 Huangdi Jiuding Shendan Jin...' wikitext text/x-wiki Some unknown author wrote the 20-volumed Yellow Emperor's Book of Formulas of the Divine Elixir of the Nine Cauldrons ( 《黃帝九鼎神丹經訣》 Huangdi Jiuding Shendan Jingjue ), or simply the Book of Formulas of the Divine Elixir of the Nine Cauldrons. The hook holds that, one can achieve longevity by nothing except divine elixir and gold liquid. Art of breath, gymnastics, and grass medicine can help in prolonging lifespan but not in achieving immortality. Consumption of golden elixir can save man and help to transcend mortality. The book lists many alchemical ways, such as blackish yellow way ( 玄黃法 Xuanhuang Fa ), way of elixir sublimation ( 丹華法 Danhua Fa ), Way of divine talisman ( 神符法 Shenfu Fa ), way of elixir reversion ( 還丹法 Huandan Fa ), way of elixir dietetics ( 餌丹法 Er’dan Fa ), Way of elixir refining ( 煉丹法 Liandan Fa ), way of elixir softening ( 柔丹法 Roudan Fa ), way of elixir subsiding ( 伏丹法 Fudan Fa ), and way of elixir cooling ( 寒丹法 Handan Fa ). The book proposes that it is necessary for one to learn formulae from true teacher to refine elixir, and proves this with recitations form Hu Gangzi. The contents about "preserving spirit and protecting body from evil souls" in Vol. 4 and "the necessity of favorable conditions and financial support for the success of elixir refining" in Vol. 5 are very similar to those about taboos and protections for entering mountains in Entering Mountains, Baopuzi. The book tells much about concrete processing of many kinds of medicine, such as mercury, cinnabar and realgar. Collected in Skills Class, Pervasive Divinity Section, Daoist Canon of Zhengtong Era, the book is valuable for the study of Daoist outer alchemy and ancient Chinese technology. [[zh:黃帝九鼎神丹經訣]] 280243a5e311b1a4a0bcbde1db1d10e502cdcda9 0 225 278 2009-08-06T06:15:59Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 1-volumed Transmission of Daoist Skills from Heart to Heart ( 《道法心傳》 Daofa Xianchuan ) by Wang Weiyi of the Yuan dynasty explains the Daoist way of the mind using...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 1-volumed Transmission of Daoist Skills from Heart to Heart ( 《道法心傳》 Daofa Xianchuan ) by Wang Weiyi of the Yuan dynasty explains the Daoist way of the mind using the theory of Yin-Yang and the trigrams of the Book of Changes. Five Yang forms in trigram Que, and Yang reaches completion at number six in trigram Qian. At that time spirit and breath are sure to unify and one must await quakes as order. When Yang reaches the ultimate, Yin begins to take form. Five Yin forms in trigram Bo, and Yin reaches completion at number six in trigram Kun. At that time, spirit and life return to the root and one must preserve breath and spirit. When Yin reaches the ultimate, Yang begins to take form. The way of creation and transformation goes on in ceaseless cycles. The book collects The Chart of All Dharmas Belonging to Mind ( 《萬法歸心圖》 Wanfa Guxin Tu ), The Chart of Anterior-heaven Original Essence ( 《先天元精圖》 Xiantian Yujing Tu ), The Chart of Anterior-heaven Original Breath ( 《先天元氣圖》 Xiantian Yuqi Tu ), The Chart of Anterior-heaven Original Spirit ( 《先天元神圖》 Xiantian Yuanshen Tu ), The Chart of Returning to Root ( 《歸根複命圖》 Guigen Fuming Tu ), The Chart of Thunder in Middle ( 《雷霆得中圖》 Leiting Dezong Tu ), and The Chart of the Changes of Yin and Yang ( 《陰陽變化圖》 Yinyang Bianhua Tu ). Collected in the Orthodox Oneness Section of the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era, the book is valuable material for the study of Daoist thought in Yuan Dynasty. [[zh:道法心傳]] b36692895387aad0937e860fcdf5fa41fb15abeb 0 226 279 2009-08-06T06:27:48Z Admin 1 Created page with '''Pivotal Meaning of the Daoist Doctrine'' ( 道教義樞 Daojiao Yishu ) is a ten-volume book on Daoist doctrines, compiled by Meng Anpai of the Tang dynasty. It includes 37 doc...' wikitext text/x-wiki ''Pivotal Meaning of the Daoist Doctrine'' ( 道教義樞 Daojiao Yishu ) is a ten-volume book on Daoist doctrines, compiled by Meng Anpai of the Tang dynasty. It includes 37 doctrines, which are taken from the ''Guideline of Daoism'' ( 玄門大義 Xuanmen ) and 103 scriptures. The book was probably completed during the era of Wu Zetian in the Tang dynasty. Each doctrine begins with "the doctrine says" and is explained with "the explanation says". The major doctrines of Daoism at that time are collected in the book. They are the doctrines of Dao and its virtue, body of law, the three jewels, ranks and merits, two halves, the meaning of Dao, cause and effect, three and one, two speculations, original chaos, principles and teachings, the objective and the subjective, spontaneity, Dao and its nature, motion and motionlessness, being and nonbeing, etc. Each doctrine is expounded systematically so that readers roughly grasp the historical evolution and different Daoist interpretations of these doctrines. The book provides valuable materials for the study of Daoist doctrines from the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Sui and Tang dynasties, among which materials of Daoist philosophy are not lacking. It is collected in the Supreme Peace Section ( 太平部 Taiping Bu ) of ''[[The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ) [[zh:道教義樞]] 545859e612aba8a06b48cc54bf4e9fef76328246 0 227 280 2009-08-06T07:11:00Z Admin 1 Created page with '''The Book of Dao and its Virtue'' ( 道德經 Daode Jing ), which is also called the ''Perfect Book of Dao and its Virtue'' ( 道德真經 Daode Zhenjing ), the [[Laozi]] and th...' wikitext text/x-wiki ''The Book of Dao and its Virtue'' ( 道德經 Daode Jing ), which is also called the ''Perfect Book of Dao and its Virtue'' ( 道德真經 Daode Zhenjing ), the [[Laozi]] and the Five-Thousand-Character Writ ( 五千文 Wuqianwen ), is one of the main Daoist scriptures. It was originally the representative work of the Daoist philosophical school of the Pre-Qin period. According to the ''Records of the Historian'' ( 史記 Shiji ), the book's author was "Laozi", the historian in charge of books of the Zhou dynasty during the Spring and Autumn period. The Commentary on Laozi, which was said to have been written by Heshang Gong of the Western Han dynasty, divided the book into 81 chapters, the first 37 chapters being The Book of Dao ( 道經 Daojing ) and the second 44 chapters being The Book of Virtue ( 德經 Dejing ). Thus the whole book was named the Book of Dao and its Virtue. In the Eastern Han dynasty, with the formation of the Huang-Lao school, the book evolved into a scripture of the Daoist Religion. [[The Five Pecks of Rice Tradition]] ( 五斗米道 Wudou Midao ) led by [[Zhang Ling]] and Zhang Lu taught its believers with the Book of Dao and its Virtue. Also, ''[[Xiang'er's Commentary on Laozi]]'' ( 老子想爾注 Laozi Xiang’er Zhu ) was written to elucidate the book from a religious point of view. Later, from the Wei and Jin dynasties to the Sui and Tang dynasties, Daoists explained and elaborated it from generation to generation. Over 60 explanations were counted in the Broad and Sacred Teachings of the Perfect Book of Dao and its Virtue ( 道德真經廣聖義 Daode Zhengjing Guangsheng Yi ) written by [[Du Guangting]], a Daoist of the Tang dynasty, more than half of which were written by Daoist priests. Some explained the Dao of behaving oneself, some explained the Dao of governing the country; some took morality as their theme, some took non-being and non-nothingness as their focus, and some took the Twofold Mystery ( 重玄 Chongxuan ) as their key concept. Among them the Twofold Mystery school became an influential school at that time. After the Song dynasty, Daoist interpretations of the Book of Dao and its Virtue tended to be based on collected commentaries. The Collected Commentaries on the ''Perfect Book of Dao and its Virtue'' ( 道徳真經集注 Daode Zhenjing Jizhu ) by Peng Si includes more than twenty commentaries by authors of the Song dynasty. Many of the existing commentaries on the book are contained in the ''[[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). These commentaries give explanations to the Book of Dao and its Virtue from different points of view, such as Inner ( 內丹 Neidan ) and Outer Alchemy ( 外丹 Waidan ) and the numerology of the Book of Changes. They are a treasure for the study of the culture of Daoist Philosophy and Daoist Religion. [[zh:道德經]] 95ce6b965272208fffff665a4be6b1fbe2ec297a 0 228 281 2009-08-06T07:47:48Z Admin 1 Created page with '''The Pivot of Dao'' ( 《道樞》 Daoshu ), compiled by Zeng Zao in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), is a Daoist reference book with 108 chapters in 42 volumes. It is named after a...' wikitext text/x-wiki ''The Pivot of Dao'' ( 《道樞》 Daoshu ), compiled by Zeng Zao in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), is a Daoist reference book with 108 chapters in 42 volumes. It is named after a word in the chapter "On the Equality of All Things" ( 《齊物論》 Qiwu Lun ) in the ''Zhuangzi''. The book lists, as special chapters with different explanations, Daoist philosophy, the Hidden Correspondence ( 陰符 Yinfu ), the Yellow Court ( 黃庭 Haungting ), the Supreme Ultimate ( 太極 Taiji ), Ingesting Vital Breath ( 服氣 Fuqi ), Refining the Essence ( 煉精 Lianjing ), the Great Elixir ( 大丹 Dadan ), Breathing arts ( 呼吸 Huxi ), Embryonic Breathing ( 胎息 Taixi ), the Great Reversion Golden Elixir ( 金液還丹 Jinye Huandan ), the Golden Dragon and Azure Tiger ( 金碧龍虎 Jinbi Longhu ), the Five Agents of Lead and Mercury ( 鉛汞五行 Qiangong Wuxing ), the Three Ways United and Normalized of the Book of Changes ( 參同契 Cantong Qi ), the Elixir Mirror ( 入藥鏡 Ruyao Jing ), and the Numinous Treasure ( 靈寶 Lingbao ). Under each title, the book gives an abstract and transmission lineage in 4-word rhymed lines. The book, which preserves Daoist materials from before the Southern Song Dynasty, is a very valuable reference for the study of [[inner alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). It is contained in the Supreme Mystery Section ( 太玄部 Taixuan Bu ) of the ''[[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 《正統道藏》 Zhengtong Daozang ). [[zh:道樞]] a7e2bbbb807240c23fffc8f2d697e828dca74eea 0 229 282 2009-08-06T07:51:38Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 4-volumed Lineage of the Han Celestial Masters ( 《漢天師世家》 Han Tianshi Shijia ), written by Zhang Zhengchang, the 24th generation Celestial master was actually a ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 4-volumed Lineage of the Han Celestial Masters ( 《漢天師世家》 Han Tianshi Shijia ), written by Zhang Zhengchang, the 24th generation Celestial master was actually a genealogy of Celestial Masters Zhang. Vol. 1 contains prefaces by different people in different times: Song Lian in 9th the year of the Hongwu era, Su Boheng , Wang Dexin, Yu Wenwei and Zhou Tianqiu in the 23rd year of the Hongwu era. Vol. 2 to Vol. 4 records the chronicles and lives of the 1st to the 49th Celestial Masters among which the chronicles of the 42nd to 49th celestial masters should have been revised by the 43rd and 50th celestial masters. This genealogy is not full and clear for the history from Zhang Lu to Sui and Tang Dynasties. It is detailed and full about the nobility conferred to the family by rulers since the Five Dynasties, esp. after the 24th Celestial Master. Collected in the Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Wanli Era ( 《萬曆續道藏》 Wanli Xu Daozang ), the book is important material for the study of the celestial masters. Succeeding the book, 62nd Celestial Masters Zhang Yuanxu wrote Supplementary Genealogy of Celestial Masters ( 《補天師世家》 Bu Tianshi Shijia ), recording the lives of the 50th to 61st Celestial Masters. [[zh:漢天師世家]] d8781ec09afa86f9913060081b90bb23f274e170 0 230 283 2009-08-06T08:13:19Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 1-volumed Tablet of Master Cuixu ( 《翠虛篇》 Cuixu Pian ) was written by Chen Nan of the Song Dynasty. The version in vol.17 of the Ten Books on the Cultivation of Perf...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 1-volumed Tablet of Master Cuixu ( 《翠虛篇》 Cuixu Pian ) was written by Chen Nan of the Song Dynasty. The version in vol.17 of the Ten Books on the Cultivation of Perfection inscribes, "transmitted by Gentleman Niwan Chen Pu". The Book was named after the author Chen Nan, one of the five patriarchs of the southern lineage of the golden elixir ( 南五祖 Nan Wuzu ), who was titled "Master Cuixu". Its contents include the Book of the Purple Court ( 《紫庭經》 Ziting Jing ),the Elixir Basis of Returning to the One ( 《丹基歸一論》 Danji Guiyi Lun ), Poems by Maser Cuixu on Luofu Maountain ( 《羅浮翠虛吟》 Luofu Cuxu Yin ), Poetic formulae on the Golden Elixir ( 金丹詩訣 Jindan Shijue ) and another three poems about inner alchemy. Secret Formula on the Golden Elixir of Nine Reversions ( 《九轉金丹秘訣》 Jiuzhuan Jindan Mijue ), collected in the version in Ten Books on the Cultivation of Perfection ( 《修真十書》 Xiuzhen Shishu ), describes the process: descending elixir ( 降丹 Jiangdan ) in the 1st reversion, intercourse the 2nd, cultivating Yang the 3rd, cultivating yin the 4th, changing bones the 5th, changing flesh the 6th, changing organs the 7th, cultivating fire the 8th, ascending to heaven ( 飛升 Feisheng ) the 9th. The formula of each reversion has commentaries and notes. Collected in the Supreme Mystery ( 太玄 Taixuan ) Section of the Daoist Canon of the Zhentong Era, it is important for the study of inner alchemy. [[zh:翠虛篇]] 826ed60ed9681f5ed47e89a7e9d76249705c6f09 0 231 284 2009-08-06T09:06:24Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 1-volumed Tuo Yue Zi ( 《橐籥子》 Tuoyue Zi ) with the Inner Chapter of Yin Elixir ( 《陰丹內篇》 Yindan Neipian ) as an appendix does not record its author's name...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 1-volumed Tuo Yue Zi ( 《橐籥子》 Tuoyue Zi ) with the Inner Chapter of Yin Elixir ( 《陰丹內篇》 Yindan Neipian ) as an appendix does not record its author's name. It tells about the theory of heavenly way, Yin and Yang, five agents and the eight trigrams to prove the way of the golden elixir. Essence of the trigrams, symbolized by the moon, is the greatest way. The book, combining images of the moon with trigrams, draws six charts to illustrate the way of longevity. The Inner Chapter of Yin Elixir explains the way of elixir with the theory of the Book of Changes. It points out: Yang contains Yin and thus Trigram Kan has Yang as its inside and Yin outside. Yin contains Yang and thus Trigram Li has Yin as its inside and Yang outside. Only through refining and discarding the Yin with fetched Yang, can one become a man of pure Yang. This book about the way of [[inner alchemy]] interpreted by means of the Book of Changes, collected in the Supreme Clarity Section of [[the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]], is valuable for the study of Daoist inner alchemy. [[zh:橐籥子]] fefa8cba16eea810aa7ce0451e967510d74c933a 0 232 285 2009-08-06T09:11:28Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The ''Transmission of Dao by Zhongli Quan and L¡ Dongbin'' ( 鍾呂傳道集 Zhinglu Chuandao Ji )consists of an account of [[Zhongli Quan]], the collected works of [[L¡ Dongbi...' wikitext text/x-wiki The ''Transmission of Dao by Zhongli Quan and L¡ Dongbin'' ( 鍾呂傳道集 Zhinglu Chuandao Ji )consists of an account of [[Zhongli Quan]], the collected works of [[L¡ Dongbin]], and a biograpy of Shi Jianwu, and is contained in volumes fourteen to sixteen of the ''[[Ten Books on the Cultivation of Perfection]]'' ( 修真十書 Xiuzhen Shishu ). The whole book is composed of questions and answers that discuss eighteen issues. It aims at elaborating on the Dao of Cultivation and Refinement of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ) and also records several dozen methods. The book had an important influence on the subject of Daoist Inner Alchemy of the Song and Yuan dynasties, and so became important literature for the study of Daoist Inner Alchemy. It is contained in the Methods subsection of the ''Pervasive Perfection Section'' ( 洞真部 Dongzhen Bu ) of the ''[[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtung Daozang ). [[zh:鍾呂傳道集]] f8747c6e2ae911d8b7b11b0e880b33de1c54f060 0 233 286 2009-08-06T09:19:30Z Admin 1 Created page with '''Hidden Prescriptions for Nourishing Life'' ( 攝養枕中方 Sheyang Zhenzhong Fang ) was compiled by [[Sun Simiao]] of the Tang dynasty. It is a one-volume Daoist book on nour...' wikitext text/x-wiki ''Hidden Prescriptions for Nourishing Life'' ( 攝養枕中方 Sheyang Zhenzhong Fang ) was compiled by [[Sun Simiao]] of the Tang dynasty. It is a one-volume Daoist book on nourishing life. This book is collected in volume 33 of ''[[Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel]]'' ( 雲笈七簽 Yunji Qiqian ). Besides, the subsection of methods, the Pervasive Divinity Section ( 洞神部 Dongshen Bu ) of ''[[The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ) contains one volume of ''Precious and Secret Tales'' ( 枕中記 Zhenzhong Ji ), which was said to have been compiled by Ge Hong of the Jin dynasty, but is indeed ''Precious and Secret Prescriptions'' ( 枕中方 Zhenzhong Fang ) by Sun Simiao and mistakenly copies some content of ''Secret Records of the Cultivation of Perfection'' ( 修真秘錄 Xiuzhen Milu ) by Fu Duren. Precious and Secret Prescriptions and Precious and Secret Tales are identical on the whole, except that the former has a preface, the title of the chapter "self-control" and most parts of the chapter "vital breath dirigation" and the chapter "guarding the oneness". This reveals that something is missing and lost in the latter book. Precious and Secret Prescriptions is composed of five chapters altogether. The chapter "self-control" is on the way of food and drink and twelve "often" and twelve "seldom" in nourishing life; the chapter "taboos" is on keeping awake on the Gengshen day and taboos in taking medicine; the chapter "gymnastics" describes the techniques of massage, swallowing saliva, etc.; the chapter "vital breath dirigation" is on the three ways for attaining immortality, namely keeping the essential matter, dirigating the vital breath and dietetics; the chapter "guarding the oneness" is on the way of keeping the perfect oneness in the three elixir fields. Finally, there is a separate section, ''Supreme Clarity Formulas of Visualizing Spirits and Refining the Vital Breath at Five Hours and Seven Times'' ( 太清存神煉氣五時七侯訣 Taiqing Cunshen Lianqi Wushi Qihou Jue ). In addition, the book records techniques of dietetics, such as those of ingesting sesame oil, of taking Jusheng (a Chinese medicine), and three techniques of taking mica. This book provides reference for the study of Daoist learning of breathing arts and nourishing life of the Tang dynasty. [[zh:攝養枕中方]] ebee04bd2e3aca48bd0f42669e9c64bb655c1a83 0 234 287 2009-08-07T02:34:46Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Book of Salvation ( 度人 Duren Jing ), whose author is unknown, is a scripture of [[the Numinous Treasure sect]] ( 靈寶 Lingbao ) of Daoism. Its full name is ''The Lofty ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Book of Salvation ( 度人 Duren Jing ), whose author is unknown, is a scripture of [[the Numinous Treasure sect]] ( 靈寶 Lingbao ) of Daoism. Its full name is ''The Lofty and Sublime Book of the Limitless Salvation of the Supreme Pervasive Mystery and Numinous Treasure'' ( 太上洞玄五亮度人上品妙經 Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Wuliang Duren Shangpin Miaojing ), and it is also called ''The Lofty and Sublime Book of the Primordial Limitless Salvation of Mankind'' ( 元始無量度人上品妙經 Yuanshi Wuliang Duren Shangpin Miaojing ). Its theme is that "the immortal Dao values life and saves mankind limitlessly". Similar to the ''Perfect Book of the Great Grotto'' ( 大洞真經 Dadong Zhenjing ), this book advocates Fasting ( 齋戒 Zhaijie ) and Recitation of Holy Scriptures ( 誦經 Songjing ), and discusses the Skills of Visualization ( 存思 Cunsi ). The publication of the ''Book of Salvation'' led to new developments in Daoist teachings. The visualization of Body Spirits ( 身神 Shenshen ) developed into praying for protection by spirits outside one's body through fasting, burning incense and reciting scriptures, and more perfect Daoist rituals of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ) were thus established. The book is revered as the origin of all skills and the leader of all scriptures. It is placed in the first place in the ''[[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ) [[zh:靈寶無量度人上品妙經]] 81173fc880c57e8a7d7c167f69fb3981ce2517ed 0 235 288 2009-08-07T02:56:36Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 87-volume ''Great Collection of Daoist Rituals'' ( 道門科範大全集 Daomen Kefan Daquan Ji ) contains the inscription "edited by Du Guangting, the Gentleman Guangcheng" ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 87-volume ''Great Collection of Daoist Rituals'' ( 道門科範大全集 Daomen Kefan Daquan Ji ) contains the inscription "edited by Du Guangting, the Gentleman Guangcheng" or "compiled by Zhong Li, a Disciple of the Scriptures and Registers of the Three Grottoes" ( 三洞經籙弟子 Sandong Jinglu Dizi ). Actually, it is the abridgement of Du Guangting's ''Supreme Yellow Register Fasting Rituals'' ( 《太上黃籙齋儀》 Taishang Huanglu Zhai Yi ) compiled by a certain Daoist of the Ming dynasty. Perhaps its compiler was the so-called "Zhong Li, a Disciple of the Scriptures and Registers of the Three Grottoes". The book contains 16 kinds of offering rituals, such as the Ritual of the Birthday of the Fundamental Destiny ( 生日本命儀 Shengri Benming Yi ), the Ritual for Averting Diseases through Repentance ( 懺禳疾病儀 Chanrang Jibing Yi ), the Stellar Ritual for Dispelling Disasters ( 消災星曜儀 Xiaozai Xingyao Yi ), the Petition Ritual for Wenchang's Registration ( 文昌注祿章道場儀 Wenchang Zhulu Daochang Yi ), the Numinous Treasure and Supreme Oneness Offering Ritual for Snow and Rain ( 靈寶太一祈雨雪醮儀 Lingbao Taiyi Qi Yuxue Jiaoyi ), the Great Petition Ritual for Offspring ( 祈嗣拜章大醮儀 Qisi Baizhang Dajiao Yi ), the Ritual for Covenanting with the Fire God to Avert Disasters by Keeping Precepts ( 誓火禳災說戒儀 Shihuo Rangzai Shuojie Yi ), the Ritual for Guarding Residences from Harm ( 安宅解犯儀 Anzhai Jiefan Yi ), the Ritual for Averting Disasters ( 解禳星運儀 Jierang Xingyun Yi ), the Single Altar Offering to the Southern and Northern Dippers for Prolonging Life ( 南北二斗同壇延生醮儀 Nanbei Erdou Tongtan Yansheng Jiao Yi ), the Pure Offering to the Northern Dipper for Prolonging Life ( 北斗延生清醮儀 Beidou Yansheng Qingjiao Yi ), the Great Offering to Perfected Warriors for Numinous Correspondence ( 真武靈應大醮儀 Shenwu Lingying Dajiao Yi ), the Repentance Ritual for Daoists' Cultivation ( 道士修真謝罪儀 Daoshi Xiuzhen Xiezui Yi ), the Supreme Clarity Register Rituals for Saving and Promoting Souls ( 上清籙化仙度遷神道場 Shangqing Lu Huaxian Duqianshen Daochang ), the Great Offering and Petition Ritual for Salvation from the Eastern Sacred Mountain ( 東嶽濟度拜章大醮儀 Dongyue Jidu Baizhang Dajiao Yi ), the Great Numinous Treasure Ritual for Offerings to and Worshiping of Deities ( 靈寶崇神大醮儀 Lingbao Chongshen Dajiao Yi ), etc. It narrates in detail about processes of offering petitions, eliminating disasters, repentance, guarding the residence, starting offering, setting up altar, and confessing sins, etc. As a collection of Daoist rituals, the book, though incomplete, contains many rituals for eliminating disasters, repentance and prolonging life. It preserves some ancient rituals of [[the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition]] ( 五斗米道 Wudoumi Dao ), such as the Single Altar Offering to the Southern and Northern Dippers for Prolonging Life, the Northern Dipper Lantern Ritual for Repentance ( 北斗懺燈儀 Beidou Chan Deng Yi ), and the Northern Dipper Ritual. The book is collected in the [[Orthodox Oneness Section of the Daoist Canon]]. [[zh:道門科範大全集]] 5ca467198b2f7bbd2433093a40b875795bf14b50 0 236 289 2009-08-07T03:22:47Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 10-volume ''Established Taoist Rules'' ( 《道門定制》 Daomen Dingzhi ) contains the inscription "compiled by Lü Yuansu, the Daoist in Xishu" and "edited by Hu Xianglon...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 10-volume ''Established Taoist Rules'' ( 《道門定制》 Daomen Dingzhi ) contains the inscription "compiled by Lü Yuansu, the Daoist in Xishu" and "edited by Hu Xianglong, the True Hermit in Zhuling". Lü Yuansu, literally named Pu'an, was a Daoist from the West of Sichuan in the Southern Song dynasty. The book has two parts. The former part, or vol.1-5, was compiled in the Wushen Year of the Chunxi Era (1188) with the title "Collection of Established Rules". The latter part, or vol.6-10, was compiled in the Xinchou Year of the Jiatai Era (1201) as a supplement to the former part. At the beginning of this collection of rituals, Lü Yuansu says in the preface that, for Daoist offerings, fasting, and petitions, ancient people only used talismans, registers and red seals; and the other memorials and documents were later additions in accordance to worldly ceremonial rites and regulations, causing the loss of simplicity and impropriety of uses. Lü collected rites and regulations from his predecessors' books, and revised them to make them "simple without omissions and detailed without redundancy." The first five volumes deal with Memorials ( 表狀 Biaozhuang ), Appeals ( 請狀 Qingzhuang ), Presentations ( 獻狀 Xianzhuang ), Petitions ( 章奏 Zhangzou ), Ritual documents ( 文牒 Wendie ), Written Petitions ( 書奏 Shuzou ), Intentions ( 詞意 Ciyi ), Petition Styles ( 章詞體 Zhangci Ti ), fonts ( 字體 Ziti ), petition writing ( 書章法 Shuzhang Fa ), and Communication Documents ( 疏關 Guanshu ), etc. Also listed are some talismans and declarations such as the 1200 ranks of holy saints, the ''Inner Hidden Writs of the Three Emperors'' ( 三皇內隱文 Sanhuang Nei Yin Wen ), the ''Perfect Writs of the Five Directions'' ( 五方真文 Wufang Zhenwen ) and the General ''Communication Documents of the Yellow Register Ritual'' ( 黃籙都疏 Huanglu Dushu ). Volumes 6-8 describe the rituals for setting up altars, guarding residences, guarding tombs, making sacrifices, killing evil, prayers for rain, etc. Volumes 9-10 record the holy seats of Wenchang, residence protectors, tomb protectors, and chthonic deities; and invitations for deities, petitions for the great offering to the nine dark hells, petitions for saving and promoting souls, and all kinds of Spirit Tablets ( 神牌 Shenpai ), Precept Certificates ( 戒牒 Jiedie ), and Placards ( 榜文 Bangwen ), etc. The book is collected in the Orthodox Oneness section of the ''Daoist Canon of Zhengtong Era. The Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography of the Four Repositories'' records this book as 11 volumes in Yuan-Dynasty print. Slightly different from the version in the Daoist Canon, it may have been revised by somebody in the Yuan dynasty. [[zh:道門定制]] 3a6a62b0077d9b965eafe8428f0eb45e34a5d9f7 0 237 290 2009-08-07T03:31:35Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 43-volume ''Jade Remorse of the Numinous Treasure'' ( 《靈寶玉鑒》Lingbao Yujian ) with an additional catalog was completed by an unknown author in the Southern Song Dy...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 43-volume ''Jade Remorse of the Numinous Treasure'' ( 《靈寶玉鑒》Lingbao Yujian ) with an additional catalog was completed by an unknown author in the Southern Song Dynasty. It is divided into 25 categories. Regarding the Numinous Treasure scriptures and skills as the ancestor of all skills, the author explains doubts about Numinous Treasure fasting and skills in volume one: "The Category of Explanations for doubts about Daoist Skills" in the so-called "four interpretations", "eight elucidations", "seven longitudes", "eight latitudes", etc., and subsequent discussion. From volume 2 onwards, the compilation collects registers, talismans, writings, and rituals of the Numinous Treasure Lineage, and classifies them into 24 categories, such as Fasting and Cultivation, Numinous Banners and Baldachin, Certificates and Appeals, Invoking and Sending, Chasing and Capturing by the Divine Tiger, Hiding From Enmity, Distributing Lanterns, Spells on Water and Altars, Offerings in the Morning and Evening, Rites and Regulations, Perfect Writs and Jade Characters, Spiritual Ascending to See the Heavenly Emperor, Registers and Talismans for Water, Casting the Dragon Bamboo Slips, Enlightening the Dark, Salvation through Jade Origin, Summoning the Souls, Preaching, Explanation, Bathing and Clothing, Transforming and Feeding, Salvation through Killing Three Cadavers, and Reviving through Refinement and Salvation. As the concourse of the Numinous Treasure skills, the compilation is collected in the Magic Techniques class, Pervasive Mystery Section, of the Daoist Canon. [[zh:靈寶玉鑒]] 29bc542479e2fe5b0c290e220aaef0501ada1523 0 238 291 2009-08-07T04:00:33Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 66-volumed Great Law of the Numinous Treasure of the Highest Clarity( 《上清靈寶大法》 Shangqing Lingbao Dafa ) transmitted by Ning Quanzhen, the Wise Man of Pervasiv...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 66-volumed Great Law of the Numinous Treasure of the Highest Clarity( 《上清靈寶大法》 Shangqing Lingbao Dafa ) transmitted by Ning Quanzhen, the Wise Man of Pervasive Subtlety and Perfect Man of Light and Salvation ( 洞微高士開光救苦真人 Dongwei Gaoshi Kaiguang Jiuku Zhenren ), was compiled by Wang Qizhen, the Highest Clarity Disciple of the Three Grottoes ( 上清三洞弟子 Shangqing Sandong Dizi ) and the Succeeding Master of Numinous Treasure ( 嗣師 SiShi ). It has The Ancient Preface and The Mysterious Preface. Vol. 1 "The Theme" says: The Great Way of Highest Clarity and Numinous Treasure, penetrating the Three Grottoes and containing all dharma, was told by the Primeval Lord of Heaven. For the salvation of people, it transformed into 36-sectioned lofty scriptures of 18000 books. Eight Inspirations ( 八明 Baming ), Five Interpretations ( 五譯 Wuyi ), Seven Longitudes ( 七經 Qijing ), Eight Latitudes ( 八緯 Bawei ), Ten Obscure ( 十奧 Shiao ) and Forty-seven Chapters comprise one section. Eight Inspirations imitate the eight openings of heaven to light the darkness. Five Interpretations imitate the transformations of five eons to generate five agents. Seven Longitudes point out the directions to the great way. Eight Latitudes define the instructions. The Ten Obscure expounds the ten mysteries. Forty-seven Chapters explains the outline from beginning to the end. These comprise one section illustrating the mystery in consistent chapters. Collected in the Orthodox Oneness Section ( 正一部 Zhengyi Bu ) of the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era, the book is a valuable reference for the study of Daoist rituals and thoughts of cultivation. Relevant are the Catalogue of the Great Way of Highest Clarity and Numinous Treasure ( 《上清靈寶大法目錄》 Shangqing Lingbao Dafa Mulu ) and the Great Way of Highest Clarity and Numinous Treasure in 44 volumes. [[zh:上清靈寶大法]] 5854ad301faa943c0203473a85f238f034265e1e 0 239 292 2009-08-07T04:14:31Z Admin 1 Created page with '''Guangcheng's Compilation of Rituals'' ( 《廣成儀制》 Guangcheng Yizhi ), edited by Chen Zhouda with the literal title "Yunfeng Yuke", was first published in 1911 by the T...' wikitext text/x-wiki ''Guangcheng's Compilation of Rituals'' ( 《廣成儀制》 Guangcheng Yizhi ), edited by Chen Zhouda with the literal title "Yunfeng Yuke", was first published in 1911 by the Temple of the Two Immortals ( 二仙庵 Er Xian An ) in Chengdu in block-printed edition and republished in 1913. Containing all kinds of rituals of the Complete Perfection collected under 275 subtitles, it is considered till now as the most comprehensive collection of Complete Perfection rituals. Besides regular Complete Perfection rituals such as the Great Assembly of the Triple Origin ( 三元大會 Sanyuan Dahui ), the Offering for the Nine Emperors ( 九皇醮 Jiuhuang Jiao ), the King Saluting Ritual ( 接王駕 Jie Wang Jia ), the Offering for the Dipper ( 斗醮 Doujiap ), and the Offering Ritual for the Primordial Star ( 元辰醮儀 Yuanchen Jiaoyi ), it also contains soul salvation rituals such as the Fast for the Salvation of Others ( 度人齋 Duren Zhai ), the Ghost Feeding Ritual ( 施食儀 Shishi Yi ), and some folk rituals for averting misfortunes, such as eliminating plaque, driving ants away, preventing fire accidents, etc. By widely absorbing the rituals of other sects including the Numinous Treasure ( 靈寶 Lingbao ), the Pristine Subtlety ( 清微 Qingwei ), etc., it amends the rituals by following the Complete Perfection ( 全真 Quanzhen ) style as the standard. Many rituals in the book are compiled in adaptation to folk beliefs and thus rich in folk-custom flavor. Some show the local color of such regions as Sichuan and the Yangtze basin. The book was originally stored in the Ancient Eternal Dao Temple ( 古常道觀 Gu Changdao Guan ) on [[Mt. Qingcheng]], with some volumes lost. The Celestial Master's Grotto ( 天師洞 Tianshi Dong ) made up the deficiency through organizing some Daoists to copy the lost ones. It is collected in the ''Rituals Section of the Collection of Daoist Scriptures Outside the Canon''. [[zh:廣成儀制]] f65b1b7d5cc4d5e26be30902fdaaba7aae602208 0 240 293 2009-08-07T04:25:37Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 268-volumed Great Collection of Daoist Skills ( 《道法會元》 Daofa Huiyuan ) was written by some unknown author in about the end of Yuan or the beginning of Ming. With ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 268-volumed Great Collection of Daoist Skills ( 《道法會元》 Daofa Huiyuan ) was written by some unknown author in about the end of Yuan or the beginning of Ming. With a catalogue at the front, it records over 100 kinds of Daoist skills, such as the pivot of pristine subtle ways ( 清微道法樞紐 Qingwei Daofa Shuniu ), salvation talisman of jade heaven ( 玉宸煉度符法 Yuchen Liandufu Fa ), secret mysterious and numinous way for eliminating misfortunes ( 玄靈解厄秘法 Xuanling Jie’e Mifa ), secret pivot way for presenting memorials ( 玄樞奏告秘法 Xuanshu Zougao Mifa ), secret dragon-and-heaven pointer for inner cultivation ( 龍天內煉秘旨 Longtian Neilian Mizhi ), great prayer for the divine and prompt five thunders ( 神捷五雷祈禱大法 Shenjie Wulei Qidao Dafa ), the highest clarity way of Tianpeng for defeating devils ( 上清天篷伏魔大法 Shangqing Tianpeng Fumo Dafa ), the secret way of Supreme Commander Zhao in the Mysterious Orthodox Oneness altar ( 正一玄壇趙元帥秘法 Zhengyi Xuantan Zhao Yuanshuai Mifa ), the highest way of Jade Clarity and Numinous treasure for limitless salvation ( 玉清靈寶無量度人上道 Yuqing Lingbao Wuliang Duren Shangdao ). Collected in the Orthodox Oneness Section ( 正一部 Zhengyi bu ) of the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era, the book is valuable reference for the study of Daoist skills of various traditions in the end of Ming. [[zh:道法會元]] a8cf9461199d1a62f9b16bbb33dcd2b25d550746 0 241 294 2009-08-07T04:37:26Z Admin 1 Created page with 'General Treatise on the Transmission of the Scriptures, Commandments and Registers of the Three Grottoes ( 《傳授三洞經戒法籙略說》 Chuanshou Sandong ) by the Tang Da...' wikitext text/x-wiki General Treatise on the Transmission of the Scriptures, Commandments and Registers of the Three Grottoes ( 《傳授三洞經戒法籙略說》 Chuanshou Sandong ) by the Tang Daoist, Zhang Wangfu, has two volumes. The postscript says: Zhang Wangfu, a Daoist in Supreme Purity Temple ( 太清觀 Taiqing Guan ), on Oct. 12th of the 1st year of the Xiantian era of the Great Tang. Therefore the book must have been completed during the reign of the Xuanzong Emperor. The book briefly introduces Daoist commandments as requisites for becoming immortals, just as a ship is required to cross an ocean. Transmission of commandments varies according to the status, intelligence and character of the initiate. Listed in the book are the three-refugee ( 三皈 Sangui ) commandments for beginners, five commandments for cultivation of five virtues and abandoning of the five desires, eight commandments for correspondence with spirit and the highest ten commandments for lay Daoists to cultivate ten merits. Commandments are different for Daoists of different levels and traditions, such as [[the Orthodox-oneness sect]] ( 正一 Zhengyi ), the Three emperors sect ( 三皇 Sanhuang ), [[the Numinous Treasure sect]] ( 靈寶 Lingbao ) and [[the Highest Clarity sect]] ( 上清 Shangqing ). This reflects the situation of commandments transmission. As an assemblage of contemporary Daoist commandments, collected in the Orthodox Oneness Section of the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era, the book is material for the study of the Transmission of the Scriptures, Commandments and Registers of Three Grottos in Tang dynasty. [[zh:傳授三洞經戒法籙略說]] 67e7f5cacdfbc59108e3f1cedde24d6e7ef0139d 0 242 295 2009-08-07T04:46:43Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 1-volumed Instructions for Conducting the Three Grottoes True Writs Five Skills Ritual of the Mighty Commonwealth of the Orthodox Oneness ( 《醮三洞真文五法正一盟...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 1-volumed Instructions for Conducting the Three Grottoes True Writs Five Skills Ritual of the Mighty Commonwealth of the Orthodox Oneness ( 《醮三洞真文五法正一盟威籙立成儀》 Jiao Sandong Zhenwen Wufa Zhengyi Mengweilu Licheng Yi ) by the Tang Daoist Zhang Wanfu mainly describes the Daoist offering ritual. In establishing the offering ritual one should possess utmost sincerity; otherwise the ritual will fail to lead to the spirit's correspondence. The ritual is particular in its description of the altar site and offering vessels. The process is: #establishing the altar, #purifying the altar, #chanting the spell for entering the room, #initiating the incense burner, #invoking the numinous official, #presenting the application to the numinous official, #seeing the perfected deity off, #ordering minor spirits and officials, #inviting officials, #covering the burner, #singing the ode for seeing the deity off, #chanting the spell for leaving the room and #the taboos after offering. Clear regulations are decided for the whole process from setting up the altar and inviting the spirit to the taboos after offering. As the author's book for adjusting the Daoist offering altars, the book reflects the common situation of Daoist offering rituals during the Tang. Collected in the Orthodox Oneness Section of the [[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]] ( 《正統道藏》 Zhengtong Daozang ), the book is material for the study of Daoist offering rituals during Tang. [[zh:醮三洞真文五法正一盟威籙立成儀]] 2b4ff74e25e5db0ef82b05c3d3b6d13e9b7f25b2 0 243 296 2009-08-07T04:49:14Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 1-volume Rules for the Use of the Ritual Robe of the Three Grottoes ( 《三洞法服科戒文》 Sandong Fafu Kejie Wen ) by Zhang Wanfu of Tang records Daoist regulations a...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 1-volume Rules for the Use of the Ritual Robe of the Three Grottoes ( 《三洞法服科戒文》 Sandong Fafu Kejie Wen ) by Zhang Wanfu of Tang records Daoist regulations about clothes and adornments. It states that Daoist clothes are like appearances of the body. They are divided into nine classes according to different levels and rituals. Daoists should wear clothes in obedience to the commandments and registers of Three Grottos. The Daoist hat, symbolic of contemplation, remind a Daoist to contemplate on his body and cut off desires and pacify his mind sincerely as to attain Daoist fruit. Moreover, he should contemplate on outer materials as not being personal possessions, so as to cut off desires. A Daoist should wear his clothes neatly and keep them unblemished. It postulates forty-six taboos, which can lead to punishments if broken. Collected in the Subsection of Commandments, Pervasive Divinity Section of the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era, the book is important for the study of the Daoist system for clothes in Tang Dynasty. [[zh:三洞法服科戒文]] 93cdb0dba7fb7f132dd71cb1f2775a08896db72e 0 244 297 2009-08-07T04:55:32Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Various Commandments of the Three Grottoes ( 《三洞眾戒文》 Sandong Zhongjie Wen ) compiled by Zhang Wanfu of the Tang points out in the preface that, keeping commandm...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Various Commandments of the Three Grottoes ( 《三洞眾戒文》 Sandong Zhongjie Wen ) compiled by Zhang Wanfu of the Tang points out in the preface that, keeping commandments is the priority for a Daoist. Commandments keep one from evil deeds. One keeping no commandments can never attain the Dao. Beginners hold the three-refuge commandments, learners with registers the five commandments and eight commandments, lay Daoists ten highest commandments, new priests the commandments for preliminary Daoists, Orthodox-oneness learners the seventy-two commandments, men and women Daoists the One Hundred and Eighty Commandments of the Venerable Sovereign ( 《老君百八十戒》 Laojun Baibashi Jie ). The text collects various commandments, such as the Three-Conversion commandments for Initiates in Daoism( 《始起心入道三皈戒文》 Shiqixin Rudao Sangui Jiewen ), commandments for Disciples Attending upon Teachers ( 《弟子奉師戒文》 Dizi Fengshi Jiewen ), Commandments for Numinous-Treasure Beginners to Restrain from the Six Desires( 《靈寶初盟閉塞六情文》 Lingbao Chumeng Bisai Liuqing Wen ), the Three commandments, Five commandments, Eight commandments, Three Formulae, Eight Corruptions, Three Essentials, Thirteen Taboos, and 720 Essential commandments, etc. Some have postscripts by Zhang. The Postscript of commandments for the Six Desires says, "The six desires are the door to sin and the source of death. When the Six desires are eliminated, the spirit of Dao comes into a peaceful mind. Collected in the Subsection of Commandments, Pervasive Divinity Section of the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era, the book is important for the study of Daoist commandments. [[zh:三洞眾戒文]] 6f32b8ed5a82fd44da9f331af641afea5977e48c 0 245 298 2009-08-07T05:00:25Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Comprehensive Collection of Investigations into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines since their Origin ( 《三教搜神大全》 Sanjiao Soushen Daquan ) by unknown author...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Comprehensive Collection of Investigations into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines since their Origin ( 《三教搜神大全》 Sanjiao Soushen Daquan ) by unknown author has 7 volumes in 2 collections. Contemporary Ye Dehui reprinted it from the Ming pictorial copy of Comprehensive Collection of Investigations into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines since Their Origin, or Yuan pictorial copy Extensive Record of the Investigation into Divinities ( 《搜神廣記》 Sou Shen Guang Ji ). Collected in the Lilou Series, this copy is similar to the copy in Daoist Canon, except that the latter has no pictures and more deities. It has a preface and postscript by Ye Dehui. The book collects stories about sages, saints and immortals of the three religions. Containing 120 portraits with names, titles and stories, the book is valuable for the study of Daoist system deities, as well as folk deities. The Daoist Canon copy in the Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Wanli Era has 6 volumes and Origins of Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism recording 160 items about deities. [[zh:要修科儀戒律鈔]] d5b8a1b36e4fd2228347f93ab018955af65dc902 0 246 299 2009-08-08T01:48:27Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 2-volumed Biographies of Various Immortals( 《列仙傳》 Lie Xian Zhuan ) is attributed to Liu Xiang by its own preface. But the Bibliographical Records, History of Han do...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 2-volumed Biographies of Various Immortals( 《列仙傳》 Lie Xian Zhuan ) is attributed to Liu Xiang by its own preface. But the Bibliographical Records, History of Han does not record this. According the examination of contemporary scholar Yu Jiaxi, the book should be written by someone living between Ming Emperor and Shun Emperor of the Han. Some say some Daoists wrote the book sometime during the Wei and Jin period. However, the book was completed before the Western Jin, for it was cited by [[Ge Hong]] and is recorded in the Records of Books History of the Sui. The version in the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era listed over 70 immortals, such as Master Red Pine, the Yellow Emperor, Grandpa Rongcheng, Laozi, Guanling Yin, and Lu Shang. Similar to the Biographies of Respectful Ladies ( 列女傳 Lie Nu Zhuan ), an ode is attached at the end of each biography and a general ode at the end of the book. The recorded immortals in the three dynasties and Qin and Han are widely spread as cited in literature by immortal-story tellers of different dynasties. Collected in the Subsection of Biographies, Pervasive Perfection Section ( 洞真部 Dongzhen Bu ) of [[the Daoist Canon]] ( 《正統道藏》 Zhengtong Daozang ) and in [[Seven Slips of the Cloudy Satchel]] as extracts, the book is valuable reference material for the study of the Daoist immortal system and its relationship with literature. [[zh:列仙傳]] 8b186d623a2169891711ef2547cdec8fe4f7f53e 0 247 300 2009-08-08T02:21:16Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 10-volumed Biographies of the Immortals ( 《神仙傳》 Shenxian Zhuan ) by [[Ge Hong]] of the Eastern Jin dynasty was, according to the author's preface, written after the...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 10-volumed Biographies of the Immortals ( 《神仙傳》 Shenxian Zhuan ) by [[Ge Hong]] of the Eastern Jin dynasty was, according to the author's preface, written after the Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity ( 《抱朴子內篇》 Baopuzi Neipian ). Besides [[Laozi]] and Grandpa Peng, the 84 immortals recorded by this book are not included in the [[Biographies of Various Immortals]] ( 《列仙傳》 Liexian Zhuan ). In the version of the Series of Han and Wei Books ( 《漢魏叢書》 Hanwei Congshu ), the number adds up to 92 with some new records cited from the Extensive Records of the Taiping Era ( 《太平廣記》 Taiping Guanji ). The number totals ninety-five with Lu'ao Ruoshi and Hua Ziqi added in the version of the Collection of the Essence of the Daoist Canon ( 《道藏精華錄》 Daozang Jinghua Lu ). According to contemporary scholar, Chen Guofu, the present text is not complete and the lost passages can be found in [[the Purse of Pearls from the Three Grottoes]] ( 《三洞珠囊》 Sandong Zhunang ), and [[the Collection of Stories from the Garden of Immortals]] ( 《仙苑編珠》 Xianyuan Bianzhu ). The immortals recorded in this book are often cited in literary works of different dynasties. Though not collected in the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era, the book provides valuable reference material for the study of the system of immortals and ancient Daoist literature. [[zh:神仙傳]] c7d37ab0800fc821fb02535cd16ca42759b1418b 0 248 301 2009-08-08T02:24:33Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 3-volumed Supplement to the Biographies of the Immortals (《續仙傳》 Xu Xianzhuan ) was compiled by Shen Fen, the County Magistrate of Lishui as, according to the author...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 3-volumed Supplement to the Biographies of the Immortals (《續仙傳》 Xu Xianzhuan ) was compiled by Shen Fen, the County Magistrate of Lishui as, according to the author's preface, materials for Dao-learners to discuss and manifestation of true immortals. According to the analysis of the text by the contemporary scholar Chen Guofu, Shen lived in Yangwu during the Five Dynasties. Therefore the book was most likely completed during the Five Dynasties. The upper volume records 16 "ascending" immortals such as Xuan Zhenzi, Lan Caihe, Zhu Ruzi, among whom are three feminine immortals. The middle volume records 12"hermits", such as Sun Simiao, Zhang Guo and Xu Xuanping, etc. The lower volume records 8 "hermits", such as [[Sima Chengzhen]], Luqiu Fangyuan and Nie Shidao, etc. Among the total number of 36 immortals, some are historic figures like Sima Chengzhen, and some are fictitious. Collected in the Subsection of Biographies, Pervasive Perfection Section ( 洞真部 Dongzhen Bu ) of [[the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]], the book is useful for the study of Daoism during the Tang. [[zh:續仙傳]] fa34a8d5d84b603cf9e95a1666aa9106709d5b49 0 249 302 2009-08-08T02:35:53Z Admin 1 Created page with '''The Legendary Biographies of the Immortals'' ( 《疑仙傳》 Yixian Zhuan ) had 3 volumes as recorded in the ''Brief Bibliographies in the General Records'' and now is united...' wikitext text/x-wiki ''The Legendary Biographies of the Immortals'' ( 《疑仙傳》 Yixian Zhuan ) had 3 volumes as recorded in the ''Brief Bibliographies in the General Records'' and now is united in one volume in the text contained in the Daoist Canon. The book has the author's name written as "Hermit Yu Jian" but in some citations the author is named "Wang Jan". This, however, may be due to a misprint of two similar characters. Thought the original text does not mention an author, the ''Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography of the Four Repositories'' deduces that some author in Song Dynasty (960-1279) wrote it. The book records some magic stories about 22 people, such as Li Yuan, Ge Yong, Medicine Elder, the Flutes Girl, etc. The author says he dare not call them immortals directly for he had just heard the stories occasionally from friends, and that's why the book is titled ''Legendary Biographies of the Immortals''. The ''[[Biographies of the Immortals]]'' is a part of Daoist literature. Since the publication of ''Biographies of the Immortals'' and ''[[Biographies of Various Immortals]]'', such works and books continuously appeared. The clumsily written, the book is still noteworthy for its stories about several people from after the Kaiyuan Era of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Meanwhile, as other immortal biographies, the book contains many sermons and admonishments in its stories. As Gentleman Keeping to One, Ding Fubao in Republican China, puts it," The debate between Guan Ge and Zhang Guo, the Chin-bearing Scholar's words to Tai Bai, and Jiang Cheng's answer to Ye Jing, though they all sound like arguments, actually contain the ultimate truth and are teachings from Dao and warnings for profane people." [[zh:疑仙傳]] d8166c0b7424c3f5bf080ef02cecc241422778a7 0 250 303 2009-08-08T02:53:27Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The original 10-volumed Record of the Assembled Female Immortals of the Walled City ( 《墉城集仙錄》 Yongcheng Jixian Lu ) by [[Du Guangting]] of the Tang records 109 fema...' wikitext text/x-wiki The original 10-volumed Record of the Assembled Female Immortals of the Walled City ( 《墉城集仙錄》 Yongcheng Jixian Lu ) by [[Du Guangting]] of the Tang records 109 female immortals. The original version was lost and the present version in the Daoist Canon has only 6 volumes, recording 37 female immortals, including the Holy Mother and Primordial Sovereign ( 聖母元君 Shengmu Yuanjun ), Madam of Upper Origin ( 上元夫人 Shangyuan Furen ), the Golden Mother and Primordial Sovereign ( 金母元君 Jinmu Yuanjun ), Manifest and Numinous Madam Li ( 昭靈夫人 Zhaoling Furen ), etc. According to legend, all female immortals are under the governing of [[the Queen Mother of the West]] who lives in the Jinyong City (the Walled City). The book, recording only female immortals, therefore has the name of this city in its title. This version is collected in the Subsection of Genealogies, Pervasive Divinity Section of [[the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]. [[Seven Slips of the Cloudy Satchel]] collects in vol. 114-116 three volumes of this book recording 27 female immortals headed by the Mother Queen of the West. The 3-volumed version, according to the Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography of the Four Repositories, is the original by Du Guangting, of which the 6-volumed version is an extended copy compiled by later people. [[zh:墉城集仙錄]] 24cdf497f8a298118dd8fd990e2db8b4c9c5fa36 0 251 304 2009-08-08T03:01:28Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Comprehensive Mirror of Perfect Immortals Who Embodied the Dao ( 《曆世真仙體道鑒》 Lishi Zhenxian Tidao Tongjian ) or simply Mirror of the Immortals, compiled by Zh...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Comprehensive Mirror of Perfect Immortals Who Embodied the Dao ( 《曆世真仙體道鑒》 Lishi Zhenxian Tidao Tongjian ) or simply Mirror of the Immortals, compiled by Zhao Daoyi of the Yuan, contains 53 volumes, preceded by the author's preface, a memorial to the emperor, and an introduction. It records 745 immortals from the Yellow Emperor to the Song Dynasty. The introduction says: the biographies were compiled after searching various books, namely, the classics, historic books and previous biographies of immortals. The book adopted the chronicle style, as seen in the Historic Records about the Emperor of Original Chaos ( 《混元實錄》 Hunyuan Shilu ). So the book, actually a complete concert of all previous immortal biographies, is very valuable for the study of immortals and Daoist figures. The book is collected in the Subsection of Biographies, Pervasive Perfection Section of the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era. In addition, Supplementary Mirror of the Immortals ( 《仙鑒續編》 Xianjian Xubian ) records thirty-four Daoists living between the Jin and Yuan dynasties, such as the seven perfect patriarchs of [[the Northern Lineage of the Golden Elixir]] ( 北七真 Bei Qizhen ). The Later Collection of the Mirror of Immortals ( 《仙鑒後集》 Xianjian Houji ) records over 100 female immortals in six volumes. [[zh:歷世真仙體道通鑒]] 5612ee5ca11c734ee958fc94de44668f721984c5 0 252 305 2009-08-08T03:19:24Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 20-volumed Record of the Immortals of the Three Grottoes( 《三洞群仙錄》 Sandong Qunxian Lu ), authored by Orthodox-Oneness Daoist Chen Baoguang, is a Daoist collectio...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 20-volumed Record of the Immortals of the Three Grottoes( 《三洞群仙錄》 Sandong Qunxian Lu ), authored by Orthodox-Oneness Daoist Chen Baoguang, is a Daoist collection containing biographies of immortals. The preface by Zhuxuan in the 24th year of the Shaoxing era of the Gao emperor of the Song says: Chen Baoguang, a Daoist in Tranquil Correspondence Temple in Jiangyin, compiled this book, collecting all the immortal stories from books of all schools, even from legends and folk tales. Therefore, the book must have been completed by the end of the Northern Song or the beginning of the Southern Song. It records 1054 stories of immortals from Pangu to the Northern Song, with notes of the source of the story. It contains citations from over 200 books. It is similar to [[the Collection of Stories from the Garden of Immortals]] ( 《仙苑編珠》 XianYuan Bian Zhu ) in literary type. Collected in the Orthodox Oneness Section ( 正一部 Zhengyi Bu ) of [[the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]] ( 《正統道藏》 Zhengtong Daozang ), the book provides reference material for the study of the legends about Daoist immortals. [[zh:三洞群仙錄]] dbb076a6f0fd7ec8220a95f7ed0cb3a3bc1dda9c 0 253 306 2009-08-08T03:30:23Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 9-volumed Sacred Records about the Emperor of Original Chaos (《混元聖紀》 Hunyuan Shengji ), or in its complete title, the Sacred Records about the Emperor of Original...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 9-volumed Sacred Records about the Emperor of Original Chaos (《混元聖紀》 Hunyuan Shengji ), or in its complete title, the Sacred Records about the Emperor of Original Chaos and Supreme Venerable Sovereign ( 《太上老君混元聖紀》 Tiashang Laojun Hunyuan Shengji ), by Xie Shouhao, is a Daoist collection of biographies of immortals. The Zhen Emperor of the Song, a Daoist worshiper, presented the title "Emperor of the Higher Virtue of Original Chaos" ( 混元上德皇帝 Hunyuan Shangde Huang Di ) to the Venerable Sovereign. The book was named after the title. Xie Shouhao attached a preface by Chen Liang in the 4th year of the Shaoxing Era, as well as a memorial to the emperor in the 2nd year of the Shaoxi era. According to the author, the 820-chaptered Holy Record by Yin Wencao, divided into the 100-volumed Biography of the Dragon-like Master ( 《猶龍傳》 Youlong Zhuan ) by Jia Shanxiang, was disordered and unsystematic. Therefore the author, examining the immortal biographies in books of the three teachings that are about the Venerable Sovereign worshipped in the past dynasties, compiled the Sacred Records about the Emperor of Original Chaos with a chronicle. In the style of annals, the book records various myths and biographies about the Venerable Sovereign, including stories about the Venerable Sovereign's transformation and about various emperors' worship of the Venerable Sovereign from the creation of universe to the Xuanhe Era of the Northern Song Dynasty. Containing myths and historic events, the book, collected in the Subsection of Biographies, Pervasive Divinity Section ( 洞神部 Dongshen Bu ) of [[the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]], is important material for the study of rulers' worship of the Venerable Sovereign in different dynasties. [[zh:混元聖紀]] e6fe616ab1554e7370cab94505aa39ee9e11cf87 0 254 307 2009-08-08T03:48:44Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 1-volumed Biography of Perfect Man Ye of the Tang Dynasty ( 《唐葉真人傳》 Tang Ye Zhenren Zhuan ) by Zhang Daotong of the Song Dynasty, prefaced by Ma Guangzu in the ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 1-volumed Biography of Perfect Man Ye of the Tang Dynasty ( 《唐葉真人傳》 Tang Ye Zhenren Zhuan ) by Zhang Daotong of the Song Dynasty, prefaced by Ma Guangzu in the 2nd year of the Chunyou era of the Lizong Emperor of the Song dynasty, was a biography of Ye Fashan, a Daoist of the Tang. Ye, a Daoist in the time of the Xuanzong Emperor of Tang, was famous for his mastery of Daoist skills. The Old History of the Tang and vol. 26 of Extended Records of the Taiping Era collects biographies of Ye. Xuanzong Emperor mandated him to be Hongluqing, Duke of Yue, and titled him as Governor of Yue after his death. He was entitled Master of Law who Realized Emptiness and Simplicity ( 致虛見素法師 Zhixu Jiansu Fashi ) and Perfected Man of Numinous Emptiness and Simplicity ( 靈虛見素真人 Lingxu Jiansu Zhenren ) in the 6th year of Hui Emperor's Zhenghe era in the Song Dynasty. Containing myths and historic events, the book, collected in the Subsection of Biographies, Pervasive Divinity Section of [[the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]], is important material for the study of Ye Fashan. [[zh:唐葉真人傳]] 65c7700660a2a43e3320c6ce6c9bc9075934e1f4 0 255 308 2009-08-08T03:52:48Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 3-volumed Collection of Stories from the Garden of Immortals ( 《仙苑編珠》 Xianyuan Bianzhu ) by Wang Songnian, a Daoist living on Mt. Tiantai, was a Daoist collection...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 3-volumed Collection of Stories from the Garden of Immortals ( 《仙苑編珠》 Xianyuan Bianzhu ) by Wang Songnian, a Daoist living on Mt. Tiantai, was a Daoist collection of biographies of immortals. According to the study of the author's preface by the contemporary scholar, Chen Guofu, the author of the book lived during the five Dynasties or the Song. Since the Southern Song, many catalogues have recorded this book. Record of Arts and Literature in History and Brief Record of Arts and Literature in Common Records both say the book has one volume, but Junzhai Records of Books says the book has two volumes. The book, based on [[Biographies of the Immortals]], [[Biographies of Various Immortals]], [[Declarations of the Perfected]] ( 《真誥》 Zhenggao ), Biographies of Louguan Daoists, Biographies of the Ones with Miracles ( 《靈驗記》 Ligyan Zhuan ), Biographies of the Eight Perfected Ones, Biographies of the Twelve Perfected Sovereigns and Biographies of Learned Daoists, records many immortals. Besides, it records 132 Daoists from the Tang and the Liang down to the author's time. The book, similar to Mengqiu in style, records over 300 immortals in 4-word rhymed sentences with notes. Such books as Biographies of Louguan Daoists are now missing. Therefore, this book, collected in the Subsection of Biographies, Pervasive Divinity Section of [[the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]], containing such historic materials, is very valuable for the study of the system of Daoist Immortals. [[zh:仙苑編珠]] f2c843f6cad2d2bf510f27e925756acec2ae00fd 0 256 309 2009-08-08T04:40:51Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 1-volumed Chart of the Ranks of the Perfect Souls ( 《真靈位業圖》 Zhenling Weiye Tu ), or in its complete title, Chart of the Ranks of the Perfect Souls of Pervasive ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 1-volumed Chart of the Ranks of the Perfect Souls ( 《真靈位業圖》 Zhenling Weiye Tu ), or in its complete title, Chart of the Ranks of the Perfect Souls of Pervasive Mystery and Numinous Treasure ( 《洞玄靈寶真靈位業圖》 Dongxuan Lingbao Weiye Tu ), by [[Tao Hongjing]] of the Liang dynasty, divides the Daoist system of immortals into heavenly, earthly and human deities and perfected saints into seven hierarchical subsystems, each with its own main deity in the middle and assistant deities on the left and right. The main deities of the seven hierarchies are: [[the Primeval Sovereign of Heaven in Jade Clarity]] ( 玉清元始天尊 Yuqing Yuanshi Tianzun ), the Great Blackish-yellow Sovereign of Dao in Jade Constellation ( 玉晨玄黃大道君 Yuchen Xuanhuang Dadao Jun ), the Great Ultimate Imperial Sovereign of in the Golden Palace ( 太極金闕帝君 Taiji Jingque Dijun ), [[the Supreme Venerable Sovereign in Supreme Clarity]] ( 太清太上老君 Taiqing Taishang Laojun ), the Minister of Nine Palaces ( 九宮尚書 Jiugong Shanshu ), the Perfected Sovereign Who Determines Wealth ( 定祿真君 Dinglu Zhenjun ), the Great Emperor of the Northern Fengdu Netherworld ( 北陰豐都大帝 Beiyin Fengdu Dadi ). Also included in the chart are Confucian sages and saints, such as Yao, Shun and Yan Hui, as well as some emperors, including Qin Shihuang, Zhou Wenwang, Han Gaozu and Han Guangwu. The chart, which ranks the Primeval Sovereign of Heaven in the highest position, highlights the Maoshan tradition's position in Daoism. Reflecting the strict feudal caste system, the chart systemizes the numerous and mixed Daoist immortals. The book is collected in the Subsection of Biographies, Pervasive Divinity Section of [[the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]. [[zh:真靈位業圖]] 97ed3464af24fedb75fa7432f0aabeb9916d9542 0 257 310 2009-08-08T04:43:56Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 10-volumed Biographies of the Pervasive Immortals ( 《洞仙傳》 Dongxian Zhuan ) was recorded in the Record of Books found in the History of the Sui dynasty. The Record o...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 10-volumed Biographies of the Pervasive Immortals ( 《洞仙傳》 Dongxian Zhuan ) was recorded in the Record of Books found in the History of the Sui dynasty. The Record of Books in the History of the Sui, the Record of Arts and Literature in the New History of the Tang, the Record of Arts and Literature in the History of the Song, Brief Record of Arts and Literature in the Common History all record that the book was written by Jiansu Zi. The Catalogue of Books Missing in the Daoist Canon in the Daoist Books category of the General Catalogue of Chongwen records nine volumes of the book without the author's name. Therefore, the original book was already missing. The present copy in vol. 110 of [[Seven Slips of Cloudy Satchels]] was the original. The copy collected By Wang Ruli in Zhejiang recorded in the Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography of the Four Repositories is similar to the former. Completed by the Sui, the book of biographies of seventy-seven immortals and Daoists from the Primeval Sovereign ( 元君 Yuanjun ) to Jiang Bozhen is reference material for the study of the Daoist system of immortals and various figures. [[zh:洞仙傳]] 2b060ac2b4d125fc4a600f3b0e254753a9896c1f 0 258 311 2009-08-08T04:53:39Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Comprehensive Collection of Investigations into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines since their Origin ( 《三教搜神大全》 Sanjiao Soushen Daquan ) by unknown author...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Comprehensive Collection of Investigations into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines since their Origin ( 《三教搜神大全》 Sanjiao Soushen Daquan ) by unknown author has 7 volumes in 2 collections. Contemporary Ye Dehui reprinted it from the Ming pictorial copy of Comprehensive Collection of Investigations into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines since Their Origin, or Yuan pictorial copy Extensive Record of the Investigation into Divinities ( 《搜神廣記》 Sou Shen Guang Ji ). Collected in the Lilou Series, this copy is similar to the copy in Daoist Canon, except that the latter has no pictures and more deities. It has a preface and postscript by Ye Dehui. The book collects stories about sages, saints and immortals of the three religions. Containing 120 portraits with names, titles and stories, the book is valuable for the study of Daoist system deities, as well as folk deities. The Daoist Canon copy in the Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Wanli Era has 6 volumes and Origins of Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism recording 160 items about deities. [[zh:三教搜神大全]] 1262ccdd35fd3c0570e8c04aba571ec7951eab70 0 259 312 2009-08-08T05:12:26Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Li Daoqian of Yuan compiled the 10-volumed Record of the Immortals Encountered at Ganshui ( 《甘水仙源錄》 Ganshui Xianyuan Lu ), or the Record of the Immortals Encountere...' wikitext text/x-wiki Li Daoqian of Yuan compiled the 10-volumed Record of the Immortals Encountered at Ganshui ( 《甘水仙源錄》 Ganshui Xianyuan Lu ), or the Record of the Immortals Encountered at Ganshui Spring ( 《甘泉仙源錄》 Ganquan Xianyuan Lu ). According to the author's preface, Wang Chongyang met at Ganshui Town true immortals in the summer of the 4th year of the Zhenglong era of the Jin dynasty. The immortals offered him divine water to drink and transmitted him the true formula. Then Wang abandoned worldly family and relations to cultivate the Dao. The book collected the decree given by the Shizong Emperor of Yuan in the 6th year of the Zhiyuan era to [[the five patriarchs]] and [[seven perfect men]] ( 五祖七真 Wuzu Qizhen ) of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ), the inscription records of the sect's patriarchs and over sixty disciples, and inscriptions for the sect's temples. As a collection of the decrees and inscriptions about the sect collected in the Subsection of Biographies, Pervasive Divinity Section of the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era, the book is important material for the study of the Complete Perfection Sect and treasured by scholars. [[zh:甘水仙源錄]] cc25f09a4ff0c0a82c209785df8aa99082cf861c 0 260 313 2009-08-08T05:43:06Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The ''Tablet of Supreme Correspondence'' is called the ''Tablet of Correspondence'' ( 《感應篇》 Ganying Pian ) in short. Its author is unknown to us. It is one of the Daois...' wikitext text/x-wiki The ''Tablet of Supreme Correspondence'' is called the ''Tablet of Correspondence'' ( 《感應篇》 Ganying Pian ) in short. Its author is unknown to us. It is one of the Daoist books of persuasion, which gets its ideological sources from ''[[the Book of the Supreme Peace]]'', the ''Inner Commandments from the Book of Change'' ( 《易內戒》 Yi Nei Jie ), and the ''Book of the Master of the Red Pine Tree'' ( 《赤松子經》 Chisong Zi Jing ) of the Wei and Jin dynasties. It was probably composed in the early Northern Song dynasty, and handed down in block-printed editions in the Southern Song dynasty when Emperor Li Zhong was in power. The book is no more than 1,200 characters long and takes the following characters in its introductory song as its guiding principle: "Good fortune or bad fortune befall when allured; good and evil are closely associated like the shadow follows the person." Then it goes on saying that if one hopes to live long and happy, one must do good works. Besides, this book offers more than 20 good deeds and 100 bad deeds as standards of judging good and evil. In the end it persists: "no evil deeds, more good deeds." This book was so successful that it was printed and reprinted both officially and non-officially. The printing of the book itself was regarded as a good deed. What is more, there were varied annotations of the book, among which the most influential were Hui Dong's ''Annotation of the Tablet of Supreme Correspondence'' ( 《太上感應篇注》 Taishang Ganying Pian Zhu ) and Yu Yue's ''Inheritance from the Tablet of Supreme Correspondence'' ( 《太上感應篇纘義》 Taishang Ganying Pian Zuanyi ). [[zh:太上感應篇]] 1148c43e9321bc298d53710a8eed8d04a8777b95 0 261 314 2009-08-08T06:30:10Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Definition== Originally, Ledgers of Merits and Demerits ( 功過格 Gonguoge ) referred to ledgers in which Daoist priests registered their good and evil doings every day in or...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Definition== Originally, Ledgers of Merits and Demerits ( 功過格 Gonguoge ) referred to ledgers in which Daoist priests registered their good and evil doings every day in order to spur and examine themselves. Later, when they became popular among the people, they referred generally to a type of moralistic storybook which gave grades to characters according to their degree of good or evil conduct, in order to give concrete instructions to the practice of doing good works and guard against evil. ==Practice== This type of moralistic storybook lists the Ledger of Merits ( 善行 Shanxing ) (good deeds) and the Ledger of Demerits ( 惡行 Exing ) (evil deeds) respectively, and marks them with positive and negative numbers. Those who pursue it examine themselves every evening, compare their conduct of the day with the relevant item, give themselves positive marks for their good conduct and negative marks for their evil conduct, and record only their marks in the ledger, instead of the actual conduct. At the end of each month, they make a small calculation on a piece of paper, and bind the paper in a book. They follow such practice each month, and at the end of the year make a general calculation of merits and demerits. Then the merits and demerits are balanced, and the merits or demerits accumulated are shifted to the next month or year, in the hope that the followers would engage in diligent cultivation incessantly. ==Origin and development== In attempting to explain the Daoist practice of recording merits, demerits, kindness and evil, we should begin with the idea of merit and demerit. The Chinese idea of merit and demerit came into existence quite long ago. [[The Book of Changes]] ( 易經 Yijing ) says, "the family having accumulated merit will certainly have surplus happiness while the family having accumulated demerit will certainly have surplus misfortune". Daoism and popular beliesf hold that spirits such as the Spirit of Heaven, the Spirit of the Earth ( 天地 Tiandi ), [[the Kitchen Spirit]] ( 灶神 Zaoshen ) and the Controller of Destinies ( 司命 Siming ) supervise human kindness and evil and give deserved rewards and punishments. [[The Book of Supreme Peace]] ( 太平經 Taiping Jing ) of the later Han dynasty contains the argument of exhorting people to do good works and avoid evil, and the Ledger of Merits and Demerits is also related to the "Heavenly Certificates ( 天劵 Tianquan )" mentioned in the Book of Supreme Peace. The third scroll "Response to Laymen ( 對俗 Duisu )" and the six scroll "Subtle Guidelines ( 微旨 Weizhi )" of the Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity ( 抱朴子內篇 Baipuzi Neipian ) by [[Ge Hong]] of the Jin dynasty records substantial materials on the idea of merit and demerit. "Response to Laymen" says that one should accumulate 1,200 merits to become a Heavenly Immortal ( 天仙 Tianxian ) and 300 merits to become an Earthly Immortal ( 地仙 Dixian ). The idea of calculating human misfortune and good fortune, long life and short life by the accumulation, increase and decrease of one's good works and evil doings, merits and demerits is also seen in [[The Great Collection of Daoist Rituals]] ( 道門科範大全集 Daomen Kefan Daquanji ) by [[Du Guangting]] of the Five Dynasties, in which "The Two Books of Good and Evil ( 善惡之二書 Shan’e Zhi Ershu )" and "The Two Ledgers of Merit and Demerit ( 功過之兩簿 Gongguo Zhi Liangbu )" are recorded in scrolls 73 and 81. "Ledger" indicates a standard. The good and evil, merit and demerit of words and actions become the standard according to which blessings are bestowed or misfortune befall. This way of calculating merits and demerits developed into the moralistic storybooks of the Ledgers of Merits and Demerits after the Song dynasty. Therefore, one may well say that the Ledger of Merits and Demerits mixes together the ideas of the Three Doctrines ( 三教 Sanjiao ), namely the accumulation of good and elimination of evil of Daoism, the ethics and morals of Confucianism, and the karma of Buddhism. The oldest extant Ledger of Merits and Demerits is the Ledger of Merits and Demerits of the Immortal Sovereign of Supreme Subtlety ( 太微仙君天功過格 Taiwei Xianjun Gonguoge ), which was published in 1171 (included in the Commandments subsection of the Pervasive Perfection ( 洞真 Dongzhen ) in [[the Daoist Canon]] ( 道藏 Daozang )). It is a ledger of the personal records of good and evil of the Daoist priests of [[the Pure Brightness sect]] ( 淨明道 Jingming Dao ). In [[the Selections from the Daoist Canon]] ( 道藏輯要 Daozang Jiyao ), one finds the Ledger of Merits and Demerits to Admonish the World ( 警世功過格 Jingshi Gongguoge ) and the Ledger of Merits and Demerits of the Ten Commandments ( 十戒功過格 Shijie Gongguoge ), which were the Ledgers of Merits and Demerits compiled in Patriarch Lu's name. Later, after being popularized by Yuan Huang (1533-1606), Zhu Hong (1535-1615) and the like, the Ledgers of Merit and Demerit came in vogue during the period from the 17th century to the middle of the 18th century, when a variety of Ledgers of Merits and Demerits were compiled, including not only ones rich in Daoist flavor, but also Buddhist "Ledgers of Good Deeds and Demerits ( 善過格 Shanguo Ge )" (with Zhu Hong's Records of Self-knowledge ( 自知錄 Zizhi Lu ) as the representative work), and Ledgers of Merits and Demerits related with popular morals (such as the Corpus of Ledgers of Merits and Demerits ( 匯纂功過格 Huizuan Gongguoge )). After the 17th century, not only Daoist priests but also scholars, people worshiping and observing Buddhist commandments, and the populace began to gradually pursue Ledgers of Merits and Demerits. Moreover, there emerged the Ledger of Merits and Demerits for Officials ( 當官功過格 Dangguan Gongguoge ), the Ledger of Merits and Demerits for Ignorant Children ( 童蒙功過格 Tongmeng Gongguoge ) and the Ledger of Merits and Demerits for Women ( 婦女功過格 Funu Gonguoge ), which were aimed at specific objects of admonishment. The Ledger of Merits and Demerits of Patriarch Lu Chunyang, Immortal Sovereign of Supreme Subtlety ( 太微仙君呂純陽祖師功過格 Taiwei Xianjun Lu Chunyang Gonguoge ), published in 1734 during the Qing dynasty, was recently reprinted by the Hall of Embracing Dao ( 抱道堂 Baodao Tang ) in Hong Kong. ==The significance of the circulation of Ledgers of Merits and Demerits== The Ledger of Merits and Demerits is a book instructing the moral practice of Daoist priests, who record the good and evil of their conduct in a book of marks just as shopkeepers keep accounts in their account books. Some scholars hold that this style of keeping moral accounts is related to the prosperity of Chinese commercial bookkeeping, so they call it "Moral Book-keeping ( 道德記帳法 Daode Jizhang Fa )". A Japanese scholar comments on it, saying, "The emergence of the Ledger of Merits and Demerits indicates that the Chinese realized they could change their destiny and alter good or ill luck with their own hands. This is an epoch-making achievement in their cultural life." ==A brief conclusion== In short, the Ledger of Merits and Demerits specifies and itemizes the teachings of moralistic storybooks, such as that of "never do evil but do good" advocated in the Tablet of Correspondence ( 感應篇 Ganying Pian ). It can be used as a guide to action for daily cultivation, examination, and reduction of demerits. This kind of moralistic storybook is not only an important material for the study of Daoist ethical ideas, but also helpful to the understanding of the ethical norms of Chinese society since the Song and Ming dynasties. [[zh:功過格]] 581f6da95d220701e183b5ce7b7505f9a5533c8f 0 262 315 2009-08-08T07:20:29Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Precious Repentance of Patriarch Lu ( 《呂祖無極寶懺》 Luzu Wuji Baochan ) or in full The Infinite Precious Repentance of Perfect Sovereign Lu the Master and Minister...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Precious Repentance of Patriarch Lu ( 《呂祖無極寶懺》 Luzu Wuji Baochan ) or in full The Infinite Precious Repentance of Perfect Sovereign Lu the Master and Minister of the Nine-Heaven All-Embracing Jade Capital ( 《九天大羅玉都師相呂聖真君無極寶懺》 Jiutian Daluo Yudu Shixiang Lusheng Zhenjun Wuji Baochan ), is usually simply titled as Patriarch Lu's Precious Repentance of the Infinite. According to legends, the book appeared in Xiqiao, Guangdong, in the end of the Qing (1644-1911). Also some say it was revealed through Planchette Writing ( 扶乩 Fuji ). This book is widespread among Daoist temples in Guangdong. The Precious Repentance of Patriarch Lu, a ritual popular in contemporary Daoist temples in Hong Kong, uses this scripture as its ritual text. Though titled "Repentance", the book contains mainly odes to Patriarch Lu and his teachings. The "Precious Admonitions of Patriarch Lu" ( 呂祖寶誥 Luzu Baogao ) in the book contains Patriarch Lu's stories, great deeds, legends, which come from the Complete works of Patriarch Lu ( 《呂祖全書》 Luzu Quanxhu ). Besides, the book also includes the Precious Declarations of Patriarch Zhong (Liquan), Patriarch Xu (Xun), and Patriarch Sa (Shoujian). The Perfect Book of Dao and its Virtue of the Sagely Perfect Sovereign Lu, the Master and Minister in the Nine-Heaven All-Embracing Jade Capital ( 《九天大羅玉都師相呂聖真君道德真經》 Jiutian Daluo Yudu Shixiang Lusheng Zhengjun Daode Zhenjing ) illustrates Patriarch Lu's view about life and Dao, persuading people to "empty their profane desires and keep to pure perfection", and thus make the body like dry wood and the mind like cold ashes. It holds that Dao is not queer, and whatever is queer is not Dao. Man should cultivate merit at anytime "knowing the kindness or evil of each idea" and eventually unite with the Great Dao. Some contents of the book come from the Immortal Scripture of the First Eight Chapters ( 《前八品仙經》 Qian Ba Pin Xianjing ) of the Complete works of Patriarch Lu; others come from the Book of the Supreme Numinous Treasure Orthodox Seal of the Pure and Bright Origin of Dao ( 《太上靈寶清明道元正印經》 Taishang Lingbao Qingming ). With many contents telling people to see through the harmfulness and falseness of desires, worldly cleverness, and profane prosperity in the form of historic and immortal stories, the book is an artistic work of literature. Originally, the book was widespread in Daoist temples for people's free reading. In 1996, at the proposal of Mr. Luo Zhiguang and Mr. Kuang Guangqiang, Long You and Ding Changyun co-operated and finished the Commentaries on the Precious Repentance of Patriarch Lu ( 《呂祖無極寶懺注》 Luzu Wuji Baochan Zhu ). The Ching Chung Taoist Association of Hong Kong. published the book in 1997. Two years later, the Fung Ying Seen Koon published the second edition. [[zh:呂祖寶懺]] f40599432f8d47c270c522d0857a7105e3c93484 0 263 316 2009-08-08T08:02:55Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The 1-volumed Supreme Regimen Book of Embryonic Breathing ( 《太上養生胎息氣經》 Taishang Yangsheng Taixi Qi Jing ) was written by some unknown author. It contains the ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The 1-volumed Supreme Regimen Book of Embryonic Breathing ( 《太上養生胎息氣經》 Taishang Yangsheng Taixi Qi Jing ) was written by some unknown author. It contains the way of six Yang hours ( 六陽時法 Liu Yangshi Fa ), the secret Higher Clarity way of breath ( 上清氣秘法 Shangqing Qi Mifa ), the way of Higher Clarity ( 上清法 Shangqing Fa ), the chart of timely tonic and outlet ( 檢時含景補泄圖 Jianshi Hanjing Buxie Tu ), the chart of the lung, the chart of the heart, the chart of the liver, the chart of the spleen, the chart of the kidney and the chart of the gallbladder. It focuses on embryonic breathing ( 胎息 Taixi ) and is illustrated with charts of inhalation. Collected in the Subsection of Skills, Pervasive Divinity Section of the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era, the book is valuable for the study of the Daoist theory and practice of the art of breath. [[zh:太上養生胎息氣經]] 465f72286351052de385bf64f9d3019b543ec515 0 264 317 2009-08-09T02:43:25Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The Northern Celestial Masters Tradition== It refers to [[the Celestial Masters Tradition]] ( 天師道 Tianshi Dao ) in the North during the Southern and Northern dynasties (A...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Northern Celestial Masters Tradition== It refers to [[the Celestial Masters Tradition]] ( 天師道 Tianshi Dao ) in the North during the Southern and Northern dynasties (AD 420-589). The Northern Celestial Masters Tradition ( 北天師道 Bei Tianshui Dao ) was the result of Kou Jianzhi's reform. Since his early years, Kou believed in the Celestial Masters Tradition, and cultivated Zhang Lu's Dao. In a later period, he started to reform the Celestial Masters tradition. He claimed that he had met the Supreme Venerable Sovereign on Mt Song, and was conferred the title "Celestial Master" as well as the twenty-scroll ''Commandments of the New Ordinances from the Clouds'' ( 雲中音誦新科之誡 Yanzhon Jinsong Xinke Zhijie ). The Supreme Venerable Sovereign told him: "It is the right time to change. You ought to publicize my new ordinances, and eliminate the Three Zhangs' false regulations, tax rice and money, as well as the Sexual Arts of the Union of Vital Breaths ( 男女合氣之道 Nannu Heqi Zhidao ). The Great Dao is of Purity and Emptiness. So while Cultivating Dao, a man should keep to ethics first, and pay attention to Dietetics and Inner Refinement". In fact, the revelation was an outline of his religious reform: i.e. firstly, eliminating the so-called false regulations of the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition ( 五斗米道 Wudou Midao ), and establishing new ordinances in alignment with the tastes of the upper classes. Secondly, his new Daoism placed ethics in the highest place. As a result, Confucian ethics became the most important content of Daoism. Kou also claimed that the aim of his religious reform was to assist the emperor, entitled the Perfect Sovereign of Supreme Peace ( 太平真君 Taiping Zhenjun ), to realize the Supreme Peace, which implied that he was trying to maintain the social order which benefited the ruling classes. In order to realize his goal, Kou Qianzhi introduced a series of regulations and commandments which aimed at adjusting Daoist organizations, and some financial polices, which would deprive earlier Daoist organizations of the ability to contend with the government for tax money. Apart from the above, he didn't add too much to Daoist theory. Since then, the Northern Celestial Masters tradition was never as prosperous as it had been during Kou Qianzhi's era. ==The Southern Celestial Masters Tradition== The Southern Celestial Masters Tradition refers to the Celestial Masters Tradition in the south, which existed during the Southern and Northern dynasties (420-589 AD). In the early period of the Southern dynasties, the organization and discipline of the Celestial Masters sect had become lax, a situation which prevented it from further development. Under these circumstances, Lu Xiujing, a famous Daoist, started to reform the Celestial Masters Tradition in the South. Firstly, he adjusted the Daoist organization structure and improved the tradition of the Three Annual Assemblies ( 三會日制度 Sanhuiri Zhidu ), a regulation which was employed to strengthen relations between Daoist officials and Daoist believers in the earlier periods. In the tradition of the Three Annual Assemblies, all Daoist believers were supposed to attend religious activities in their Dioceses, where they reported to the Daoist Master of their household. Then the Daoist Master would explain and stress Daoist regulations and commandments to them. After the Three Zhangs had passed away, the routine tradition of the Three Annual Assembles had been relaxed, and so the Daoist organization had loosened. In order to rebuild a well-organized Celestial Master Tradition, Lu Xiujing reaffirmed the importance of the tradition of the Three Annual Assemblies. In addition, he also started to improve the chaotic household and personnel system. The Household Registration system was introduced, and the unauthorized promotion of Daoist officials was forbidden, which was ultimately replaced by a step-by-step system for official promotion. In the meantime, Lu also improved Daoist Rituals and Regulations. According to the Fasting Skills of the Highest Clarity ( 靈寶齋法 Lingbao Zhaifa ) and of the Numinous Treasure ( 上清齋法 Shangqing Zhaifa ), he created his own Fasting Skills, which ultimately evolved into a basic system of Daoist Fasts and Offerings. Additionally, on the basis of the Three Grottoes ( 三洞 Sandong ), a method of classifying Daoist scriptures, Lu classified and adjusted Daoist texts. As a result, he wrote the Catalogue of Scriptures of the Three Grottoes ( 三洞經書目錄 Sandong Jingshu Mulu ), the first catalogue of Daoist texts in Chinese Daoist history. After that, the Three Grottoes, in addition to the Four Complements ( 四輔 Sifu ), became the basic principle for cataloguing and classifying Daoist scriptures. Lu's reform brought about the growth of Daoism growth in the South. Since then, Daoism in the South became known as Southern Celestial Masters Tradition ( 南天師道 Nan Tianshi Dao ). ==The Splintering of Daoism in the Jin Dynasty== ===Basic Situation of Daoism in the Western and Eastern Jin Dynasties=== Daoist organizations originated in the lower classes and, in the early stage, involved themselves in rebellions against the governments. In order to deal with the threat, starting in the Wei and Jin dynasties, the authorities employed a dual strategy: restriction and suppression, and reformation and co-optation. This policy resulted in differentiation within Daoism. In addition, the intellectual gentry joined Daoism in this period. As a result, Daoism changed in terms of its components: one part of Daoism became more close to governments and developed into Official Daoism; some remained in the lower classes and took part in rebellions against governments; and the rest, mostly intellectuals, chose to cultivate Dao in the mountains as hermits. This was the basic situation of Daoism in the Western and Eastern Jin dynasties. ===Daoism in the Western Jin Dynasty=== Since the Yellow Turban Rebellion at the close of the Eastern Han dynasty, [[the Supreme Peace tradition]] ( 太平道 Taiping Dao ) had been severely repressed. Conversely, because Celestial Master Zhang Lu yielded to the Northern warlord Cao Cao, and then established union by marriage with him, the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition won itself better chances to develop. As a result, the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition took the place of the Supreme Peace Tradition in the North. After the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition changed its name to the Celestial Masters Tradition, it started to spread nationwide. During the Three Kingdoms period, in the state of Wei, Magicians like Gan Shi and Zhuo Si displayed their Daoist skills, which were coming increasingly in demand by people in the North. In the 20th Jianan year (217 AD), when the plague was prevailing in all of northern China, all families hung Daoist Talismans and Incantations to avoid the disaster, which showed that belief in the medical use of Talismanic Water remained influential in these areas. In the Eastern Wu, a Daoist master held religious activities under Yu Ji's name. He also used Talismanic Water to treat the sick. His reputation spread to all classes of society, from soldiers and ordinary people to imperial family members and generals. Ultimately, he was killed by Sun Ce, emperor of Eastern Wu. After that, Li Kuan, a Daoist from Shu, went to Eastern Wu, and treated locals with Invocation Water. As a result, people afflicted with the plague became his disciples. The number was almost one thousand. Li Kuan taught some talented disciples the Triple-Invocation Water Talismans ( 祝水三部符 Zhushui Sanbu Fu ), Gymnastics, and Vital Breath Dirigation, which were further taught to more people. In a short time, his disciples, numbering at least one thousand, were found in every corner of Eastern Wu. During the Western Jin dynasty, the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition started to spread in the Xu realm, a traditional sphere of influence of the Supreme Peace Tradition. Some gentry families like Wang and Shun joined Daoism. Shun Xiu, a member of the Shun family, became a confidant of Sima Lun, king of Zhao. Shun misled the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition to a revolt headed by the king. Near the end of the Western Jin dynasty, migrants in six counties of Shu (now Sichuan) started an uprising, led by Li Te. After Li Te's death, Li Xiong, his son, took over the leadership and continued the uprising. Fan Changsheng, a Daoist leader on Mt Qingcheng, provided many grains to his troops. After Li Xiong conquered Chengdu, he invited Fan there and designated him as Prime Minister. When Li Xiong declared himself emperor, he conferred titles on Fan, such as "Supreme Master of Heaven and Earth and Nobleman of the Western Mountains", and gave him privileges, freeing his subordinates of military service and allowing him to collect land tax. So we can conclude that the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition had never stopped its activities in Ba and Shu (present-day Sichuan), and its leaders in later periods even continued to keep their own subordinates and collect tax, a convention inherited from Zhang Lin and Zhang Lu. ===Daoism in the Eastern Jin Dynasty=== During the Sixteen Kingdoms period of the Eastern Jin dynasty, more noble families joined Daoism. As a result, there were many families of generals believing in Daoism, such as the Wang family of Nangya, the Xiao family of Nannin and the Xi family of Gaoping in the South, and the Chui family of Qinghe and the Wei family of Jingzhao in the North. In this period, Daoism integrated itself into the high classes, becoming a source of spiritual life for the ruling class. Meanwhile, uprisings under Li Hong's name emerged both in the South and North, a case which lasted until the Southern and Northern dynasties. In the North, some Han people living under ethnic minority regimes claimed that the Supreme Venerable Sovereign would descend to society. This in fact reflected a strong nationalist complex, in that they wished that all ethnic minorities would pledge allegiance and that the Han nationality could reestablish its dominance. Some expected the Supreme Venerable Sovereign, the savior, to solve all disasters. They were expecting the establishment of a society of Supreme Peace. Under these circumstances, Daoism spread among the people living in hardship, as their Noah's Ark of salvation. At the end of the Eastern Jin dynasty, Shun En, a Daoist of the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition, involved Daoism in a revolt, following a conflict between local noblemen and migrant noblemen during the Eastern Jin era. Although the revolt was a failure, the Eastern Jin regime soon came to an end. In the less than 200 years of the Western and Eastern Jin dynasties, there were so many uprisings carried out in Daoism's name, among which the Yellow Turban and the Sun En rebellion almost toppled the Eastern Han and Eastern Jin regimes respectively, so that the rulers realized that they had to find a solution. In order to help the ruling class consolidate its rule, some people of learning started to reform Daoism according to their own ideas. [[Ge Hong]] was one of them. Ge Hong grew up in a family which had upheld Daoist belief for generations. His great-uncle Ge Xuan had followed Zhuo Ci, a famous Magician, to learn Dao, and was called Immortal Elder Ge by later Daoists. Ge Hong inherited his great-uncle's Daoism and developed it into a systematic theory of immortality, which concluded the theoretical construction of Daoism. Originally, Ge Hong was politically ambitious, but he didn't succeed. Instead, he started his pursuit of personal perfection. Daoism became the best measure to realize his personal refinement and cultivation. His main works included ''[[the Inner and Outer Books of the Master Who Embraces the Simplicity]]'' ( 抱朴子 Baopu Zi ) employed by Daoists to nourish their lives and attain immortality, and by Confucian scholars to serve their nation, exemplifying the complementary roles of Daoism and Confucianism, a characteristic of the Science of Mysteres during the Wei and Jin dynasties. In that period, when the literati were eager to find a way to secure immortality and eternality, Ge Hong provided his answers, thus strengthening their belief in Daoism's theory of Immortality. In fact, among the noble, many had been practicing Dietetics of the Golden Elixir for generations. Ge Hong's theory enriched Daoism's religious doctrines, which were comparatively deficient, and started to found the tradition of theoretical study, a characteristic of Daoism in the South. In addition, Ge Hong combined Daoism's Immortalism with Confucianism's ethics by stressing Confucian ethics as a prerequisite condition for attainment of immortality. In this way, Daoism was changed into a religion more easily accepted by the ruling class. During the Western and Eastern Jin dynasties, Daoism was progressing upward to the ruling class. Just in this period, the upper class and its intellectuals started to pay attention to and, in the later period, reform Daoism, which resulted in the differentiation of Daoism. This situation lasted until the Southern and Northern dynasties. ==Reform and Improvement of Daoism during the Northern and Southern Dynasties (AD 420-581)== Daoism continued its improvement during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. It became a 'High-level' official religion with its doctrines enriched, and it had greater influence on society. During this period, more and more officials and educated people were converted to Daoism. As the number of educated Daoist disciples was on the rise, more Daoist priests were trained and able to write books on Daoism. In order to improve Daoism and cater to the taste of the upper-class Daoist believers, several Daoist scriptures were written in order to catch up with Buddhism. According the ''Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'' ( 《抱朴子內篇》 Baopu Zi Neipian ), at the time of Ge Hong, there were 670 Daoist classics and over 500 books of Talismans and Registers ( 符籙 Fulu ) circulating, altogether 1200 titles. Ge Hong himself had seen over 200 such books. After Ge Hong's death, two systems of scriptures, the Numinous Treasure ( 《靈寶》 Lingbao ) and the Highest Clarity ( 《上清》 Shangqing ), came into existence one after another. As a result, the Daoist priest Lu Xiujing of the Song Dynasty could compile 1228 titles for the ''Contents of the Scriptures of the Three Grottoes'' ( 《三洞經目錄》 Sanding Jing Mulu ). Imitating the Triple Canon ( 《三藏》 Sanzang ) (Tripitaka) of Buddhism, Lu Xiujing not only classified but also evaluated the Daoist scriptures, differentiating three major schools of Daoism. Even if he himself did not mean to do so, his work had such an effect that he promoted the development of Daoism and, by classifying the different schools of thought, precipitated the development of different sects. Before him, there already existed Daoist techniques practiced in different ways, accompanied by theoretical generalizations and summations. Lu's compilation classified the Three Grottoes of Daoist Scriptures by their time of writing and quality, leading to a strong differentiation between Daoist schools. Lu had collected different Daoist techniques of practice from different schools without any personal bias, and passed them on to a broader audience through his compilation. Thus the Daoist techniques developed in different directions. Unlike Buddhism, the different Daoist schools did not have clear and strict boundaries between one another. Their own characteristics might be mingled with the ideas of other sects. This was concordant with the syncretistic tendencies of Daoism. Generally speaking, during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Southern Daoists attached more importance to doctrinal development, and the disputes between Southern Daoism and Buddhism remained limited to doctinal debates. In the South, the Numinous Treasure sect and the Highest Clarity sect had very loose organizations, and the Southern Celestial Masters tradition ( 天師道 Tianshi Dao ) was not very active at the time, probably due to the failure of the Sun En rebellion. On the other hand, Daoism in the North paid more attention to religious rites and services and it made a great effort to develop its organization. The struggle against Buddhism was mainly for political dominance. Supported by the rulers, the Northern Celestial Masters Tradition enjoyed a much higher political position than Buddhism. Both in the South and in the North, Daoism had become the official religion, and completed its ascension from the lower class up to the upper class. Although it did not have as many followers as Buddhism, Daoism in the Northern and Southern dynasties compiled a large number of scriptures, enriched its theories on Immortality, and developed its religious rites and ceremonies as well as canons and commandments. At the same time some new sects were formed. Thus Daoism could stand side by side with Buddhism and Confucianism in the ideological and cultural world of China. [[zh:兩晉南北朝道教]] cc39293ee3b9f7b19d865859f8d479e3d9265d98 0 265 318 2009-08-09T07:15:03Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Flourishing of Daoism and Development of Religious Teachings during the Sui and Tang Dynasties (AD 581-907)== ===Integration of Daoism in the Sui and Tang Dynasties=== The wor...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Flourishing of Daoism and Development of Religious Teachings during the Sui and Tang Dynasties (AD 581-907)== ===Integration of Daoism in the Sui and Tang Dynasties=== The word "integration" may best describe Chinese civilization during the Sui and Tang dynasties. Daoism was also characterized by integration during that period. The integration of Northern and Southern Daoism furthered its development and prosperity, and led to increased support and devotion on behalf of the rulers. This led even more people to be converted to Daoism. More strikingly, Daoist doctrines and theories became so profound, penetrating, and brilliant that they left an indelible mark in the ideological history of China. ===Daoism in the Sui Dynasty=== From the perspective of the development of Daoism, we can see that Daoism during the Sui Dynasty was just at its turning point, and paved the way for the prosperity and great development of Daoist doctrines and theories in later periods. This great change was a consequence of the development of Daoism itself, as well as of the religious policy adopted by the rulers of the Sui Dynasty. The Wen Emperor of the Sui Dynasty adopted a policy of respecting both Buddhism and Daoism, and took advantage of Daoism to reach his political goals. In order to seize state power, he carried out propaganda by means of magic figures, incantations and auguries ( 符讖 Fuchen ), and tried to find theological arguments to justify his occupation of the supreme position. He supported the construction of Daoist temples as well as increasing the number of Daoist followers. In his old age, he developed himself into a devout believer in the Daoist philosophy of Immortality and longevity. The Wen Emperor's son, the Yang Emperor, like his father, believed in Buddhism while supporting and taking advantage of Daoism. He assembled some scholars to write new Daoist books and compiled the contents of the Daoist classics. The Sui dynasty's balanced policy towards Buddhism and Daoism was not only very significant to the development of Daoism, but also had a far-reaching influence on the rulers of the Tang Dynasty. Due to the unity of the Sui dynasty, the communication between the Daoism of the South and of the North became more convenient than ever. The arts and techniques practiced by the Highest Clarity sect of the South were transmitted to the North. The unique Daoist features of various sects from the South and the North began to mingle together. This integration is one of the characteristics of Sui dynasty Daoism, different from Daoism during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. During this period, [[the Maoshan sect]] ( 茅山宗 Maoshan Zong ) which had grown out of the Highest Clarity sect, not only consolidated its influence in the South, but also gradually expanded its influence to the North. This expansion was largely due to Wang Yuanzhi, the leader of the Maoshan sect. Wang went to the North from the South to deliver sermons, and accepted Pan Shizheng as his disciple during the Daye period (AD 605 - 618). Later, Pan became an important figure of the Maoshan sect who did missionary work in the North. Generally speaking, the unity of Daoism in the Sui Dynasty was centered round the Maoshan sect of the South, and laid a foundation for the prosperity of Daoism in the Tang Dynasty in which the Maoshan sect played the central role. As for its geographical distribution, Daoism in the Sui Dynasty was not only very popular in the capital, but also scattered in such areas as Hanzhong, Ba-Shu, and the vast areas south of the Changjiang River. Most Daoist disciples in the Sui Dynasty were involved in political struggles between ruling factions, while Daoist activities among the ordinary people were gradually on the wane. According to the records in the ''History of the Sui Dynasty'' ( 《隋書》 Shuishu ), the major features of Daoism in the Sui Dynasty were as follows: #Worship of [[the Primeval Lord of Heaven]] ( 元始天尊 Yuanshi Tianzun ) as the supreme god. #Daoist masters had to practice Daoism for 49 years before they could preach to or teach their disciples. #The key to teaching Daoist techniques was centered on benevolence and peace of mind, and pursuing everlasting life through a long period of gradual practice #Daoist scriptures should be taught in the following order: the ''Five-Thousand Character Register'' ( 《五千文籙》 Wuqian Wenlu ), the ''Three Grottoes'' ( 《三洞》 Sandong ), the ''Register of Pervasive Mystery'' ( 《洞玄籙》 Dongxuan Lu ), and finally the ''Register of the Highest Clarity'' ( 《上清籙》 Shanqing Lu ). #When preaching, teachers should interpret the Laozi first, and then they could explain the ''Zhuangzi'', the ''Numinous Treasure'' ( 《靈寶》 Lingbao ), and the ''Ascension to Mystery'' ( 《升玄》 Shengxuan ). #Talismans and Registers were viewed as the best form of practice, and the Talismans and Registers sect held a leading position. In sum, Daoism in the Sui Dynasty was developing in the direction of catering to the taste of the upper classes, and at the same time it formed some unique features of its own. In addition, the Sui dynasty witnessed the convergence of Northern and Southern Daoism, with the Maoshan sect as the mainstream, preparing for the prosperity of Daoism in the Tang Dynasty. This special transition was very significant in the development of Daoism. ===Daoism and the rulers of the early and mid Tang Dynasty=== In the course of seizing political power, Li Yuan, the first emperor of the Tang Dynasty, made use of Daoism for his own personal legitimation. After proclaiming himself emperor, he proclaimed that the founder of Daoism, the Supreme Venerable Sovereign ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ), was his forefather. In order to offer sacrifices to Laozi, he had the Venerable Sovereign Temple ( 老君廟 Laojun Miao ) constructed on Mt. Yangjiao, and named it the Futang Temple ( 伏唐觀 Futang Guan ). Li Yuan tried his best to improve the position of Daoism in society by favouring it over Buddhism. He sent officials to offer an image of the Lord of Heaven ( 天尊 Tianzun ) to Korea, and sent Daoist priests there to teach the Book of Dao and its Virtue. As a result, Daoism was propagated abroad. Li Yuan's son, the Taizong Emperor Li Shimin, like his father, had close relations with Daoist priests before he ascended the throne. After ascending the throne, the Taizong Emperor bestowed favours upon Daoist priest Wang Yuanzhi, because he had predicted that he would be 'The Emperor of Supreme Peace' ( 太平天子 Taiping Tiazi ). His esteem for Daoism was manifested in the following ways: in the early Zhenguan era, he governed his empire by means of the philosophy of Purity and Tranquility and Non-interference ( 清靜無為 Qingging Wuwei ). By worshipping Daoism, he continued to promote the position of Daoism and restrain Buddhism. In the 11th year of Zhenguan (637 A.D), he declared that Daoism was superior to Buddhism. For him, believing in Daoism was developing the tradition of worshiping one's ancestors'. In his old age he took elixirs and finally died of them while pursuing cscension to heaven as an Immortal'. His successor Li Zhi, the Gaozong Emperor, retroactively conferred the title 'Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Origin' ( 太上玄元皇帝 Taishang Xuanyuan Huangdi ) upon the Venerable Sovereign (Laozi), and the title 'Empress Dowager of Anterior Heaven' ( 先天太后 Xiantian Taihou ) upon the Sacred Mother (Laozi's mother). Li Zhi also required the princes, dukes, ministers, and officials to study Laozi. Candidates at the official examinations were to be tested of Laozi, and successful candidates in the imperial examinations at the provincial level were to be familiar with Laozi. The Empress Wu Zetian, in spite of the fact that she boasted that she was a gifted Buddha herself, made use of Daoist Magic Figures to justify her ascending the throne, and relied on Daoist priests to serve her political objectives. Although she believed in Buddhism, she pursued Daoist Immortality as well, especially in her old age. She ordered Daoist priests to conduct Ritual Offerings for her, offer dragons as pious deeds, and make elixirs for her. Her relationship to Daoism was rather complicated. In other words, she made use of the benefits of Daoism and played down its disadvantages, depending on different political situations. The Xuanzong Emperor Li Longji was the strongest believer in Daoism among the emperors of the Tang Dynasty. Under his support, Daoism reached its summit. He took a series of measures in aid of Daoism, which had a far-reaching influence on the society, not only in his time but also at later times, especially during the Song Dynasty. Li's worship of Daoism can be seen in the following examples: #The Xuanzong Emperor revered the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Origin, to such a degree that there was a surge of worship to him in China. Whenever he had the chance, he extolled the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Origin as his divine ancestor. He granted several new titles to Laozi. Moreover, he himself directed a mythological drama depicting the descent to earth of the Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Origin. # Daoist followers had backed up Li Longji in his ascent to the throne. Consequently he tried to improve the political and social status of Daoist priests, especially bestowing favor on those of the Maoshan Sect and of the Celestial Masters Tradition. #He introduced Daoism into the imperial examinations of the educational system. As a result, many Daoist priests passed the examinations and were selected as officials. #His belief in Daoism was also shown by his consumption of elixirs, and he often gave elixirs to his ministers or officials. Neither the Gaozong Emperor nor the Xuanzong Emperor in the Tang Dynasty rejected Buddhism, in spite of the fact that they regarded Daoism as their principal belief. Only the Empress Wu Zetian believed in Buddhism more than Daoism. Because the rulers actively disseminated Daoist philosophy and Daoist scriptures to the countries and regions around China, Daoism at that time became influential internationally. Daoism spread so widely in some neighbouring countries that the communications between the Tang Empire and these countries were often mediated by Daoism as a symbol of Chinese traditional culture. The prime of Daoism in the Tang Dynasty expressed the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, which could be seen from the integration and flourishing of the Daoist sects and schools at the time. ===Integration of Daoist sects from the early Tang to the prime of the Tang Dynasty=== Daoist sects had experienced division and development from the Wei and Jin dynasties to the Northern and Southern dynasties (AD 220-581). In the Sui and Tang dynasties, however, there was a tendency for Daoist sects to be mingled together. Such a tendency began to emerge at the end of the Northern and Southern dynasties. The unification of the Empire in the Sui Dynasty ended the partition and separation of the different regions, creating conditions for the integration of Daoist sects. The Tang Dynasty further continued such integration, which brought about the prosperity of Daoism. Because of integration, the different Daoist sects with striking features of their own gradually permeated one another in doctrines and rituals, so much so that they were not easily distinguished. For instance, the Numinous Treasure sect, which had developed more rapidly than the Highest Clarity sect in the Northern and Southern dynasties, now seemed to disappear as the lines of transmission between masters and disciples became blurred. The integration of Daoism was centered round the Maoshan sect. As everybody knows, the Maoshan sect was a major Daoist sect during the Tang Dynasty, always ready to adopt strong points from other sects. It absorbed some of the doctrines of [[the Twofold Mystery School]] ( 重玄學派 Chongxuan Xuepai ), the Fasting Skills of [[the Numinous Treasure sect]] ( 靈寶齋法 Lingbao Zhaifa ), and the Skills of [[the Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] ( 正一法 Zhengyi Fa ). In the lifetime of [[Sima Chengzhen]] during the reign of the Xuanzong emperor, [[Mt. Song]] and the [[Mt. Wangwu]] in the north as well as [[Mt. Mao]] (Maoshan) and Mt. Tiantai in the south all became 'hot zones' where Maoshan priests delivered sermons on Daoist doctrines. The Maoshan sect also spread to the Shu region. It is certain that the prosperity of the Maoshan sect resulted from the great efforts of Sima Chengzhen. When we wonder why the sect became so prosperous and became the main force of Daoism, we may see that it was because it integrated the advantages of the three religions of China and integrated the practises of the Three Grotto scriptures into one system. Besides, there were many Daoist scholars and educated priests as well as a strict and independent teaching system to ensure the development of its organization. The Maoshan masters of different generations were also very capable of political activities. Owing to their efforts, the Maoshan sect was not harmed by political struggles, but rather was supported by the rulers for several generations. As a result, it enjoyed stable conditions for development, which was probably one of the most important reasons that it was so prosperous. ===The development of Daoist doctrines from the beginning to the prime of the Tang Dynasty=== The exchange and integration of different Daoist sects and schools of the North and the South in the Sui and Tang Dynasties provided suitable conditions for the development of Daoist doctrines. Since the debate between the three religions (Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism) that had started in the Northern and Southern Dynasties continued during the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Daoist disciples had to exercise their abilities of reflection and eloquence, and improve their philosophical thinking. And because the Tang rulers of the time attached importance to and advocated research on Daoist scriptures, the development of the Daoist theories reached a new phase and Daoist doctrine took some new forms. This not only paved the way for the further development of Daoist theories in the Song and Yuan dynasties (AD 960-1368), but also had a great effect on the Neo-Confucian philosophy of the Song and Ming dynasties. It can be said that Daoist philosophy took a very important position in the Chinese history of ideology and philosophy. During this phase, there emerged quite a large number of famous Daoist scholars such as Sun Simiao, Cheng Xuanying, Wang Xuanlan, Li Rong, [[Sima Chengzhen]], Wu Jun, Li Quan, Zhang Wanfu, and so on. Each contributed to the development of Daoist theories in his own way, so that they became very influential figures in the history of Daoist ideology and its development. ==Tortuous Development of Daoism from the An-Shi Rebellions to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period== ===Daoism from the An-Shi Rebellions to the End of the Tang Dynasty=== After the An-Shi (An Lushan and Shi Siming) Rebellions, Daoism began to decline from the summit of its development. Daoist classical books were burned in the war, and Daoist temples and auspicious realms were damaged. In spite of all this, the regular policy of the Tang rulers of worshiping Daoism and its ancestors was not changed yet. After the mid-Tang period, Daoism gradually revived and developed. At the time of Emperor Wuzong, there was another tide of developing Daoism. Emperor Wuzong continued the custom of worshiping Daoism that was handed down from Emperor Xuanzong. Wuzong's worship of Daoism had the following aspects: #Worship of the Emperor of the Mysterious Origin( 玄元皇帝 Xuanyuan Huangdi ). Laozi's birthday was set as the Sage Visitation Festival ( 降聖日 Luosheng Ri ), as a day of rest throughout the country. #Offering of sacrifices to the Honored Spirits of the Nine Palaces ( 九宮責神 Jiugong Guishen ) in rituals of the Great Shrine ( 大祠 Daci ), which restored the old system of Xuanzong's time. In Xuanzong's time, the Honored Spirits of the Nine Palaces were considered as the heavenly spirits controlling floods and droughts, and treated with high courtesy. In Wenzong's time, the sacrifice to it had been dropped to the level of Medium-sized Shrine ( 中祠 Zhongci ), and then revived to the Great Shrine again in Wuzong's time, as part of his worship of Daoism. #Appointment of Zhao Guizhen, a Daoist, to an important position, acceptance of Daoist Skills and Registers, and respect to him as the emperor's spiritual master. #Building of the Temple for Viewing Immortals ( 望仙觀 Wangxian Guan ) within the imperial court for the purpose of refining elixirs and pursuing the goal of becoming immortal by taking elixirs. Because of his worship of Daoism and of the excessive expansion of Buddhist monasteries' economic power, Emperor Wuzong ordered the abrogation of Buddhism and the secularization of Buddhist monks and nuns. Wuzong's worship of Daoism offered Daoism a new opportunity to develop. ===Daoism in the Ten Kingdoms and Five Dynasties period=== At the end of the Tang dynasty, several small independent states came into existence by force of arms. Following the custom of worshiping Daoism that was handed down from the Tang dynasty, the rulers of these states participated very much in the worship of Daoism. The first emperor of ther Later Jin dynasty, Shi Jingtang, revered a Daoist as his spiritual master, consulted him about the way to govern a state, and asked the Daoist to teach him the ''[[Book of Dao and its Virtue]]'' ( 道徳經 Daode Jing ). The Zhuang emperor Li Cunxu of the Later Tang dynasty continued the state policy of worship of Daoism and ancestors, revering the Emperor of Mysterious Origin as the Sacred Patriarch ( 聖祖 Shengzu ). He claimed that the young twigs growing on withered branches at the Old Hall of the Sage Patriarch ( 聖祖舊殿 Shengzu Jiudian ) symbolized a resurgence of fortunes. Emperor Shizong of the Later Zhou dynasty consulted Chen Tuan, a Daoist on [[Mt. Hua]], learning from him the skills of immortality and granting him the title ' Gentleman of White Clouds" ( 白雲先生 Baiyun Xiansheng ). The first emperor Wang Jian of the Later Shu Dynasty treated the Daoist Du Guangting very well, asked him to be the tutor of his son, and conferred on him the title 'Duke of the Kingdom of Cai" ( 蔡國公 Caiguo Gong ) and styled him ' Gentleman of Broad Accomplishments" ( 廣成先生 Guangcheng Xiansheng ). Wang Yan, the son of Wang Jian, and even revered Du Guangting as the 'Celestial Master Who Transmits Perfection" ( 傳真天師 Chunzhen Tianshi ) and as the 'Grand Scholar of the Temple for the Worship of Perfection ( 崇真館 Chongzhen Guan ). He had a statue of Wang Zijing cast, revered Wang as the Sage Patriarch and Higher Dao Emperor of the Jade Mansion ( 聖祖至道玉宸皇帝 Shengzu Zhi Yuchen Huangdi ), and followed the example of the Tang dynasty's worship of the Sage Patriarch Emperor of the Mysterious Origin ( 聖祖玄元皇帝 Shengzu Xuanyuan Huangdi ), in order to consolidate his kingdom. Emperor Meng Chang of the Later Shu dynasty, whose Daoist name was 'Master of Jade Heaven" ( 玉霄子 Yuxiaozi ), believed in the Arts of the Bedchamber ( 房中術 Fangzhongshu ). He prayed for happiness and averted misfortunes through Daoist rituals, and appreciated the ''Portrait of the True Form of the Eight Immortals'' ( 八仙真形圖 Baxian Zhenxing Tu ) painted by the Daoist Zhang Suqing. Yang Xingmi, the King of the Wu state, worshiped the Daoist Nie Shidao, asked him to pray for the happiness of the people, and granted him the title 'Gentleman Who Attends to Politics" ( 問政先生 Wenzheng Xiansheng ). In a word, from the An-Shi Rebellion to the Five Dynasties period, the rulers' policy of worshiping Daoism remained more or less unchanged, and the rulers all tried to take advantage of Daoism to consolidate their ruling position. Those emperors and influential officials who worshiped Daoism the most indulged in the Daoist belief in immortals and in the skills of alchemy. ===The main sects of Daoism from the An-Shi rebellion to the Five Dynasties period=== In this period, the Mt. Mao Sect still held the leading position in Daoism. Based on the ''Record of Mt. Mao'' ( 茅山志 Maoshan Zhi ), the transmission of the Maoshan Lineage ( 茅山宗 Maoshan Zong ) from the 14th to the 19th generation (altogether six generations) progressed rather slowly, because the masters of the Mt. Mao Sect were not very famous. The Tiantai Sect of the Southern Sacred Mountain Tradition ( 南嶽天台派 Nanyue Tiantai Pai ), derived from the Mt. Mao Sect, was named after the mountains the adepts lived in. The Highest Clarity Secret Skills of the Great Grotto ( 上清大洞秘法 Shangqing Dadong Mifa ) and the Scriptures and Registers of the Three Grottoes ( 三洞經籙 Sandong Jinglu ) were transmitted, and many Daoists were well known to the world. For example, Luqiu Fangyuan wrote thirty essays to elaborate the ''Book of Dao and its Virtue'', and had more than 200 disciples. And Nie Shidao, with over 500 disciples, was quite influential, for he preached the doctrines by following the true custom of Daoism and transmitted the Highest Clarity Skills. Luqiu Fangyuan and Nie Shidao were the two most important teachers of the Tiantai Sect of the Southern Sacred Mountain Tradition. ===The development of Daoist doctrines and rituals in this period=== In this period, Daoist doctrines and rituals of fasts and offerings were still developing, and were summarized by Du Guangting in the Five Dynasties period. After he failed in the imperial examination at the provincial level, Du Guangting revered as his master Ying Yijie, a Daoist of the Tiantai Sect of the Southern Sacred Mountain Tradition, practicing the Highest Clarity Skills. In the first year of Zhonghe (881 AD), he came to the Shu state (in today's Sichuan province) with emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty, and then stayed in Chengdu. Later he served emperor Wang Jian of the Later Shu state, and was entitled 'Gentleman of Broad Accomplishments". Du cultivated Dao in reclusion on Mt. Qingcheng, and summarized the doctrines and rituals of Daoism through his large number of works. Since the emergence of Daoism, Laozi and the Book of Dao and its Virtue had been mystified. Laozi was even regarded as the Sage Patriarch by the rulers of the Tang Dynasty, and the Book of Dao and its Virtue revered as the 'Perfect Book" ( 真經 Zhenjing ). Based on all this, Du Guangting creatively systematized the various legends about [[the Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ), perfected Laozi as the embodiment of Dao and the myth that Laozi had created the world. We may say that it was Du Guangting who systematized and generalized the image of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign as the founder of Daoism. With the formation of Daoism in the Han Dynasty, the Book of Dao and its Virtue had become the fundamental basis of Daoist doctrines. Since then, the Daoists attached great importance to its interpretation, and thus formed the Daoist school of Laozi Learning28. The Broad and Sacred Teachings of the Perfect Book of Dao and its Virtue29, characteristic of the Twofold Mystery School30, was one of Du's masterpieces, which summarized Daoist Laozi Learning since the Han Dynasty and improved further the speculation of it. By doing so Du paved the way for the new school of Laozi Learning in the Song and Yuan dynasties. Du absorbed the advantages of the different sects of Daoism. He not only had a sense of participation in political affairs, but the demeanor of the 'Prime Minister in the Mountain"31. Moreover, he had the concepts of the speculative Twofold Mystery School, as well as the true transmission of the Skills and Registers of the Zhang Celestial Masters of [[Mt.Longhu]]. He summarized and completed the Daoist rituals of Fasts and Offerings32, and became an important figure in the history of Daoism. ==Methods for Ingesting Original Vital Breath During the Sui and Tang Dynasties== During the Sui and Tang dynasties, Daoist concepts of Ingesting Vital Breath ( 服氣 Fuqi ) placed a strong emphasis on the Ingestion of Original Vital Breath ( 服元氣 Fu Yuanqi ), Internal Vital Breath ( 內氣 Neiqi ) and Internal Original Vital Breath ( 內元氣 Neiqi ). They stressed that, in order to live a long life, people should not dissipate their body's Original Vital Breath and should retain their Vital Essence. Original Vital Breath was considered to be the root of life; only by guarding this root carefully could Dao be attained. The method for preserving that root was Ingesting Original Vital Breath and Internal Vital Breath. According to Perfect Man Yin's Art of Ingesting Original Vital Breath ( 尹真人服元氣術 Yin Zhenren Fu Yuanqi Shu ), "the body's Original Vital Breath is released through the mouth and nose. If exhalation of Original Vital Breath is stopped, the Elixir Field ( 丹田 Dantian ) will be filled. If the Elixir Field is full, you will not feel hunger or thirst, and you will become a Divine Man ( 神人 Shenren ). This is why people begin their life as embryos, without eating, nor drinking, nor breathing, and have Original Vital Breath in abundance. To have an abundance of Original Vital Breath is the way of longevity". If, just like an embryo, you can prevent your Original Vital Breath from leaking outside the body, you have attained the means of attaining longevity. In short, the basic principle of Ingesting Original Vital Breath is to preserve one's Original Vital Breath and prevent its dissipation outside the body. Concretely speaking, the methods for Ingesting Original Vital Breath are the following: ===The first requirements for Ingesting Original Vital Breath are to purify one's heart, eliminate thoughts and action, and to remain in a state of simple tranquility=== 3Exhale naturally. After half the breath, gently continue exhaling with the nose closed. As Vital Breath rises upward, raise your head and swallow forcefully. Raise the head to the left and lower it to the right. Mentally direct the Vital Breath to the abdomen, until it flows into the Elixir Field, and then recommence the cycle by swallowing. The swallowed breath joins the Elixir Field, and from there penetrates the four limbs. This form of mental dirigation of Vital Breath is called "Dissemination of Vital Breath" ( 流布 Liubu ). Take caution not to allow the Vital Breath to leak out of the Obscure Orifice (perineum) ( 玄牝 Xuanpin ), but to make it circulate evenly through the body. You should not gasp or breathe irregularly. If the Vital Breath does not reach the Elixir Field, it is difficult to force it to do so, no matter how much you try. Thus it is difficult for beginners, and they must eat less and make a strenuous effort. With persistent effort, Vital Breath will circulate naturally and ability will accrue. This is called to drink from Spontaneity ( 自然 Ziran ) in order to resist this world, and to approach Divinity in order to enter subtlety. It begins as Three-Five ( 三五 Sanwu ) and ends as Seven-Nine ( 七九 Qijiu ). Lie down on your back, with your head on a low pillow. Contract both knees and shoulders, and stretch both arms. Lie down on your stomach, with a folded quilt under the chest, and stretch out the arms and legs. Inhale with the head raised, making the breath descend on the left, then inhale with the head lowered, making the breath descend on the right. When swallowing Vital Breath make a sound, but do not swallow saliva, and exhale. Beware of allowing wind to enter as you inhale breath. While swallowing Vital Breath, do not rest at will. Wait until the heart is completely tranquil before starting again. When beginning the exercise, you should have a clear mind, without any worries; this will allow the Vital Breath to circulate freely. If the heart is burdened with worry, Vital Breath will not flow. Beginners may feel fullness in their abdomen. If they eat less, they will feel Vital Breath flowing through their organs and into the Elixir Field, and then they will feel it flowing smoothly and freely throughout the body, leading to the spontaneous awakening of the spirit. ===Ingesting Original Vital Breath into the Sea of Vital Breath ( 氣海 Qihai )=== The Sea of Vital Breath forms when the spermatozoon and the ovum first combine. It lies three inches under the umbilicus. When the baby is born, only the umbilical cord is connected with the mother. Hollow as a pipe, it permits the flowing of the Vital Breath to form the embryo. He who wants longevity must cultivate this root; otherwise, pursuing outer cultivation, he can achieve nothing. The Sea of Vital Breath is connected with the kidneys and thus belongs to the water of Ren and Gui ( 壬癸水 Rengui Shui ). It is named "Sea" for water flows into the sea. Vital Breath has water, which is Yin, as its mother. Yin must combine with Yang for it can't exist alone. The Mind, belonging to the Fire of Bing and Ding ( 丙丁火 Bingding Huo ) in the South, is the lord of Yang. Concentrate the mind in the Sea of Vital Breath, and Yang will come down into Yin and Yin up into Yang. It evaporates into clouds which steam the bones and holes all over the body. He whose Vital Breath doesn't flow well will have diseases in his body. Those whose diseases are incurable by medicine must concentrate, without any other thoughts, on the Sea of Vital Breath. Put one hand under the umbilicus and wait for the Vital Breath. When the Vital Breath comes, it moves under the palm, giving a feeling of breathing, touching, aching, sounding, and pulling. One must wait quietly and concentrate on it with the eyes. Thus, Yang shines on Yin and yin rushes upward and transforms into a vital liquid. After a long time, the breath through the nostrils minimizes under the throat and one only feels one's breath moving in the Sea of Vital Breath. Every time one exercises Vital Breath, one must regulate it slowly to disperse it; otherwise it will become a tumor or a gall. ===The Wise Man of Mt. Mao's formula for Ingesting Inner Vital Breath ( 服內氣 Fu Neiqi ). === Lie on your right side, draw both legs slightly, face the east with the head turned south, and hold both fists by the chin. Shut the breath in, swallow it seven times, and then exhale once. The sick first exhales once after inhaling one or two times, and then exhales once after inhaling seven times. Then regulate the breath evenly, inhale 40 times, and sit up to practice. Embrace both erect knees with both hands crossed, hold your breath and bloat your belly fourteen or twenty-one times, and puff when your breath is full. Regulate the breath to keep it from being coarse. Then hold your breath and bloat your belly again until the belly is regulated. When you sweat or feel hot, it means that your breath is full all over your body and all your joints have become comfortable. The old scriptures all prescribe visualization, which is too troublesome for the mind to practice. Ingesting Vital Breath originates from Embryonic Breathing and accords with the function of mysterious creation only if one doesn't have any other thoughts. The law goes as follows: treasure your Essence, hold your breath and swallow your vital water (saliva) : your Vital Breath will transform into blood, your blood into Essence, Eessence into liquid, and your liquid into bones. Practice it often without sluggishness, and you will become extremely vigorous. ===Gentleman Huanzhen's formula for Ingesting Inner original Vital Breath ( 元氣 Yuanqi ). === The essence of ingesting Vital Breath lies in swallowing breath. Ordinary people swallow their Outer and Inner breath in confusion, while true practitioners distinguish them without fault. Man is born with Original Vital Breath forming his body, and his body with full Original Vital Breath is healthy. Every time one swallows and exhales breath, the Inner Breath corresponds with the Outer Breath. It naturally comes up from the Sea of Vital Breath to the throat. When one exhales completely at the throat, one immediately closes one's mouth and swallows down with a sound. The breath goes down, along the left for man and along the right for woman, just like water through the backbone's 24 joints. The Outer Breath and Inner Breath are thus differentiated clearly while closely related. Send it with the mind and massage it with the hand to make it quickly enter the Sea of Vital Breath. As for Ingesting Breath and cultivating the body, one enters a quiet room in leisure and undresses, lies facing upward, and stretches one's arms with one's hands open, combs one's hair and spreads it on the bedsheet, and then regulates the breath and ingests it. After ingesting, hold the breath to full capacity and extinguish any thought. Let go of the breath and exhale when one stifles, and regulate it when one pants. Practice again when the breath is even and stop after ten times. A beginner's breath cannot pass through for some time; he can practice holding his breath gradually for one to ten seconds. When it is through, he can gradually add 20 to 50 seconds. Sweating all over is the effect. Pacify the mind and harmonize the Vital Breath, lie and don't rise in wind. This is a good way for the aged to prolong their lives. The way to let go of Vital Breath ( 委氣 Weiqi ): pacify the body and the breath as well as the mind, then one can practice whenever one walks, stands, sits or lies. Leaning against the door, stretching on the bed, sitting alone, one just makes one's mind thoughtless, quiet and empty as the sky. Then hold and regulate the Vital Breath ( 調息 Tiaoxi ) ten to twenty times, letting go of the Vital Breath without any deliberate struggle with the breath. After a long while, breath will come out from the pores in one's body instead of one's mouth. While emphasizing Ingesting Vital Breath, Sui and Tang Daoism stressed Embryonic Breathing ( 胎息 Taixi ), which is closely related to Ingesting Breath. Vol. 58 of the ''[[Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel]]'' ( 雲笈七籤 Yunji Qiqian ) contains the texts ''On the Essential Subtlety of Embryonic Breathing'' ( 胎息精微論 Taixi Jingwei Lun ), ''Essential Formulas for Embryonic Breathing'' ( 胎息根旨要訣 Taixi Genzhi Yaojue ), ''Sundry Formulas for Embryonic Breathing'' ( 胎息雜訣 Taixi Zajue ), and ''Oral Formulas for Embryonic Breathing'' ( 胎息口訣 Taixi Koujue ). Vol. 60 contains the ''Formulas for Embryonic Breathing by Ingesting Vital Breath'' ( 服氣胎息訣 Fuqi Taixi Jue ) and the ''Book of Embryonic Breathing'' ( 胎息經 Taixi Jing ), which are especially about Embryonic Breathing. In addition, the arts of Vital Breath scattered in many books contain skills of Embryonic Breathing. This is an important feature of Daoist Ingesting Vital Breath. What is Embryonic Breathing? The Yanling Sovereign's ''General Treatise on Cultivation and Nourishment'' ( 延陵君修養大略 Yanling Jun Xiuyang Dalue ) says, " Guarding the One and holding fast to one's own Inner Vital Breath, just as an infant in the mother's embryo, is thus called Embryonic Breathing ". ''The Oral Formulas on Embryonic Breathing'' says, "After long practice, the breath, instead of flowing through the mouth and nostrils, flows through the umbilicus just as in an infant. So it is called Embryonic Breathing." ''Sundry Formulas on Embryonic Breathing'' says, "Not confusing the Inner Breath with the Outer Breath is called Embryonic Breathing." ''The Essential Formula on Embryonic Breathing'' points out, "The ancients' books about Embryonic Breathing seldom reach the Gate of Mystery. Their statements all contain some mistakes or shortcomings. Some say no breath is the embryo; others say holding one's breath is Inner Breath. All, clinging to a single way far from the ultimate truth, confuse later learners." "Embryonic Breathing is the Vital Breath formed when Yin and Yang of Heaven and Earth first combined. This Vital Breath concentrated into form. Then the light of this Essential Breath concentrated as two eyes, which are the essential breath of the father. As pure Yang breath, it is able to reflect all things. The Mysterious Female formed with the mother's Yin breath becoming the mouth and nostrils. Thus we can know that form is the basis for receiving Vital Breath and Vital Breath is the root of form, and two kinds of Vital Breath are the root of forms. Since there is the root of form, it can grow with the mother's breath into an embryo and body in ten months. Thus, practitioners imitate it. Recovering one's root is the essence of Embryonic Breathing." So, we know that Daoism has different explanations of Embryonic Breathing with the same metaphor of infant's breath in the embryo. There are various concrete methods of Embryonic Breathing. ''On the Essential Subtlety of Embryonic Breathing'' says, "Embryonic Breathing and Ingesting Vital Breath should be conducted by swallowing seven times in the later half of the night. After each swallowing, regulate the breath seven times and swallow it again like water with a sound of "kan" indicating the flow of breath. Curdle the Vital Breath in the Sea of Vital Breath and make the belly full as a pregnant woman's. Achieve Embryonic Breathing through having an embryo (the Sea of Vital Breath is filled with breath and then it is the way of Embryonic Breathing). The Vital Breath completed, the pure breath condenses as an embryo and impure breath disperses out (through the limbs and hair). The embryo completed, all diseases are naturally cured and one can communicate with Immortals and spirits. Only when the joints are smooth and the sea of the stomach open, can one inhale the Original Vital Breath through Ingesting Breath. After Ingesting the Breath, one must close the joints and exhale slowly through the nostrils. Ingest this way, and the Inner Breath and Outer Breath will not be separate, and embryonic breath will not escape. Count silently from 10 to 100, 200 or 300. After this little achievement, one's senses will become very acute and all diseases will be cured. It is very unreasonable to learn Embryonic Breathing through restraining one's breath. Holding one's breath harms the organs. The secret of great effect and little effort in Ingesting Vital Breath lies only in pacifying the mind. With worries and thoughts extinguished, the Vital Breath channels become fluent, the joints open, and harmonious breath gathers inside all the day. After swallowing seven times at midnight, keep the Inner Breath from flowing out, inhale and exhale slowly through the nostrils, and do not confuse the Inner Breath with the Outer Breath. Ingest seven times at 4 o'clock and again in the early morning. Stop after ingesting 21 times in total. He who restrains from grains is not limited to this number. Swallow the Inner Vital Breath whenever the stomach is empty, and you will not feel hungry. He who finds it a little difficult at first will get used to it after long practice. The Inner Breath and the Outer Breath will not be confused and gradually the joints and pores will open. The Vital Breath comes and goes by itself, and one needn't exhale and inhale slowly through the nostrils. This is all the subtlety of Embryonic Breathing." ''Sundry Formulas for Embryonic Breathing'' introduces two methods. #Inhale and exhale slowly and the Original Vital Breath will not leak out. After closing the Inner Breath, exhale and inhale through the nostrils slightly. Make the Inner Breath return at the throat. The Inner Breath, after filling up, will rush upward. Let go of it slowly without any restraint. After the breath is regulated, close it again and breathe through the nostrils slowly, and keep it from the throat. After some great efforts, breathing will suddenly become easy and the body comfortable all over. Then even thousands of breaths will not make one tired. The essence of Embryonic Breathing is to extinguish thoughts. The mind is like ashes, the body like wood, one will conform to nature with all his Vital Breath channels and joints open. If worries and thoughts succeed themselves, one's efforts to pursue Dao will be in vain. Only those who renounce the world can conduct this subtle method; otherwise all efforts will be wasted. #After inhaling fully, visualize flowing water with successive waves. The opening of joints and pores depends on this visualization. Inhale slightly through the nostrils and let the breath out through all the limbs, channels and pores. When the later breath comes, hold it from exhaling. Do this slowly; hold the breath from exhaling while keeping from swallowing it. It will disperse slightly and slowly, and the Inner Breath will not disperse. The ''Oral Formulas of Embryonic Breathing'' says, "He who wants to learn Embryonic Breathing should first sit alone in a quiet room. Sit upright with the left foot crossing the right. Loosen your clothes and belt and then massage your limbs slowly. Hold your hands on your legs, then inhale and exhale three or five times to regulate the breath evenly. Clarify the mind leisurely and then swing the body slowly to spread the organs. Then, beat the Heavenly Drum ( 鳴天鼓 Mingtang ) 36 times and visualize the Bright Hall ( 明堂 Mingtang ) one inch deep between the two eyebrows, the Pervasive Chamber ( 洞房 Dongfang ) two inches deep, and the Upper Elixir Field ( 丹田 Dantian ) (also named the Mud Ball Palace ( 泥丸宮 Niwan Gong )) three inches deep. Then visualize in turn the Middle Elixir Field, the Lower Elixir Field, and the Five Organs starting with the heart. Visualize each of the Five organs giving out the Vital Breath of its direction to combine with the white Vital Breath of the three Elixir Fields into one breath. The unified breath comes out from the back of the head, shining with nine colored rays of about 10 meters' length. While visualizing the body in this Vital Breath, shut the mouth and nostrils and visualize Embryonic Breathing only in the umbilicus. Feeling out of breath, exhale slowly and slightly through the nostrils. When the breath recovers its evenness, visualize it as before. Sweating indicates one has finished and there is no limit to the times of practice. Feeling hot, visualize Vital Breath all over the body like steam in a rice pot. This is called Full Breath. Ingest again and visualize all the organs and bowels in the body. Practice slowly without hearing the sound of your breath. After 30 years' practice, one can breathe in the umbilicus and thus easily bear a rope tight around one's neck. Also, one can sit under water for 15 days. The ''Book of Embryonic Breathing'' says, "The embryo forms through taming the breath; breath is tamed through forming the embryo. Vital Breath coming into the body is life; and the spirit's leaving the body is death. Grasping the spirit and Vital Breath, one can achieve longevity; holding to emptiness, one can nourish the spirit and Vital Breath. The Spirit moving, the Vital Breath moves; the Spirit staying still, the Vital Breath stays still. If one desires longevity, one must concentrate the Spirit and Vital Breath on each other. The mind not arousing any thought, it will stay naturally without coming or going. Practicing this diligently is the true way." This method is different from all those cited above in its emphasis on holding to emptiness and the non-moving of the mind. So, there are different ideas about Embryonic Breathing and consequently different methods of practice. Also, Embryonic Breathing is the same as Ingesting Original Vital Breath in its fundamental method, and so it was natural for Sui and Tang Daoism to stress Embryonic Breathing while emphasizing Ingesting Original Vital Breath. The Daoist Art of Vital Breath is one of the finest flowers of Chinese Life-Nourishing culture. With a deposit of fine heritage from Chinese traditional culture and in spite of some unscientific contents, its main part may as well be the crystal of primeval life science. This great contribution of Daoism to Chinese ancient science still has great value to contemporary human life science and medicine. It deserves our deep study and development. Sui and Tang Daoism, emphasizing Ingesting Original Vital Breath and summarizing a system of methods, became an important period in the history of Daoist cultivating arts. Absorbing Daoist achievements in Breathing Arts of the Han, Wei and Northern and Southern Dynasties and developing to a higher stage, it prepared a basis for the rise of the Inner Alchemy of the end of the Tang, Five Dynasties and Song dynasties. This was an important transitional period in which External Alchemy became Inner Alchemy. Sui and Tang Daoist ways of Ingesting Original Vital Breath are an invaluable treasure in the treasury of the Chinese culture of Nourishing Life. [[zh:隋唐五代道教]] 86333e081f429e5059fb6a5c973a1be6c54c150e 0 266 319 2009-08-09T09:29:27Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The Revival of Daoism in the Northern Song Dynasty and Appearance of New Religious Teachings== ===Worship of Daoism by the Rulers of the Northern Song Dynasty=== The emperors Z...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Revival of Daoism in the Northern Song Dynasty and Appearance of New Religious Teachings== ===Worship of Daoism by the Rulers of the Northern Song Dynasty=== The emperors Zhenzong and Huizong represented the rulers who worshiped Daoism in the Northern Song Dynasty. By imitating Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty who worshiped the Sage Patriarch ( 聖祖 Shenzu ) [[Laozi]], Emperor Zhenzong revered the Heavenly Lord Zhao Xuanlang as his forefather. He conducted a drama in which the Heavenly Lord ( 天尊 Tianzun ) descended down to the earth, entitled Zhao the "Great Emperor and Heavenly Lord, Controller of Destinies and Protector of Life of the Sage Patriarch's Highest Numinosity and of the Great Dao's Nine Heavens" ( 聖祖上靈高道九天司命保生天尊大帝 Shenzu Shangling Gaodao Jiutian Siming Baosheng Tianzun ). In Zhenzong's time there occeured the so-called "descent of the heavenly book". It was said that a Divine Man told the emperor that three heavenly passages of the ''Auspicious Talismans of the Great Mean'' ( 大中祥符 Dazhong Xianfu ) were descending. So he changed the title of his reign to "Auspicious Talismans of the Great Mean" to correspond to the care and protection of the highest heaven. Emperor Huizong worshiped Daoism even more fervently. He claimed that the Heavenly Spirits had descended and rejuvenated Daoism. To cater to his idea, the Daoist Lin Lingsu the claimed that emperor Huizong was the Great Imperial Sovereign of Longevity ( 長生大帝君 Changsheng Dadijun ) who had descended to the world as the founder of Daoism. Under his instruction, the Daoist Registration Administration ( 道錄院 Daoluyuan ) officially entitled Emperor Huizong as the "Emperor, Patriarch and Sovereign of Dao" ( 教主道君皇帝 Jiaozhu Daojun Huangdi ). The emperor appointed the Daoist Liu Hunkang of Mt. Mao to an important position, and granted him the title 'Gentleman Who Nurtures Perfection and Contemplates Sublimity" ( 葆真觀妙先生 Baozhen Guangmiao Xiansheng ). He frequently called Zhang Jixian, the Celestial Master of the 30th generation, to the capital and granted him the title "Gentleman of Emptiness and Tranquility" ( 虛靖先生 Xujing Xiansheng ). In particular, the Daoist Lin Lingsu was treated favorably and received the title "Gentleman Who Has Attained Perfection and Numinosity" ( 通真達靈先生 Tongzhen Daling Xiansheng ). Besides, he was ordered to prune Daoist history and scriptures and registers, and respected as a spiritual master. Due to this, Daoism became high-tone. Emperor Huizong had Daoist temples constructed on a large scale and had the Nine Cauldrons ( 九鼎 Jiuding ) cast. He also set up a system of Daoist Learning, personally explained the [[Book of Dao and its Virtue]] ( 道德經 Daode Jing ) by himself, and increased the number of Daoists. As a result Daoism developed greatly and enjoyed a very high social position. The reigns of the emperors Zhenzong and Huizong marked two high tides for Daoism, in which the rulers of the Northern Song Dynasty worshiped Daoism in order to consolidate their own ruling positions. ===The Daoist sects of the Northern Song dynasty=== The Maoshan Lineage ( 茅山宗 Miaoshan Zong ) was the most prosperous of the Daoist sects of the Northern Song dynasty, and it had a clear pedigree of transmission with eight patriarchs altogether. Daoist skills of Talismans and Registers ( 符籙 Fulu ) were greatly developed at the time, especially the Five Thunder Skills ( 五雷法 Wuleifa ) for summoning wind and rain, which got the favor of the rulers. The Zhang Celestial Masters Tradition ( 張天師道 Zhang Tianshi Dao ) began to gradually revive as well. With the support of the rulers of the middle and late Tang dynasty, the Zhang Celestial Masters Tradition began to revive, and gradually formed the Celestial Masters Tradition of Mt. Longhu in Jiangxi province in the late Tang dynasty, and framed its pedigree of transmission. The rulers of the Southern Tang Dynasty had the Temple of Celestial Master Zhang built on Mt. Longhu, and praised it so much that it became more and more influential in society. With the powerful support of the rulers of the Song Dynasty, the Celestial Masters Tradition of Mt. Longhu got prosperous step by step. In Emperor Zhenzong's time, Zhang Zhengsui, the Celestial Master of the 24th generation, was called in and granted the title "Gentleman of Perfection and Tranquility" ( 真靜先生 Zhengjing Xiansheng ). Wang Qingruo, the Minister of Civil Personnel, presented a memorial to the throne for Zhang to institute the Academy for Conferring Registers ( 授籙院 Shoulu Yuan ). Zhang was offered money to expand the Temple of the Highest Clarity ( 上清宮 Shangqing Gong ), free from rent for land use, and received permission for his son to inherit it. Since then, the successors of the Celestial Masters were all conferred the hereditary title "Gentleman" ( 先生 Xiansheng ), the highest title for Daoists at the time. ===Development of Daoist doctrines=== Due to the efforts of famous Daoist scholars such as Chen Tuan, Zhang Borui, Zhang Wumeng, and Chen Yuan, some new features emerged in Daoist doctrines. Chen Tuan elaborated the ''Book of Changes'' ( 易經 Yijing ) with images and numbers in his Dragon Chart of The Book of Changes ( 易龍圖 Yilongtu ). He initiated the School of the Yellow River Chart and of the Luo River Writ ( 圖書學派 Tushu Xuepai ) of the Science of Changes ( 易學 Yixue ). These scholars tried to demonstrate the generation and formation of the world with images and numbers. The categories they used such as the absolute principle ( 道 Dao ) and the phenomena ( 氣 Qing ), and of the thing-in-itself ( 體 Ti ) and its functioning ( 用 Yong ) deeply influenced the Neo-Confucian school of philosophy of the Song Dynasty. After Du Guangting summarized the development of Daoist Laozi Learning since the Han Dynasty, the Daoist scholars of the Northern Song Dynasty who commented the ''Book of Dao and its Virtue'' were quite influential, with some new characteristics, even if they were few in number. Zhang Wumeng elaborated the pivot of Daoist Cultivation and Refinement ( 修煉 Xiulian ) and Nourishing Life ( 養生 Yangsheng ) by combining Laozi's thought with that of the ''Book of Changes'', and by adopting the functioning of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). Chen Jingyuan, the disciple of Zhang Wumeng, wrote two volumes to comment the ''Book of Dao and its Virtue'', one passage of which, the ''Sublime Meaning of the Original of the Perfect Book of Dao and its Virtue'' ( 道德真經藏室纂微篇 Daode Zhengjing Cangshi Zhuanwei Bian ), is now preserved in the Daoist Canon. In Chen's writings he illustrated that the key point of Laozi Learning ( 老學 Laoxue ) was the combination of the refinement of Bodily Life and governing the country. Regarding the Book of Dao and its Virtue, Chen considered the Twofold Mystery ( 重玄 Chongxuan ) as its essence, Spontaneity as its truth, and Virtue as its functioning. He followed the philosophical viewpoints of the Twofold Mystery school of the Tang dynasty, and elaborated them in terms of political theory. His thought influenced the people of the Song Dynasty. The combination of the ''Book of Changes'' and of the ''Book of Dao and its Virtue'' and the systematization of the theories of Inner Alchemy were characteristic of the Daoist doctrines of the Song Dynasty. Su Yuanlang of the Sui Dynasty wrote On the Essential Meaning of Dao ( 旨道篇 Zhidao Pian ) for his disciples and guided the refinement of inner alchemy with ''[[the Three Ways Unified and Normalized]]'' ( 周易參同契 Zhouyi Cantongqi ). In the Tang Dynasty, Liu Zhigu, the magistrate of Changming County of Mianzhou, wrote On the ''Mysterious Pivot of the Sun and Moon'' ( 日月玄樞論 Riyue Xuanshu Lun ) to illustrate his ideas on the refinement of Inner Alchemy. Also in the Tang Dynasty, some books on Inner Alchemy appeared one after another. For example, Zhang Guo's The ''Sublime Book of the Mind's Correspondence with the Nine Supreme Essentials'' ( 太上九要心印妙經 Taishang Jiuyao Xinyin Miaojing ) and the ''Sublime Chart of Correspondence of the Great Reversion Elixir'' ( 大還丹契妙圖 Dahuandan Qimiaotu ), and ''Huan Yangzi's On the Golden Tiger and White Dragon of the Great Reversion Elixir'' ( 大還丹金白龍論 Dahuandan Jinhu Bailong Lun ). Between the end of the Tang dynasty and the Five Dynasties period, the arts of Inner Alchemy were even more developed. From the period of the Five Dynasties to the Northern Song Dynasty, it was the turning point for the replacement of Outer Alchemy ( 外丹 Waidan ) by Inner Alchemy. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, Cui Xifan, the "Perfect Man of Attainment to Oneness" ( 至一真人 Zhiyi Zhenren ), wrote [[the Elixir Mirror]] ( 入藥鏡 Ruyaojing ) to illustrate the theory and methods of Inner Alchemy. Peng Xiao, a Daoist of the Five Dynasties period, carefully studied the ''Three Ways Unified and Normalized'' carefully, and wrote the ''Perfect Explanations to Each Chapter of the Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes'' ( 周易參同契分章通真義 Zhouyi Cantongqi Fenzhang Tongzhen Yi ) to explain his ideas on Inner Alchemy. In addition, the Golden Elixir Tradition ( 金丹道 Jindan Dao ) of Zhong and Lu sprang up between the end of the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties period. There were many legendary stories about Zhong and Lu. After Zhong Liquan and Lu Dongbing became two of [[the Eight Immortals]] ( 八仙 Baxian ), Zhong and Lu's stories of the transmission of Dao became household words. In the Northern Song Dynasty, Chen Tuan illustrated his ideas on Inner Alchemy in the ''Diagram of the Infinite'' ( 無極圖 Wujitu ). According to his conception of Inner Alchemy, one should begin with the apertures with the Infinite ( 無極 Wuji ) as the starting point. Through refining Essential Matter ( 精 Jing ), one could transform it into Vital Breath ( 氣 Qi ). By refining Vital Breath, one could transform it into Spirit ( 神 Shen ). By refining the Spirit, one could return to Emptiness ( 虛 Xu ) and finally revert to the Infinite. His book was an important generalization of the Daoist theory of inner alchemy. At the time of Emperor Shenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhang Boduan wrote On ''[[Realizing Perfection]]'' ( 悟真篇 Wuzhen Pian ) with all the effort of his life. Zhang accepted the ideas of Zhong and Lu's Golden Elixir about the Integrated Cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life ( 性命雙修 Xingming Shuangxiu ), and advocated that one should cultivate his Bodily Life ( 命 Ming ) first before he cultivated his Spiritual Nature ( 性 Xing ). Besides, he formed his own ideas of Inner Alchemy, with the elaboration of the theory of Inner Alchemy expressed in Chen Tuan's ''Diagram of the Infinite''. His On Realizing Perfection was an important work in the history of Inner Alchemy. Both his book and the Three Ways Unified and Normalized of Wei Boyang were considered the orthodox school of Inner Alchemy. His work not only greatly influenced the development of Daoist Inner Alchemy, but also became the origin of the Southern Lineage of the Golden Elixir Sect ( 金丹派南宗 Jinda Pai Nanzong ). The prosperity and systematization of Inner Alchemy was a turning point in the ideological history of Daoism, for after the Northern Song Dynasty, Daoist doctrines were embodied in Inner Alchemy to a great extent. ==Daoism during the Southern Song, Jin, and Yuan Dynasties (AD 1127 - 1368)== uring this period, the Southern Song regime controlled only the southern part of China, confronting the Jin and Yuan, dynasties established by minority nationalities in northern China. As a result, China was once again divided between North and South. This situation led to the segmentation of Daoist sects. In the southern part of China, the [[Talismans]] ( 符 Fu ) and [[Registers]] ( 籙 Lu ) and Three Mountains sects became the mainstream, in addition to such sects as [[the Divine Heaven sect]] ( 神霄派 Shenxiao Pai ), [[the Pristine Subtlety sect]] ( 清微派 Qingwei Pai ), [[the Pure Brightness sect]] ( 淨明派 Jingming Pai ), and the Southern Lineage of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹派南宗 Jindan Painan Zong ). In the North, many sects appeared during this period, such as [[the Supreme Oneness sect]] ( 太一教 Taiyi Jiao ), [[the Great Dao Doctrine]] ( 大道教 Dadao Jiao ) and [[the Complete Perfection sect]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ). This was a turning point in Daoist history: the Inner Alchemy Tradition became so popular that many Daoist sects emerged from its practise. The Talismans and Registers sect was transformed by the absorption of Inner Alchemy; other sects were equally reformed by the integration of Daoist teachings with [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). Whereas the previous period of reforms, during the Northern and Southern Dynasties (AD 420 - 581), had focussed on raising Daoism from the lower society to the official realm, this new phase of reforms was intrinsic to Daoism, and involved improving basic theories and principles. This process led to the emergence of new Daoist sects. ===Daoism in the Southern Song Dynasty ( AD 1127 - 1279)=== The emperors of the Southern Song dynasty weren't pious Daoists like the former Tang emperors Zhenzong and Huizong. Emperor Gaozong even reversed some previous policies favouring Daoism. Strict regulations and tight controls were placed on establishing Daoist temples and recruiting new Daoist monks. In general, however, the ruling class of the Southern Song still believed in Daoism. The Daoist divinities High Official Cui and the Four Sagely and Perfect Sovereigns were acknowledged as protectors of the imperial family as well as of the Southern part of China under its control. They were respected and worshiped nationwide. In addition, the rulers considered Daoist Magical Skills to be a powerful and reliable tool. When disasters and festivals came, Daoist monks were expected to practice Magical Skills and pray for good weather, peace, and a prosperous nation. The rulers of the Southern Song also stressed Daoist ethics. For example, Emperor Lizong recommended the moralistic storybook ''"Tablet of Supreme Correspondence"'' ( 太上感應篇 Taiswhang Ganying Pian ) to his people. In his preface to the book, the emperor admonished them to "go away from evil, and seek after good" in order to avoid the retributions of the holy souls and spirits. Through encouragement from the ruling class, Daoist moralistic storybooks became so popular that other similar books encouraging Daoist ethics began to appear, exhorting the readers to cleanse sensual desires and maintain social order and stability. Even so, for the rulers of the Southern Song regime, Daoism was nothing but a useful tool to control its people, stablize the society and strengthen the throne. The Talismans and Registers sects dominated Daoism during the Southern Song dynasty. With the "Three Mountains" (Mt. Longhu, [[Mt. Mao]], and [[Mt. Gezao]]) at the core, traditional sects such as the Orthodox Oneness ( 正一 Zhengyi ), the Highest Clarity ( 上清 Shangqing ) and the Numinous Treasure ( 靈寶 Lingbao ) remained in the mainstream. The Pure Brightness sect, the Southern Lineage of Inner Alchemy, as well as new sects such as the Donghua sect, the Divine Heaven sect and the Pristine Subtlety sect, also flourished during this period. During the Southern Song Dynasty, the Mt. Mao sect produced fifteen generations of patriarchs. Most of them became famous for their Daoist Magical Skills. A few were even summoned and given respectable titles by the imperial courts. But, with the exception of Patriarch Jiang Zongyi, none of them is known to have authored any books. This shows that, in terms of the development of religious thought, this sect had been declining since its golden age during the Sui and Tang Dynastes (AD 581 - 907). Accordingly, during the Southern Song dynasty, the Mt. Mao sect lost its leading position, which was taken by the Celestial Masters Tradition of Orthodox Oneness, based on Mt. Longhu. The emperors Gaozong, Xiaozong, Ningzong and Lizong of the Southern Song dynasty had great esteem for Daoism. Besides investing large sums for the construction of the Temple of Highest Clarity on Mt. Longhu, they treated the Celestial Masters kindly as well. As a special favour, emperor Lizong conferred upon Celestial Master Zhang Lin the title "Great Master of the Three Heavens and Perfect Sovereign of the Orthodox Oneness" ( 三天扶教輔元大法師正一靖應顯佑真君 Santian Fujiao Fuyuan Dafa Shizheng Yijing Yingxian Youzhen Jun ). [[Mt. Longhu]] thus officially won leadership over all Talismans and Registers sects in the South represented by the Three Mountains. In this way, the Zhang Celestial Master Tradition on Mt. Longhu was given privilege to control all Talismans and Registers sects. The Gezao sect evolved from the Numinous Treasure sect. It is sometimes regarded as merely another name for the Numinous Treasure sect, used in the later Yuan dynasty (AD 1271- 1368). Most monks of the Numinous Treasure sect lived among secular people. They were rarely summoned or given respectable titles by the emperors. Accordingly, in terms of influence and status among Daoist sects, the Numinous Treasure was not as prominent as either the Maoshan or Mt. Longhu sects. But during the Southern Song Dynasty, the Numinous Treasure sect based on Mt. Gezao was very influential in the lower classes. The practitioners included not only professional Daoist monks, but also ordinary believers. ===The Southern Lineage of the Golden Elixir=== During the Northern Song, Southern Song, Jin, and Yuan Dynasties (AD 960 - 1368), the school of Daoist Inner Alchemy reached its highest degree of development. Following the theories and practices of Inner Alchemy, new Daoist sects came into being, among which the Southern Lineage of the Golden Elixir was most influential. It became widely reknowned in the Southern Song Dynasty. Stictly speaking, the Southern Lineage referred to a specific school of Inner Alchemy which followed the principles enumerated in the ''Tablet on Realizing Perfection'' ( 悟真篇 Wuzhen Pian ) by Zhang Boduan. He suggested that Daoist followers live in secular society and stay at home along with their family members. These principles were utterly different from the ideas of the Complete Perfection sect. Throughout the Southern Song dynasty, the Southern Lineage went through four generations of patriarchs. The first partiarch was Chen Lan, one of Zhang Boduan's third generation disciples. From Master Zhang Boduan to Master Chen Lan, the sect didn't have a religious organization nor its own temples, except for some formulas of Inner Alchemy passed on secretly among its followers. The second master was Bai Yuchan, who ultimately changed the Southern Lineage into a real Daoist organization. The five masters, Zhang Boduan, Shi Tai, Xue Daoguang, Chen Lan and Bai Yuchan, were known as "The Five Southern Patriarchs" ( 南五祖 Nanwu Zu ). Master Peng Lu of the third generation and Li Daochun of the fourth generation were also famous figures in its history. After Master Zhang Boduan's time, the Southern Lineage divided into two currents following different methods of Cultivation and Refinement. One stressed traditional Inner Alchemy; the other paid more attention to the combination of Daoism and Buddhism. The former current further divided into two factions: Single Cultivators ( 清修 Qingxiu ) (i.e., unisex) and Integrated Cultivators ( 雙修 Shuangxiu ) (i.e., dual sex). They tried to base their theories on "Integrating the Heart with the Dao", an idea taken from both Daoism and Buddhism. However, since the Yuan Dynasty, the Southern Lineage had been declining. Finally, it was absorbed by the Complete Perfection and Orthodox Oneness sects, and disappeared from the limelight. ===Daoism during the Jin Dynasty (AD 1115-1234)=== While showing their respect for Daoism, the rulers of the Jin dynasty nonetheless imposed restraints on it to prevent it from "misleading the masses". In this period, the North was plunged in chaotic warfare; the different nationalities conflicted with each other. The rulers of the Jin regime tried to win support from the upper class of Daoism; meanwhile, Daoism itself continued to develop. All these factors led to the emergence of three new sects - the Supreme Oneness, the Great Dao, and the Complete Perfection, which ultimately became the mainstream of Daoism in the Jin Dynasty. ===Daoism during the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1271 - 1368)=== During the Yuan Dynasty, Daoism enjoyed renewed support from the rulers, leading to a new period of development for the religion. This growth was manifested by the expansion and enlargement of Daoist organizations, rather than by conceptual improvements such as had occured during the Sui and Tang dynasties (AD 581 - 907). New sects merged into old ones. In the north, Daoism was dominated by the Complete Perfection Tradition, in the South by the Orthodox Oneness Tradition. As early as the end of the Southern Song dynasty, the Zhang Celestial Master Tradition had established good relations with the rulers of the Yuan regime. Just before he conquered Southern Song, Fu Bilie, the first emperor of the Yuan dynasty, following the example of his predecessor Genghis Khan's reverential treatment to Qiu Chuji, the patriarch of the Complete Perfection Sect, sent a special envoy to Mt. Longhu to obtain a lucky charm from Zhang Keda, the 35th generation Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ), who predicted that the Yuan would conquer the whole state in 20 years. After conquering the Southern Song, Hu Bilie invited the 36th Celestial Master, Zhang Zhongyan, son of Master Zhang Keda, to the imperial court in 1276. The following year, the Master held a Daoist Rite in the imperial palace and was given the second class silver seal which entitled him to control Daoist affairs in the South and ordain Daoist monks. After that, the Celestial Masters of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition routinely inherited the title of "Perfect Man" given by the imperial Yuan court, and held control over the Talismans and Registers sects of the Three Mountains, as well as Daoist affairs in the South. After being summoned twice by the first emperor of the Yuan regime, Master Zhang Zongyan earned himself several titles and governmental positions, of which the title of "Celestial Master" was most important. In the official document entitled "Rules", the Yuan emperor titled Zhang Zongyan "The 36th Generation Celestial Master since the Han Dynasty", which showed that the title "Celestial Master" had been recognized by the government. Previously, although the descendants of Zhang Lin used to call themselves "Celestial Master", a title which was also popularly used in society, the government had never recognized it. The emperors of the Song Dynasty, for instance, just called them "Teachers". It was the first emperor of the Yuan regime who began the tradition of calling Zhang Lin's descendants "Celestial Masters". However, this recognition was to be exceptional: no sooner had the first emperor of the Ming regime come to the throne than he cancelled the title. In the Yuan Dynasty, the privilege of controlling Daoism in the South came to the Celestial Masters of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition. When Zhang Keda had been in charge of the Talismans and Registers sects of the Three Mountains, the Celestial Masters Tradition sect wasn't so influential. But after Zhang Zongyan became the leader of Daoism in the South, the Celestial Masters developed into the most prosperous and widespread Daoist sect, ultmately surpassing the Maoshan sect and the Gezao sect, and parallelling the Complete Perfection sect in the North. After the Yuan Dynasty, all Celestial Masters, from Zhang Zongyan of the 36th generation, down to Zhang Zhengyan of the 41st generation, won unprecedented honor. The emperors of the Yuan regime bestowed them not only respectable titles such as "Perfect Man" ( 真人 Zhenren ) and "Celestial Master", but also the privilege of controlling Daoism in the South. Throughout the Yuan Dynasty, the Celestial Masters sect on Mt. Longhu witnessed great developments unseen before. Since the Celestial Masters won the control over Daoist sects in the South, the Talismans and Registers sects as well as the Complete Perfection sect in the southern part of China fell under their control. Such matters as establishing Daoist temples, appointing Daoist officials and giving titles to Daoist monks had to be ratified and carried out by the Celestial Masters. In this way, the Celestial Masters' status in Daoism became so essential that after the middle of the Yuan dynasty, Mt. Longhu with the Celestial Masters at its core became the leader of Daoism in the South. In alignment with other Talismans and Registers sects, it ultimately developed into the Orthodox Oneness Tradition, a very large Daoist organization. Accordingly, the Southern Song, Jin, and Yuan dynasties represented a turning period in Daoist history. It is during this time that the Complete Perfection sect and the Orthodox Oneness Tradition of the Celestial Masters developed into the two dominant powers in the North and South respectively, laying the foundation for the development of modern Daoism as well as the sectarian distribution that has remained unchanged up to now, with the Orthodox Oneness sect widespread in the South and the Complete Perfection sect in the North. Comparatively speaking, the Complete Perfection sect was influencial over a wider geographic area, with many temples even in the South. This pattern was ultimately formed during the Ming and Qing dynasties (AD 1368 - 1840). [[zh:宋元道教]] 303b0b181921ecc01e4cb7a330ad40ce3f334c2a 0 267 320 2009-08-10T02:17:47Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Daoism in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)== The Ming Dynasty can be divided into two periods separated by the reign of emperor Shizong. Before Shizong came to the throne, Daoism s...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Daoism in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)== The Ming Dynasty can be divided into two periods separated by the reign of emperor Shizong. Before Shizong came to the throne, Daoism still had some support from the rulers and held its status in the upper classes. During emperor Shizong's reign, Daoism, primarily [[the Orthodox Oneness sect]], even witnessed a brief period of prosperity. After his reign, however, Daoism became estranged from the ruling class. As a result, its social status began to decline. Daoism didn't react quickly to the new situation, and its organization and religious tought deteriorated. ===Daoism and the Ming dynasty rulers=== After he established the Ming regime, Zhu Yuanzang, the first Ming emperor, drew up regulations that treated the Three Doctrines fairly, with Confucianism as the leading school. He employed Daoism to testify that his throne was endowed by the heavenly gods, and treated the Orthodox Oneness sect favourably. Zhu Di, the Chengzu Emperor, continued policies in favor of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition. Because he worshipped the Spirit of the Perfect Warrior, he financed the construction of Daoist temples on [[Mt. Wudang]], which led to the flourishing of Wudang Daoism. Among the Ming emperors, the one closest to Daoism was emperor Shizong who, in terms of his worship for Daoism, could match emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty and emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty. Emperor Shizong was fascinated with Daoist Rites, particularly the "Qinci" -- poems written to certain tunes with strict tonal patterns and rhyme schemes, in fixed numbers of line and words. Talent in writing "Qinci" even became the standard for choosing and promoting his officials. In this way, posts as important as prime minister were assigned to incompetent individuals such as Lian Song, who was in charge of the cabinet just because he was good at writing Daoist "Qinci". Emperor Shizong placed much faith in Daoists. Such was his respect for Shao Yuanjie, a Daoist monk of the Temple of Highest Clarity on [[Mt. Longhu]], that he was given the title "Perfect Man" as well as the privilege of running Daoist affairs. The emperor also endowed Tao Zongwu, a Daoist monk recommended to the imperial court by Shao Yuanjie, with the title "State Protector and Lofty Preacher from the Divine Heaven", the privilege of controlling Daoism, and many important governmental positions. He even called Daoist monks "My Teachers". The emperor also trusted Daoist Magical Skills and Medicine for Immortality, which he relied on for longevity. So he gave money and posts to those who offered them to him. But after emperor Muzong, his successor, came to throne, Daoism saw its setbacks. The Orthodox Oneness sect was stripped of its seal and of the title "Perfect Man of Orthodox Oneness". The privilege of controlling Daoism came to the Temple of Highest Clarity instead. Although the title "Perfect Man of Orthodox Oneness" was rehabilitated during emperor Shengzong's reign, the status of the Celestial Masters of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition was by no means as prominent as before. In general, after emperor Shizong's reign, Daoism lost support from governments. While showing their respect to Daoism, the rulers of the Ming regime nevertheless strengthened their control over the religion. By improving its administrative structure, they put Daoism under strict control. In 1368, the Mystery School Academy was established. In 1383, the Daoist Administration Office took its place, controlling all Daoist affairs in the country. Within the Daoist Administration Office, the posts of Left and Right Orthodox Oneness, Preacher, Complete Spirit and Great Mystery were established. Among them Orthodox Oneness, ranked in the sixth class, was the highest post. This shows that the rulers of the Ming regime still held the Orthodox Oneness sect in high regard. At the lower administrative levels, posts such as the Daoist Discipline Office, the Daoist Orthodoxy Office and the Daoist Associations Office were established to control Daoism. All these posts were taken by Daoist monks who had good reputations and understood Daoist scriptures well. They were in charge of controlling Daoist monks' behavior, verifying the number of Daoist monks and temples, dealing with applicants for the status of Daoist monk, etc. The improvement of administrative structure guaranteed that the government could control Daoism effectively. Because the Ming regime employed a dual standard with regards to Daoist affairs, alternatively supporting and controlling the religion, Daoism development was unstable. The Orthodox Oneness sect won the most respect and support from the rulers, which made it politically superior to [[the Complete Perfection sect]]. Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming dynasty, considered that while the Complete Perfection sect focused its practice on selfish attainments, the Orthodox Oneness sect, on the contrary, encouraged good behavior and enhanced social morality, which would contribute to social stability. Accordingly, the rulers paid much more attention to the development of the Orthodox Oneness sect, enabling it to prosper. Because Zhang Zhenchang, its 42th generation Celestial Master, had foretold to Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, that "the state will come to your control", he was given the privilege of controlling Daoist affairs in the whole country. In this way, the masters of the Orthodox Oneness sect won control over Daoism in the whole country. When Zhang Yuchu became the 43rd generation Celestial Master, he won the title "Preacher of Non-Interference and Perfect Exemplar of the Orthodox Oneness" as well as the honor of editing Daoist books for the imperial court. Zhang Yuchu had a very good educational background and special talents in writing. In fact, he wrote several Daoist books, among which was the Ten Rules for Daoist Sects, which criticized the defects existing in Daoist sects at that time, and put forward his new ideas. In the Xian Stream Essays, he discussed the relation between the Schools of Man and Heaven, [[Laozi]], and Inner Alchemy, proposing a combination of Inner Alchemy and Talismans and Registers. Later, the Celestial Masters of different generations were given not only the privilege of controlling Daoist affairs but also high social status. In addition, such Daoist monks from the Orthodox Oneness Sect as Lou Yuanran, Shao Yuanjie and Tao Zongwen also won themselves many respectable titles from the rulers of the Ming dynasty. After the middle of the Ming dynasty, some problems prevalent in the Orthodox Oneness sect -- poor personal quality, undeveloped religious teachings and practices, as well as its estrangement from the rulers -- shook its social status in the upper classes and ultimately weakened its influence in society. Since then, the Orthodox Oneness Tradition has never seen further development. The Complete Perfection sect had kept good relations with the Yuan dynasty. But the rulers of the subsequent Ming regime came to power from the South, and thought highly of the social functions of the Orthodox Oneness sect. Hence, in the Ming Dynasty, the influence of Complete Perfection was limited to the lower classes of society. But there were still many stories circulating about [[Zhang Sanfeng]], the most famous Daoist of the Complete Perfection Sect who, living in the early stage of the Ming Dynasty, declined invitations from the emperors Taizu and Chengzu. Afterwards, he was given the title "Perfect Manifestation of Pervasive Subtlety" by emperor Yingzong, "Brilliant and Lofty Perfect Immortal" by emperor Xianzong and Perfect Sovereign of Pristine Emptiness and Primordial Sublimity" by Shizong. In the Ming Dynasty, the Complete Perfection sect on [[Mt. Wudang]] was comparatively prominent and ultimately became a base for its future development. Based on [[Mt. Qingcheng]] in Sichuan, the Azure Grotto branch of the Dragon Gate branch of the Complete Perfection sect originally came from Mt. Wudang. In contrast with the Orthodox Oneness sect, Daoists in the Complete Perfection Sect, with the exception of Zhang Sanfeng, were less influential in society. They were neither summoned to the imperial court nor given respectable titles by the government. Estrangement from the rulers, on the other hand, made Daoist monks of the Complete Perfection Sect spend more time and energy on studying Inner Alchemy, which led to the emergence of new Daoist sects such as the Eastern sect, as well to the publication of famous books dealing with Inner Alchemy, including the Pointers on Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life. Though the Complete Perfection sect was not so influential in the upper classes during the Ming Dynasty, it was active in the lower class, paving the way for the prosperity of the Dragon Gate branch in the middle of the Qing Dynasty. ==Daoism in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912)== In general, the rulers of the Qing Dynasty neither understood nor believed in Daoism. In order to win the support of the Han people, however, they sometimes turned to Daoism. Because Daoism in that period had close relations with underground religious sects and organizations - which were thought to be potentially rebellious against governments - the rulers of the Qing always remained suspicious of Daoism. Emperor Shunzi repeatedly admonished the Orthodox Oneness sect to "Never mislead the masses", even though he offered support to activities of the Complete Perfection sect in Beijing. Emperor Kangxi considered that there was no such thing as "Longevity", and that it was foolish to seek for a Medicine for Immortality. On the other hand, he continued the tradition of conferring respectable titles on the Masters of the Orthodox Oneness sect. Emperor Yongzheng suggested that the Three Doctrines (Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism) were complementary, which showed that he thought highly of the positive role of Daoism. He also gave favored treatment to Lou Jinhuan, a Daoist monk on Mt. Longhu and a descendant of Celestial Master Zhang. But from Emperor Qianlong's reign onwards, the rulers of the Qing dynasty began to impose more strict control over Daoism, leading to its decreased social importance and stagnant sectarianism and religious theories. Emperor Qianlong limited the development of the Orthodox Oneness Sect to the Mt. Longhu area. The post of "Perfect Man of Orthodox Oneness", originally ranked second class, was reduced to fifth class. During emperor Daoguang's regine, the Celestial Masters were even deprived of the privilege to go to the imperial court in the capital. In this way, the tie between the rulers and the Orthodox Oneness sect was cut off. Nevertheless, the Orthodox Oneness sect maintained varied activities among the people and kept its influence on their daily life. It even spread to remote mountainous areas and to districts inhabited by ethnic minorities. ===The Revival of the Complete Perfection Sect=== Throughout the Ming dynasty, the Complete Perfection sect had remained obscure. In the Qing Dynasty, however, thanks to [[Wang Changyue]], the seventh master of the Dragon Gate sect of the Complete Perfection Tradition, who did a lot of work to revive and strengthen his sect, [[the Dragon Gate sect]] ultimately saw its prosperity and revival. Wang Changyue's religious practice won the sect not only a large number of believers but also the protection and support of the rulers of the Qing regime, which in turn helped to spread the Complete Perfection sect to more districts. The Dragon Gate sect saw its influence grow even in the South. There were many followers of the Dragon Gate in southern districts such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Wudang, Sichuan, etc. Wang Changyue kept the Daoist monks within the bounds of strict discipline, satisfying the demands of the rulers. He also combined the practice of Inner Alchemy with Daoist Commandments, in order to enable the followers to realize their nature and attain to Dao. As a result, the revived Dragon Gate of the Complete Perfection sect not only satisfied the rulers, but provided a spiritual shelter for the people who were emotionally linked to the perished Ming regime. This in turn did good to social stability. Later, the Dragon Gate developed even further, spreading from the North to the South. In Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, the followers of the Dragon Gate increased so quickly that subordinate sects of the branch came into being, bringing forth its further prosperity. In this period, many well-educated officials joined Daoism. Some of them became the main power in reviving the Dragon Gate. They wrote several books on Daoist Doctrines, such as the writings of Ming Yide, the 11th generation master of the Dragon Gate. Also in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the Dragon Gate came to combine itself with the Orthodox Oneness Tradition as well as with the daily life of society. The Dragon Gate established a subordinate sect even on West Mountain (Xishan) in Nanchang, Jiangxi province, the birthplace of the Pure Brightness sect. On Mt. Wudang, the Dragon Gate was so influential that it attracted more than one hundred followers, among whom some went to areas such as Henan, Shanxi, Sichuan and Shaanxi to expand the sect. Up until today, the Dragon Gate remains one of the most important branches of Daoism. To some degree, the Orthodox Oneness sect and the Complete Perfection sect traded roles in the Ming and Qing dynasties. In the Ming Dynasty, the Orthodox Oneness Sect was more active and obtained more support from the government. In the Qing Dynasty, the Complete Perfection sect saw its prosperity and obtained attentions from the rulers. Generally speaking, however, Daoism's social status in the upper classes continued to decline throughout that period, though it continued to develop in remote minority-inhabited areas as well as in the lower classes. Following Chinese migrations overseas, Daoism also spread to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. ==Daoism Penetrates Folk Culture== In general, it can be said that Daoism was at a low tide in the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911). Daoism became especially weak after the middle of the Ming Dynasty. In terms of the development of religious concepts and sects, Daoism was clearly declining in this period. On the other hand, however, its impact on social life and its integration with popular culture as well as folk customs were strengthened. The influence of Daoism could be found even in Ming, Qing, and republican period novels. This shows that Daoism was returning to the lower classes of society, from which it had originally emerged. This becomes undoubtedly clear when we examine its relations with the underground sects of the Ming and Qing dynasties. At its birth, Daoism was a popular religion which later divided into different sects. The mainstream of Daoism became an official religion, even though some Daoists and Daoist sects remained in the lower society, which had always been the soil out of which popular religions emerged. Some rebellions, such as the so-called "Lihong" uprising of the Northern and Southern Dynasties period (420-581), were related to popular religions. Even in the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Daoism remained in close relations with underground sects in the lower society, among which was the Doctrine of Light, a combination of Daoism and Manichaeism, which worshipped Zhang Jiao of the Supreme Peace Tradition as its master and supported the rebellion led by Fang Na in the Song dynasty. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, because Daoist organizations and religious thought were declining, popular religions, which came into being in this period, absorbed Daoist ideas and forms to improve themselves. In this way, Daoism became popularized. Daoism was also linked to the Red Yang Doctrine, which was very popular in the North during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In fact, many scriptures of the Red Yang Doctrine were printed by Daoist temples and taken good care of by Daoist monks who even transferred the scriptures to secret places when governments tried to confiscate them. The full name of the Red Yang Doctrine was "Red Yang Doctrine of the Original Chaos", in which "Original Chaos" was a concept borrowed from Daoism. For instance, Laozi, the forefather of Daoism, had been given the title Emperor of Original Chaos and Higher Virtues". The highest god of the Red Yang Doctrine, called "Venerable Ancestor of Original Chaos", was also linked to Daoism. Other Daoist Immortals such as the "Three Pristine Ones", the "Jade Emperor", the "Perfect Warrior", the "Complete Perfection" and the "Pristine Subtlety" were also counted among the divinities of the Red Yang Doctrine. Daoist scriptures were an important source of the sect's religious texts. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Daoism also had a deep impact on the Yellow Heaven Doctrine, a popular cult which was characterized by a combination of Daoism and Buddhism. In its early scriptures, the Yellow Heaven Doctrine focused on practicing Inner Alchemy to obtain longevity, showing that it was continuing the Inner Alchemy tradition of the Song and Yuan Dynasties. Since the rulers of the Ming Dynasty preferred the Orthodox Oneness sect to the Complete Perfection sect, some followers of the latter turned to the lower classes of society and involved themselves in popular religious sects. Religious ideas of the Complete Perfection sect were incorporated in the Yellow Heaven Doctrine, which also emphasized the Integrated Cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life, by regarding it as a prerequisite to attaining oneness with Spirit. The concept of the Integration of the Three Doctrines" promoted by the Complete Perfection sect, also had a great influence on the Yellow Heaven Doctrine. It is thus obvious that during the Ming and Qing dynasties, Daoism was closely linked to the underground popular sects in the lower class of society. On the other hand, Daoism's lower class and some Daoist sects were, to some degree, integrating into the popular religions. Daoism's decline was characterized by that of the upper class of Daoism. Daoist followers from intellectual circles, as well as Daoist monks of high quality and social reputations were rarely found; and the cultural quality of the average Daoist was declining. In this way, Daoism came to be passed on among people in the lower classes, integrating into folk custom and popular convention. Daoism seemed to be gradually declining. On the other hand, after returning to its popular origins, Daoism became more tightly tied to ordinary people's daily life. Particularly in the rural areas, Daoism was integrated into popular customs. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Daoism became a significant source for popular festivals. From such books as the ''Records of Festivals in the Imperial Capital'' and the ''Records of Festivals in Beijing'', one could find that many popular festivals and local conventions in Beijing were related to Daoist beliefs. The Yanjiu Festival, on the 19th day of the first lunar month, for instance, commemorated the Immortal [[Qiu Chuji]], also known as Master Chang Chun. During the festival, the inhabitants of Beijing thronged the White Cloud Temple, hoping to encounter the Immortal Master Qiu. Another festival was on the 15th day of the second lunar month, which was said to be the birthday of Laozi, the Supreme Venerable Sovereign. During the festival, butchery was banned. Daoist temples held various religious rites and explained the Book of Dao and its Virtue to the public. This shows that during this period, Daoism was remained influential among the common people. Daoist rites came into ordinary people's daily life. In terms of Daoism's large-scale involvement in popular religious sects and its integration into popular festivals and customs, one may question the conclusion that Daoism was declining. Only conclusions on basis of concrete analysis are reliable. It is appropriate to notice and analyze Daoism's different tendencies existing simultaneously in the upper and lower classes of society. [[zh:明清道教]] a08a802aa4ec0e24778d7f894ee7b600d072739d 0 268 321 2009-08-10T02:48:27Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Daoism during the Republican Era (1911-1949)== In the first year of the Chinese Republic (1911), the government of Jiangxi Province cancelled the title "Celestial Master", whic...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Daoism during the Republican Era (1911-1949)== In the first year of the Chinese Republic (1911), the government of Jiangxi Province cancelled the title "Celestial Master", which had long been conferred to[[ the Orthodox Oneness sect]] on Longhu Mountain. Meanwhile, Daoism was on the edge of being deprived of its temples and farmland which were the main financial resource for Daoist monks. In 1928, the Nationalist Party government issued a national regulation pertaining to religious temples, according to which Daoist temples dedicated to the Supreme Venerable Sovereign, the Three Heavenly Officials, Patriarch Lu and Imperial Sovereign Wenchang were banned. Many Daoist temples were changed into schools, government offices and even barracks. After the warlord Yuan Shikai declared himself emperor, he returned the title "Celestial Master" to Daoism. The 62d Celestial Master was given the title "Succeeding Great Perfect Man of the Orthodox Oneness". The seal of the Masters of Orthodox Oneness was also returned to the sect. But after that, the privilege of Celestial Master Zhang on [[Mt. Longhu]] was confined to the tradition of the Orthodox Oneness Sect. The dignity and glory it had previously enjoyed never came back. During the Nationalist Party regime, the Complete Perfection Sect was dominated by the Dragon Gate sect which regarded [[Qiu Chuji]] as its founder. The Dragon Gate sect was influencial in many places, including the White Cloud Temple in Beijing, which was visited in 1934 by the Japanese scholar Siaonou Sichi who later authored the ''History of the White Cloud Temple''. The Orthodox Daoist Canon of the Ming Dynasty, which had been compiled by the White Cloud Temple, was reprinted. This promoted not only academic research on Daoism but also Daoist influence in society. At the time, modern Chinese society was turbulent and unstable. In order to continue the Daoist tradition, some figures in Daoist circles set up some Daoist organizations. In 1912, the "Central Daoist Association", a national religious organization of the Complete Perfection Sect, came into being. Meanwhile in Shanghai, the 62d generation Celestial Master prepared to establish the "Ceneral Daoist Society of the Chinese Republic', which was not ratified by the government. Instead, the "Shanghai Branch of the National Daoist Association of the Chinese Republic' was founded, under which some activities were launched. Also in Shanghai, a few other local Daoist organizations were established, among which were the "China General Daoist Association" and the "Chinese Daoist Association" In addition, the famous Daoist scholar Cheng Yingning (1880-1968) founded the "Chinese Academy of Immortalist Studies". He also edited Daoist magazines such as the ''Immortalist Studies Monthly'' and the bi-monthly Promotion of Good. But generally speaking, Daoism remained at a standstill during the republican era. Its social influence was decreasing. Nevertheless, Daoist Rites and Magical Skills such as Dietetics and Medicine for Immortality still attracted many followers in the lower class. This shows that during this period, Daoism was gradually integrating into underground religious sects. ==Daoist Association of the Republic of China== ===Establishment=== In the first year of the Republic of China (1912), eighteen representatives of the Complete Perfection School, including Chen Minglin (YU Kun), the abbot of the White Cloud Temple, initiated the establishment of the Daoist Association in Beijing. They drafted the ''Declaration of the Daoist Association'', ''Outline of the Daoist Association'' and the ''Daoist Association's Claim for Recognition by the Government of the Republic of China''. On July 15th, they drafted the ''Daoist Association's Memorial to Prime Minister and President Yuan Shikai''. Nine of the representatives, including Chen Minlin, went to the State Department and President's Residence to submit a written statement for admission. They received an official reply on August 4th, which agreed to put their memorial on record. Daoism began to have a legal nationwide organization. ===Aim=== Rectify depravity, continue the Daoist tradition, and combine an otherworldly outlook with a worldly one, so as to cultivate an excellent, noble-minded and perfect republic. ===Business=== There are worldly affairs and otherworldly affairs. For otherworldly affairs, there is an Office for Religious Proclamation( 演教門 Yanjiao Men ) and an Office for the Conferring of Commandments ( 宣律門 XuanLv Men ). For worldly affairs, there is an Office for Almsgiving ( 救濟門 Jiuji Men ), an Office for Didactic Activity ( 勸善門 Quanshan Men ) and an Office for the Transformation of Evil Deeds ( 化惡門 Hua’e Men ). ===Organizations=== there is a General Daoist Association in Beijing, as well as general branch Daoist Associations on the provincial level and branch Daoist Associations on the city and village level. In the General Daoist Association, there is one chairman and two vice-chairmen. It has three departments: (I) the Assembly Department. Its divisions are the Office for Discussing Official Business, the Examination Office and the Propaganda Office; (II) the Administration Department: it directs the Religious Proclamation Office, the Daoism Propagation Office and the Religious Affairs Office; (III) the Inspection Department: it dominates the Office for Rectifying Deviation, the Senate Office and the Dismission Office. Administration of the General Branch Daoist Associations and the branch Daoist Associations is similar to those in the General Daoist Association, but simplified to some degree. ===Admission=== Daoist priests, all the devotees (there is no limit for ethnicity, nationality, and occupation), and volunteers who are committed to help Daoism and save the masses can be admitted to the Daoist Association. ===Regulations for Members=== #All members will be vigilant in abiding by the Daoist precepts and guard against violation. Confession should be made should one transgress against any regulation. Upon confession, one should remain committed to the avoidance of any future transgression. Those who violate the regulations and refuse to confess and rectify themselves will be expelled from the Association. #All members should permanently be merciful and demonstrate behavior that is beneficial to all humanity. #Members should study Daoist doctrine to save themselves and others. #Members should observe the regulations and carry on a Daoist livelihood. ===Meeting Intervals=== The General Daoist Association conference will be held annually. It begins on March 3rd and lasts seven days. Business discussion takes three days and religious research four days. General branch Daoist Associations meet twice each year. These meetings begin on Feb.1st and August 1st respectively, and last five days, two days for business discussion and three days for religious discussion. ==The General Daoist Association of the Republic of China== ===Establishment=== All representatives of the Daoist Association of the Republic of China in Beijing belong to the Complete Perfection School. Therefore, under the direction of the 62nd Celestial master Zhang Yuanxu, the leader of the Orthodox Oneness School, located on Longhu Mountain, in Jiangxi Province, the Orthodox Oneness School decided to set up another nationwide Daoist organization. In September of the first year of the Republic of China(1912), Zhang Yuanxu and representatives of the Orthodox Oneness School from Shanghai, Suzhou and Wuxi held the initiation conference. They announced the establishment of the General Daoist Association of the Republic of China after that. An office of the Jiangxi Headquarters was set up in Shanghai. Although one thousand people participated in the inaugural meeting, the Daoist association established by the Orthodox Oneness School never received recognition by the government of the Republic of China. ===Aims=== Regard [[the Yellow Emperor]] and [[Laozi]] as the primal ancestors, build relationships with different schools and advocate Daoism. Maintain the world by means of morality and help human beings to achieve international peace. ===Organizations=== The Longhu Mountain in Jiangxi province is the Headquarters, though the general Headquarters is in Beijing and the general department is in Shanghai. All the capital cities can set up subsections. Counties and business centers can have branches. ===Admission=== Anyone, regardless of nationality, who is devoted to Daoism, whether maintaining family life or having renounced it, can be admitted. ===Remarks=== As this association had not received official recognition, the General Daoist Association of the Orthodox Oneness School, established under the Republic of China, did not set up on a national level and never had nationwide activities. [[zh:民國道教]] 83dd6660638103e648c4126b22428c77900d631a 0 269 322 2009-08-10T03:04:38Z Admin 1 Created page with 'In the Yao nationality, Daoism gradually integrates with its traditional primitive religions and permeates different phases of its social and cultural life. The Daoist belief of ...' wikitext text/x-wiki In the Yao nationality, Daoism gradually integrates with its traditional primitive religions and permeates different phases of its social and cultural life. The Daoist belief of the Yao of N¨¹koushanzhi is classified into Daogong (Dao Duke) sect and Shigong (Master Duke) sect. The former sect regards the Jade Emperor ( 玉皇 Yuhuan ) as the most venerable, believing that he is the supreme god who governs the entire world and thus uses his seal. The latter sect regards the Spirits of the Three Origins ( 三元神 Sanyuan Shen ), believing that they govern the three realms and thus uses the seal of the highest origin. The differences in doctrines above all lie in the differences in the governing of spirits. In the Yao's concept, the role of Daogong is to coordinate the relation between the living and the souls of the dead ancestors. It is mainly connected with Yao ancestral worship. The role of Shigong is to coordinate the relation between the living and the wild spirits and ghosts. It is mainly connected with Yao nature worship. Scriptures of Daodong are basically translated from Daoist scriptures in Chinese, while those of Shigong are mostly scripts for singing in praise of spirits compiled according to Daoist scriptures in Chinese. Each book is composed of a few chapters, and each chapter sings and narrates the origin and life of one spirit, the process of his cultivating Dao and attaining immortality, and his high divine rank and his super magic skills. According to the traditional customs of the Yao people, Yao transmission of precepts bears the characteristics of "rites of passage". It is the only way for a Yao male to obtain all the rights and duties an adult male enjoys in the Yao society. [[zh:瑤族的道教]] 880a7a8df46ceeec6003313f65c1289c385d6e85 341 322 2009-08-10T03:51:39Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoism in Minority Regions}} In the Yao nationality, Daoism gradually integrates with its traditional primitive religions and permeates different phases of its social and cultural life. The Daoist belief of the Yao of N¨¹koushanzhi is classified into Daogong (Dao Duke) sect and Shigong (Master Duke) sect. The former sect regards the Jade Emperor ( 玉皇 Yuhuan ) as the most venerable, believing that he is the supreme god who governs the entire world and thus uses his seal. The latter sect regards the Spirits of the Three Origins ( 三元神 Sanyuan Shen ), believing that they govern the three realms and thus uses the seal of the highest origin. The differences in doctrines above all lie in the differences in the governing of spirits. In the Yao's concept, the role of Daogong is to coordinate the relation between the living and the souls of the dead ancestors. It is mainly connected with Yao ancestral worship. The role of Shigong is to coordinate the relation between the living and the wild spirits and ghosts. It is mainly connected with Yao nature worship. Scriptures of Daodong are basically translated from Daoist scriptures in Chinese, while those of Shigong are mostly scripts for singing in praise of spirits compiled according to Daoist scriptures in Chinese. Each book is composed of a few chapters, and each chapter sings and narrates the origin and life of one spirit, the process of his cultivating Dao and attaining immortality, and his high divine rank and his super magic skills. According to the traditional customs of the Yao people, Yao transmission of precepts bears the characteristics of "rites of passage". It is the only way for a Yao male to obtain all the rights and duties an adult male enjoys in the Yao society. [[zh:瑤族的道教]] 644e47ea73eff15fda698230760db68bbfd5ad99 0 270 323 2009-08-10T03:11:09Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Archeologically unearthed materials show that Daoism spread to the area inhabited by the Zhuang during the Northern-southern dynasties. It is very popular among the Zhuang in Gua...' wikitext text/x-wiki Archeologically unearthed materials show that Daoism spread to the area inhabited by the Zhuang during the Northern-southern dynasties. It is very popular among the Zhuang in Guangxi Autonomous Prefecture in modern times. There are Daoist masters ( 道公 Daogong ) in every village. They are similar to Daoist Priests in the Orthodox Oneness School scattered in Han areas. Their main duty is to conduct offering rituals ( 打醮 Dajiao ), guide the dead and chase away ghosts. Daoist masters have to observe many taboos. They can not do agricultural work during the first four months of their study of Daoist magic arts?They have to wear a rain hat whenever they go out. They must remain celibate. They cannot enter certain houses, and never kill animals nor eat dog meat or beef. After they keep the required scriptures in mind, they would invite relatives to have a banquet, during which time they set up an altar to make offerings to ancestral Daoist masters. Young masters will become the apprentice of an aged master for certain time. Once familiar with the requisite Daoist rituals, they can then leave the teacher to practice Daoism on their own. Upon achieving recognition by the community, it is customary to thank their teachers with meals. They cannot reject any invitation to conduct rituals. To do so would be to harm their hidden virtue ( 陰德 Yinde ). To ensure the safety of an entire village, villagers invite three Daoist masters (one chief master and two assistants) periodically or non-periodically to carry out two-days rituals. Every villager consumes vegetables on the first day. The chief master wears an elaborate, multi-colored Daoist costume, while his assistants wear black costumes. The assistants each hold a triangle banner with the names of the general of the East, South, West, North, and Middle directions. The chief master imprints talismans and registers, at which time each family pastes them on the doors to their homes to avoid harm caused by demons. When a village is ravaged by plague or affected by other harmful forces, two or three Daoist masters are invited to exorcise ghosts and conduct rituals that are quite similar to the practice of burning paper boats to send off plague spirits that is found in Han areas. [[zh:壯族的道教]] d13122d7f0447784c6f58f1a02395b149b3bfc40 346 323 2009-08-10T03:52:44Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoism in Minority Regions}} Archeologically unearthed materials show that Daoism spread to the area inhabited by the Zhuang during the Northern-southern dynasties. It is very popular among the Zhuang in Guangxi Autonomous Prefecture in modern times. There are Daoist masters ( 道公 Daogong ) in every village. They are similar to Daoist Priests in the Orthodox Oneness School scattered in Han areas. Their main duty is to conduct offering rituals ( 打醮 Dajiao ), guide the dead and chase away ghosts. Daoist masters have to observe many taboos. They can not do agricultural work during the first four months of their study of Daoist magic arts?They have to wear a rain hat whenever they go out. They must remain celibate. They cannot enter certain houses, and never kill animals nor eat dog meat or beef. After they keep the required scriptures in mind, they would invite relatives to have a banquet, during which time they set up an altar to make offerings to ancestral Daoist masters. Young masters will become the apprentice of an aged master for certain time. Once familiar with the requisite Daoist rituals, they can then leave the teacher to practice Daoism on their own. Upon achieving recognition by the community, it is customary to thank their teachers with meals. They cannot reject any invitation to conduct rituals. To do so would be to harm their hidden virtue ( 陰德 Yinde ). To ensure the safety of an entire village, villagers invite three Daoist masters (one chief master and two assistants) periodically or non-periodically to carry out two-days rituals. Every villager consumes vegetables on the first day. The chief master wears an elaborate, multi-colored Daoist costume, while his assistants wear black costumes. The assistants each hold a triangle banner with the names of the general of the East, South, West, North, and Middle directions. The chief master imprints talismans and registers, at which time each family pastes them on the doors to their homes to avoid harm caused by demons. When a village is ravaged by plague or affected by other harmful forces, two or three Daoist masters are invited to exorcise ghosts and conduct rituals that are quite similar to the practice of burning paper boats to send off plague spirits that is found in Han areas. [[zh:壯族的道教]] 582e20302983746c809bf6d214c95d6af1d68c2f 0 271 324 2009-08-10T03:16:25Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Investigation has revealed that Daoism is the only religious belief of the Miao. There are civil and military Daoist priests in Miao regions. Each makes offerings to a different ...' wikitext text/x-wiki Investigation has revealed that Daoism is the only religious belief of the Miao. There are civil and military Daoist priests in Miao regions. Each makes offerings to a different set of gods, uses different registrations and seals ( 符印 Fuyin ), and reads different scriptures. Martial Daoist priests worship the Three Purities ( 三清 Sanqing ) and the Three Origins ( 三元 Sanyuan ). Civil Daoist priests worship the Agricultural God in their rituals. The gods worshiped by Civil Daoist priests have big heads and those of the military Daoist priests must be small. Their responsibilities are different and are never confused. Before a Miao becomes a formal Daoist priest, he needs to perform a commandment-receiving ritual ( 受戒儀式 Shoujie Yishi ). Then he is given a Daoist name. The words and orders for their names are fixed. For civil Daoist priests, they are "''Yin, Yun, Dao, Miao and Wan''". For the military Daoist priests, they are "''Ying, Sheng, Fa, Xian and Wan''". When selecting a name, one of these words is chosen as the first name, followed by any word for the given name. There is no set age limit for receiving the commandments. It is accessible for adults and children. When adults accept commandments, they can follow the masters to learn the Daoist magic arts and to fulfill their duties when they are familiar with them. The children will wait to grow up for the acceptance of commandments. Sometimes, for economic reasons, they can first accept commandments and then begin to learn the Daoist arts when grow up [[zh:苗族的道教]] 288d2490debcfeab5dc7debc788093a5eac7cdea 343 324 2009-08-10T03:52:04Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoism in Minority Regions}} Investigation has revealed that Daoism is the only religious belief of the Miao. There are civil and military Daoist priests in Miao regions. Each makes offerings to a different set of gods, uses different registrations and seals ( 符印 Fuyin ), and reads different scriptures. Martial Daoist priests worship the Three Purities ( 三清 Sanqing ) and the Three Origins ( 三元 Sanyuan ). Civil Daoist priests worship the Agricultural God in their rituals. The gods worshiped by Civil Daoist priests have big heads and those of the military Daoist priests must be small. Their responsibilities are different and are never confused. Before a Miao becomes a formal Daoist priest, he needs to perform a commandment-receiving ritual ( 受戒儀式 Shoujie Yishi ). Then he is given a Daoist name. The words and orders for their names are fixed. For civil Daoist priests, they are "''Yin, Yun, Dao, Miao and Wan''". For the military Daoist priests, they are "''Ying, Sheng, Fa, Xian and Wan''". When selecting a name, one of these words is chosen as the first name, followed by any word for the given name. There is no set age limit for receiving the commandments. It is accessible for adults and children. When adults accept commandments, they can follow the masters to learn the Daoist magic arts and to fulfill their duties when they are familiar with them. The children will wait to grow up for the acceptance of commandments. Sometimes, for economic reasons, they can first accept commandments and then begin to learn the Daoist arts when grow up [[zh:苗族的道教]] 3ed8ee07c1116ae30aa63a042a19f3727ec742cb 0 272 325 2009-08-10T03:21:55Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Daoism has entered Tujia culture in modern times. When Tujia masters --"local teachers" manage large religious activities, they will get the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's authori...' wikitext text/x-wiki Daoism has entered Tujia culture in modern times. When Tujia masters --"local teachers" manage large religious activities, they will get the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's authorization first. Then they summon their spiritual soldiers and generals. The duty of the altar master( 掌壇法師 Zhangtan Faishi ) is to submit to the Three Purities and the Jade Emperor to request the dispatching of soldiers to catch evil spirits and demons. The influence of Daoist talismans and registers is evident here. When a Tujia master conducts the "exorcising wish" ( 儺願 Nuoyuan ), they will hang up "the Picture of Reverend the Three Purites" ( 三清天尊圖 Sanqing Tianzun Tu ). Pictures of the Three Purities are also hung when conducting services to mourn the dead. Other Daoist gods that are worshipped include the Great Emperor of the Three Origins, as well as immortals. Sentences like "the eternal existence of Daoism, I act under the orders of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign" occur in their incantations. Daoism's influence is quite clear here. Communitarian Daoists, traditionally referred to as "masters", are also present. Their religious activities belong to folk Daoism combined with elements from Buddhism and the native Tujia religion. Some of the priests have finished apprenticeship and some have not. Those who have finished apprenticeship have to undergo technique-transmitting rituals in order to be qualified for independent services and important rituals like managing funerals, making offerings and sacrifices, and mourning the dead, etc. Those who have not finished apprenticeship can only guard the earth, connect dragons' ridges, help the litany, chase ghosts, and pacify houses, etc. [[zh:土家族的道教]] d7609f5af3b79577f82352288c7475adaf82185e 336 325 2009-08-10T03:50:01Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki Daoism has entered Tujia culture in modern times. When Tujia masters --"local teachers" manage large religious activities, they will get the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's authorization first. Then they summon their spiritual soldiers and generals. The duty of the altar master( 掌壇法師 Zhangtan Faishi ) is to submit to the Three Purities and the Jade Emperor to request the dispatching of soldiers to catch evil spirits and demons. The influence of Daoist talismans and registers is evident here. When a Tujia master conducts the "exorcising wish" ( 儺願 Nuoyuan ), they will hang up "the Picture of Reverend the Three Purites" ( 三清天尊圖 Sanqing Tianzun Tu ). Pictures of the Three Purities are also hung when conducting services to mourn the dead. Other Daoist gods that are worshipped include the Great Emperor of the Three Origins, as well as immortals. Sentences like "the eternal existence of Daoism, I act under the orders of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign" occur in their incantations. Daoism's influence is quite clear here. Communitarian Daoists, traditionally referred to as "masters", are also present. Their religious activities belong to folk Daoism combined with elements from Buddhism and the native Tujia religion. Some of the priests have finished apprenticeship and some have not. Those who have finished apprenticeship have to undergo technique-transmitting rituals in order to be qualified for independent services and important rituals like managing funerals, making offerings and sacrifices, and mourning the dead, etc. Those who have not finished apprenticeship can only guard the earth, connect dragons' ridges, help the litany, chase ghosts, and pacify houses, etc. [[zh:土家族的道教]] {{Daoism in Minority Regions}} 90cc2de5adce0cf1d7777feda2efd4dea2d5d040 337 336 2009-08-10T03:50:20Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoism in Minority Regions}} Daoism has entered Tujia culture in modern times. When Tujia masters --"local teachers" manage large religious activities, they will get the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's authorization first. Then they summon their spiritual soldiers and generals. The duty of the altar master( 掌壇法師 Zhangtan Faishi ) is to submit to the Three Purities and the Jade Emperor to request the dispatching of soldiers to catch evil spirits and demons. The influence of Daoist talismans and registers is evident here. When a Tujia master conducts the "exorcising wish" ( 儺願 Nuoyuan ), they will hang up "the Picture of Reverend the Three Purites" ( 三清天尊圖 Sanqing Tianzun Tu ). Pictures of the Three Purities are also hung when conducting services to mourn the dead. Other Daoist gods that are worshipped include the Great Emperor of the Three Origins, as well as immortals. Sentences like "the eternal existence of Daoism, I act under the orders of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign" occur in their incantations. Daoism's influence is quite clear here. Communitarian Daoists, traditionally referred to as "masters", are also present. Their religious activities belong to folk Daoism combined with elements from Buddhism and the native Tujia religion. Some of the priests have finished apprenticeship and some have not. Those who have finished apprenticeship have to undergo technique-transmitting rituals in order to be qualified for independent services and important rituals like managing funerals, making offerings and sacrifices, and mourning the dead, etc. Those who have not finished apprenticeship can only guard the earth, connect dragons' ridges, help the litany, chase ghosts, and pacify houses, etc. [[zh:土家族的道教]] 92557f0e8e86f3547d6dd60377b7fb47fb40553d 0 273 326 2009-08-10T03:24:19Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The main religious belief in modern times of the Gelao is Daoism. Gelao Daoism is divided into the Maoshan Sect and the Meishan Sect. When the Gelao need religious services, they...' wikitext text/x-wiki The main religious belief in modern times of the Gelao is Daoism. Gelao Daoism is divided into the Maoshan Sect and the Meishan Sect. When the Gelao need religious services, they will invite Meishan Daoist priests for rituals. The religious practice of the Maoshan Daoist priests is very close to that of Daoist priests of Han areas. The Meishan sect has more local, Gelao characteristics. The difference between the two sects is similar to the difference between the Daoist priests and the Master priests found in Yao communities. Maoshan Daoists are known as Daoist priests, while Meishan Daoists are known as Master priests. [[zh:仫老族的道教]] c2df3b6304eb7600cee173eccfdc165016ca06f4 340 326 2009-08-10T03:51:23Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoism in Minority Regions}} The main religious belief in modern times of the Gelao is Daoism. Gelao Daoism is divided into the Maoshan Sect and the Meishan Sect. When the Gelao need religious services, they will invite Meishan Daoist priests for rituals. The religious practice of the Maoshan Daoist priests is very close to that of Daoist priests of Han areas. The Meishan sect has more local, Gelao characteristics. The difference between the two sects is similar to the difference between the Daoist priests and the Master priests found in Yao communities. Maoshan Daoists are known as Daoist priests, while Meishan Daoists are known as Master priests. [[zh:仫老族的道教]] 0fc9ccc98269d04bff5ac512fb7dc254040d792b 0 274 327 2009-08-10T03:26:21Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The religious belief of the Maonan is mainly Daoist, though with some Buddhist influence, as well. Maonan Daoist priests mainly conduct rituals to deliver the dead soul. When the...' wikitext text/x-wiki The religious belief of the Maonan is mainly Daoist, though with some Buddhist influence, as well. Maonan Daoist priests mainly conduct rituals to deliver the dead soul. When the Maonan or their livestock are unwell, they hire Daoists to conduct rituals to pacify the dragon and thank the earth. At that time they will hang up pictures of Daoist gods like [[the Celestial Master]], [[the City God]] ( 城隍 Chenghuang ) and [[the Stove God]] ( 灶王 Zaowang ). [[zh:毛南族的道教]] 6c6e06b592087d07dcf54693a015e54a50ffb398 338 327 2009-08-10T03:50:36Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoism in Minority Regions}} The religious belief of the Maonan is mainly Daoist, though with some Buddhist influence, as well. Maonan Daoist priests mainly conduct rituals to deliver the dead soul. When the Maonan or their livestock are unwell, they hire Daoists to conduct rituals to pacify the dragon and thank the earth. At that time they will hang up pictures of Daoist gods like [[the Celestial Master]], [[the City God]] ( 城隍 Chenghuang ) and [[the Stove God]] ( 灶王 Zaowang ). [[zh:毛南族的道教]] a200ad12a8d005597c368047021c15dafd8abade 0 275 328 2009-08-10T03:28:24Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Daoism is mainly active in Jing funerary rituals. There are three or four Masters in each village. Daoism is transmitted from father to son. It is said that Daoism in Jing region...' wikitext text/x-wiki Daoism is mainly active in Jing funerary rituals. There are three or four Masters in each village. Daoism is transmitted from father to son. It is said that Daoism in Jing regions belongs to the Orthodox Oneness School. They use scriptures written in Han Chinese or the "Nan language" ( 喃字 Nanzi ) in rituals, but recite them using Jing pronunciation. [[zh:京族的道教]] 1ef7c81ca1571a70ba248012b44bdcdd5c8ef733 345 328 2009-08-10T03:52:27Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoism in Minority Regions}} Daoism is mainly active in Jing funerary rituals. There are three or four Masters in each village. Daoism is transmitted from father to son. It is said that Daoism in Jing regions belongs to the Orthodox Oneness School. They use scriptures written in Han Chinese or the "Nan language" ( 喃字 Nanzi ) in rituals, but recite them using Jing pronunciation. [[zh:京族的道教]] 713f4bd7ced664af74b6e4363e10dce3adea608f 0 276 329 2009-08-10T03:30:13Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Bai, in Yunnan province, also believe in Daoism. In Dali, those who believe in Daoism have formed a religious organization known as the "Cavern Scripture Society" ( 洞經會...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Bai, in Yunnan province, also believe in Daoism. In Dali, those who believe in Daoism have formed a religious organization known as the "Cavern Scripture Society" ( 洞經會 Dongjing Hui). Members of this organization worship [[Laozi]] and the Imperial Sovereign Wenchang. The Cavern Scripture Society celebrates Imperial Sovereign Wenchang's birthday on February 3rd and Laozi's birthday on February 15th of the lunar calendar. Members of the Cavern Scripture Society take the ''"Ten Regulations for Scholars by the Imperial Sovereign Wenchang for the Bai People at Dali"'' as principles and tenets for life. [[zh:白族的道教]] 020468365d7af17274736adcc9caf5b7d539144f 339 329 2009-08-10T03:50:49Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoism in Minority Regions}} The Bai, in Yunnan province, also believe in Daoism. In Dali, those who believe in Daoism have formed a religious organization known as the "Cavern Scripture Society" ( 洞經會 Dongjing Hui). Members of this organization worship [[Laozi]] and the Imperial Sovereign Wenchang. The Cavern Scripture Society celebrates Imperial Sovereign Wenchang's birthday on February 3rd and Laozi's birthday on February 15th of the lunar calendar. Members of the Cavern Scripture Society take the ''"Ten Regulations for Scholars by the Imperial Sovereign Wenchang for the Bai People at Dali"'' as principles and tenets for life. [[zh:白族的道教]] e6c1fd391ad609a609edf850ab293a0b0bed0e35 0 277 330 2009-08-10T03:31:26Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Several Daoist temples have been built in Qiang regions in modern times. Qiang families in Lixian hire Daoists to conduct funeral services. It is very common for Daoist priests t...' wikitext text/x-wiki Several Daoist temples have been built in Qiang regions in modern times. Qiang families in Lixian hire Daoists to conduct funeral services. It is very common for Daoist priests to chant sutras when visiting the grave during Tomb-sweeping Day and the Festival of the Spirits of the Dead, to cherish the memory of the dead. Han Chinese and the Qiang, alike, will go to visit when Daoist priests chant sutras and conduct rituals. Qiang masters regard the Three Purities as the ancestral origin of their religious lineage and [[the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor]] as their ancestor in charge of maintaining their religion. The Qiang master's incantation is quite similar to that of Daoism, in that it ends with the words, "act under orders of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign, take immediate action as laws and decrees." [[zh:羌族的道教]] 47fd136925c57e62c9a23d559c8aac1a93adc2ee 344 330 2009-08-10T03:52:15Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoism in Minority Regions}} Several Daoist temples have been built in Qiang regions in modern times. Qiang families in Lixian hire Daoists to conduct funeral services. It is very common for Daoist priests to chant sutras when visiting the grave during Tomb-sweeping Day and the Festival of the Spirits of the Dead, to cherish the memory of the dead. Han Chinese and the Qiang, alike, will go to visit when Daoist priests chant sutras and conduct rituals. Qiang masters regard the Three Purities as the ancestral origin of their religious lineage and [[the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor]] as their ancestor in charge of maintaining their religion. The Qiang master's incantation is quite similar to that of Daoism, in that it ends with the words, "act under orders of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign, take immediate action as laws and decrees." [[zh:羌族的道教]] a84e82bbe6f001a7a62e8ef7c069a17f1f40f29d 0 278 331 2009-08-10T03:35:31Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Naxi nationality of the Lijiang area in Yunnan province believes in Daoism and has Cavern Scripture Societies organized by Daoist believers. The Cavern Scripture Society got ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Naxi nationality of the Lijiang area in Yunnan province believes in Daoism and has Cavern Scripture Societies organized by Daoist believers. The Cavern Scripture Society got its name for its propagation of Wenchang's Immortal Book of the Great Grotto (《文昌大洞仙經》 Wechang Dadong Xianjing ). Those who join in the society must kowtow and swear an oath to Imperial Sovereign Wenchang to promise that they will fulfill their obligations. Every year the Cavern Scripture Society will regularly put up pictures of Daoist divinities and set up altars for Daoist rituals in the palaces of Wenchang and the temples of Emperor Guan and in the yards of private houses, to offer sacrifices to a large number of Daoist divinities such as [[the Primeval Lord of Heaven]], [[the Supreme Venerable Sovereign]], [[the Great Jade Emperor]], [[the Imperial Sovereign Wenchang]], [[the Imperial Sovereign Saintly Guan]]. And they also show their respect to the Buddha and a small number of Confucians as well. The Cavern Scripture Society chants over 10 Daoist scriptures accompanied by music. Such music is called Cavern Scripture Music, which is essentially a type of [[Daoist music]] in spite of its being permeated with the local music of the minorities. The well-known Lijiang Classical Music is a sort of Cavern Scripture Music ( 洞經音樂 Dongjing Yinyue ), whose tunes are full of the Daoist characteristics of immortality. [[zh:納西族的道教]] 34f21cd256d51484dcc6b712733f55cece26ab31 342 331 2009-08-10T03:51:49Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoism in Minority Regions}} The Naxi nationality of the Lijiang area in Yunnan province believes in Daoism and has Cavern Scripture Societies organized by Daoist believers. The Cavern Scripture Society got its name for its propagation of Wenchang's Immortal Book of the Great Grotto (《文昌大洞仙經》 Wechang Dadong Xianjing ). Those who join in the society must kowtow and swear an oath to Imperial Sovereign Wenchang to promise that they will fulfill their obligations. Every year the Cavern Scripture Society will regularly put up pictures of Daoist divinities and set up altars for Daoist rituals in the palaces of Wenchang and the temples of Emperor Guan and in the yards of private houses, to offer sacrifices to a large number of Daoist divinities such as [[the Primeval Lord of Heaven]], [[the Supreme Venerable Sovereign]], [[the Great Jade Emperor]], [[the Imperial Sovereign Wenchang]], [[the Imperial Sovereign Saintly Guan]]. And they also show their respect to the Buddha and a small number of Confucians as well. The Cavern Scripture Society chants over 10 Daoist scriptures accompanied by music. Such music is called Cavern Scripture Music, which is essentially a type of [[Daoist music]] in spite of its being permeated with the local music of the minorities. The well-known Lijiang Classical Music is a sort of Cavern Scripture Music ( 洞經音樂 Dongjing Yinyue ), whose tunes are full of the Daoist characteristics of immortality. [[zh:納西族的道教]] 197f105dde0afaee74a60d9e326059bd9bf5482b 0 279 332 2009-08-10T03:48:27Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoism in Minority Regions}}' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoism in Minority Regions}} 951131430f5c6fcfb9ea3008ad5f89e4db88f3c3 10 280 333 2009-08-10T03:48:43Z Admin 1 Created page with '<br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[ Daoism in Minority Regions]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="...' wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[ Daoism in Minority Regions]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |　 |- |[[ Daoism among the Tujia Ethnic Group|Tujia Ethnic Group]] [[Daoism among the Maonan minority| Maonan minority]] <br> [[Daoism among the Bai Ethnic Group|Bai Ethnic Group]][[ Daoism among the Zhuang Ethnic|Zhuang Ethnic]] <br> [[Daoism among the Jing Ethnic Group|Jing Ethnic Group]] [[Daoism among the Qiang Ethnic Group| Qiang Ethnic Group]] <br> [[Daoism among the Miao Ethnic Group | Miao Ethnic Group]][[ Daoism among the Naxi Ethnic Group | Naxi Ethnic Group]] <br> [[Daoism among the Yao Ethnic Group | Yao Ethnic Group]] [[Daoism among the Gelao Ethnic Group | Gelao Ethnic Group]] |} 2dac19cb074fa51c9da3704ac7d3263a306f533d 334 333 2009-08-10T03:49:09Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[ Daoism in Minority Regions]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |　 |- |[[ Daoism among the Tujia Ethnic Group|Tujia Ethnic Group]] [[Daoism among the Maonan minority| Maonan minority]] <br> [[Daoism among the Bai Ethnic Group|Bai Ethnic Group]][[ Daoism among the Zhuang Ethnic|Zhuang Ethnic]] <br> [[Daoism among the Jing Ethnic Group|Jing Ethnic Group]] [[Daoism among the Qiang Ethnic Group| Qiang Ethnic Group]] <br> [[Daoism among the Miao Ethnic Group | Miao Ethnic Group]][[ Daoism among the Naxi Ethnic Group | Naxi Ethnic Group]] <br> [[Daoism among the Yao Ethnic Group | Yao Ethnic Group]] [[Daoism among the Gelao Ethnic Group | Gelao Ethnic Group]] |} b5851a7767c1d6e1ed74d2e938cc58f2e8cc882a 335 334 2009-08-10T03:49:41Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[ Daoism in Minority Regions]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |　 |- |[[ Daoism among the Tujia Ethnic Group|Tujia Ethnic Group]] [[Daoism among the Maonan minority| Maonan minority]] <br> [[Daoism among the Bai Ethnic Group|Bai Ethnic Group]] [[ Daoism among the Zhuang Ethnic|Zhuang Ethnic]] <br> [[Daoism among the Jing Ethnic Group|Jing Ethnic Group]] [[Daoism among the Qiang Ethnic Group| Qiang Ethnic Group]] <br> [[Daoism among the Miao Ethnic Group | Miao Ethnic Group]] [[ Daoism among the Naxi Ethnic Group | Naxi Ethnic Group]] <br> [[Daoism among the Yao Ethnic Group | Yao Ethnic Group]] [[Daoism among the Gelao Ethnic Group | Gelao Ethnic Group]] |} 282b7e71095cd4d0e1d4fd3f5d868378bd6e1e40 0 281 347 2009-08-11T02:32:15Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The early Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ) ritual of [[the Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] ( 正一道 Zhengyi Dao ) was easy to perform, and its Taoist music was also relati...' wikitext text/x-wiki The early Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ) ritual of [[the Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] ( 正一道 Zhengyi Dao ) was easy to perform, and its Taoist music was also relatively simple. During the Six Dynasties, the ''Commandments of the New Ordinances from the Clouds'' ( 雲中音誦新科之戒 Yunzhong Yinsong Xinke Zhijie ) compiled by Kou Qianzhi of the Northern Wei Dynasty was an early written record of the music of the Orthodox Oneness Traditions. Later, during the Song Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties, Lu Xiujing compiled the rituals and the Taoist music of this tradition began to take shape. It was then updated and reformed through different dynasties and gradually became perfect. After the Yuan Dynasty, the two major Daoist sects, the Orthodox Oneness Tradition and the Complete Perfection Tradition, were formed. The north was dominated by the Complete Perfection Tradition, while the Orthodox Oneness Tradition dominated Daoism in the south. Therefore, the Daoist music of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition spread in the south, especially in the south of the River. The Daoist music of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition was mostly used in rituals such as constructing the altar, presenting offerings, burning incense, ascending the altar, drawing talismans, reciting spells, activating the incense burner, inviting deities, welcoming the deities, reciting scriptures, and intoning. Different sorts of Daoist tunes were combined in series according to the different ritual procedures. The combination of music changes with changes in rituals. The musical forms adopted by the Orthodox Oneness Tradition consist of solo (usually performed by the High Priest ( 高功 Gaogong ) and Chief Cantor( 都講 Dujiang ) ), unison, music accompanied by drumbeats, wind and percussion music, instrumental ensemble, etc. Instrumental music is usually performed at the beginning and at the end of the ritual, during the short interludes between verses, and applied for the occasions of the evolutions of the formation. Furthermore, in the course of a ritual, the music can be played either while seated or while walking to meet the different needs of the various religious ritual actions such as presenting incense, pacing the Big Dipper, circling the altar, and paying homage by the High Priest who presides over the ritual. Vocal music is the major part of the ritual music of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition, the principal forms of which include the "eulogy "( 頌 Song ), the "ode "( 贊 Zan ), "pacing the void "( 步虛 Buxu ), and the "hymn "( 偈 Ji ). Local flavour is the most evident feature of the music of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition, in that although the Daoist music of many temples tends to be identical in its general style, the tones and tune-polishing of different places appear different in their local characteristics. For example, the eulogies, odes and hymns of the Daoist music of Suzhou are the same as those of Shanghai temples in their titles and words, but the style of the tunes is different. Even for the same hymn, Suzhou Daoist music bears strong features of local folk songs (the Wu tune). The same scripture used in the same ritual is usually set to local tunes. For instance, tones such as "pacing the void" and "Hanging Rhythm " ( 吊挂 Diaogua ) are almost totally different in different places. As the saying goes, "Of ten tunes, nine are different within three ''lis''". Besides its local aspect, folk features are also typical of the music of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition. For example, most of the Daoist music in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas adopts the folk music of "''jiangnan sizhu''" and "''shufan luogu''". Many Daoist tunes are formed by assimilating traditional folk music. In the Orthodox Oneness Tradition, apart form the Daoist priests who live in temples, there are also some Daoist priests who live at home. The latter preach and practise Daoism among the people over a long period of time, and hence keep in long-term touch with folk arts. This strengthens the local and popular features of the Daoist music of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition. There is no unified rule for the musical instruments used. Except for the fact that the Magical Instruments ( 法器 Faqi ) such as bells, drums and inverted bells are generally the same, most of the other musical instruments have their local features. For example, the musical instruments used by the Orthodox Oneness Tradition in Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang are mainly the flute, the ''xianzi'' (a three-stringed plucked instrument), the drum, cymbals, the ''sheng'' (a reed pipe wind instrument), the ''xiao'' (a vertical bamboo flute), the ancient violin, the ''shuangqing'', the ''yunluo'', the ''daluo'', the ''xiaoluo'' (gongs), big and small horns, and the ''erhu'' (a two-stringed bowed instrument), etc., while those used in the northern places such as Shanxi, Shanxi, and Henan are mainly wind instruments, the horn, the ''sheng'' and the flute. The most intact music books kept of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition are ''The Sublime Heavenly Music'' ( 鈞天妙樂 Juntian Miaoyue ) (divided into three books), ''Rules for Ancient Tones'' ( 古韻成規 Guyun Chenggui ), and ''The Elegant Tones of the Rainbow Dress'' ( 霓裳雅韻 Nichang Yayun ), which, based on the Daoist scores collected in Wuding Temple, were sorted out and compiled by Cao Xisheng, a Daoist priest of the Mysterious Sublimity Temple ( 玄妙觀 Xuanmiao Guan ) , in the fourth Jiaqing year of the Qing Dynasty (1799). The three books of music scores are recorded in ''gongchepu'' (a traditional Chinese musical notation) and called "Cao music scores" in Daoism. [[zh:正一道音樂]] 066dc19921e5e81e9515a61adb57bf73b333a74c 0 282 348 2009-08-11T02:58:01Z Admin 1 Created page with 'It has not yet been confirmed when the music of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ) was formed, but its standardized and unified music did not come i...' wikitext text/x-wiki It has not yet been confirmed when the music of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ) was formed, but its standardized and unified music did not come into being until [[Wang Chongyang]] founded the tradition. Before the formation of the tradition, its music probably had the same origin with that of other Daoist schools. It was influenced by shamanistic music and dance at first, evolved through different historical periods later, was gradually put in order and took shape, and finally, owing to the division of Daoist schools, became the music that bears the distinctive features of the Complete Perfection Tradition. The music of the Complete Perfection Tradition is mainly used in the rituals of Religious Practice( 修持 Xiuchi ), celebrations, and prayers. The music in religious practice is the music for Morning Altar Scriptures( 早壇功課經 Zaotan Gongke Jing ) and Evening Altar Scriptures( 晚壇功課經 Wantan Gongke Jing ); the music in celebrations is mainly used in the celebrations of the birth of immortals and patriarchs; the music for prayers is mostly used in the rituals of praying for sun or rain, saving the dead souls and relieving the people, such as "feeding the hungry Ghosts" and "presenting memorials to patriarchs". The principal form of the music is vocal music, and instrumental music mainly comprised of percussion music is also used. The daily morning and evening recitation of scriptures is entirely vocal chanting, with the accompaniment of small Magical Instruments( 法器 Faqi ) such as bells, drums, Wood Blocks( 木魚 Muyu ), pans, cymbals and Inverted Bells( 磬 Qing ), and some temples add a little accompaniment with orchestral instruments. The music in the rituals of celebrating and praying is focused on vocal music, with a comparatively large-scale religious dance at times, and to match this spectacle, big magical instruments such as bells, the ''dabo'', the ''danao'' (big cymbals) and some wind instruments are employed for accompaniment. During the rituals, some relatively independent tunes are inserted, such as the "cymbal tunes" and all kinds of short "Lively Tunes ( 耍曲 Shuaqu )" played in some temples. The vocal music forms of the Complete Perfection Tradition include the solo, or unison, given by the High Priest ( 高功 Gaogong ) and the Chief Cantor ( 都講 Dujiang ). Instrumental music is mainly played in the form of an instrumental ensemble; solo and ''chongzou'' (an ensemble of two or more instrumentalists, each playing one part) are seldom seen. The most outstanding characteristics of the music of the Complete Perfection Tradition are its integrity and relative stability. The transmission and inheritance of the music of the Complete Perfection Tradition have always been rigorous and standardized. The current music in the tradition has the ''[[Orthodox Tones of the Complete Perfection]]'' ( 全真正韻 Quanzhen Zhengyun ), or "The Ten-Direction Tone " ( 十方韻 Shifang Yun ) generally called by Daoist priests, as its model, and all the temples should strictly keep to this model. The tones are all transmitted orally by masters in secret, so the music remains highly unified in form. As far as the music of all the major temples of the Complete Perfection Tradition are concerned, the "Ten Direction Tones" chanted in various places are largely identical but with minor differences either in the style or in certain melodies and rhythms. Daoism has the phrase "rigid Complete Perfection", which means that the music of the Complete Perfection Tradition cannot be changed willfully and therefore forms its intrinsic features of integrity and relative stability. The music has scarcely been recorded through the generations, and the materials on it in written forms are fairly few. The most intact collection of music of the Complete Perfection Tradition available now is the Orthodox Tones of the Complete Perfection collected in the ''Reprinted Selections from the Daoist Canon'' ( 重刊道藏輯要 Chongkan Daozang Jiyao ), which was published by the Temple of the Two Immortals in Chengdu in the late Qing dynasty. [[zh:全真道音樂]] 9ea5be82a049aaf94367ad94d9a4ce5299387fcc 0 283 349 2009-08-23T03:42:06Z Admin 1 Created page with '"The Eight Immortals ( 八仙 Baxian ) Cross the Sea" is a Daoist anecdote. The Eight Immortals are usually identified as [[Li Tieguai]], [[Han Zhongli]], [[Lan Caihe]], [[Zhang ...' wikitext text/x-wiki "The Eight Immortals ( 八仙 Baxian ) Cross the Sea" is a Daoist anecdote. The Eight Immortals are usually identified as [[Li Tieguai]], [[Han Zhongli]], [[Lan Caihe]], [[Zhang Guolao]], [[He Xiangu]], [[Lü Dongbin]], [[Han Xiangzi]] and [[Cao Guojie]]. In the legend, the Eight Immortals take with them different Magical Instruments ( 法器 Faqi ): Li Tieguai's iron stick, Han Zhongli's drum, Zhang Guolao's paper donkey, Lü Dongbin's sword and xiao (a vertical bamboo flute), He Xiangu's bamboo cover, Han Xiangzi's flower basket, Cao Guojiu's jade tablet, and Lan Caihe's big clappers, each of which has a unique power. It may be said that in Chinese history, literary and artistic works about the Eight Immortals can be found everywhere. Even on printed cakes and on sedans taken by brides when they got married in ancient times, there are different-patterned and lifelike models of the Eight Immortals. On the blue and white porcelain vases popular in the Ming dynasty, there are designs with [[the Queen Mother of the West]] ( 西王母 Xiwangmu ) in the center, where you may find the scene of the Eight Immortals congratulating her on her birthday. Among the people there is a kind of square table, which is called "the Eight Immortals table". All these facts show the profound influence of the Eight Immortals in peoples' minds. "The Eight Immortals Cross the Sea" is one of the wonderful stories about the Eight Immortals. Its vivid record is found in the ''Journey to the East'' written by Wu Yuantai of the Ming dynasty. This book describes how the Eight Immortals were always ready to defend the weak and helpless, punish evildoers and encourage the good. One day, they went to the Donghai Sea together and saw gigantic turbulent tides and waves. Lü Dongbin suggested that each of them throw one thing into the water in order to show their "magical power" and cross it. All the other immortals agreed with him. They threw their magic articles onto the sea, and then, standing on them, crossed the sea, braving the wind and the waves. Afterwards, people have compared this anecdote to the way that one creates miracles with one's special ability. [[zh:八仙過海]] 466e48814ee4f1eb03de8a8a5d28fdaa92028e1e 0 284 350 2009-08-23T03:49:07Z Admin 1 Created page with 'This is a Daoist story that was first recorded in the Yuefu poetry ( 樂府 Yuefu ) of the Han dynasty. In the story, a jade hare, the nickname of a white hare, was living on the...' wikitext text/x-wiki This is a Daoist story that was first recorded in the Yuefu poetry ( 樂府 Yuefu ) of the Han dynasty. In the story, a jade hare, the nickname of a white hare, was living on the moon where, on her knees, she was pounding medicine, which would help the takers become immortals. Since then, the story became so popular that ancient Chinese used 'jade hare' as the nickname of the moon. The practice went into ancient poetry, too. ''Mid-autumn'', a poem composed by Xin Qiji, was an example. The metaphor was also seen in ancient stories. In Daoism, however, the 'jade hare' was paralleled by the 'golden raven' in alchemical refinement, highlighting the harmonious relationship between 'Yin' and 'Yang'. [[zh:玉兔搗藥]] fcda289cd5e666e25c9ac7000cbeb5eee0c56ac5 0 285 351 2009-08-23T03:54:32Z Admin 1 Created page with 'This story was recorded in the eleventh chapter "Biographies of Twelve Perfect Sovereigns" ( 《十二真君傳》 Shier Zhenjun Zhuan ) of the ''Extensive Records of the Taiping...' wikitext text/x-wiki This story was recorded in the eleventh chapter "Biographies of Twelve Perfect Sovereigns" ( 《十二真君傳》 Shier Zhenjun Zhuan ) of the ''Extensive Records of the Taiping Era'' ( 《太平廣記》 Taiping Guangji ) and other documents. In the story, Xu Xun spent most his life as a farmer in the Jin dynasty. After his brother died, he gave up his most fertile land for the benefit of his sister-in-law, whereas he himself cultivated the waste hills to support his mother. In the later period, he started to study Dao, and became the county magistrate in Jin Yang where he used his power and Daoist arts in favor of his people. Years later, however, he was so disappointed with moral degeneration in the society that he resigned. After that, he went to Mt. Xiaoyao in Yuzhang, starting to cultivate Dao along with many followers. In that moment, people in that area suffered from some evil snakes and flood dragons. Xu and his disciples fought bitter battles and killed them ultimately. His good merits were widely recounted among the local people. Xu Xun based the Dao on filial piety, which was considered to be the guideline of cultivation. In the process of practicing Dao, he committed himself to good deeds, and encouraged others to do so as well. As the result of years of cultivation, he ascended to heaven with his whole house on the fifteenth day of the eighth month in the second Ningkang year of the Jin dynasty. It was said that more than forty family members went up to heaven along with Xu Xun on that day. In Daoism, this story is used to serve as an example, encouraging people to cultivate Dao. In another word, it has become the symbol of successful cultivation. [[zh:拔宅飛昇]] e1ef63c8aaec079a9b9bc33653d4872b2e3e25f4 0 286 352 2009-08-23T04:02:00Z Admin 1 Created page with 'According to the ''Biographies of Immortals'' ( 《神仙傳》 Shenxian Chuan ) by [[Ge Hong]], Liu An, king of Huainan, used to summon many magicians in the hope that they woul...' wikitext text/x-wiki According to the ''Biographies of Immortals'' ( 《神仙傳》 Shenxian Chuan ) by [[Ge Hong]], Liu An, king of Huainan, used to summon many magicians in the hope that they would refine an elixir which, he thought, would transform him into an immortal. In the story, he got the elixir. Just before ascending to heaven, he scattered in the courtyard some extra elixir, which was eaten his domestic fowls and animals. After eating it, they rose to heaven along with their master. People draw a conclusion from the story, saying that one man achieving his cultivation would benefit even fowls and animals in his house. In Daoism, this story was used to encourage people to pursue Dao. Later, an idiom developed from the story, which was used to describe nepotism among officials. [[zh:雞犬昇天]] c5902f6e12bd02b298d5e5c9a8574a3d992a3a97 353 352 2009-08-23T04:04:00Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki According to the ''[[Biographies of Immortals]]'' ( 《神仙傳》 Shenxian Chuan ) by [[Ge Hong]], Liu An, king of Huainan, used to summon many magicians in the hope that they would refine an elixir which, he thought, would transform him into an immortal. In the story, he got the elixir. Just before ascending to heaven, he scattered in the courtyard some extra elixir, which was eaten his domestic fowls and animals. After eating it, they rose to heaven along with their master. People draw a conclusion from the story, saying that one man achieving his cultivation would benefit even fowls and animals in his house. In Daoism, this story was used to encourage people to pursue Dao. Later, an idiom developed from the story, which was used to describe nepotism among officials. [[zh:雞犬昇天]] c40693ef9e78086ebfb6ef176725897c953f69d5 0 287 354 2009-08-23T04:10:49Z Admin 1 Created page with 'According to the ''Book of the Master of Huainan'' ( 《淮南子》 Huainanzi ), there were immortals and laurels on the moon. It was said that when the moon waxes, its size gro...' wikitext text/x-wiki According to the ''Book of the Master of Huainan'' ( 《淮南子》 Huainanzi ), there were immortals and laurels on the moon. It was said that when the moon waxes, its size grows, from a foot of an immortal to a laurel. In the Tang dynasty, the story had another version, which was recorded in the chapter ''Heavenly Principle of Miscellaneous Notes from Youyang'' ( 《酉陽雜俎‧天咫》 Youyang Zazhuo Tianch ). It mentioned that the laurel on the moon was five-hundred chi high, and that under the tree was a man who was chopping it. But the tree grew so fast that he could hardly leave a mark on it. Whenever he chopped, wounds of the tree healed simultaneously. According to the story, the man was Wu Gang, a man who came from Xihe. Since then, when an immortal in heaven made a mistake, he would be sent here to chop the tree as a punishment. [[zh:吳剛伐桂]] 87e47cc22a4860a383d2ba2aed9d226b7282ebaf 0 288 355 2009-08-23T04:17:19Z Admin 1 Created page with 'According to the ''Biographies of Immortals'' ( 《神仙傳》 Shenxian Zhuan ) by [[Ge Hong]], Immortal Lady Ma, in her meeting with Wang Fangping, said that since their previo...' wikitext text/x-wiki According to the ''Biographies of Immortals'' ( 《神仙傳》 Shenxian Zhuan ) by [[Ge Hong]], Immortal Lady Ma, in her meeting with Wang Fangping, said that since their previous meeting, she had witnessed the blue sea change into a mulberry field three times. 'Just now', she said: 'when I was at Penglai, I found the sea was shallower, seemingly half of its original depth. I guess it will change into a field again in a very short time.' This story mirrored Chinese understandings about all changes in the universe and the difference in the concept of time between immortals' world and human society. In an immortal's eyes, all things in the human world are changing constantly and rapidly. In the changing world, however, lies the unchangeable, which makes an immortal go beyond all changes. It was also the reason why Lady Ma could repeatedly witness the blue sea change into a mulberry field. [[zh:滄海桑田]] c7b4180bc691f03e9163b37addd068fb49371294 0 289 356 2009-08-23T08:06:46Z Admin 1 Created page with 'According to the ''Comprehensive Mirror of the Perfect Immortals Who Embodied the Dao'' ( 《歷世真仙體道通鑒》 Lishi Zhenxian Tidao Tongjian ), [[Sima Chengzhen]], a Da...' wikitext text/x-wiki According to the ''Comprehensive Mirror of the Perfect Immortals Who Embodied the Dao'' ( 《歷世真仙體道通鑒》 Lishi Zhenxian Tidao Tongjian ), [[Sima Chengzhen]], a Daoist of the Tang dynasty, was so famous that he was repeatedly summoned by the emperor, although he had no intention to start a career in the administration. So he asked repeatedly to be sent back to [[Mt. Tiantai]]. One day, when he offered his request again, Lu Changyong, an imperial official, who had been a hermit on Mt. Zhongnan, said: 'in my opinion, you should go to Mt. Zhongnan for hermitage instead of Mt. Tiantai which is too far away.' Sima Chengzhen replied: 'in my opinion, Mt. Zhongnan is merely a shortcut to officialdom rather than a hermitage.' Official Lu smelt the taste of mockery. He felt very embarrassed. In this story, [[Mt. Zhongnan]] was referred to as the Shortcut to officialdom because, geographically, it's near to Chang An, capital of the Tang dynasty. Because of this, it was frequently visited by emperors and ministers going on pilgrimage. Naturally, a hermit in this mountain tended to be summoned, becoming an imperial official. Since then, Mt. Zhongnan was referred to as the Shortcut to fame and power. [[zh:終南捷徑]] 962392970d62ed2542598655e8ac04a9e3f968c5 0 290 357 2009-08-23T08:10:38Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The story originates from the ''Biographies of Immortals'' ( 《神仙傳》 Shenxian Zhuan ), which mentioned that when the immortal Wang Fangping descended to Cai Jing's house,...' wikitext text/x-wiki The story originates from the ''Biographies of Immortals'' ( 《神仙傳》 Shenxian Zhuan ), which mentioned that when the immortal Wang Fangping descended to Cai Jing's house, he sent for Immortal Aunt Ma. When she arrived, Cai found she was a pretty lady with long fingernails. Upon seeing them, Cai could not help thinking the long nails must be good at scratching the itch on his back. Wang Fangping realized through his Daoist arts what was in Cai's mind. He started to punish Cai with an invisible spiritual whip which made Cai terribly painful. After that, Wang told Cai, "Aunt Ma is an Immortal, how can you entertain such fantasies?" In later times, an analogy developed from the story, referring to unfounded hopes. [[zh:麻姑搔癢]] 43944e859d28fcb3466e7088118600b978f7ff47 0 291 358 2009-08-23T08:19:10Z Admin 1 Created page with 'This story was recorded in the chapter ''Heaven and Earth of Zhuangzi'' ( 《莊子‧天地》 Zhuangzi Tiandi ) . It mentions that in his journey to the north of river Ci, [[th...' wikitext text/x-wiki This story was recorded in the chapter ''Heaven and Earth of Zhuangzi'' ( 《莊子‧天地》 Zhuangzi Tiandi ) . It mentions that in his journey to the north of river Ci, [[the Yellow Emperor]] went to [[Mt. Kunlun]], overlooking the south from its peak. On his way back, he could not find his 'mysterious pearl'. He sent Zhi, Li Zhu and Chigou for it. But none of them found it. At last, he sent a man named Xiang Wu, who brought it back. In historical documents, Xiang Wu was also known as Wu Xiang, which, in classic Chinese, referred to 'forgetting' and 'trace' respectively. By this story, the author suggested that Dao ought to be the result of spontaneity and non-action. If a man changes the pursuit for Dao into intentional behavior, he leaves the Dao. [[zh:黃帝遺珠]] 3a6bd0df3b248f10db7aab71018eddbb778f64b3 0 292 359 2009-08-23T08:23:04Z Admin 1 Created page with '"Cook Ding Cuts the Beef" is a Daoist anecdote. This allusion is recorded in the chapter "Essentials of Nourishing Life " ( 養生主 Yangsheng Zhu ) in ''The Book of Master Zhua...' wikitext text/x-wiki "Cook Ding Cuts the Beef" is a Daoist anecdote. This allusion is recorded in the chapter "Essentials of Nourishing Life " ( 養生主 Yangsheng Zhu ) in ''The Book of Master Zhuang'' ( 莊子 Zhuangzi ). According to legend, during the reign of Sovereign Wenhui in the Warring States period, cook Ding was good at cutting beef. Well-trained and skillful, he had a miraculous skill in using a kitchen knife. All his movements, such as the touching of his hands, the leaning of his shoulders, and the trampling of his feet, corresponded with certain tunes. The sound of cutting was rhythmic and even matched the movement for the "sanglin" steps in dancing. Sovereign Wenhui highly praised cook Ding's skill, saying, "It's so wonderful! How can one's skill reach this condition?" Cook Ding put down his butcher knife and replied, "What I'm keen on is Dao, which exceeds the pursuit of skill. When I had just started to cut beef, what I saw was a whole ox, but three years later, I never saw an integral ox. Now I don't need to watch with my eyes any more, but merely feel and understand with my mind. At this moment my organs stop functioning, and only my mind is working. When I cut in the direction of the veins of the ox, I find no obstacles. That is why the knife edge still remains sharp although I've used this knife for nineteen years and cut thousands of oxen." The story "Cook Ding Cuts the Beef" signifies that cultivating Dao should follow nature and reach the state of formlessness, and only in this way can one play the miraculous tune of cutting beef that corresponds with the "sounds of nature". [[zh:庖丁解牛]] 12529dd5aa25ce67f7de029225455e9732f2a887 0 293 360 2009-08-23T08:35:55Z Admin 1 Created page with '"Three in the Morning and Four in the Evening" is a Daoist anecdote, an allusion found in the chapter "On the Equality of All Things ( 齊物論 Qiwu Lun )" in ''The Book of Mast...' wikitext text/x-wiki "Three in the Morning and Four in the Evening" is a Daoist anecdote, an allusion found in the chapter "On the Equality of All Things ( 齊物論 Qiwu Lun )" in ''The Book of Master Zhuang'' ( 莊子 Zhuangzi ). It is recorded in the book that a man who raised monkeys gave them chestnuts to eat. He told the monkeys that he would give them three ''sheng'' (a traditional unit of volume) of chestnuts in the morning and four in the evening. Hearing this, the monkeys got angry. Then he said that he would give them four sheng in the morning and three sheng in the evening. Hearing this, the monkeys turned happy. After recounting this fable, the chapter explains the meaning, saying that neither the name nor the reality is changed, but the monkeys show different feelings. The man's offer just complies with the monkeys' subjective psychological needs. Therefore, a saint does not persist in debating right and wrong, but keeps a natural balance of the ways of the world. Through this fable, this chapter intends to state the principle of letting things take their own course. According to ''The Book of Master Zhuang'', the elementary step to enlightenment is nothing but being unconcerned. Enlightened by this approach, regard all things as equal, be simple-minded, and you may find that "Dao" is right there. [[zh:朝三暮四]] 090c2556c39ee8a1dcad4513cdc2ba3c95d6006a 0 294 361 2009-08-23T08:50:37Z Admin 1 Created page with '"Purple Air Coming from the East" is a Daoist anecdote, an allusion in the Intimate Biography of Guardian Yin ( 關令尹內傳 Guanling Yin Neizhuan ). Similar records can be fo...' wikitext text/x-wiki "Purple Air Coming from the East" is a Daoist anecdote, an allusion in the Intimate Biography of Guardian Yin ( 關令尹內傳 Guanling Yin Neizhuan ). Similar records can be found in many later Daoist biographies. It is said that [[Laozi]], founder of philosophical Daoism ( 道家 Daojia ) (addressed respectfully as [[the Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ) in Daoism), in the face of the decadent manners and morals of the time, prepared to leave the land of the Zhou dynasty and become a hermit. According to the ''Biographies of Unfathomable Creatures'' ( 猶龍傳 Youlong Zhuan ), Laozi wanted to go to the desert country in the west so that he could teach foreign people. Then a stream of purple air moved from the east towards the west up to the Hangu Pass. Yin Xi, a senior official of King Zhaowang of the Zhou dynasty, who was good at observing the omens shown by stellar movements, knew that a saint was going to pass through Hangu Pass. So he resigned his office in the court, and became a guardian of Hangu Pass. He performed Fasting ( 齋戒 Zhaijie ) rituals, burnt incense on both sides of the road, swept the road clean, and did nothing but wait for the saint. Soon, Laozi rode to the pass on a black ox. Guardian Yin Xi formally became a student of Laozi and asked him to write ''[[The Book of Dao and its Virtue]]'' ( 道德經 Daode Jing ), which was handed down through the ages. Among the people of China, purple air coming from the east is an auspicious symbol, and many literary works develop it into a plot. A good example is chapter 77, "Laozi Transformed from One Vital Breath into the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing )" in the book The Romance of the Gods ( 封神演義 Fengshen Yanyi ). Based on a rich tradition of Daoist literature, it develops the story of "Purple Air Coming from the East" artistically and is very appealing. In the past when people celebrated the Spring Festival, they always pasted the Spring Festival couplets containing the words "Purple Air Coming from the East", which shows that the story of Laozi passing through the Hangu Pass has always continued to be disseminated. [[zh:紫氣東來]] 27dc17b86333ef8c1884f8b2a0dba006b270fabf 0 295 362 2009-08-23T09:02:08Z Admin 1 Created page with '"Chang'e Flies to the Moon" is a Daoist anecdote, first found in ''Guicang''. Afterwards, this legend was quoted in many literary works, such as ''Huainanzi'' compiled by Liu An ...' wikitext text/x-wiki "Chang'e Flies to the Moon" is a Daoist anecdote, first found in ''Guicang''. Afterwards, this legend was quoted in many literary works, such as ''Huainanzi'' compiled by Liu An and ''Ling Xian'' by Zhang Heng. "Chang'e" is also named "Chang'e". She is said to be the wife of Yi. Yi got the elixir of life from [[the Queen Mother of the West]] ( 西王母 Xiwangmu ). Before he took it, his wife Chang'e took it secretly and flied to the moon. This story reflects people's wish for longevity in remote ages, and the ancients' infinite interest in the exploration of nature. [[zh:嫦娥奔月]] af276f428c923e69a0735f95648d9312ccf48f2c 0 296 363 2009-08-23T09:08:24Z Admin 1 Created page with '"Entering a Secluded Paradise by Mistake" is a Daoist anecdote, an allusion found in the Records of this World and the Netherworld ( 幽明錄 Youming Lu ). It is said that in th...' wikitext text/x-wiki "Entering a Secluded Paradise by Mistake" is a Daoist anecdote, an allusion found in the Records of this World and the Netherworld ( 幽明錄 Youming Lu ). It is said that in the fifth Yongping year during the reign of Emperor Mingdi of the Han dynasty (A.D. 62), the scholars Liu Chen and Ruan Zhao from Shan county went to Tiantai Mountain in Zhejiang to pick husks, and did not know how they could return. During their 13 days on the mountain, they allayed their hunger with wild peaches. When they went down the mountain with cups to get water, they saw delicious turnip leaves floating on the brook and a box of benne rice flowing downstream. According to the evidence, they estimated that they were not far away from an inhabited place. So they crossed the river and a mountain. They saw two extraordinarily beautiful girls, who addressed them by name and scolded them for coming so late. Liu Chen and Ruan Zhao did not understand why the two girls knew their names. They felt both surprised and happy. The two girls led Liu and Ruan to their residence, and treated them with feasts. Then they drank liquor and made merry for half a year, until one day, the two scholars missed their hometown and requested to return home. The two girls were reluctant to part with them, but they accompanied the two out of the mountains. Back home, Liu and Ruan found that they already had seven generations of descendants. In the eighth year during the reign of Taikang of the Jin dynasty (A.D. 287), seeing the world was so turbid and feeling that this world was not even as human as the wild wonderland, the two scholars left their hometown secretly and went to look for the fairies of the former days. Zaju (a poetic drama) writers in the Yuan dynasty developed the legend into Entering a Secluded Paradise by Mistake, which addressed the girls encountered by Liu and Ruan as "fairies in the paradise". The story shows the indifference in time between the world and the wonderland. A half-year in the wonderland equals above a hundred years in this world. In addition, the story embodies ancient scholars' dissatisfaction with the dark reality. [[zh:誤入桃源]] c08e5b5bb3482b48aa3c10d6e7ddf7d7b3e3cce5 0 297 364 2009-08-24T01:33:27Z Admin 1 Created page with '"Zhuangzhou's Dream of a Butterfly" is a Daoist anecdote, an allusion found in the chapter "On the Equality of All Things ( 齊物論 Qiwu Lun )" in ''The Book of Master Zhuang''...' wikitext text/x-wiki "Zhuangzhou's Dream of a Butterfly" is a Daoist anecdote, an allusion found in the chapter "On the Equality of All Things ( 齊物論 Qiwu Lun )" in ''The Book of Master Zhuang'' ( 莊子 Zhuangzi ). According to this book, [[Zhuangzi]] dreamed of changing into a butterfly and fluttering about and even forgetting that he was Zhuang Zhou; but when he woke up, he felt he was Zhuang Zhou again. Then he wondered which was true, Zhuang Zhou dreaming of changing into a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming of changing into Zhuang Zhou? In the view of Daoist philosophers and Daoist believers, it is in fact unnecessary to distinguish artificially between Zhuang Zhou and the butterfly, because if the mind is in a state of undifferentiated integration of things and self, the great Dao remains in one's heart. [[zh:莊周夢蝶]] a843bfc6343b05b85e75f14159bf4a6b4a358b7f 0 298 365 2009-08-24T01:37:58Z Admin 1 Created page with '"A Wonderful Dream while Cooking the Millet" is Daoist anecdote, an allusion found in the ''Record of Imperial Sovereign Chunyang's Mysterious Salvation and Sublime Communion'' (...' wikitext text/x-wiki "A Wonderful Dream while Cooking the Millet" is Daoist anecdote, an allusion found in the ''Record of Imperial Sovereign Chunyang's Mysterious Salvation and Sublime Communion'' ( 純陽帝君神化妙通紀 Chunyang Dijun Shenhua Miaotong Ji ). It is recorded in the book that after failing in an imperial examination, the scholar Lü Yan (i.e., [[Lü Dongbin]]) came across [[Zhong Liquan]] and went to [[Mt. Zhongnan]] with him. He once had a dream while he napped. In the dream, Lü Yan became the Number One Scholar. He was promoted from the rank of lower county official to that of a higher court official, and considered himself unexcelled in the world. He twice married girls from rich and powerful families, and enjoyed untold wealth and high honor. Unexpectedly, however, forty years later he committed a serious crime and so he was dismissed from office, and his property was confiscated. In a twinkling his family broke up. He became a loner in the world, penniless and frustrated. In a snowstorm, seeing troops hotly pursuing him, he was frightened to a sweat and woke up with a start. At that time Zhong Liquan was cooking millet rice. This is the origin of "A Wonderful Dream while Cooking the Millet". The story tells people that seeking fame and wealth is illusionary, and only thr respectful and cautious seeking of Dao is the real way out in life. This idea permeated the whole process of Lü Dongbin's studying and transmitting Dao, benefiting mankind and saving people. In his anthology there are quite a lot works about diversion from desire and abandonment of honor and rank. [[zh:黃粱夢覺]] 24d8a3e08852303a0ead9dbf3745fd8e63cf6258 0 299 366 2009-08-24T01:42:22Z Admin 1 Created page with '"Immortals Celebrating Longevity on their Birthday" is a typical example of a [[Play on Salvation by Immortals]] ( 神仙道化劇 Shenxian Daohua Ju ). Ever since the Yuan dynas...' wikitext text/x-wiki "Immortals Celebrating Longevity on their Birthday" is a typical example of a [[Play on Salvation by Immortals]] ( 神仙道化劇 Shenxian Daohua Ju ). Ever since the Yuan dynasty, images of immortals and Daoists have been in full swing in the Chinese theatrical arena. Dramas of this kind that have immortals or Daoists as protagonists are called Plays on Salvation by Immortals in the academic world. Usually at the end of such works numerous immortals come out to celebrate longevity. This reunion of immortals symbolizes the infinite charm of life. For example, in the fourth section of ''Willow in the Southern Town'', [[the Queen Mother of the West]] ( 西王母 Xiwangmu ) gave a peach banquet and invited all the immortals in eight grottoes. After being saved by [[Lü Dongbin]] and becoming immortals, the old willow spirit and the young peach spirit were also at the scene to celebrate longevity on [[Auntie Queen Mother's]] ( 王母娘娘 Wangmu Niangniang ) birthday. All the saved spirits said that thereafter they would they would abandon evil and do good in order to attain the right fruit. [[zh:群仙慶壽]] afaac89e8fab5de9edc1c88afe80f32f6bc67e06 0 300 367 2009-08-24T01:51:28Z Admin 1 Created page with '"Encountering Immortals at Ganshui" is a Daoist anecdote, an allusion found in the ''[[Record of the Immortals Encountered at Ganshui]]'' ( 甘水仙源錄 Ganshui Xianyuan Lu )....' wikitext text/x-wiki "Encountering Immortals at Ganshui" is a Daoist anecdote, an allusion found in the ''[[Record of the Immortals Encountered at Ganshui]]'' ( 甘水仙源錄 Ganshui Xianyuan Lu ). It is recorded in the book that in summer of the Jimao year during the reign of Zhenglong (A.D. 1159), Wang Chongyang, founder of [[the Complete Perfection tradition]] ( 全真 Quanzhen ), carrying a kettle on his back, went to Ganhe town. He liked to sip fragrant wine in a wine shop. Afterwards two initiates came to the town. They looked almost the same in appearance and temperament. [[Wang Chongyang]] was surprised at it. He followed them when they left the wine shop. In a secluded place, he paid formal respects to them. Thinking that Wang Chongchang was worthy of being initiated, the adepts secretly transmitted formulas to him. Later, Wang Chongyang encountered the adepts once again in Ganhe. As the story goes, in order for Wang Chongyang to abstain from alcohol, the initiates made him eat "sacred dung", and henceforth Wang Chongyang never drank alcohol. He took water from the Ganhe River with his kettle and just drank water daily. But when somebody once asked for some water from his kettle, he felt it had a dense smell of wine. When approaching Perfect Man ( 真人 Zhenren ) Chongyang, they immediately smelled a sweet scent of wine assailing their nostrils, and were made drunken at once. The water in perfect Man Chongyang's kettle that smelt of sweet wine was regarded as water from an immortal source. [[zh:甘水仙源]] cb2900f0daa9524fbe5ed126a1a53eef64ce359e 0 301 368 2009-08-24T02:02:29Z Admin 1 Created page with '"The Seven Golden Lotuses" was a Daoist anecdote, an allusion found in the ''[[Records of the Orthodox Sect of the Golden Lotus]]'' ( 金蓮正宗記 Jinlian Zhengzong Ji ). The ...' wikitext text/x-wiki "The Seven Golden Lotuses" was a Daoist anecdote, an allusion found in the ''[[Records of the Orthodox Sect of the Golden Lotus]]'' ( 金蓮正宗記 Jinlian Zhengzong Ji ). The Complete Perfection ( 全真 Quanzhen ) has historically been classified into the southern lineage and the northern lineage. Daoists believe that the northern lineage originated from [[Wang Xuanfu]], Lesser Yang Sovereign of Donghua ( 東華少陽君 Donghua Shaoyang Jun ). Xuanfu transmitted the great Dao to [[Zhong Liquan]], and later it was expanded by the founding master Chunyang and [[Liu Cao]]. It is recorded in the book that after [[Wang Chongyang]], the founder of the northern lineage of [[the Complete Perfection tradition]], encountered founding master [[Lü Chunyang]], he diligently cultivated himself and propagandized the teaching. After educating them for a period of time, Wang Chongyang accepted seven disciples, namely [[Qiu Chuji]], [[Liu Chuxuan]], [[Tan Chuduan]], [[Ma Danyang]], [[Hao Datong]], [[Sun Bu'er]] and [[Wang Chuyi]]. As the story goes, seven golden lotuses emerged in heaven. Daoist historians held that the seven disciples initiated by Wang Chongyang corresponded to the seven golden lotuses. The early Complete Perfection tradition had a Golden Lotus Society, which was based on Dao and its virtue, purity and tranquility, and practiced great nine-seven-recycling alchemy. It is obvious that "the Seven Golden Lotuses" also symbolize [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). [[zh:七朵金蓮]] 714e63574c7c459fecb9794e8a546c48b2562b25 0 302 369 2009-08-24T02:08:21Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The story was originally recorded in books like the ''History of the Latter Han'' ( 《後漢書》 Houhan Shu ) and the ''Record of the Elixir Platform'' ( 《丹台錄》 Danda...' wikitext text/x-wiki The story was originally recorded in books like the ''History of the Latter Han'' ( 《後漢書》 Houhan Shu ) and the ''Record of the Elixir Platform'' ( 《丹台錄》 Dandai Lu ). In the Han dynasty, an old man used to appear at the marketplaces in Rulan city, selling medicines. Good business brought him a lot of money every day. Local people knew neither his name nor original identity, except that he was living in a room with a gourd hung down from the ceiling. Therefore, they called him 'Lord Gourd'. Then, a man named Fei Changfan was put in charge of local marketplaces. He started to pay attention to 'Lord Gourd'. He noticed that there was no bed in Lord Gourd's room, and that he jumped into the hanging gourd in the night and came out in next morning. Fei decided to bring the secret in the light. So he came to visit Lord Gourd, helping him clean the room, or bringing him vegetables and fruits. One day, Lord Gourd said to Fei: 'please come back in the night after everyone has gone to bed.' Fei did so. Then, Lord Gourd said: 'I will jump into the gourd. Please follow me.' When Fei did as instructed, he found himself in the gourd without any difficulty. Also to his surprise, the gourd harboured a fairyland where he saw beautiful buildings high into sky and winding corridors flying in the air like rainbows. Since then, the world in the gourd became a favourite topic among men of letters. After the Wei and Jin dynasties, it also appeared in their poetry. Li Shangying, the famous poet of the Tang dynasty, mentioned it in a poem, which went: 'fairyland exists inside a gourd, just as hermits hide themselves in clouds hung from high cliffs'. [[zh:壺天世界]] 146f81ca908974fd53cef2827ee18bca0e54bc0e 0 303 370 2009-08-24T02:24:45Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The story was originally mentioned in the poem ''Snow of the Collection of Highest Clarity'' ( 《上清集‧詠雪》 Shangqingji Yongxue ) by [[Bai Yuchan]], who wrote in the ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The story was originally mentioned in the poem ''Snow of the Collection of Highest Clarity'' ( 《上清集‧詠雪》 Shangqingji Yongxue ) by [[Bai Yuchan]], who wrote in the poem: "when the green maiden brews snow at the breast, snow is the fermented rice and dew changed into wine ". In this story, the "green maiden' referred to a young lady in green dress. In later periods, Daoism borrowed this term to imply 'mercury in the elixir'. In the ''Orthodox Commentary on Realizing Perfection'' ( 《悟真篇正義》 Wuzhenpian Zhengyi ), Dong Dening, a scholar of the Qing dynasty, explained: "the image of the li trigram is a maiden, and the color of wood is green. The two factors produce the image of 'mercury in the elixir' because the elixir belongs to 'li-fire' and mercury belongs to 'zheng-wood' in the trigram figures." In this regard, the 'green maiden' had become a symbol of inner alchemy. There is no doubt Bai Yuchan was very familiar with it. Moreover, through combining different images, he gave the 'green maiden' deeper implications. People may have different images and experiences about snow. In Bai Yuchan's mind, snow was a reminder of wine drunk in cold weather. In the poem, Bai conferred multiple associations on the image of the green maiden. Firstly, it stood for green mountains covered with white snow, an image reminiscent of a maiden with snow in her arms, like a fertile and energetic young lady. In her arms, snow melts just as wine brews in a jar. [[zh:青女釀雪]] 0d73d44c467b9fecd44a4dc29f11e356ce602861 0 304 371 2009-08-24T02:29:48Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The story was originally mentioned in the poem Snow ''of the Collection of Highest Clarity'' ( 《上清集‧詠雪》 Shangqingji Yongxue ) by [[Bai Yuchan]], who wrote in the ...' wikitext text/x-wiki The story was originally mentioned in the poem Snow ''of the Collection of Highest Clarity'' ( 《上清集‧詠雪》 Shangqingji Yongxue ) by [[Bai Yuchan]], who wrote in the poem: "when the green maiden brews snow at the breast, snow is the fermented rice and dew changed into wine ". In this story, the "green maiden' referred to a young lady in green dress. In later periods, Daoism borrowed this term to imply 'mercury in the elixir'. In the ''Orthodox Commentary on Realizing Perfection'' ( 《悟真篇正義》 Wuzhenpian Zhengyi ), Dong Dening, a scholar of the Qing dynasty, explained: "the image of the li trigram is a maiden, and the color of wood is green. The two factors produce the image of 'mercury in the elixir' because the elixir belongs to 'li-fire' and mercury belongs to 'zheng-wood' in the trigram figures." In this regard, the 'green maiden' had become a symbol of inner alchemy. There is no doubt Bai Yuchan was very familiar with it. Moreover, through combining different images, he gave the 'green maiden' deeper implications. People may have different images and experiences about snow. In [[Bai Yuchan]]'s mind, snow was a reminder of wine drunk in cold weather. In the poem, Bai conferred multiple associations on the image of the green maiden. Firstly, it stood for green mountains covered with white snow, an image reminiscent of a maiden with snow in her arms, like a fertile and energetic young lady. In her arms, snow melts just as wine brews in a jar. [[zh:金華衝碧]] 63c43448adcd2ee9523f6af8b0ba6ac0b1100d6b 373 371 2009-08-24T02:37:07Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki This story was first recorded in the ''Secret Guidelines of the Alchemical Scripture of Golden Light Shooting into the Azure'' ( 《金華沖碧丹經秘旨》 Jinhua Congbi Danjing Mizhi ). Originally, 'golden light' referred to Mt. Jinghua in Zhejiang, the spot where Huang Chuping, an immortal, achieved his cultivation. According to some documents, immortal Huang became a shepherd at the age of fifteen. Then, a Daoist took him to Mt. Jinghua, teaching him the knowledge of cultivation and Daoist dietetics. It was said that since then, he could make himself invisible, or transform stone into sheep. Just because of him, the term 'golden light' entered the lexicon of inner alchemy, referring to one of the elixirs. In later periods, on the basis of materials from Bai Yuchan and Nan Yuanbai, Meng Xu, a patriarch of the Southern Lineage of the Golden Elixir Sect ( 金丹派南宗 Jindanpai Nanzong ), compiled the ''Secret Guidelines of the Alchemical Scripture of Golden Light Shooting into the Azure'', which included documents about external alchemy and poetry about its magic power, which, in this case, were represented respectively by 'golden light' and 'shooting into the azure'. [[zh:金華衝碧]] 70e518803720a0aeb628e02dc5ac7848d5d873c4 0 305 372 2009-08-24T02:34:47Z Admin 1 Created page with 'This idiom came from a story, which was originally recorded in the ''Records of a Fortunate Meeting'' ( 《玄風慶會錄》 Xuanfeng Qinghui Lu ), a book on the historic meetin...' wikitext text/x-wiki This idiom came from a story, which was originally recorded in the ''Records of a Fortunate Meeting'' ( 《玄風慶會錄》 Xuanfeng Qinghui Lu ), a book on the historic meeting between [[Qiu Chuji]], an important figure of [[the Complete Perfect sec]]t ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ) and Genghis Khan, the Mongolian conqueror. In this book, the author used 'a fortunate meeting' to highlight the big event involving Qiu and Genghis Khan, two people with totally different personalities and cultural backgrounds. In the history of the Complete Perfection sect, Qiu's meeting with Genghis Khan carried a big weight. It also had an important impact on historical studies on the Song and Yuan dynasties. As a nomadic conqueror, Genghis Khan knew nothing about Chinese culture, but he showed very strong interest in Daoist ideas about nourishing life, based on which Qiu explained to the conqueror that a mandated king ought to spread good merits outward while nourishing inner spirit and vital breath. Then, he suggested that the conqueror stop killing innocent people. The suggestion proved to have saved thousands of lives in later battles waged by the Mongolian conqueror. As a result, in the process of transmitting Daoism, patriarch Qiu himself was long remembered as the carrier of the Daoist spirit characterized by respect for life and deep love for peace. [[zh:玄風慶會]] abd9f275418fe6d4fdbfc1ae9ae0297d8a72263b 0 306 374 2009-08-24T02:44:58Z Admin 1 Created page with ''Free singing' ( 嘯詠 Xiaoyong ) was a unique singing skill in Daoist literature. Originally, it referred to skills of producing voices. In the Tang dynasty, Shun Guang, the au...' wikitext text/x-wiki 'Free singing' ( 嘯詠 Xiaoyong ) was a unique singing skill in Daoist literature. Originally, it referred to skills of producing voices. In the Tang dynasty, Shun Guang, the author of the ''Meaning of Free Singing'' ( 《嘯旨》 Xiaozhi ), said: 'free singing is produced by breath which concentrates on a man's tongue.' More specifically, free singing came from humans mimicking the voices of animals like tigers and cicadas as well as natural sounds like tidal waves. Shun Guang's free singing was so powerful that he could startle the universe and move the gods. He divided free singing into 12 categories by the location of the tongue and the strength of the breath. According to some historical documents, free singing had been a magical skill for producing voices since ancient times. In the ''[[Book of Mountains and Seas]]'' ( 《山海經》 Shanhai Jing ), [[the Queen Mother of the West]] was good at free singing. In the later periods, free singing was found in many Daoist books, in which many female immortals became well known for their special skills of free singing. In the ''Intimate Biography of the Wu Emperor of the Han Dynasty'' ( 《漢武帝內傳》 Hanwudi Neizhuan ), free singing was the manner in which the Queen Mother of the West gave her orders. The ''History of the Later Han'' ( 《後漢書》 Houhan Shu ) recorded a contest between Xu Deng and Zhao Bin, two well-known magicians, who made tree leaves flow against the current through practicing free singing skills. In the later periods, free singing evolved into Daoist breath incantations as well as skills of singing. Stories about Immortals' free singing in mysterious worlds were told in the ''[[Declarations of the Perfected]]'' ( 《真誥》 Zhengao ) and other Daoist books. Under these circumstances, ancient literati developed a special interest in free singing, which became so popular during the Wei and Jin dynasties that Ji Kang and Ruan Ji, two important figures of the 'seven sages in bamboo groves', were both good at it. As a unique image, 'free singing' was found in numerous poems by Guo Pu and Li Bai on the journeys of immortals. Meanwhile, stories became another important type of literature in unveiling the mysterious nature of free singing. Connected tightly with Daoist cultivation and breath refinement, free singing has long been considered to be an important phenomenon in the history of Daoist literature. [[zh:玄境嘯詠]] 4c1963c97c2db45e8717429d1cd14ec17e355d1d 0 307 375 2009-08-24T02:48:19Z Admin 1 Created page with 'In ancient Chinese stories, a flat peach was a symbolic image, which, in later periods, was associated with Daoism, standing for human longevity. In Daoist stories, flat peaches ...' wikitext text/x-wiki In ancient Chinese stories, a flat peach was a symbolic image, which, in later periods, was associated with Daoism, standing for human longevity. In Daoist stories, flat peaches were hardly attainable because they used to take three thousand years to become ripe. For this reason, [[the Queen Mother of the West]] ( 西王母 Xiwangmu ) loved to treat her guests with peaches in banquets. The joy was conveyed to the human world by works of literati. After his arrest, Wen Tianxang, the famous patriot, composed a poem, in which he used the images 'a storm from the north' to stand for foreign threats, and 'smiling and holding flat peaches' for his loyalty to his motherland as well as his memories about his happy life in the past. From this poem, we see a spirit of optimism and fearlessness in the poet's inner world although, in reality, he was a captive, and not far away from his death. Wei Tianxiang's optimism overwhelmed the whole poem. This story mirrored the spirit of going beyond physical existence, which was in line with the original meaning of the Daoist story, a spiritual journey to the immortals' world, a perfect world. In fact, Wei Tianxiang was a Daoist believer. His belief in Daoism was seen in his earlier poems and confirmed by the fact that, in the last moment of his life, he wished he had been a Daoist. The Biography of Wen Tianxiang in the History of the Song dynasty mentioned it, saying that the reason Wen Tianxiang hoped to be a Daoist was that he stuck to his moral principles and, on the other hand, he cherished a deep respect for Daoism. At last, his wish of being a Daoist wasn't realized because he refused to surrender. He sacrificed his life for his country and his personal belief. But he gained himself the chance to hold the flat peaches in the immortals' world. [[zh:笑捧蟠桃]] b265484080c86d38cc6ad12e41c10558434ca2dc 0 308 376 2009-08-24T02:52:08Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Immortal Lu referred to [[Lu Dongbing]], who used to call himself 'Double Mouth Daoist', based on his last name in classical Chinese, which combined two Chinese characters for "m...' wikitext text/x-wiki Immortal Lu referred to [[Lu Dongbing]], who used to call himself 'Double Mouth Daoist', based on his last name in classical Chinese, which combined two Chinese characters for "mouth". In Daoism, he was popularly known as patriarch Lu or patriarch Chun Yang. Stories about patriarch Lu were found in many Daoist books, among which were those about Lu's flying sword. In paintings, patriarch Lu wore a sword at his waist. For example, the ''Records of the Flying Sword'' ( 《飛劍記》 Feijian Ji ), a novel by a man known as the Leisurely Man of Bamboo Brook in the Ming dynasty, based all its stories on Lu's sword and anecdotes associated with his sword. Not all stories were groundless. According to the Daoist book ''Record of Imperial Sovereign Chunyang's Mysterious Salvation and Sublime Communion'' ( 《純陽帝君神化妙通紀》 Chunyang Dijun Shenhua Miaotong Ji ), [[Zhong Liquan]] used a sword to illustrate Daoist ideas when teaching Lu Dongbing. Moreover, as a Daoist as well as a traveler, there is no doubt that Lu had been trained how to use the sword to protect himself. Meanwhile, the sword at his waist stood for some Daoist ideas. According to Lu himself, his swordsmanship was actually of spiritual cultivation in that he aimed his sword at greed, desire and vexation. It was a spiritual sword, which not only helped him illustrate Daoist ideas, but also motivated him to compose several poems associated with the sword and spiritual cultivation, both of which served as important agents in his religious and artistic pursuits. His poetry was considered to have an obvious mark of unique spiritual swordsmanship. [[zh:呂仙飛劍]] 2af4253d69227f127297d88893e9e357e739090e 0 309 377 2009-08-24T03:12:40Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Living in the period of the Wei and Jin dynasties, Wu Meng was a Daoist of the sect which, with Perfect Man Xu Xun at the core of its pantheon, became famous for its strong faith...' wikitext text/x-wiki Living in the period of the Wei and Jin dynasties, Wu Meng was a Daoist of the sect which, with Perfect Man Xu Xun at the core of its pantheon, became famous for its strong faith in filial piety. There were many stories about Wu's piety in books like the ''History of the Jin Dynasty'' ( 《晉書》 Jinshu ) and ''Biographies of Twelve Perfect Sovereigns'' ( 《十二真君傳》 Shier Zhenjun Zhuan ). One story was about his piety to his mother. In the story, he was so worried mosquitoes would bite his mother that he used to sit on her bed, feeding them with his own blood, before asking her to sleep. This story sounded strange, but mirrored the importance of filial piety in Chinese culture. Even in the ''[[Master Who Embraces Simplicity]]'' ( 《抱朴子》 Baopuzi ), one of the earliest Daoist books, the author had absorbed filial piety into the Daoist cultivation system. The tradition of piety with Xu Xun at its core stressed filial piety, claiming its tradition was mandated by instructions of the Bright King of Filial Piety ( 孝道明王 Xiaodao Mingwang ). In the tradition, filial piety was a moral principle as well as a key to cultivation. It claimed that filial piety would channel people to their origin just as the ''[[Book of Dao and its Virtue]]'' ( 《道德經》 Daode Jing ) stressed a return to the infinite. In the later periods, the ''Book of Filial Piet''y ( 《孝經》 Xiaojing ) became a Daoist scripture. The ''Portraits of Twenty-Four Filial People'' was carved in some Daoist temples, highlighting the important roles the tradition played in Chinese society. [[zh:吳猛孝母]] c08f145f891b0a2eaa45c479583f6ee2b11aafad 0 310 378 2009-08-24T03:22:37Z Admin 1 Created page with 'As the patriarch of Daoism, the Venerable Sovereign appeared in many stories, among which was the story about opening the sky. According to the ''Book of the Supreme Venerable So...' wikitext text/x-wiki As the patriarch of Daoism, the Venerable Sovereign appeared in many stories, among which was the story about opening the sky. According to the ''Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Opening of the Heaven'' ( 《太上老君開天經》 Taishang Laojun Kaitian Jing ) the Venerable Sovereign inhabited the emptiness and void prior to the creation of the sky and earth. Having gone through the Great Origin ( 洪元 Hongyuan ), Original Chaos ( 混元 Hunyuan ), and the Supreme Origin ( 太初 Taichu ), he created the sky and earth. Since then, he came down from the emptiness and void, teaching his people. Whenever he appeared in the human world, out of his mouth came a scripture, which was used to teach the kings and people about human affairs. In the ''Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Opening of the Heaven'', the mysterious cosmology of the eight trigrams, which was detailed in the ''Book of Changes'' ( 《易》 Yi ), was combined with the cosmology of Dao initiated by Laozi in explaining the creation of the sky and earth as well as the development of human society. According to Daoism, 'opening the sky' symbolizes not only the creation of the material universe but also the beginning of human civilization. The ''Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Opening of the Heaven'' used 'three powers' ( 三才 Sancai ), a concept from the ''Book of Changes'' to explain heaven, earth and human beings, suggesting a strong influence of Images and Numbers from the Book of Changes. On the other hand, stories of the Venerable Sovereign Opening the Sky also borrowed philosophical principles and concepts in explaining the creation and evolution of the myriad beings and of the universe itself. [[zh:老君開天]] 2d01e1bc7f68941295eced55c480bbd8e5e6bbe0 0 311 379 2009-08-24T05:14:21Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The origin of Zhang Daoling == Zhang Daoling, the Ancestral Celestial Master ( 祖天師 Zu Tianshi ), was named Ling and later Daoling, and styled Fuhan. He was a man of Fen...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The origin of Zhang Daoling == Zhang Daoling, the Ancestral Celestial Master ( 祖天師 Zu Tianshi ), was named Ling and later Daoling, and styled Fuhan. He was a man of Feng County in the state of Pei, and an eighth-generation grandson of Zhangliang (Zifang). Born inquisitive in studies, he once was a student of the Great State Academy. He widely studied the Five Confucian Classics and delved deeply into [[the Huang-Lao Tradition]] ( 黃老道 Huanglao Dao ). At the age of seven, he had learned and totally mastered the ''[[Book of Dao and its Virtue]]'' ( 《道德經》 Daode Jing ), Books of Auguries ( 緯書 Weishu ), and the Magical Figures of the Yellow River Chart and of the Luo River Writ ( 河圖洛書 Hetu Luoshu ). He grew up to be a learned man. Quitting office and devoted to the study of Dao, he founded [[the Tradition of the Celestial Master of the Mighty Commonwealth of Orthodox Oneness]][ ( 正一盟威天師道 Zhengyu Mengwei Tianshi Dao ), commonly known as the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition ( 五斗米道 Wudoumi Dao ). Thenceforth, he was called the Ancestral Celestial Master. ==Cultivating Dao and vanquishing demons to benefit the people == Zhang Daoling first cultivated Dao as a recluse on Mt Beimang, and later on Mt Fanyang, after he obtained the ''Yellow Emperor Nine Cauldron Alchemical Scripture'' ( 《黃帝九鼎丹經》 Huangdi Juiding Danjing ). After ingesting the finished Elixir, he was able to transform subtly, to divide and distribute his figure and image, and acquired the marvelous ability to appear when seated and to disappear when standing. He often simultaneously rowed a boat in a lake, read scriptures in his room, entertained guests at his desk, and walked singing poems while holding a stick. He was wondrous and marvelous beyond people's expectations. Later, in a cave on Mt Wan, he acquired hidden scriptures and secret talismans, and mastered the art of commanding the mountain deities. Hearing that in the Shu area (present-day Sichuan), there were many famous mountains where the people were simple and easy to transform, he went to Shu with his disciples and cultivated Dao on Mt Heming. After seeing the Venerable Sovereign ( 老君 Laojun ), he prepared medicine in his hermitage and refined it according to the Law. After accomplishing the elixir three years later, he dared not to ingest it. He told his disciples that, though the great elixir had been accomplished, it was not to be taken before greatly benefiting the world. Only after doing this, could one take the elixir and ascend to Heaven to become a subject of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ) without feeling ashamed. Then the Venerable Sovereign sent the Jade Maiden of Purity and Harmony ( 清和玉女 Qinghe Yu’nu ) to teach him the way to exhale and inhale the pure and harmonious Vital Breath. After practicing a thousand days, he was able to see the Five Viscera ( 五臟 Wuzang ) in the body and invoke deities from the outside. Thus, he defeated all the demons of the Six Heavens. Formerly, thousands of demons crowded Shu in the daytime and caused diseases at will. People had long suffered their misery. After subduing the big demons, Zhang Daoling scattered their subordinate ghosts in the northwestern wilderness. He swore with the ghosts that man owns the day and ghosts the night, thus distinguishing Yin and Yang. Whoever offends this is to be killed by the Law of Orthodox Oneness ( 正一之法 Zhenyi Zhufa ). Hence, the dead spirits and living men were separated, which greatly benefited the people of Shu. After this victory, [[the Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ) gave Zhang Daoling the title of Celestial Master of Orthodox Oneness ( 正一天師 Zhengyi Tianshi ). ==Securing immortality == On the 9th day of the ninth lunar month of the second year of the Yongshou era, Zhang Daoling went to Yuntai Diocese, gave his son Zhang Heng the remaining elixir, seal, sword, and the Talismans and Registers of the Inspector of Merits ( 都功符籙 Dugon Fulu ), saying that "This highest Dao was transmitted to me by the Supreme Venerable Sovereign in person. This Talisman governs the Three-and-Five Inspectors of Merits and the central administrative unit of the Orthodox Oneness. A son of each generation inherits my station, and he who is not of my blood must not receive this transmission." That day, Zhang Daoling, together with his wife Yong and the disciples Wang Chang and Zhao Sheng, ascended to Heaven in daylight. He was the first Celestial Master of Daoism and the ancestor of the Orthodox Oneness. [[zh:張道陵]] 15f1993586992f461e2900e3aa40c5fb8962cbd4 0 312 380 2009-08-24T05:23:57Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Background of Wei Boyang== Wei Boyang, a famous alchemist of the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 25-220), was also known by his literary name Yunyazi. A native of Shangyu, Guiji, he w...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Background of Wei Boyang== Wei Boyang, a famous alchemist of the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 25-220), was also known by his literary name Yunyazi. A native of Shangyu, Guiji, he was born in a distinguished family. It had been a family of gentry officials for generations, and only Boyang loved Dao by nature and was reluctant to secure an official position. He lived leisurely, nourishing his inborn nature, and was unknown by people of his time. ==Practicing Dao and seeking immortality by taking elixirs== Wei Boyang practiced perfection in secret and nurtured his aspiration to attain to nothingness. He had wide and rich knowledge of literature and a good command of Apocryphal Books of Divination ( 緯侯 Weihou ). Wei remained unruffled, preserved simplicity, followed nothing but Dao, and regarded ranks and titles as worthless. Having received the Great Dao of the Golden Elixir from Yin Changsheng, he went into the mountains to make Divine Elixirs with his three disciples, and succeeded. Knowing some of the disciples were not guarding Dao sincerely, he tested them by feeding a white dog with elixirs, which was killed temporarily, and then taking elixirs himself. He also died momentarily. Only one disciple, named Yu, said, "My master is not an ordinary person, so he must have done it on purpose!" He took some elixirs, too, and died temporarily. The other two disciples were unwilling to do so and left the mountain area. Immediately after that, Wei Boyang rose up and placed the elixirs he had eaten, into the mouths of the dead disciple and the white dog. Both of them came back to life, became Immortals, and left. When somebody happened to enter the mountain to gather wood, Wei wrote greeting letters and asked the villagers to send them to the two disciples, who had no regrets. ==Works== Wei Boyang wrote the ''[[Three Ways Unified and Normalized]]'' ( 參同契 Cantongqi ) in three volumes, dealing mostly with [[Five Agents]] ( 五行 Wuxing ) theory. The book appears to be a commentary on the ''[[Book of Changes]]'' ( 周易 Zhouyi ), but it is actually a treatise on making elixirs by using the Images derived from the Hexagrammatic Lines of the ''Book of Changes''. His book deals with both Inner or meditative Alchemy ( 內丹 Neidan ) and Outer or laboratory Alchemy ( 外丹 Waidan ), and is held up as the 'Rorefather of Alchemical Scriptures' ( 丹經之祖 Danjing Zhi Zu ). Wei's thinking had a great influence on Daoist alchemy. He is generally acknowledged throughout the world as the earliest alchemist whose works are still extant. [[zh:魏伯陽]] 6f4de21d54ddeed7adc7dda11683d46f692a5e0e 0 313 381 2009-08-24T05:39:02Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Background of Huang Chuping (Great Immortal Huang)== Huang Chuping (Great Immortal Huang), a Daoist priest of the Jin Dynasty and a celebrated Daoist Immortal, was born in Jinh...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Background of Huang Chuping (Great Immortal Huang)== Huang Chuping (Great Immortal Huang), a Daoist priest of the Jin Dynasty and a celebrated Daoist Immortal, was born in Jinhua, Zhejiang. At the age of fifteen, he was asked by his family to lead the sheep to pasture. Some Daoists noticed his pure and good nature and kind and cautious conduct, and therefore led him into a stone cave in Jinhua Mountain, where he studied and practiced Daoist techniques and attained Immortality. ==Salvation ( 度 Du ) of his brother, who attains Immortality ( 成仙 Chengxian )== Forty-odd years had passed since Huang Chuping entered the mountain studying Dao. His elder brother Huang Chuqi went there in order to find Chuping but was unsuccessful for years. Later, he met with a Daoist at the market, who was good at divination. The Daoist told him where Chuping was living and led him into Mt. Jinhua to find him. In the presence of his brother, Huang Chuping commanded numerous white stones to change into tens of thousands of sheep. Seeing Huang Chuping's vast magic powers, Huang Chuqi came to yearn for Dao. So he abandoned his wife and children, and stayed with Chuping, following him in studying and practicing Daoist techniques. Together they took rosin and poria coccus. Five thousand days later, they were able to sit visible and rise invisible, and they had no shadow when walking under the sun and looked like children. Afterwards, they returned together to their hometown, and then returned to Mt. Jinhua when they found that almost all of their relatives and friends had passed away. Just before parting, they granted their secret prescription to Nan Bofeng and changed his name to Chi Chuping and his style to Chisongzi, and Chuqi changed his style to Lu Ban. Dozens of those who taught and took Huang Chuping's elixirs later became Immortals. ==Spread of the belief== In the Jin dynasty (AD 265-420), Chisong Temple was once built on the Northern Hill of Mt. Jinhua, and was considered to be "the most magnificent of the Daoist temples South of the Yangtze River". Belief in Great Immortal Huang was widespread in Southeast China in old times, and it gradually spread overseas as Chinese went abroad for a living. Now the Temple of Great Immortal Huang ( 黃大仙廟 Huangdaxian Miao ) in Hong Kong, where a good number of pilgrims worship all year round, is the most famous shrine devoted to him. [[zh:黃初平(黃大仙)]] 67c0e7de2758f7cc247566905d48ba4b6f0efa92 0 314 382 2009-08-24T05:44:23Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Biography of Ge Xuan (Immortal Elder Ge)== Ge Xuan (Immortal Elder Ge), styled Xiaoxian, was a native of Danyang in the state of Wu during the period of the Three Kingdoms (AD ...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Biography of Ge Xuan (Immortal Elder Ge)== Ge Xuan (Immortal Elder Ge), styled Xiaoxian, was a native of Danyang in the state of Wu during the period of the Three Kingdoms (AD 220-280). Born in a distinguished family of official status, he was intelligent and wise from birth. Eager to learn since childhood, he read extensively about the Confucian classics and commentaries on them, philosophical works and historical records, and by the age of 16 enjoyed great fame on the North bank of the Yangtze River. He loved the philosophy of Laozi and Zhuangzi by nature, and hated to pursue an official career. When both of his parents passed away during his teens, he keenly realized the variability of life, thus making up his mind to study Dao. Hence he lived in seclusion on famous mountains, visited extraordinary persons, ate ganoderma lucidum and setose thistle, and diligently and strenuously engaged himself in self-refinement. Then he attained Immortality and was called Immortal Elder Ge. ==Study of Dao== Ge Xuan visited Lingyue Mountain, Chicheng Mountain, Luofu Mountain and the like, followed the Immortal Zuo Ci and received Daoist scriptures such as the Immortals' Book of Liquefied Gold of the Nine Elixirs. His constant practice of fasting and observance of commandments moved the Venerable Sovereign and the Perfect Man of the Supreme Ultimate, who descended to Tiantai Mountain and imparted to him some scriptures such as those of the Numinous Treasure, in 36 volumes. Long afterwards, the Supreme Venerable Sovereign, together with three Perfect Men and their tens of thousands of attendant officials, commanded the Immortal Official of Scriptures Wang Sizhen to take out 360 volumes of scriptures such as the Great Grotto of the Pervasive Origin, and scriptures of the two methods of the Highest Clarity fast and the six methods of the Numinous Treasure fast. Ge Xuan thoroughly followed the instructions of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign. Through diligent and persistent refinement, he was capable of strolling on mountains and in seas, producing many selves and changing form, and was especially good at healing and exorcism. It was recorded in the History of Wu in the Annals of the Three Kingdoms that Ge Xuan once travelled with Sun Quan, who was fond of Daoist techniques, and was valued by him. Quan founded the Temple of Dongxuan espacially for him. Ge Xuan's disciple Zheng Yin learned Magical Skills from him. ==Attaining Immortality== One day, Ge Xuan told his disciple Zhang Gong, "The Emperor forced me to stay with him, so I have no time to make great elixirs. I will leave the world at noon on August 11th." On that day, Ge Xuan, who was neatly dressed, entered his room and lay down. Then his breathing stopped but his complexion didn't change. The disciple burnt joss sticks and looked after him for three days and three nights. A strong wind suddenly rose at midnight, thundering. When the wind ceased, the disciple lighted the candle again but couldn't find Ge Xuan. He just saw that Ge Xuan's clothes were on the bed, and the waistband was even not untied. The next morning, he asked the neighbours whether there had been a gust. They all said no. The wind must have risen only in that room. Ge Xuan had attained Immortality and left. He was ordained as Prime Minister of the Inner Heavenly Left Court of the Supreme Ultimate'. He is called in Daoism 'the Perfect Sovereign and Protector in Correspondence with the Eternal Dao'. He is also respectfully addressed as "Immortal Elder Ge of the Supreme Ultimate" by common people. [[zh:葛玄]] 5ab54a0b778d158ae4a7e73940bbca76a1aa703f 0 315 383 2009-08-24T06:18:17Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Life of Ge Hong== Ge Hong, whose courtesy name was 'The Young River' (Zhichuan) and was nicknamed 'The Master Who Embraces Simplicity ( 抱朴子 Baopuzi ), was a famous Daoist...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Life of Ge Hong== Ge Hong, whose courtesy name was 'The Young River' (Zhichuan) and was nicknamed 'The Master Who Embraces Simplicity ( 抱朴子 Baopuzi ), was a famous Daoist figure of the Eastern Jin dynasty (AD 317-420). A native of Jurong, Dangyang, and the grandson of Immortal Elder Ge ( 葛仙翁 Gexianweng ) Xuan's brother, he was called 'The Younger Immortal Elder Ge' ( 小仙翁 Xiaoxianweng ) by the common people. Ge Hong came from an official family living near the South banks of the Yangtze River. In his early youth, his father passed away and from then on, the family fortunes declined and the family became poor. Yet Ge Hong was intelligent and addicted to study. He always cut firewood on hills and bartered them for paper and writing brushes. Having grown up, he acquired wide knowledge about the Confucian classics, history, and the theories of the various schools of thought, and he was especially renowned for his study of the Confucian school. Ge Hong had a placid temperament. He was not fond of high position and great wealth, but loved gymnastic and cultivation techniques for Attaining immortality. He claimed that he had been keen on these techniques since early youth, and was never afraid of dangers or distance when he sought advice from teachers. Later, he learned secret alchemy from Zheng Yin and was thought highly of by him. Ge Hong experienced the chaos of war and the ups and downs of life, and keenly realized that fame and gain are like spring flowers, which wither and fall in an instant. Hence he kept himself aloof from current affairs and became bent on the Dao of Song and Qiao, following a dietetic regimen ( 服食 Fushi ), cultivating his nature ( 養性 Yangxing ), and practicing the mysterious silence. He followed Bao Liang and continued practicing Daoist techniques, and was regarded quite highly by Bao. Finally, Ge Hong moved to Luofu Mountain, cultivating his life ( 養生 Yangsheng ) and practicing Dao ( 修道 Xiudao ). He never stopped writing, and kept making elixirs till his death. ==Theories on Daoism== Ge Hong carried on and developed the Immortalist theories of early Daoism. In the Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity ( 抱朴子內篇 Baopuzi Neipian ), he thoroughly summarized the theories on Immortals and the techniques to secure Immortality existing before the Jin dynasty, including Keeping to Oneness ( 守一 Shouyi ), Breath Dirigation ( 行氣 Xingqi ), Gymnastics ( 導引 Daoyin ), Sexual Arts ( 房中術 Fangzhong Shu ), and the like. He emphasized that those who seek immortality must have the fundamental virtues of loyalty, piety, gentleness, obedience, benevolence and righteousness, and that longevity couldn't be secured simply by practising techniques without cultivation of virtues. He demanded that followers should follow Daoist commandments strictly. Ge Hong held that one should practise Nourishing Life ( 養生 Yangsheng ) and the arts of Immortality for the inner life, and practise the Confucian way for the outer, social life. He also held that one's writings should attach importance both to morality and to behavior, and that writing should contribute to enlightenment. Moreover, in the Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity, Ge Hong summarized the achievements of alchemy prior to the Jin Dynasty and recorded a large number of ancient scriptures of alchemy and methods of alchemical fabrication of elixirs. This exerted a significant influence on the later development of alchemy. ==Ge Hong and medical science and pharmacognosy== Ge Hong had a good command of medicine and pharmacognosy. He maintained that Daoist priests should study medical skills, which would not only be conducive to their own longevity and Attaining of Immortality ( 成仙 Chengxian ), but also be beneficial to mankind. In his books on medicine such as ''Prescriptions for Emergencies after the Pulse-taking'' ( 肘後備急方 Zhouhou Beiji Fang ), ''Prescriptions for Rescuing the Dying after the Pulse-takin''g ( 肘後救卒方 Zhou Jiuzu Fang ), ''Prescriptions from the Golden Cabinet'' ( 金匱藥方 Jingui Yaofang ) and ''Prescriptions from the Jade Box'' ( 玉函方 Yuhan Fang ), Ge Hong preserved many early Chinese medical classics and recorded several folk prescriptions that were frequently used for healing. Among his records was the earliest prescription for the treatment of smallpox in medical history. Furthermore, Ge Hong's knowledge of tubercular contagious disease was acquired more than 1,000 years earlier than in the West. Ge Hong's detailed accounts and explanations of the properties and functions of many medical plants in the section 'Elixirs for Attaining Immortality' in the ''Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'' had great influence on the development of the national medical science and pharmacognosy of later ages. [[zh:葛洪]] 2e059ade644f0c06da1ae601c6284580d23678e9 0 316 384 2009-08-24T06:37:38Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Reason for Xu Xun's study of Dao== Xu Xun, a celebrated Daoist priest of the Jin dynasty (AD 265-420), was styled Jingzhi and born in Nanchang. Both his grandfather and father ...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Reason for Xu Xun's study of Dao== Xu Xun, a celebrated Daoist priest of the Jin dynasty (AD 265-420), was styled Jingzhi and born in Nanchang. Both his grandfather and father honoured Dao in order to secure Immortality. It was recorded in Daoist books that during his early teens, he once entered the mountains to hunt deer. When he shot a doe and her infant fell to the ground, the doe, mindless of her own arrow wound, turned round, licked her baby, and then died. Xu Xun was enlightened by this experience, so he broke his bow and discarded his arrows, and became bent on the practice of Dao. ==Practice of Dao ( 修道 Xiudao )== Xu Xun was intelligent enough to acquire a wide knowledge about the Confucian classics and history, and to perfectly master geography, music, [[the Five Agents]] ( 五行 Wuxing ), and works on the Esoteric Speculations ( 讖緯 Chenwei ). He was especially fond of the techniques for attaining Immortality. It is said that he followed the famous Daoist priest Wu Meng to practice and study Dao, and chose to live and Refine ( 修煉 Xiulian ) himself on Xianyao Mountain ( 西山 Xishan ), which was situated on the south side of West Mountain. Later, Xu was named Pious and Incorruptible ( 孝廉 Xiaolian ), and was appointed county magistrate of Jingyang. His honest and clean government and large grants completely convinced both the officials and the people, and his moral enlightenment moved his contemporaries. When he later saw that the imperial family of the Jin dynasty was in a chaotic state, he resigned from office and returned to the east to travel among rivers and lakes and propagate the principle of filial piety. It is said that Xu Xun once became a student of Mother Chen and mastered ingenious Daoist Magical Skills ( 道法 Daofa ), and many mystical stories spread in the whole area of Yuzhang about his fights against dragons and killing of snakes to rid the people of evils. Also, it is said that he once attained the Pure Brightness Way of the Supreme Numinous Treasure ( 太上靈寶淨明法 Taishang Lingbao Jingming Fa ), and was revered as the founder of [[the Pure Brightness sect]] ( 淨明道派 Jingming Daopai ). Later, returning to West Mountain, Xu Xun became a hermit and was indefatigable in his meticulous practice. ==Attaining immortality== Xu Xun was already 136 years old in the second year of Ningkang, during the reign of emperor Xiaowu. On the first day of the eighth lunar month of that year, an Immortal ( 仙 Xian ) descended from Heaven and said: "You have been appointed Supreme Historiographer and Glorious Envoy of the Immortals of the Nine Realms' ( 九州都仙太史高明大使 Jiuzhou Duxian Taushi Gaoming Dashi ) by order of [[the Jade Emperor]]." ( 玉皇 Yuhuang ) Then on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, his whole family of 42 persons ascended to the heaven, together with their house and their fowls and dogs. Emperor Hui of the Song dynasty honoured him with the title "Perfect Sovereign and Sublime Saviour of Divine Virtuosity in Profound Resonance with the Higher Dao" ( 至道玄應神功妙濟真君 Zhudao Xuanying Shengong Miaoji Zhenjun ), ranked as Minister of the Celestial Pivot ( 天樞使相 Tianshu Shuxiang ), one of the Four Ministers of the Heavenly Government ( 天府四相 Tianfu Sixiang ). [[zh:許遜]] 5d9d742eeb0cb903f3a86725a52f91ca33626ce8 0 317 385 2009-08-24T06:58:05Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Wei Huacun (252-334 AD), alias Xian An, was a woman Daoist of the Jin dynasty. In Daoist books she was called the Primordial Sovereign of Purple Voidness ( 紫虛元君 Zixu Yuan...' wikitext text/x-wiki Wei Huacun (252-334 AD), alias Xian An, was a woman Daoist of the Jin dynasty. In Daoist books she was called the Primordial Sovereign of Purple Voidness ( 紫虛元君 Zixu Yuanjun ), or Madam Wei of the Southern Sacred Mountain ( 南嶽魏夫人 Nanyue Weifuren ). Wei was born in Rencheng and her father was Wei Shu, a state official at the time. Wei believed in Daoism when she was young, enjoying reading the books of Laozi and Zhuangzi. And she often practiced ingesting the vital breath, abstaining from grains, and nourishing life by cultivating tranquility. At the age of 24, Wei was forced by her parents to marry Liu Wen of Nanyang. She had two sons, one called Pu and the other Xia. After her sons grew up, Wei lived alone in a quiet room and devoted herself to cultivating Dao wholeheartedly. Later many perfect men and women were so moved by her devotion that they descended to transmit Daoist scriptures to her. Wang Bao, the Perfect Man of Pristine Emptiness ( 清虛真人 Qingxu Zhenren ), gave her 31 volumes of Daoist scriptures as follows: ''the Supreme Precious Script'' ( 《太上寶文》 Taishang Baowen ), ''the Eight Hidden Books of Simplicity'' ( 《八素隱書》 Basu Yinshu ), and ''[[the Perfect Book of the Great Grotto]]'' ( 《大洞真經》 Dadong Zhenjung ). Perfect Man Jing Lin sent her '''[[the Book of the Inner Landscape of the Yellow Court]]''' ( 《黃庭內景經》 Huangting Neijing Jing ). Both the 4th volume of ''the Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel'' ( 《雲笈七籤》 Yunji Qiqian ) and ''the Transmission of Daoist Scriptures and Techniques: Preface to the Commentary on the Catalogues of the Daoist Scriptures of the Highest Clarity Tradition'' ( 《道教經法傳授部。上清源統經目注序》 Daojiao Jingfa Chuanshou Bu。Shangqing Yuantong Jingmu Zhu Xu ), mentioned that when she was dying, Madame. Wei passed her scriptures to her son and he transmitted them to Yang Xi, so that the scriptures of the Highest Clarity lineage began to spread. The 19th volume of the ''[[Declarations of the Perfected]]'' ( 《真誥》 Zhengao ) records that Madame. Wei descended in the second year of Xing Ning (364 AD) during the reign of Emperor Ai of the Jin dynasty, to transmit the scriptures of the Highest Clarity to her disciple Yang Xi, and Yang passed them to Xu Mi and Xu Hui. Above all, the diffusion of the scriptures of the Highest Clarity can be attributed to Madame Wei. Therefore she was revered as the first patriarch of [[the Highest Clarity sect]]. [[zh:魏華存]] 80a39e2e47993d34b59e9bea5e9ec4c851c2578c 0 318 386 2009-08-24T07:18:47Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Life of Kou Qianzhi== Kou Qianzhi, a celebrated Daoist priest of the Northern Wei dynasty (AD 386-534) and a representative of the New Celestial Masters Tradition ( 新天師...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Life of Kou Qianzhi== Kou Qianzhi, a celebrated Daoist priest of the Northern Wei dynasty (AD 386-534) and a representative of the New Celestial Masters Tradition ( 新天師道 Xin Tianshi Dao ), was formerly called Qian and styled Fuzhen. He had his ancestral home at Changping, Shanggu, and claimed to be the 13th generation descendant of Kou Xun, marquis of Yongnu during the reign of emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han dynasty (AD 25-220). Kou Qianzhi was always fond of Dao and sought to attain Immortality ( 仙 Xian ), and desired to hold himself aloof from the world. He practiced Zhang Lu's Daoist arts during his teens, and when he later encountered the Immortal Cheng Gongxing, he followed him onto Mt. Hua, where he gathered and ate medicinal herbs. Then he lived in seclusion on Mt. Song, where he practiced Dao for seven years and gradually became famous. ==Accomplishments in the development of Daoism== #In the second year of Shenrui (A.D. 415), he declared that [[the Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Tianshang Laojun ) had descended to [[Mt. Song]] and conferred on him the position of 'Celestial Master' ( 天師 Tianshi ), bestowed on him the ''Commandments of the New Ordinances from the Clouds'' ( 雲中音誦新科之誡 Yunzhon Yinsong Xinke Zhu Jie ) in twenty volumes, imparted to him the techniques of Gymnastics ( 導引 Daoyin ), Ingesting Vital Breath ( 服氣 Fuqi ), and Oral Formulas ( 口訣 Koujue ), and ordered him to rectify Daoism, abolish false Daoist techniques, attach the greatest importance to rituals and ordinances while following a Dietetic Regimen ( 服食 Fushi ) and practising Inner Refinement ( 閉煉 Bilian ). Kou Qianzhi followed the heavenly order and rectified Daoism. #In the second year of Taichang, he declared again that Li Puwen, the great-great-grandson of Laozi, had descended to Mt. Song, granted to him the ''Perfect Book of Registers and Charts'' ( 錄圖真經 Lutu Zhenjing ) in more than 60 volumes, bestowed on him the secret Daoist techniques of summoning gods and interrogating ghosts, as well as Golden Alchemy ( 金丹 Jindan ), and exhorted him to assist the Perfect Sovereign of Supreme Peace ( 太平真君 Taiping Zhenjun ) in the north (i.e., Tuoba Tao, emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei dynasty). So Kou Qianzhi went to Pingcheng, the capital of Wei, in person to present Daoist books to Emperor Taiwu and gained help from Cui Hao, an important official. Then, according to the new rules set by the New Celestial Masters Tradition, a sacred space with a five-story altar was established by imperial order in the southeast of Pingcheng. This Daoist tradition is called the Northern Celestial Masters Tradition ( 北天師道 Bei Tianshi Dao ) by later generations. #In the last year of Taiyan (AD 440), following Kou Qianzhi's advice, Emperor Taiwu changed his reign title to 'Perfect Sovereign of Supreme Peace'. Later, he went to the Daoist altar to register himself, and conferred upon Kou Qianzhi the title of Master of the State ( 國師 Guoshi ). From this time on, the Northern Celestial Masters Tradition was fairly prosperous in the north. #Kou Qianzhi reformed the hereditary system of Daoist official positions. He advocated ordaining only the worthy, observing the Five Eternal Virtues ( 五常 Wuchang ) (the father's righteousness, the mother's affection, the elder brother's friendliness, the younger brother's respect and the son's piety), following commandments and cultivating good behavior. Kou Qianzhi also paid considerable attention to the rituals of Daoist Fasts and Offerings. He revised and increased several fast rituals and rites, which laid the foundation for those of later ages. [[The Celestial Masters Tradition]] ( 天師道 Tianshu Dao ) reformed by Kou Qianzhi was called the New Celestial Masters Tradition, or the Northern Celestial Masters Tradition by later generations. In AD 448, Kou Qianzhi died at age of 84, and was buried as a Daoist priest. [[zh:寇謙之]] 97443355e96417ce176aa90fd84498642cd7d4d1 0 319 387 2009-08-24T07:27:30Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Life of Lu Xiujing== Lu Xiujing (AD 406-477), whose courtesy name was Yuande and whose sobriquet was Jianji, was a renowned Daoist priest of Song during the Southern Dynasties....' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Life of Lu Xiujing== Lu Xiujing (AD 406-477), whose courtesy name was Yuande and whose sobriquet was Jianji, was a renowned Daoist priest of Song during the Southern Dynasties. He was a native of Dongqian, Wuxing, and a descendent of Lu Kai, the chief minister of Wu during the period of the Three Kingdoms (AD 220-280). Lu Xiujing studied Confucianism from early youth and acquired encyclopedic knowledge. Moreover, he was fond of Daoist arts by nature and intensively studied precious books. Having grown up, he abandoned his wife and children and entered the mountains to study Dao, following his desire to stand aloof from the world. At first he led a secluded life on Mt. Yunmeng. Then in order to pursue his studies of Dao and look for traces of Immortals ( 仙 Xian ), he traveled to all the famous mountains, and his reputation spread far and wide. ==Development of Daoism== During the last years of Yuanjia of Song of the Southern Dynasties, when Lu Xiujing went to the capital to sell elixirs, Liu Yilong, Emperor Wen of Song, admired his Daoist style and thus called him to the inner palace to explain Daoist theories and arts. At that time the emperor's mother Wang deeply believed in [[the Huang-Lao Tradition]] ( 黃老道 Huanglao Dao ), so she condescended to become his student. Later, Lu Xiujing traveled to the south so as to escape the chaos in the years of Taichu. He established a Daoist temple on Mt. Lu and lived there in seclusion to practice Dao. In the third year of Taishi during the reign of emperor Ming of Song, he went to Jiankang again in response to the emperor's call. Emperor Ming built Chongxu Temple on Tianyin Mountain situated in the northern suburbs, and let Lu Xiujing live there. During this period, Lu Xiujing preached Dao broadly, and gave deep explanations to the profound canon. He attracted the attention of both the court and the commoners, and both Daoist priests and laymen began to believe in him. Daoism began to prosper there. Sun Youyue, Li Guozhi and so on were Lu Xiujing's most famous disciples. ==Rectification of Daoism== In view of some abuses at that time that were harmful to the development of Daoism, Lu Xiujing put forward some measures of rectification: #He forbade the self-ordination of Daoist officials and carried out the system of promoting rank according to one's merits and virtues. #He paid great attention to the function of Daoist fasts and rituals, and held that "fasting and righteousness are the foundation of seeking Dao." He maintained that the Cultivation of Dao ( 修道 Xiudao ) should include the three practises of worship, recitation of scriptures and meditation, so as to purify one's spirit and behaviour, and that the supreme Dao can be attained when the spirit and behaviour are pure. Lu Xiujing compiled more than 100 volumes of Daoist scriptures of fast rituals and commandments. This resulted in the preliminary unification and perfection of Daoist rituals. [[The Celestial Masters Tradition]] ( 天師道 Tianshi Dao ) consolidated by him was called the Southern Celestial Masters Tradition ( 南天師道 Nan Tianshi Dao ) in later ages. #He sorted and classified the Daoist canon. It is said that he recorded altogether 1,228 volumes of Daoist scriptures, formulas and talismanic charts. His compilation of the ''Catalogue of Scriptures of the Numinous Treasure'' ( 靈寶經目 Lingbao Jingmu ) greatly advanced the development of [[the Numinous Treasure sect]] ( 靈寶派 Lingbao Pai ). He created a system of classifying the Daoist canon into three Grottoes' ( 洞 Dong ), twelve sections and four supplementary sections, which was used for classifying Daoist books and compiling the Daoist Canon during the various periods after the Sui and Tang dynasties. [[zh:陸修靜]] 1c6268804be52f6693480e3e78a2d781c50ebfe4 0 320 388 2009-08-24T08:16:46Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Life of Tao Hongjing== The peak is so high as to tower to the skies, while the stream is so clear that the bottom can be seen." This is a famous sentence in ''Response to Zhong...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Life of Tao Hongjing== The peak is so high as to tower to the skies, while the stream is so clear that the bottom can be seen." This is a famous sentence in ''Response to Zhongshu Xie'' ( 答謝中書 De Xie Zhongshu ), an official in charge of transmitting imperial orders, by Tao Hongjing, a celebrated Daoist adept during the Qi and Liang periods of the Southern dynasties. It can also be taken to epitomize Tao Hongjing's moral character throughout his life. Tao Hongjing, an alchemist, medical expert, writer and scholar, was born in AD 456 and died in AD 536. He styled himself 'Tongming', and called himself the 'Huayang Hermit' ( 華陽隱居 Huayang Yinju ), and he was given the posthumous title of 'Pure and Faithful Gentleman' ( 貞白先生 Zhenbai Xiansheng ). Tao Hongjing was a native of Moling, Danyang (near present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu). ==A Prime Minister in the Mountains== Tao Hongjing was born in a family of officials during the Southern dynasties. He received a fairly good education from childhood and was extraordinarily intelligent. He read the ''[[Biographies of the Immortals]]'' ( 神仙傳 Shenxian Zhuan ) at the age of ten and wrote ''Record of Visits to the Mountains'' ( 尋山志 Xunshan Zhi ) at the age of fifteen, and he showed a strong ambition to lead the life of a recluse. When he was twenty years old, he was recommended to be a tutor to the royal family, studying with the youths of the kings' families and being their young teacher. When he was about thirty years old, Tao Hongjing became a student of the Daoist priest Sun Youyue of Dongyong, and learned from him Talismanic Charts ( 符圖 Futu ), Scriptural Skills ( 經法 Jingfa ), and Oral Formulas ( 誥訣 Gaojue ). Moreover, he began to travel to famous mountains and collect medical books. At the age of 36, Tao Hongjing resigned his post of royal tutor and led a secluded life on Gouqu Mountain in Gourong ([[Mt. Mao]]). After emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty ascended the throne in the first year of Tianjian of the Liang regime (AD 502), he sent for Tao Hongjing many times but was refused. Yet he kept up a regular correspondence with Tao Hongjing, who came to be known as 'The Prime Minister in the Mountains" ( 山中宰相 Shanzhong Zaixiang ) in history. ==Founding of a Daoist sect== Tao Hongjing sorted out the historical materials about the missionary work of Yang Xi, Xu Mi and so on, and compiled the book ''[[Declarations of the Perfected]]'' ( 真誥 Zhenggao ), which made a systematic exposition of the history of ''[[the Highest Clarity sect]]'' ( 上清派 shangqing Pai ). Tao Hongjing became the real founder of ''[[the Highest Clarity sect]]'' ( 茅山派 Maoshan Pai ); besides, he worked on Mt. Mao for many years, setting up Daoist temples and receiving followers widely, and founded the Mt. Mao sect. In view of the actual situation of Daoist development and changes, and the theogonic confusion since the Wei and Jin dynasties, Tao Hongjing compiled the ''[[Illustrated Ranking of the Immortals]]'' ( 真靈位業圖 Zhenling Weiye Tu ), which became the first work about theogony in the Chinese Daoist history. ==Works on Nourishing Life== Tao Hongjing was proficient in the art of healing and wrote the Collected Commentaries on ''Materia Medica'' ( 本草集注 Bencao Jizhu ), ''Hermit Tao's Materia Medica'' ( 陶隱居本草 Tao Yinju Bencao ), the ''General Medicinal Formulae'' ( 藥總訣 Yao Zongjue ), and so on. His book ''Extracts on Nourishing Spiritual Nature and Prolonging Bodily Life'' ( 養生延命錄 Yangsheng Yanming Lu ) is still an important classic on Nourishing Life today. The classification of medicine he created in the Collected Commentaries on ''Materia Medica'' continues to be used nowadays. Thanks to the support from emperor Wu of Liang, Tao Hongjing also made many researches on external alchemy on Mt. Mao. ==Works== The Daoist Canon now contains many of Tao Hongjing's works, such as the Declarations of the Perfected, ''Hermit Tao's Huayang Writings'' ( 華陽陶隱居集 Huayang Tao Yinju Ji ), ''[[Extracts on Nourishing Spiritual Nature and Prolonging Bodily Life]]'' ( 養性延命錄 Yangxing Yanming Lu ), and the like. [[zh:陶弘景]] dceb1ac721bae01e436c8e34f90ba8f63936827b 0 321 389 2009-08-24T09:15:08Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Life of Sun Simiao== Sun Simiao (AD 581-682), born in Huayuan, Jingzhao, was a celebrated Daoist priest and medical expert of the Tang dynasty. He was intelligent and fond of l...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Life of Sun Simiao== Sun Simiao (AD 581-682), born in Huayuan, Jingzhao, was a celebrated Daoist priest and medical expert of the Tang dynasty. He was intelligent and fond of learning from his childhood. He said that he saw doctors repeatedly due to the suffering from chills in his childhood, and that the costs of decoctions reduced his family to poverty. Getting older, he had a good knowledge of the theories of Laozi, Zhuangzi and the various schools of thought, and also liked Buddhist scriptures. At the age of eighteen, Sun Simiao was determined to study medicine and felt greatly enlightened, and many of his relatives and neighbors who were ill got much benefit from him. He initially led a secluded life on Mt. Taibai, studying Dao, Refining the Vital Breath ( 煉氣 Lianqi ), Nourishing his Body ( 養形 Yangxing ), and investigating the arts of Nourishing Life ( 太一神精丹 Taiyi Shenjing Dan ) and Longevity ( 長壽 Changshou ). Then he became a hermit on Zhongnan Mountain, where he was on friendly terms with Master Daoxuan, a famous Buddhist monk. Also, he once entered Mt. Emei to refine the Divine Essential Elixir of Supreme Oneness ( 太一神精丹 Taiyi Shenjing Dan ). Sun Simiao never sought an official position, but lived in seclusion in mountains and forests, and when some emperors such as emperor Taizong and emperor Gaozong of the Tang dynasty repeatedly appointed him to official positions, he always politely declined to assume office. In the second year of Chongning of the Northern Song dynasty (AD 1103), he was posthumously conferred the title "Perfect Man of Subtle Correspondences" ( 妙應真人 Miaoying Zhenren ). ==Sun Simiao and medical science== #Sun Simiao was skilled in the arts of Yin-Yang, and well versed in the magic arts of divination. He gathered medicinal herbs and made medicine in person and cured people. Sun Simiao collected folk and secret recipes, summed up clinical experience, and broadly collected broadly a great many medical theories, prescriptions, remedies and acupuncture therapies of the past, as well as Nourishing Life techniques such as ingesting drugs, dietotherapy, gymnastics and massotherapy. Sun Simiao was addressed respectfully as ; 'the King of Drugs' ( 藥王 Yaowang ) in later ages, owing to his significant contribution to medical science and pharmacognosy. #He wrote the ''Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold'' ( 千金要 Qianjin Yaofang ) and ''Additions to the Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold'' ( 千金翼方 Qianjian Yifang ) in thirty volumes each, and several works such as ''On Nourishing Life'' ( 攝養論 Sheyang Lun ), ''Explanations of the Alchemical Scriptures of the Highest Clarity'' ( 太清丹經要訣 Taiqing Danjing Yaojie ), and ''Precious and Secret Prescriptions'' ( 枕中方 Zhenzhong Fang ). His medical works contain a wide collection of prescriptions and have substantial content, which distinctly influenced and contributed to the development of medical science, especially on the study of prescriptions in later ages, and also played a positive role in the development of medical science in Japan and Korea. #He combined Daoist theories on Inner Cultivation with medical science and hygiene, and regarded the science of Nourishing Life as medical treatment. He held that one could secure health and longevity and live his full life-span only by paying attention to diet and daily life, controlling one's emotions and Nourishing one's Spiritual Nature ( 養性 Yangxing ), preventing evil-doings and doing good deeds, and accumulating merit extensively, while practising Gymnastics ( 導引 Daoyin ) and Breath Dirigation ( 行氣 Xingqi ), and taking nourishing food and tonics. He attached great importance to medical ethics. He treated all patients alike, rescuing those at death's door no matter whether they were powerful or humble, rich or poor, old or young, beautiful or ugly, resentful relatives or kind friends, Chinese nationals or foreigners, fools or wise men. He declared that life was of the utmost importance and even one thousand pieces of gold couldn't suffice to buy it. #He paid great attention to women's and child care and wrote the ''Prescriptions for Women'' ( 婦人方 Furen Fang ) in three volumes and the Prescriptions ''for Children'' ( 少小嬰孺方 Shaoxiao Yingru Fang ) and Infants in two volumes, which were taken to be the beginning of the ''Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold''. [[zh:孫思邈]] f5fa353017390e318cd4a889373b74b82d4ca63a 0 322 390 2009-08-25T02:01:32Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Life of Sima Chengzhen== Sima Chengzhen (AD 647-735) was a renowned Daoist priest of the Tang dynasty. He styled himself Ziwei and adopted the religious name Daoyin. He was bor...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Life of Sima Chengzhen== Sima Chengzhen (AD 647-735) was a renowned Daoist priest of the Tang dynasty. He styled himself Ziwei and adopted the religious name Daoyin. He was born in a family of officials in Wen, Hebei. Sima Chengzhen was devoted to study and fond of Dao from early youth, and was not interested in being an official but inclined to stand aloof from the world. He became a student of Pan Shizheng, a Daoist priest on [[Mt. Song]], and was quite appreciated by him for his diligent study and hard work. From him he learned the Scriptures and Skills of the Highest Clarity ( 上清經法 Shanqing Jingfa ) and the techniques of [[Talismans]] and [[Registers]] ( 符籙 Fulu ), Gymnastics ( 導引 Daoyin ), and ingesting drugs, and became the fourth generation successor to [[the Highest Clarity sect]] ( 上清派 Shangqing Pai ). Later, he traveled to all the famous mountains, and then led a secluded life on Yuxiao Peak of Mt. Tiantai, and named himself Baiyun Zi of Tiantai Mountain. He kept in close contact with ten contemporary high officials and refined scholars such as Chen Zi'ang and Li Bai, who were called the 'ten friends of the Immortalist school' ( 仙宗十友 Xianzong Shiyou ) by contemporaries. ==Daoist ties with emperors== Empress Wu Zetian heard of Sima Chengzhen and called him to the capital. She personally issued an edict drafted in her own hand, to eulogize his attainments in Daoism and noble conduct. In the second year of Jingyun during the reign of emperor Ruizong of the Tang dynasty (AD 711), he was called to the court and asked about the magic arts of Yin-Yang divination and the government of the country. His answer, that 'Non-Interference' ( 無為 Wuwei ) should be the foundation of government, was highly appreciated by the emperor, so a precious stringed instrument and a short embroidered tasseled cap were bestowed on him. In the ninth year of Kaiyuan (AD 721), emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty sent an envoy to invite him to the court, in order to receive Magical Registers in person. In the 15th year of Kaiyuan (AD 727), Sima Chengzhen was called into the court again and asked to choose a good site to establish the Solar Platform Temple ( 陽台觀 Yangtai Guan ) as his abode. In addition, the emperor ordered the construction of a Perfect Lord's Shrine ( 真君祠 Zhenjun Ci ) on each of the Five Sacred Mountains ( 五獄 Wuyue ) in accordance with his own desire. He was good at carving seals and writing official script, and had a unique style known as "Golden scissors' calligraphy". Emperor Xuanzong ordered him to write Laozi's [[Book of Dao and its Virtue]] ( 道德經 Daode Jing ) in three styles of calligraphy, collate the text, and engrave it in stone. After his death, Sima Chengzhen was conferred the title 'Senior Official the Silver Seal and Blue Ribbon in Charge of the Emperor's Diet' ( 銀青光祿大夫 Yinqing Guanglu Dafu ) and honoured as 'Faithful Gentleman of Integrity' ( 貞一先生 Zhenyi Xiansheng ). ==Daoist ideology== Sima Chengzhen drew on the Confucian idea of devoutness and Buddhist theories of calming the mind and securing wisdom. In his elaboration on Daoist theories of Cultivating Dao ( 修道 Xiudao ) and Attaing Immortality ( 成仙 Chengxian ), he held that human beings are gifted with the innate quality of Immortals. In order to Attain Immortality, one need only Cultivate One's Vital Breath of Emptiness ( 修我虛氣 Xiuwo Xuqi ), Fulfil One's Nature ( 遂我自然 Suiwo Ziran ), and Keep in Harmony with Dao ( 與道相守 Yudao Xiangshou ). In his book Discourse on Sitting in Oblivion ( 坐忘論 Zuowang Lun ), Sima Chengzhen put forward seven 'Stages' for Cultivating Dao. Furthermore, he classified the process of Cultivating Dao and Attaing Immortality into five 'Gates of Progress' ( 階次 Jieci ), and declared that "the five ways to Attain Immortality ( 修煉 Xiulian ) are unified into one". He held that the five 'Gates of progress' and 'Seven stages' can be summed up into the three commandments of "Decreasing involvement in human affairs", "Having no desire" and "calming the mind", and declared that "Dao will come to those who observe these three commandments regularly and constantly, even when they don't seek Dao purposely". He held that those studying Dao can become Immortals if they attain the plane of "Inwardly, one is unaware of one's body and outwardly, one is unaware of the universe; one enters into subtle communion with Dao and all worries disappear", and when "one forgets both the world and himself, neither of which is reflected in the mind". Sima Chengzhen's Daoist theories exerted some influence on the development of theories on Daoist Cultivation and Refinement, and on the formation of the Neo-Confucian philosophical school of the Northern Song dynasty. [[zh:司馬承禎]] fc0bfa2572c9085160e82b07486eda2e1853684a 391 390 2009-08-25T02:07:30Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki ==Life of Sima Chengzhen== Sima Chengzhen (AD 647-735) was a renowned Daoist priest of the Tang dynasty. He styled himself Ziwei and adopted the religious name Daoyin. He was born in a family of officials in Wen, Hebei. Sima Chengzhen was devoted to study and fond of Dao from early youth, and was not interested in being an official but inclined to stand aloof from the world. He became a student of Pan Shizheng, a Daoist priest on [[Mt. Song]], and was quite appreciated by him for his diligent study and hard work. From him he learned the Scriptures and Skills of the Highest Clarity ( 上清經法 Shanqing Jingfa ) and the techniques of [[Talismans]] and [[Registers]] ( 符籙 Fulu ), Gymnastics ( 導引 Daoyin ), and ingesting drugs, and became the fourth generation successor to [[the Highest Clarity sect]] ( 上清派 Shangqing Pai ). Later, he traveled to all the famous mountains, and then led a secluded life on Yuxiao Peak of Mt. Tiantai, and named himself Baiyun Zi of Tiantai Mountain. He kept in close contact with ten contemporary high officials and refined scholars such as Chen Zi'ang and Li Bai, who were called the 'ten friends of the Immortalist school' ( 仙宗十友 Xianzong Shiyou ) by contemporaries. ==Daoist ties with emperors== Empress Wu Zetian heard of Sima Chengzhen and called him to the capital. She personally issued an edict drafted in her own hand, to eulogize his attainments in Daoism and noble conduct. In the second year of Jingyun during the reign of emperor Ruizong of the Tang dynasty (AD 711), he was called to the court and asked about the magic arts of Yin-Yang divination and the government of the country. His answer, that 'Non-Interference' ( 無為 Wuwei ) should be the foundation of government, was highly appreciated by the emperor, so a precious stringed instrument and a short embroidered tasseled cap were bestowed on him. In the ninth year of Kaiyuan (AD 721), emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty sent an envoy to invite him to the court, in order to receive Magical Registers in person. In the 15th year of Kaiyuan (AD 727), Sima Chengzhen was called into the court again and asked to choose a good site to establish the Solar Platform Temple ( 陽台觀 Yangtai Guan ) as his abode. In addition, the emperor ordered the construction of a Perfect Lord's Shrine ( 真君祠 Zhenjun Ci ) on each of the Five Sacred Mountains ( 五獄 Wuyue ) in accordance with his own desire. He was good at carving seals and writing official script, and had a unique style known as "Golden scissors' calligraphy". Emperor Xuanzong ordered him to write Laozi's ''[[Book of Dao and its Virtue]]'' ( 道德經 Daode Jing ) in three styles of calligraphy, collate the text, and engrave it in stone. After his death, Sima Chengzhen was conferred the title 'Senior Official the Silver Seal and Blue Ribbon in Charge of the Emperor's Diet' ( 銀青光祿大夫 Yinqing Guanglu Dafu ) and honoured as 'Faithful Gentleman of Integrity' ( 貞一先生 Zhenyi Xiansheng ). ==Daoist ideology== Sima Chengzhen drew on the Confucian idea of devoutness and Buddhist theories of calming the mind and securing wisdom. In his elaboration on Daoist theories of Cultivating Dao ( 修道 Xiudao ) and Attaing Immortality ( 成仙 Chengxian ), he held that human beings are gifted with the innate quality of Immortals. In order to Attain Immortality, one need only Cultivate One's Vital Breath of Emptiness ( 修我虛氣 Xiuwo Xuqi ), Fulfil One's Nature ( 遂我自然 Suiwo Ziran ), and Keep in Harmony with Dao ( 與道相守 Yudao Xiangshou ). In his book Discourse on Sitting in Oblivion ( 坐忘論 Zuowang Lun ), Sima Chengzhen put forward seven 'Stages' for Cultivating Dao. Furthermore, he classified the process of Cultivating Dao and Attaing Immortality into five 'Gates of Progress' ( 階次 Jieci ), and declared that "the five ways to Attain Immortality ( 修煉 Xiulian ) are unified into one". He held that the five 'Gates of progress' and 'Seven stages' can be summed up into the three commandments of "Decreasing involvement in human affairs", "Having no desire" and "calming the mind", and declared that "Dao will come to those who observe these three commandments regularly and constantly, even when they don't seek Dao purposely". He held that those studying Dao can become Immortals if they attain the plane of "Inwardly, one is unaware of one's body and outwardly, one is unaware of the universe; one enters into subtle communion with Dao and all worries disappear", and when "one forgets both the world and himself, neither of which is reflected in the mind". Sima Chengzhen's Daoist theories exerted some influence on the development of theories on Daoist Cultivation and Refinement, and on the formation of the Neo-Confucian philosophical school of the Northern Song dynasty. [[zh:司馬承禎]] 4ca2dda0e03355b33cd1ed28066d98a0da530a09 0 323 392 2009-08-25T02:09:05Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Cheng Xuanying, alias Zi Shi, was a Daoist in the early time of the Tang dynasty (618-907), and he was an outstanding Daoist scholar at the time. Cheng was born in Shan Zhou (in ...' wikitext text/x-wiki Cheng Xuanying, alias Zi Shi, was a Daoist in the early time of the Tang dynasty (618-907), and he was an outstanding Daoist scholar at the time. Cheng was born in Shan Zhou (in today's Shan County of Henan province) and he once lived in seclusion on the coast of the eastern sea. In the 5th year of Zhenguan (631AD), the first emperor of the Tang invited him to the capital and gave him the title "Master of West China". In the Yonghui (650-655AD) year of the Tang, Cheng was exiled to Yu Zhou (in today's Mount Yun Tai of Jiangsu province). He mastered the [[Laozi]] and [[Zhuangzi]] and authored the ''Glosses and Comments on the Preface to the Interpretations of the Title of the Book of Dao and its Virtue'' ( 《老子道德經開題序訣義疏》 Laozi Daodejing Kaiti ) and the ''Commentary on the Perfect Book of Nanhua'' ( 《南華真經疏》 Nanhua Zhenjing Shu ). In his glosses and comments he mainly elucidated the thought of the "Twofold Mystery" school so that the philosophy of the Twofold Mystery became the main current of Daoist philosophy in the early years of the Tang. [[zh:成玄英]] afe517f3f5b59b6cfa0a8a2d7f99bf2b1cd6bfa5 0 324 393 2009-08-25T02:14:33Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Wu Jun (?-778 AD), alias Zhenjie, was a famous Daoist of the Tang dynasty (618-907). He was from Huayin (today's Huayin County of Shaanxi province). It is also said he was from L...' wikitext text/x-wiki Wu Jun (?-778 AD), alias Zhenjie, was a famous Daoist of the Tang dynasty (618-907). He was from Huayin (today's Huayin County of Shaanxi province). It is also said he was from Luzhong (in today's Shandong province). Wu studied the Confucian classics when he was young and he was good at writing essays too. Being noble and unsullied, he did not drift in life. After he failed the highest imperial examination, he went to Mount Songshan to study Dao with the Daoist Pan Shizheng as his teacher. During the Kaiyuan years (713-714 AD), Wu went on a journey to Jin Ling and visited [[Mt. Mao]]. Later he traveled to Mount Tai and went to see the great sea. At the time he went to parties with men of letters and his poems written at the parties were widely read in the capital. Emperor Xuanzong heard about him and sent the messenger for him. The emperor was pleased to talk with him and asked him to wait for the imperial decree for him to be a member of the Imperial Academy. As the emperor asked him about Dao, Wu replied, "When it comes to the essence of Dao, there is nothing beyond the Book of Dao and its Virtue. Much that has been discussed about it is but a waste of paper." The emperor asked him about the cultivation of Dao and immortality, and Wu answered, "That was the business of the ordinary people and immortality could only be accomplished by persistent pursuit of constant efforts. It was not fit for the ruler." During the Tianbao years (742-756 AD) when Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong were in office, Wu realized that there would be a great disorder throughout the empire, and he requested to go back into the mountains. Later he took a journey to Kuaiji, where Wu corresponded with Li Bai and other men of letters by writing poems, living free and unfettered in seclusion. In the 13th year of Dali in Daizong's time (778 AD), Wu died in a Daoist temple in Xuancheng. Wu's followers conferred him the title of Gentleman Zongxuan. His works are as follows: ''Treatise on the Mysterious Matrix'' ( 《玄綱論》 Xuangang Lun ), ''On the Possibility of Learning to be an Immortal'' ( 《神仙可學論》 Shenxian Kexue Lun ), ''On the Eye of the Mind'' ( 《心目論》 Xinmu Lun ), ''On the Possibility of Consolidating the Human Form and Spirit'' ( 《神形可固論》 Shengxing Kegu Lun ), etc. [[zh:吳筠]] 26d41fc82d0b52d248e3c534b26427050733b681 394 393 2009-08-25T02:14:58Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki Wu Jun (?-778 AD), alias Zhenjie, was a famous Daoist of the Tang dynasty (618-907). He was from Huayin (today's Huayin County of Shaanxi province). It is also said he was from Luzhong (in today's Shandong province). Wu studied the Confucian classics when he was young and he was good at writing essays too. Being noble and unsullied, he did not drift in life. After he failed the highest imperial examination, he went to Mount Songshan to study Dao with the Daoist Pan Shizheng as his teacher. During the Kaiyuan years (713-714 AD), Wu went on a journey to Jin Ling and visited [[Mt Mao]]. Later he traveled to Mount Tai and went to see the great sea. At the time he went to parties with men of letters and his poems written at the parties were widely read in the capital. Emperor Xuanzong heard about him and sent the messenger for him. The emperor was pleased to talk with him and asked him to wait for the imperial decree for him to be a member of the Imperial Academy. As the emperor asked him about Dao, Wu replied, "When it comes to the essence of Dao, there is nothing beyond the Book of Dao and its Virtue. Much that has been discussed about it is but a waste of paper." The emperor asked him about the cultivation of Dao and immortality, and Wu answered, "That was the business of the ordinary people and immortality could only be accomplished by persistent pursuit of constant efforts. It was not fit for the ruler." During the Tianbao years (742-756 AD) when Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong were in office, Wu realized that there would be a great disorder throughout the empire, and he requested to go back into the mountains. Later he took a journey to Kuaiji, where Wu corresponded with Li Bai and other men of letters by writing poems, living free and unfettered in seclusion. In the 13th year of Dali in Daizong's time (778 AD), Wu died in a Daoist temple in Xuancheng. Wu's followers conferred him the title of Gentleman Zongxuan. His works are as follows: ''Treatise on the Mysterious Matrix'' ( 《玄綱論》 Xuangang Lun ), ''On the Possibility of Learning to be an Immortal'' ( 《神仙可學論》 Shenxian Kexue Lun ), ''On the Eye of the Mind'' ( 《心目論》 Xinmu Lun ), ''On the Possibility of Consolidating the Human Form and Spirit'' ( 《神形可固論》 Shengxing Kegu Lun ), etc. [[zh:吳筠]] e8d5dfb7ed803786a26c2ffcab37c975c6d2a835 395 394 2009-08-25T02:15:20Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki Wu Jun (?-778 AD), alias Zhenjie, was a famous Daoist of the Tang dynasty (618-907). He was from Huayin (today's Huayin County of Shaanxi province). It is also said he was from Luzhong (in today's Shandong province). Wu studied the Confucian classics when he was young and he was good at writing essays too. Being noble and unsullied, he did not drift in life. After he failed the highest imperial examination, he went to Mount Songshan to study Dao with the Daoist Pan Shizheng as his teacher. During the Kaiyuan years (713-714 AD), Wu went on a journey to Jin Ling and visited Mt. Mao. Later he traveled to Mount Tai and went to see the great sea. At the time he went to parties with men of letters and his poems written at the parties were widely read in the capital. Emperor Xuanzong heard about him and sent the messenger for him. The emperor was pleased to talk with him and asked him to wait for the imperial decree for him to be a member of the Imperial Academy. As the emperor asked him about Dao, Wu replied, "When it comes to the essence of Dao, there is nothing beyond the Book of Dao and its Virtue. Much that has been discussed about it is but a waste of paper." The emperor asked him about the cultivation of Dao and immortality, and Wu answered, "That was the business of the ordinary people and immortality could only be accomplished by persistent pursuit of constant efforts. It was not fit for the ruler." During the Tianbao years (742-756 AD) when Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong were in office, Wu realized that there would be a great disorder throughout the empire, and he requested to go back into the mountains. Later he took a journey to Kuaiji, where Wu corresponded with Li Bai and other men of letters by writing poems, living free and unfettered in seclusion. In the 13th year of Dali in Daizong's time (778 AD), Wu died in a Daoist temple in Xuancheng. Wu's followers conferred him the title of Gentleman Zongxuan. His works are as follows: ''Treatise on the Mysterious Matrix'' ( 《玄綱論》 Xuangang Lun ), ''On the Possibility of Learning to be an Immortal'' ( 《神仙可學論》 Shenxian Kexue Lun ), ''On the Eye of the Mind'' ( 《心目論》 Xinmu Lun ), ''On the Possibility of Consolidating the Human Form and Spirit'' ( 《神形可固論》 Shengxing Kegu Lun ), etc. [[zh:吳筠]] b31c2bf4a46105d6b02aada6ec3964e49ae2cd25 0 325 396 2009-08-25T02:47:12Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Life of Du Guangting== Du Guangting (AD 850-933) was a celebrated Daoist figure of the Five Dynasties following the last years of the Tang dynasty. He was styled Binsheng (or B...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Life of Du Guangting== Du Guangting (AD 850-933) was a celebrated Daoist figure of the Five Dynasties following the last years of the Tang dynasty. He was styled Binsheng (or Binzhi) and had the sobriquet Dongying Zi, and was a native of Jinyun, Waizhou (or Chang'an). Du Guangting was diligent and eager to learn, studied Confucianism in his early youth, and possessed a wide knowledge about Confucian classics and philosophical works. In the period of Xiantong of the Tang dynasty, he failed in the imperial examinations and was deeply touched by the vicissitudes of life. Therefore, he went to Mt. Tiantai to Cultivate Dao, and became a student of Ying Yijie, a Daoist priest on Mt. Tiantai and fifth generation successor of [[Sima Chengzhen]]. Emperor Xizong of the Tang dynasty heard about his reputation, and therefore called him to the capital time and again and granted to him the title "Imperial Writer of the Kylin Virtue Hall' ( 麟德殿文章應制 Linde Dian Wenzhang Yingzhi ). Later, he went to Shu (present-day Sichuan) and stayed in Chengdu in order to seek refuge. There he was appreciated by Wang Jian, founder of the Later Kingdom of Shu, who appointed him as Senior Official of the Golden Seal and Violet Ribbon in Charge of the Emperors' Diet ( 金紫光祿大夫 Jinzi Guanglu Dafu ), as well as Chief Councillor ( 左諫議大夫 Zuo Jianyi Dafu ) of the emperor. He also conferred on him the title 'Duke of the Kingdom of Cai' ( 蔡國公 Caiguo Gong ) and the sobriquet 'Gentleman of Great Accomplishment' ( 廣成先生 Guangcheng Xiansheng ). The posterior king Wang Qian received a Daoist register in the gardens, and conferred on Du Guangting the titles 'Celestial Master Who Transmits Perfection' ( 傳真天師 Chuanzhen Tianshi ) and 'Grand Scholar of the Academy for the Worship of Perfection' ( 崇真館大學士 Chongzhen Guan Daxueshi ). Du Guangting resigned from office afterwards. He led a secluded life at White Clouds Torrent ( 白雲溪 Baiyun Zi ) on Mt. Qingcheng, and spent his remaining years in Cultivating Dao with great concentration. ==Contribution to Daoism== Du Guangting was versed in Confucian and Daoist classics. He made a good study of Daoist teachings, scriptures, history, and magic arts; summed up Daoist rites; and contributed much to establishing the Ritual Offerings ( 醮法 Jiaofa ) of the Golden Registers ( 金籙 Jinlu ), Yellow Registers ( 黃籙 Huanglu ), and Jade Registers ( 玉籙 Yulu ), as well as rules for setting up altars and conducting rituals. Also, he spent his whole life sorting out and annotating the Daoist canon, and did much field work on Daoism. Du Guangting wrote a good many books during his lifetime. He synthesized Daoist theories, and contributed in many ways to the spread and development of Daoism. It is recorded in the chapter ''Descriptive Accounts of Books'' ( 藝文志 Yiwenshi ) of the History of the Song ( 宋史 Songshi ) that Du Guangting wrote the ''Life of the Man with Curly Sideburns'' ( 虬髯客傳 Qiuranke Zhuan ). [[zh:杜光庭]] ef2692125b223b7d62406b06cbf0be30061ecdde 0 326 397 2009-08-25T02:57:58Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Tan Qiao from Quan Zhou, alias Jing Sheng, was a Daoist at the turn of the Tang (618-907) and the Five Dynasties (907-960), and he was an extraordinary Daoist scholar as well. Wi...' wikitext text/x-wiki Tan Qiao from Quan Zhou, alias Jing Sheng, was a Daoist at the turn of the Tang (618-907) and the Five Dynasties (907-960), and he was an extraordinary Daoist scholar as well. With a very good memory, Tan read widely and showed his talent when he was young. Tan's father was a scholar and a state official as well. He hoped that his son would read the Confucian classics in order to become an official in the future, while Tan himself, with his love for the scholars of the schools of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi, enjoyed reading the biographies of the immortals, and had made up his mind to cultivate Dao and learn to be an immortal. Later he left his home, traveling to [[Mt. Zhongnan]], and his father agreed because Mount Zhongnan was near the capital. After he left home, however, he did not return. Instead, he traveled to such mountains as Mount Taibai, Mount Taihang, Mount Wangwu, [[Mt. Song]], [[Mt. Hua]], and [[Mt. Tai]], moving further and further away from his home. His father wrote to scold him and he wrote back: "In the past Mr. Mao, as the son of his father, left his family to learn to be an immortal. Now I admire him and hope I will benefit from following his example." His father realized that he could do nothing about it since Tan Qiao was so resolute to learn the Dao. In spite of all this, his father missed him so much that he not only sent his servant to look for him, but also posted him clothing and pocket money as well. But Tan Qiao offered all the clothing to poor people and the money to small inns, without leaving anything for himself. Tan stayed with a Daoist of Mount Songshan for over 10 years and learned the techniques of abstaining from grains and nourishing the vital breath. The coldness of the winter and the hotness of the summer could do nothing to hurt him. In summer he wore fur clothes and thin clothes in winter. Sometimes, lying in the snow for the whole day, he was thought to be dead, but when other people went to see him he was still breathing as usual. Later while living on the Southern Sacred Mountain, Tan accomplished refining the elixir, to the point where he could not be immersed when he was in water nor cauterized when put into the fire, and he could become invisible and transform himself into other forms. In the end he lived on [[Mt. Qingcheng]] and never left the mountain. Tan Qiao wrote six volumes of the ''[[Book of Transformation]]'' ( 化書 Huashu ), which is very significant in the history of Daoist thought. [[zh:譚峭]] a062f0046d1ab820bf61c15feb841b3d2af53e68 0 327 398 2009-08-25T03:46:33Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Life of Chen Tuan== Chen Tuan, who styled himself Tu Nan and had the sobriquet Fuyaozi, was a renowned Daoist priest during the Five Dynasties and the first years of the Song d...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Life of Chen Tuan== Chen Tuan, who styled himself Tu Nan and had the sobriquet Fuyaozi, was a renowned Daoist priest during the Five Dynasties and the first years of the Song dynasty (ca. 960). He was a native of Zhenyuan, Bozhou (or Chongkan, Puzhou). In his early teens, he was conversant with the Confucian classics, history, and the theories of various schools of thought. He was also fond of Buddhist philosophy, medical principles, astronomy and geography, and fanous for his poems. Later, he failed in the highest imperial examinations and came to realize the unreality of the affairs of human life, so he gave up all thoughts of an official career and traveled to famous mountains in search of Immortals ( 仙 Xian ) and Daoists. For over twenty years, Chen Tuan led a secluded life in Nine Room Cave ( 九室岩 Jiushi Yan ) on [[Mt Wudang]], Ingesting Vital Breath ( 服氣 Fuqi ), Abstaining from Grain ( 辟谷 Pigu ), and Cultivating Dao ( 修道 Xiudao ). He later moved to Yuntai Temple on [[Mt. Hua]] and then to the stone room on Mt. Shaohua, and was in close contact with [[Lu Dongbin]], Li Qi and so on. Emperor Shizong of the Later Zhou called him into the court and later appointed him councilor of the emperor for his rare talent and farsightedness. But he refused firmly, and was then named 'Gentleman of White Clouds' ( 白雲先生 Baiyun Xiansheng ). Emperor Taizong of the Song dynasty also twice called Chen Tuan to the court, and treated him very kindly. Chen Tuan advised Emperor Taizong to 'call in persons of outstanding worth from afar, dismiss sycophantic courtiers at his side, levy less taxes from the people, and reward the army generously'. Emperor Taizong highly honored and deeply trusted him, and so granted him the title 'Gentleman Who Sees and Hears Nothing' ( 希夷先生 Xiyi Xiansheng ). In the second year of Duangong (AD 989), he died in Zhaochao Valley, under the Lotus Peak. ==Religious ideas== Chen Tuan liked to study the ''[[Book of Changes]]'' ( 周易 Zhouyi ), which he was unable to put down. He drew a ''Chart of the Infinite'' ( 無極圖 Wuji Tu ) and carved it onto the cliffs of Mt. Hua. Moreover, he drew a ''Chart of Anterior Heaven'' ( 先天圖 Xiantian Tu ), which integrated the religious ideas of Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism. This marked the beginning of the trend of Integration of the Three Doctrines ( 三教合一 Sanjiao Heyi ) in the Song dynasty, and exerted a considerable influence on the Song Neo-Confucian philosophical school. It is said that the ''Illustrated Explanation of the Supreme Ultimate'' ( 太極圖說 Taiji Tushuo ) by Zhou Dunyi, the founder of the Neo-Confucian philosophical school, was derived from Chen Tuan's ''Chart of the Infinite'', and that his ''Chart of Anterior Heaven'' evolved into the system of 'Images and Numbers' ( 象數 Xiangshu ) by Shao Yong. Chen Tuan's ideology of Daoist Alchemy ( 丹道 Dandao ) advocated the Integrated Cultivation of Spiritual Essence and Bodily Life ( 性命雙修 Xingming Shuangxiu ), Nourishing Life ( 養生 Yangsheng ), Inner Refinement ( 內煉 Neilian ), the purification and calmimg of the mind, Regulating Breathing ( 調氣 Tiaoqi ) and Entering Tranquility ( 入靜 Rujing ), and conforming to the great Dao. Chen Tuan took the traditional theories of philosophical Daoism as the core of his ideology, and absorbed Confucian and Buddhist ideas to constitute a set of systematic theories on [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ), laying a foundation for the formation of the Daoist Inner Alchemy tradition of the Song and Yuan dynasties. [[zh:陳摶]] 2737fd89699790ef4e642dbce82f9f9324962346 0 328 399 2009-08-25T05:18:18Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Life of Wang Wenqing== Wang Wenqing (AD 1093-1153) was a celebrated Daoist priest during the last years of the Northern Song dynasty and the first years of the Southern Song dy...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Life of Wang Wenqing== Wang Wenqing (AD 1093-1153) was a celebrated Daoist priest during the last years of the Northern Song dynasty and the first years of the Southern Song dynasty, and the founder of [[the Divine Heaven sect]] ( 神霄派 Shenxiao Pai ). A native of Nanfeng, Jianchang, he styled himself Yu Dao (or Shu Dao) and had the sobriquet Chonghezi. He honored Dao from his childhood, and was good at writing poems and essays. He claimed that he didn't yearn for wealth and rank in the world of mortals but aspired after connections with Perfect Men ( 真 Zhen ) and Immortals ( 仙 Xian ) in the fairyland. In other words, he was desirous of standing aloof from the world. In the first year of Xuanhe, during the reign of emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty, he claimed to have encountered an extraordinary person, who transmitted to him the techniques of presenting memorials to the heavenly Emperor, and books on summoning wind and thunder. Wang Wenqing became famous among the rivers and lakes. In the forth year of Xuanhe, he went to the capital by imperial order, and was invited to live in the Nine Yang Temple of the Assembled Perfect Men ( 九陽總真宮 Jiuyang Zongzhen Gong ). He refused all the handsome rewards, and was later granted the title 'Gentleman of the Sublime Dao of Emptiness' ( 沖虛妙道先生 Chongxu Miaodao Xiansheng ). In the seventh year of Xuanhe, he was further granted the title "Specially Appointed Senior Official of Supreme Simplicity' ( 特授太素大夫 Teshou Taisu Dafu ) and was appointed Document Collator of the Hall of Meditation ( 凝神殿校籍 Ningshen Dian Jiaoji ). Soon afterwards, he was appointed Imperial Attendant of the Hall of Meditation ( 凝神殿侍宸 Ningshen Dian Shichen ) and granted the title Daoist Priest of the Golden Gate' ( 金門羽客 Jinmen Yuke ), and his parents were also granted posthumous titles. Shortly after performing the great ritual in Nanchang to save the souls of the dead, Wang Wenqing was again appointed Imperial Attendant to the Two Wings of Government ( 兩府侍宸 Liangfu Shichen ), and granted the title 'Gentleman of Emptiness in Communion with the Sublime' ( 沖虛通妙先生 Chongxu Tongmiao Xiansheng ), and was ranked equal to Superior Officials of the Supreme Centre ( 太中大夫 Taihong Daifu ). He was specially promoted as a Councillor ( 待制 Daizhi ) in charge of Daoist affairs in the Cabinet of Brilliant Strategies ( 徽猷閣 Huiyou Ge ). His parents, uncle, wife and brothers were all granted titles. In the first year of Jingkang during the reign of emperor Qingzong, he asked to be allowed to return home to take care of his mother. After he was relieved of his office, Wang Wenqing soothed his spirit among the mountains and rivers, and didn't answer emperor Gaozong's call to retuirn to the court. Later, he passed peacefully away. ==Transmission of Daoist Magic Skills== Wang Wenqing transmitted the Five Thunder Skills of the Divine Heaven sect ( 神霄五雷法 Shenxiao Wuleifa ), of which he was the founder. His disciples included Zhu Zhiqing, Xiong Shanren, Ping Jingzong, Yuan Tingzhi, and Sa Shoujian, who saw him in [[Mt. Qingcheng]] and obtained his secret techniques. At his hometown, he transnmitted his magic skills to Gao Ziyu from Xincheng and his nephew Shangguan. He also had many other disciples. In the Yuan dynasty, he was granted the title 'Perfect Man of Emptiness in Communion with the Sublime' ( 沖虛通妙真人 Chongxu Tongmiao Zhenren ), and in the summer of the third year of Zhishun, he was granted yet another title: 'Luminous and Wise Perfect Man of Emptiness in Communion with the Sublime' ( 沖虛通妙靈惠真人 Chongxu Tongmiao Linghui Zhenren ). [[zh:王文卿]] c6bd27ae89e660900e541cb04dadd766ffa63bf5 0 329 400 2009-08-25T05:57:14Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Life of Zhang Jixian== Zhang Jixian (AD 1092-1127) was styled Zunzheng (also Jiawen and Daozheng) and was also known by his literary name Shuranzi, which means 'Detached Master...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Life of Zhang Jixian== Zhang Jixian (AD 1092-1127) was styled Zunzheng (also Jiawen and Daozheng) and was also known by his literary name Shuranzi, which means 'Detached Master'. He was a famous Daoist priest during the last years of the Northern Song dynasty, and the thirtieth generation Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ) of [[the Celestial Master Tradition]] ( 天師道 Tianshi Dao ), which he inherited at the age of nine. Zhang Jixian was a reticent person. After the Chongning years during the reign of emperor Huizong, he was called to the eastern capital four times to perform Ritual Offerings ( 醮 Jiao ) in the inner court. He was granted the sobriquet "Gentleman of Emptiness and Tranquility" ( 虛靖先生 Xujing Xiansheng ), ranked equal to a Senior Official ( 大夫 Dafu ) entitled to discuss government affairs, and was bestowed the Seal of the Chief Official of Yangping Diocese ( 陽平治都功印 Yangpingzhi Dugong Yin ), which was engraved in jade from Mt. Kunlun. Zhang Jixian was favored by emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty, but he aspired to lead a simple life, and liked to relax himself and soothe his spirit in mountains and Cultivate Dao ( 修道 Xiudao ) quietly, so he asked several times to return to the mountains. He built a temple behind the Temple of Highest Clarity ( 上清宮 Shangqing Gong ) where he emptied his mind and sat in oblivion. Emperor Huizong dedicated the Temple of Quiet Communion ( 靜通庵 Jingtong An ) to him, which contained a 'Pavilion of the Detached Master' ( 翛然亭 Shuran Ting ). Zhang Jixian further built the three Temples of the Numinous Treasure ( 靈寶 Lingbao ), of the Tapestry of Clouds ( 雲錦 Yunjin ), and of Perfect Chastity ( 真懿 Zhenyi ). He also transformed the ancestral hall into the Temple for Preaching the Law ( 演法觀 Yanfa Guan ). It is said that he predicted national crises and asked his disciple Wang Daojian to tell emperor Huizong that he should cultivate his moral conduct in order to avoid calamities". His works ''In Praise of the Great Dao'' ( 大道歌 Dadao Ge ), ''On Mind'' ( 心說 Xinshuo ), and so on were handed down to posterity, and his disciples Wu Zhengyang, Wang Daojian and the like were well-known. Later, emperor Wuzong conferred on him the title "Perfect Sovereign of Emptiness, Tranquility, Mysterious Communion, and Magnificient Enlightenment." ( 虛靖玄通夕悟真君 Xujing Xuantong Hongwu Zhenjun ) ==Ideas== Zhang Jixian combined various schools of thought. He inherited the Daoist Skills of Talismans and Registers ( 符籙道法 Fulu Daofa ) handed down in the family, and he also practised both Inner Alchemy ( 內丹 Neidan ) and Outer Alchemy ( 外丹 Waidan ). He held that the reason for human beings' transmigration in the Three Worlds ( 三界 Sanjie ) between life and death is that the six senses will be activated once a thought arises in the mind". Therefore, people must fast in order to refine morals", and should be cautious in speech and moderate in eating and drinking, eliminate moral faults and desires, calmly Keep to Oneness, be indifferent to fame or gain, keep quiet and do nothing, look at nothing and listen to nothing, and swim with the tide" so as to become pure and upright, and thus all the calamities can be warded off". Zhang Jixian held that "Dao is not far away; it is within the body", and that of the mind controls the breath, and the breath stays within the body, one can achieve longevity without employing various techniques". He advised those who came to receive the Secret Registers of the Celestial Masters ( 天師秘錄 Tianshi Milu ) to escape worldly affairs and introspect, so that all of them could attain Dao". [[zh:張繼先]] ae044ecb10e71bb28f62b5433a69beb0167724d3 0 330 401 2009-08-25T06:23:33Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Chen Jingyuan (1024-1094 AD), alias Taichu, was a famous Daoist scholar as well as a Daoist of the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127). He named himself Master of Azure Emptiness ( ...' wikitext text/x-wiki Chen Jingyuan (1024-1094 AD), alias Taichu, was a famous Daoist scholar as well as a Daoist of the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127). He named himself Master of Azure Emptiness ( 碧虛子 Bixuzi ). Chen was from Nancheng of Jianchang (in today's Jiangxi province ). When he was very young, his father died and so did his two elder brothers before long. Therefore he made up his mind to cultivate Dao by living beyond the world. In the 2th year of Qingli (1042 AD), Chen revered Han Zhizhi, the Master of Adoring Dao ( 崇道大師 Chongdao Dashi ), as his teacher at the Temple of Heavenly Celebration ( 天慶觀 Tianqing Guan ) in Gaoyou. The next year Chen succeeded in the examination on Daoist scriptures and became a Daoist priest. Later he traveled around after saying farewell to his teacher. At Mount Tiantai, Chen met Zhang Wumeng, Master of the Primordial World ( 鴻蒙先生 Hongmeng Xiansheng ), and with Zhang's help Chen got to know the obscure meaning of the ''[[Book of Dao and its Virtue]]'' and ''[[Zhuangzi]]''. Afterwards, Chen took journeys in the Jiang and Huai areas, entertaining himself with music and reading. When he arrived in the capital, Chen lived at the Sweet Spring Temple ( 醴泉觀 Liquan Guan ). He was invited to give lectures on the ''Book of Dao and its Virtue'' and on the ''Perfect Book of Nanhua'' so that he quickly became well known. The head of the Sweet Spring Temple reported him to the court, and Chen was appointed as the secretary of the temple. Emperor Shenzong of the Northern Song heard about Chen's reputation, and asked him to hold the of Great Ritual of Offering for the Universal Heaven ( 普天大醮 Putian Dajiao ), ordering him to write prayers in vermilion on special paper for the ritual. The emperor thought Chen had done a good job after he read Chen's prayer for the ritual, and entitled him as Heavenly Master of Perfect Tranquility ( 真靖天師 Zhenjing Tianshi ). In the 5th year of Xining (1072 AD), Chen presented his commentary on the ''Book of Dao and its Virtue'' and the emperor greatly appreciated his talent. So Chen was appointed as Right-Ranked General Supervisor and Secretary of Daoist Affairs, and later became the head of the Palace of Middle Supreme Oneness ( 中太一宮 Zhong Taiyi Gong ), and promoted as Right-Ranked Associate Administrator of Daoism as well. The ministers Wang Anshi and Wang Gui enjoyed being friends of his because of his erudition. After some time, Chen requested to go back to Mount. Lushan with 500 kilos of history books and classic books. He died in the 1st Shaosheng year (1094) of the Emperor Zhezong's reign. ==His major works are as follows== #''A Librarian's Exploration into the Obscure Meaning of the Perfect Book of Dao and its Virtue'' ( 《道德真經藏室纂微篇》 Daode Zhwenjing Zangshi ) #''Pronunciations and Annotations of the Perfect Book of Nanhua'' ( 《南華真經章句音義》 Nanhua Zhenjing Zhangju Yinyi ) #''Supplements to the Annotations of the Perfect Book of Emptiness and Highest Virtue'' ( 《沖虛至德真經釋文補遺》 Chongxu Zhide Zhenjing ) #''Collected Commentaries on the Book of Western Ascension'' ( 《西升經集注》 Xisheng Jing Jizhu ) [[zh:陳景元]] 78655c250ef4b8016c5f587502e932338c017425 0 331 402 2009-08-25T07:24:20Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The Life of Wang Xuanpu Family name== Family name: Wang Given name: Cheng Literary name: Xuanpu Alias: Imperial Sovereign Donghua ( 東華帝君 Donghua Dijun ); Lesser Y...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Life of Wang Xuanpu Family name== Family name: Wang Given name: Cheng Literary name: Xuanpu Alias: Imperial Sovereign Donghua ( 東華帝君 Donghua Dijun ); Lesser Yang Sovereign of the Purple Mansion ( 紫府少陽帝君 Zifu Shaoyang Dijun ) Birthday: 15th day of the 6th lunar month Wang Xuanpu was born in Donghai (now Gunzhou, Shangdong Province) in the Han Dynasty. He admired the demeanors of Perfect Men ( 真人 Zhenren ) ever since he was young. Later he was led by Baiyun Shangzhen into the practice of Daoism and retreated to the Yanxia Grotto of the Kunlun Mountain, leading a hermit's life for the sake of practicing Daoism. Later he moved to the Zifu (Purple Mansion) Grotto. Having lived in the world for several hundred years, Wang Xuanpu remained as young as ever. He later accepted Zhongli Quan as his disciple and preached Daoism to the masses. [[The Complete Perfection Doctrine]] ( 全真教 Quanzhen Jiao ) thus came into being and he was honored as the predecessor of the Five Northern Patriarchs ( 北五祖 Bei Wuzu ). ==Inheritance== According to the ''Records of the Orthodox Sect of the Golden Lotus'' ( 金蓮正宗記 Jinlian Zhengzong Ji ), Wang Xuanpu learned from Baiyun Shangzhen the Black Talisman ( 青符 Qingfu ) and Jade Seal ( 玉篆 Yuzhuan ), the Golden Rules and Numinous Writs ( 金科靈文 Jinke Lingwen ), the Secret Formula for the Great Elixir ( 大丹秘訣 Dadan Mijue ), the Fire Phases of the Cosmic Orbit ( 周天火候 Zhoutian Huohou ) and the Black Dragon Swordplay ( 青龍劍法 Qinglong Jianfa ). When he was at the Ningyang Grotto of [[Mt Zhongnan]], he imparted the Perfect Formula for Longevity ( 長生真訣 Changsheng Zhenjue ), the Fire Phases for Refining Golden Elixirs ( 金丹火候 Jindan Huohou ) and the Black Dragon Swordplay to Zhongli Quan. The Golden Elixir sect of Zhong and Lu ( 鍾呂金丹法 Zhonglu Jindan Pai ) ([[Zhongli Quan]] and [[Lu Dongbin]]) was later formed on the basis of the above-mentioned knowledge. ==Legend== Wang Xuanpu, having learned the essence of Baiyun Shangzhen's teaching, practiced it for three years and became an expert of it. Then he carried his sword and set out to do justice in the world. While practicing poetical justice, he would gather and wield the [[Vital Breath]] ( 氣 Qi ) of the Supreme Ultimate ( 太極 Taiji ). After he finished annihilating evil people, his two swords would fly up into the sky and then fly back to him. A poem that praises him goes as follows: At the dimly-lit Dragon Building, in the auspicious pink clouds, Was the remarkable Lesser Yang Sovereign of the Purple Mansion. The Kunlun Mountain scraped the sky and the rays stretched afar, And this was the first flower of the Complete Perfection Doctrine. ==Investiture== Wang Xuanpu was granted the titles of "Imperial Lesser Yang Sovereign Donghua of the Purple Mansion" by Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty, and of "Great Imperial Sovereign Donghua of the Purple Palace Who Assists the Origin and Establishes the Ultimate" ( 東華紫府輔元立極大帝君 Donghua Zifu Fuyuan Liji Dadijun ) by Emperor Wuzong of the Yuan Dynasty. [[zh:王玄甫]] aee165126c9f04d4a9a70378128ddd5514a1a756 403 402 2009-08-25T07:25:16Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Life of Wang Xuanpu Family name== '''Family name:''' Wang '''Given name:''' Cheng ''Literary name:'' Xuanpu '''Alias:''' Imperial Sovereign Donghua ( 東華帝君 Donghua Dijun ); Lesser Yang Sovereign of the Purple Mansion ( 紫府少陽帝君 Zifu Shaoyang Dijun ) '''Birthday:''' 15th day of the 6th lunar month Wang Xuanpu was born in Donghai (now Gunzhou, Shangdong Province) in the Han Dynasty. He admired the demeanors of Perfect Men ( 真人 Zhenren ) ever since he was young. Later he was led by Baiyun Shangzhen into the practice of Daoism and retreated to the Yanxia Grotto of the Kunlun Mountain, leading a hermit's life for the sake of practicing Daoism. Later he moved to the Zifu (Purple Mansion) Grotto. Having lived in the world for several hundred years, Wang Xuanpu remained as young as ever. He later accepted Zhongli Quan as his disciple and preached Daoism to the masses. [[The Complete Perfection Doctrine]] ( 全真教 Quanzhen Jiao ) thus came into being and he was honored as the predecessor of the Five Northern Patriarchs ( 北五祖 Bei Wuzu ). ==Inheritance== According to the ''Records of the Orthodox Sect of the Golden Lotus'' ( 金蓮正宗記 Jinlian Zhengzong Ji ), Wang Xuanpu learned from Baiyun Shangzhen the Black Talisman ( 青符 Qingfu ) and Jade Seal ( 玉篆 Yuzhuan ), the Golden Rules and Numinous Writs ( 金科靈文 Jinke Lingwen ), the Secret Formula for the Great Elixir ( 大丹秘訣 Dadan Mijue ), the Fire Phases of the Cosmic Orbit ( 周天火候 Zhoutian Huohou ) and the Black Dragon Swordplay ( 青龍劍法 Qinglong Jianfa ). When he was at the Ningyang Grotto of [[Mt Zhongnan]], he imparted the Perfect Formula for Longevity ( 長生真訣 Changsheng Zhenjue ), the Fire Phases for Refining Golden Elixirs ( 金丹火候 Jindan Huohou ) and the Black Dragon Swordplay to Zhongli Quan. The Golden Elixir sect of Zhong and Lu ( 鍾呂金丹法 Zhonglu Jindan Pai ) ([[Zhongli Quan]] and [[Lu Dongbin]]) was later formed on the basis of the above-mentioned knowledge. ==Legend== Wang Xuanpu, having learned the essence of Baiyun Shangzhen's teaching, practiced it for three years and became an expert of it. Then he carried his sword and set out to do justice in the world. While practicing poetical justice, he would gather and wield the [[Vital Breath]] ( 氣 Qi ) of the Supreme Ultimate ( 太極 Taiji ). After he finished annihilating evil people, his two swords would fly up into the sky and then fly back to him. A poem that praises him goes as follows: At the dimly-lit Dragon Building, in the auspicious pink clouds, Was the remarkable Lesser Yang Sovereign of the Purple Mansion. The Kunlun Mountain scraped the sky and the rays stretched afar, And this was the first flower of the Complete Perfection Doctrine. ==Investiture== Wang Xuanpu was granted the titles of "Imperial Lesser Yang Sovereign Donghua of the Purple Mansion" by Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty, and of "Great Imperial Sovereign Donghua of the Purple Palace Who Assists the Origin and Establishes the Ultimate" ( 東華紫府輔元立極大帝君 Donghua Zifu Fuyuan Liji Dadijun ) by Emperor Wuzong of the Yuan Dynasty. [[zh:王玄甫]] 602757b5c3459032bb121153a4197cc05a7ab4c6 404 403 2009-08-25T07:25:42Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Life of Wang Xuanpu Family name== '''Family name:''' Wang '''Given name:''' Cheng '''Literary name:''' Xuanpu '''Alias:''' Imperial Sovereign Donghua ( 東華帝君 Donghua Dijun ); Lesser Yang Sovereign of the Purple Mansion ( 紫府少陽帝君 Zifu Shaoyang Dijun ) '''Birthday:''' 15th day of the 6th lunar month Wang Xuanpu was born in Donghai (now Gunzhou, Shangdong Province) in the Han Dynasty. He admired the demeanors of Perfect Men ( 真人 Zhenren ) ever since he was young. Later he was led by Baiyun Shangzhen into the practice of Daoism and retreated to the Yanxia Grotto of the Kunlun Mountain, leading a hermit's life for the sake of practicing Daoism. Later he moved to the Zifu (Purple Mansion) Grotto. Having lived in the world for several hundred years, Wang Xuanpu remained as young as ever. He later accepted Zhongli Quan as his disciple and preached Daoism to the masses. [[The Complete Perfection Doctrine]] ( 全真教 Quanzhen Jiao ) thus came into being and he was honored as the predecessor of the Five Northern Patriarchs ( 北五祖 Bei Wuzu ). ==Inheritance== According to the ''Records of the Orthodox Sect of the Golden Lotus'' ( 金蓮正宗記 Jinlian Zhengzong Ji ), Wang Xuanpu learned from Baiyun Shangzhen the Black Talisman ( 青符 Qingfu ) and Jade Seal ( 玉篆 Yuzhuan ), the Golden Rules and Numinous Writs ( 金科靈文 Jinke Lingwen ), the Secret Formula for the Great Elixir ( 大丹秘訣 Dadan Mijue ), the Fire Phases of the Cosmic Orbit ( 周天火候 Zhoutian Huohou ) and the Black Dragon Swordplay ( 青龍劍法 Qinglong Jianfa ). When he was at the Ningyang Grotto of [[Mt Zhongnan]], he imparted the Perfect Formula for Longevity ( 長生真訣 Changsheng Zhenjue ), the Fire Phases for Refining Golden Elixirs ( 金丹火候 Jindan Huohou ) and the Black Dragon Swordplay to Zhongli Quan. The Golden Elixir sect of Zhong and Lu ( 鍾呂金丹法 Zhonglu Jindan Pai ) ([[Zhongli Quan]] and [[Lu Dongbin]]) was later formed on the basis of the above-mentioned knowledge. ==Legend== Wang Xuanpu, having learned the essence of Baiyun Shangzhen's teaching, practiced it for three years and became an expert of it. Then he carried his sword and set out to do justice in the world. While practicing poetical justice, he would gather and wield the [[Vital Breath]] ( 氣 Qi ) of the Supreme Ultimate ( 太極 Taiji ). After he finished annihilating evil people, his two swords would fly up into the sky and then fly back to him. A poem that praises him goes as follows: At the dimly-lit Dragon Building, in the auspicious pink clouds, Was the remarkable Lesser Yang Sovereign of the Purple Mansion. The Kunlun Mountain scraped the sky and the rays stretched afar, And this was the first flower of the Complete Perfection Doctrine. ==Investiture== Wang Xuanpu was granted the titles of "Imperial Lesser Yang Sovereign Donghua of the Purple Mansion" by Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty, and of "Great Imperial Sovereign Donghua of the Purple Palace Who Assists the Origin and Establishes the Ultimate" ( 東華紫府輔元立極大帝君 Donghua Zifu Fuyuan Liji Dadijun ) by Emperor Wuzong of the Yuan Dynasty. [[zh:王玄甫]] 5d61def13499a69c9d11ff829f650db802c3cab3 0 332 405 2009-08-25T08:00:05Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The Life of Zhongli Quan Family Name== '''Family name:''' Zhongli '''Given Name:''' Quan '''Literary Name:''' Yunfang or Jidao '''Alias:''' Master Zhengyang or Master Heg...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Life of Zhongli Quan Family Name== '''Family name:''' Zhongli '''Given Name:''' Quan '''Literary Name:''' Yunfang or Jidao '''Alias:''' Master Zhengyang or Master Hegu '''Height:''' 8 feet tall '''Birthday:''' 15th day of the 4th lunar month '''Date of Ascension:''' 18th day of the 5th lunar month Zhongli Quan was born in Xianyang in the Han Dynasty. As a little boy, he displayed a great liking to and talent for literature. The highest official position he took was as Senior General of the Han Dynasty. Having been beaten in a battle, he hid on Mt Zhongnan, where he came across [[Wang Xuanpu]], the Donghua Imperial Sovereign ( 東華帝君 Donghua Dijun ), and learned the essence of Dao from Wang. Then he retired to the Tornado Mountain of Jinzhou Prefecture to practice Daoism. When he attained the perfect Dao he tied his hair in two buns and wore daimyo oak leaves, calling himself Zhong Liquan, the Freest Man in the World." He was later honored as the "Zhengyang Patriarch" by [[the Complete Perfection Doctrine]] ( 全真教 Quanzhen Jiao ) of Daoism and listed as the second of the Five Northern Patriarchs ( 北五祖 Bei Wuzu ). He was also one of [[the Eight Immortals]] ( 八仙 Baxian ) in Chinese folklore. ==Transmission== It was recorded that Zhongli Quan learned from Imperial Sovereign Donghua the Red Talisman and Jade Seal ( 赤符 Chifu ), the Golden Rules and Numinous Writs ( 金科靈文 Jinke Lingwen ), the Secret Formula for the Great Elixir ( 大丹秘訣 Dadan Mijue ), the Fire Phases of the Cosmic Orbit ( 周天火候 Zhoutian Huohou ) and the Black Dragon Swordplay ( 青龍劍法 Qinglong Jianfa ). A little later he met the Perfect Man of Huayang and learned from him the Jade Knife of Supreme Oneness ( 太乙刀圭 Taiyi Daogui ) and the Golden Elixir of the Fire Talisman ( 火符金丹 Huofu Jindan ), thus achieving a profound understanding of the ways in which the mysterious Dao works. No sooner had he found the Secret Formula of the Jade Box ( 玉匣秘訣 Yuxia Mijue ) hidden by the Yellow Emperor in a grotto in Mt Kongdong than he became a real Immortal. One day when he was travelling in the Lü Mountains, he came upon Lu Dongbin to whom he imparted the Swordplay of the Heavenly Concealment of the Great Dao ( 大道天遁 Dadao Tiandun ) and the Secret Formula for Making Elixirs of the Dragon and Tiger. Zhongli and Lülater formed the Golden Elixir sect of Zhong and Lu ( 鍾呂金丹派 Zhonglu Jindan Pai ), which exerted a profound influence upon the development of Daoism in the Song and Yuan dynasties. ==Legend== After he imparted the Swordplay of the Heavenly Concealment of the Great Dao and the Secret Formula for Making Dragon and Tiger Elixirs to [[LüDongbin]], Zhongli Quan continued on his trip around the Lushan Mountains. He stepped onto the third flight of a red building and leisurely ascended to Heaven. The following poem praises him: Iron Flute heard about the Immortal riding on the back of a tiger, Who imparted to the sovereign the secret formula for making elixirs. Before ascending to heaven he rendered the skills to Master Chunyang. Stepping three flights he flew to the blue sky. ==Works by Zhongli Quan== ''[[The Song of the Reversion Elixir]]'' ( 還丹歌 Huadan Ge ), ''[[The Song of Dispelling Illusion and Rectifying Dao]]'' ( 破迷正道歌 Pomi Zhengdao Ge ) ==Investiture== Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty granted him the title "Perfect Sovereign Zhengyang Who Enlightens and Transmits Dao" ( 正陽開悟傳道真君 Zhengyang Kaiwu Chuandao Dijun ) and Emperor Wuzong granted him the title "Imperial Sovereign Zhengyang of Manifold Teachings Who Enlightens and Transmits Dao" ( 正陽開悟傳道重教帝君 Zhengyang Kaiwu Chuandao Chongjiao Dijun ). [[zh:鍾離權]] 31a9c93cff65567aff417f1f484ef01c60c48a84 0 333 406 2009-08-25T08:39:59Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The Life of Lü Dongbin == '''Family Name:''' Lü '''Given name:''' Yan '''Literary Name:''' Dongbin '''Alias:''' Master Chunyang '''Birthday:''' born at the sixth stem (...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Life of Lü Dongbin == '''Family Name:''' Lü '''Given name:''' Yan '''Literary Name:''' Dongbin '''Alias:''' Master Chunyang '''Birthday:''' born at the sixth stem (of the ten Celestial Stems) on the 14th day of the 4th lunar month in the fourteenth year of Emperor Zhenyuan of the Tang Dynasty (AD 798) '''Date of Ascension:''' 20th of the 5th lunar month Lü Dongbin called himself the Man Who Returns to Dao ( 回道人 Huidaoren ). He was born in Yongle County of Hezhong Prefecture in the Tang Dynasty. He began to cherish the dream of becoming an Immortal even when he was still young. He was indifferent to fame and wealth and admired the quiet and simple lifestyle. On his way to Chang'an (now xi'an, Shaamxi Province) to take the imperial examination at the provincial level, he stayed at a pub where he met [[Zhongli Quan]] the Patriarch. Lü was awakened by a Golden Millet Dream (pipe dream) and then converted to Daoism, receiving the alias Chunyangzi. From then on he devoted all his life to cultivating himself according Daoist doctrines and preaching Daoism. One day when it was still broad daylight he ascended to Heaven from the Yellow Crane Tower, Ezhou Prefecture. He was one of the Five Northern Patriarchs ( 北五祖 Bei Wuzu ) and one of [[the Eight Immortals]] ( 八仙 Baixian ) as well. == Lü's Ideas== # Lü Dongbin carried on his teacher Zhongli Quan's alchemy of abstracting elixirs from liquefied gold but reformed the alchemy of refining elixirs from gold and silver into refining [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). #In Lü's conception of Inner Alchemy, one outstanding feature is his proposition that Daoism and Buddhism should be integrated. #He advocated the integrated cultivation of both Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life ( 性命雙修 Xingming Shuangxiu ). #He reformed swordplay the three avoidances: avoiding greediness, avoiding the desire for love and avoiding feeling worried. ==Transmission== Lü Dongbin was Zhongli Quan's student and learned from him the skill of refining the Great Elixirs from Liquefied Gold, the Secret Formula for Refining Dragon and Tiger Elixirs, and the Swordplay of the Heavenly Concealment of the Great Dao ( 大道天遁 Dadao Tiandun ). Later on, Lü's disciples [[Liu Haichan]] and [[Wang Chongyang]] established the Southern and the Northern Lineages ( 南宗、北宗 Nanxong; Beizong ) of Daoism respectively. ==Legend== After having killed demons and monsters, Patriarch Lü would throw his sword into the sky which would become a dragon. He would ride on it and go back to Heaven. This is how the sword got its name. ==Works by Lü Dongbin== #''[[On the Revelation of Mysteries]]'' ( 指玄篇 Zhixuan Pian ) #''[[The Song of the Direct Revelation of the Supreme Elixir]]'' ( 直指太丹歌 Zhizhi Taidan Ge ) #''The Song of the Hexagrammatic Lines'' ( 敲爻歌 Qiaoyao Ge ) #''One Hundred Questions'' ( 百問篇 Baiwen Pian ) #''The Song of the Grain Spirit'' ( 谷神歌 Gushen Ge ) #''Principles of the Golden Essence of Supreme Oneness'' ( 太乙金華宗旨 Taiyi Jinjua Zongzhi ) #''On the Numinous Treasure'' ( 靈寶篇 Lingbao Pian ) ==Titles== He was granted the titles of "Perfect Man of Sublime Communion" ( 妙通真人 Miaotong Zhenren ) by Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, "Perfect Sovereign Chunyang Who Preaches Orthodoxy and Exhorts to Salvation" ( 純陽演正警化真君 Chunyang Yanzheng Jinghua Zhenjun ) by Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty, and "Imperial Sovereign Chunyang and Protector Who Preaches Salvation" ( 純陽演化孚佑帝君 Chunyang Yanhua Fuyou Dijun ) by Emperor Wuzong of the Yuan Dynasty. [[zh:呂洞賓]] c5800fd567ccfa4611ec45d411c332159b0efe11 407 406 2009-08-25T08:40:18Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Life of Lü Dongbin == '''Family Name:''' Lü '''Given name:''' Yan '''Literary Name:''' Dongbin '''Alias:''' Master Chunyang '''Birthday:''' born at the sixth stem (of the ten Celestial Stems) on the 14th day of the 4th lunar month in the fourteenth year of Emperor Zhenyuan of the Tang Dynasty (AD 798) '''Date of Ascension:''' 20th of the 5th lunar month Lü Dongbin called himself the Man Who Returns to Dao ( 回道人 Huidaoren ). He was born in Yongle County of Hezhong Prefecture in the Tang Dynasty. He began to cherish the dream of becoming an Immortal even when he was still young. He was indifferent to fame and wealth and admired the quiet and simple lifestyle. On his way to Chang'an (now xi'an, Shaamxi Province) to take the imperial examination at the provincial level, he stayed at a pub where he met [[Zhongli Quan]] the Patriarch. Lü was awakened by a Golden Millet Dream (pipe dream) and then converted to Daoism, receiving the alias Chunyangzi. From then on he devoted all his life to cultivating himself according Daoist doctrines and preaching Daoism. One day when it was still broad daylight he ascended to Heaven from the Yellow Crane Tower, Ezhou Prefecture. He was one of the Five Northern Patriarchs ( 北五祖 Bei Wuzu ) and one of [[the Eight Immortals]] ( 八仙 Baixian ) as well. == Lü's Ideas== # Lü Dongbin carried on his teacher Zhongli Quan's alchemy of abstracting elixirs from liquefied gold but reformed the alchemy of refining elixirs from gold and silver into refining [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). #In Lü's conception of Inner Alchemy, one outstanding feature is his proposition that Daoism and Buddhism should be integrated. #He advocated the integrated cultivation of both Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life ( 性命雙修 Xingming Shuangxiu ). #He reformed swordplay the three avoidances: avoiding greediness, avoiding the desire for love and avoiding feeling worried. ==Transmission== Lü Dongbin was Zhongli Quan's student and learned from him the skill of refining the Great Elixirs from Liquefied Gold, the Secret Formula for Refining Dragon and Tiger Elixirs, and the Swordplay of the Heavenly Concealment of the Great Dao ( 大道天遁 Dadao Tiandun ). Later on, Lü's disciples [[Liu Haichan]] and [[Wang Chongyang]] established the Southern and the Northern Lineages ( 南宗、北宗 Nanxong; Beizong ) of Daoism respectively. ==Legend== After having killed demons and monsters, Patriarch Lü would throw his sword into the sky which would become a dragon. He would ride on it and go back to Heaven. This is how the sword got its name. ==Works by Lü Dongbin== #''[[On the Revelation of Mysteries]]'' ( 指玄篇 Zhixuan Pian ) #''[[The Song of the Direct Revelation of the Supreme Elixir]]'' ( 直指太丹歌 Zhizhi Taidan Ge ) #''The Song of the Hexagrammatic Lines'' ( 敲爻歌 Qiaoyao Ge ) #''One Hundred Questions'' ( 百問篇 Baiwen Pian ) #''The Song of the Grain Spirit'' ( 谷神歌 Gushen Ge ) #''Principles of the Golden Essence of Supreme Oneness'' ( 太乙金華宗旨 Taiyi Jinjua Zongzhi ) #''On the Numinous Treasure'' ( 靈寶篇 Lingbao Pian ) ==Titles== He was granted the titles of "Perfect Man of Sublime Communion" ( 妙通真人 Miaotong Zhenren ) by Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, "Perfect Sovereign Chunyang Who Preaches Orthodoxy and Exhorts to Salvation" ( 純陽演正警化真君 Chunyang Yanzheng Jinghua Zhenjun ) by Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty, and "Imperial Sovereign Chunyang and Protector Who Preaches Salvation" ( 純陽演化孚佑帝君 Chunyang Yanhua Fuyou Dijun ) by Emperor Wuzong of the Yuan Dynasty. [[zh:呂洞賓]] fb23c2ca29f3a028a49b0c27e4e0b7ae4a254f9b 0 334 408 2009-08-25T08:57:40Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The Life of Liu Haichan== '''Family name:''' Liu '''Given Name:''' Cao '''Literary Name:''' Zongcheng or Zhaoyuan '''Daoist Name:''' Master Haichan '''Birthday:''' 14th...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Life of Liu Haichan== '''Family name:''' Liu '''Given Name:''' Cao '''Literary Name:''' Zongcheng or Zhaoyuan '''Daoist Name:''' Master Haichan '''Birthday:''' 14th day of the 12th lunar month '''Date of Ascension:''' 15th of the 6th lunar month ==Origin of Liu Haichan== Liu Haichan came from Guangling of the Yan area (now Hebei Province). He lived in the Later Liang period (907-923) and once served as the prime minister for the Lord of the Yan area. Liu admired the Huang-Lao Tradition ( 黃老道 Huanglao Dao ). When he met Master Zhengyang he immediately resigned from officialdom. Later he became a disciple of Lu Chunyang's and learned about the ways of refining elixirs; thereupon, he went to live in seclusion on Phoenix Mountain of Daizhou Prefecture. ==Transmission== Master Haichan learned from Lu Chunyang about Purity and Tranquility ( 清靜 Qingjing ) and Non-Interference ( 無為 Wuwei ), Nourishing Spiritual Nature and Cultivating Bodily Life ( 養性修命 Yangxing Xiuming ), and ways of Refining Elixirs from Liquefied Gold. He later taught these skills to his disciples Dong Ningyang and [[Zhang Ziyang]]. ==Legend== When Liu Haichan was still the prime minister, a Daoist who called himself Master Zhengyang came to him one day. The Daoist asked him for ten coins and ten eggs and then piled them all one on another, egg upon coin and coin upon egg on the table. Master Haichan was frightened at what the Daoist was doing and cried, "It is dangerous! It is dangerous!" The Daoist said, "No, no. There is less danger than your own life." Master Haichan grasped what he meant immediately and followed him to practice Daoism the next morning. ==Works by Liu Haichan== #''On Returning to Gold'' ( 還金篇 Huanjin Pian ) #''Explanations to the Yellow Emperor's Book of Secret Correspondences'' ( 黃帝陰符經集解 Huangdi Yinfu Jing Jijie ) ==Titles== Liu was granted the titles of "Enlightened Perfect Sovereign of the Magnificent Dao" ( 明悟弘道真君 Mingwu Hongdao Zhenjun ) and "Enlightened Imperial Sovereign and Pure Protector of the Magnificent Dao" ( 明悟弘道純佑帝君 Mingwu Hongdao Chunyou Dijun ) by Emperors Shizu and Wuzong of the Yuan Dynasty respectively. [[zh:劉海蟾]] 1eda8dacae56a914c53f17a8c607005a78c25e58 0 335 409 2009-08-25T09:20:21Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The Life of Wang Chongyang Family Name== '''Family name:''' Wang '''Given Name:''' originally Zhongfu, later changed to Dewei '''Literary Name:''' originally Yunqin, later ...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Life of Wang Chongyang Family Name== '''Family name:''' Wang '''Given Name:''' originally Zhongfu, later changed to Dewei '''Literary Name:''' originally Yunqin, later changed to Shixiong '''Daoist Name:''' Master Chongyang ==Origin of Wang Chongyang== Wang Chongyang changed his given name to Zhiming when he became a Daoist. He was born into a rich family in Liujiang Village of Xianyang, Shanxi Province. Before he practiced Daoism, he was at first a Confucian scholar and then took the imperial provincial examination for military candidates in the early Jin Dynasty. He served as a petty government official for some time, but then felt officialdom was not the proper arena to display his talent. He therefore resigned from his post and returned home, his manners becoming all the more unconstrained and even unruly. In the fourth year of Emperor Zhenglong of the Jin Dynasty (AD 1138) when he came into a pub in Ganhe Township (now Guangxian County of Shanxi Province), he met [[Zhongli Quan]] and [[Lu Dongbin]], the two immortals and learned from them the mnemonic rhyme of refining Golden Elixirs. He abandoned his wife and children and went to Nanshi Village near Mt Zhongnan. There he made a tomb as his dwelling place which was named "Tomb for a Living Dead Body". Later he set out from Tongguan and begged his meals all the way to the east. When he came to Ninghai (now Mouping), Shandong Province, he met the Mas (Ma Jue and his wife Sun Bu'er) who built him a Daoist temple with the name of Quanzhen ( 全真 Quanzhen ) (Complete Perfection). Wang Chongyang began to teach Daoism to many people who were all called Complete Perfection Daoists. Having finished his begging and teaching in Shandong Province, he went back to the west in the ninth year of Emperor Dading of the Jin Dynasty. On his way back to the west, he fell ill in Bianliang and died there the next year. His body was taken back to his hometown, Liu-jiang Village, and buried there. The Complete Perfection Doctrine began to spread in the Yuan Dynasty, and the Yuan Emperor Kublai Khan (1216-1294) granted Wang Chongyang, the Patriarch of the Complete Perfection Doctrine, the title of "Perfect Sovereign Chongyang of the Complete Perfection, Who Initiates Salvation" ( 重陽全真開化帝君 Chongyang Quanzhen Kaihua Dijun ). He was later granted the title of "Imperial Sovereign Chongyang of the Complete Perfection, Who Initiates Salvation and Assists the Ultimate" ( 重陽全真開化輔極帝君 Chongyang Quanzhen Kaihua Fuji Dijun ) by the Yuan Emperor Wuzong. ==Wang's Ideas== In terms of theory and the practice of Daoism, Wang Chongyang advocated the view of the integration of the Three Doctrines (i.e., Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism), that is, the integration of Confucianism, which values rationality, Chan (Zen) Buddhism, which values spiritual cultivation, and Daoism, which values the cultivation of bodily life. He suggested that people read the ''Book of the Purity and Tranquility of Dao and its Virtue'' ( 道德清靜經 Daode Qingjing Jing ), the ''Book of Prajna'', and the ''Book of Filial Piety'' ( 孝經 Ziaojing ). "Complete Perfection" means being complete in terms of one's Essential Matter ( 精 Jing ), Vital Breath ( 氣 Qi ), and Spirit ( 神 Shen ) to the extent of being perfect, never polluting any one of them. In terms of the practice of Daoism, Wang Chongyang opposed the practise of [[Outer Alchemy]] ( 外丹 Waidan ), Talismans and Registers ( 符籙 Fulu ), and the Arts of Exorcism, and stressed the cultivation of spirit before the cultivation of the body. Wang Chongyang demanded that Complete Perfection Daoist followers lead an ascetic life by controlling themselves, putting their pride in their pockets, practicing pristine cultivation and self-vexation, and vegetarianism. Only in this way, according to Wang, can they better cultivate themselves and assist the world, finally overcoming material desire and attaining sainthood. ==Inheritance== After Wang Chongyang established the Complete Perfection Teaching, he taught many disciples, among whom the most famous were the Seven Perfect Ones of the North ( 北七真 Beiqizhen ) as they were later known, including Ma Danyang, Tan Chuduan, Liu Chuxuan, Qiu Chuji, Wang Chuyi, Hao Datong and Sun Bu'er. ==Works by Wang Chongyang== #''Wang Chongyang's Compilation of the Complete Perfection'' ( 王重陽全真集 Wang Chongyang Quanzhen Ji ) #''Wang Chongyang's Compilation on Civilization'' ( 王重陽教化篇 Wang Chongyang Jiaohua Ji ) #''Fifty Treatises on the Establishment of the Complete Perfection Doctrine'' ( 立教五十篇 Lijiao Wushi Pian ) ==Drunken with Water== Patriarch Wang Chongyang was fond of drinking. When he met Patriarch Liu Haichan, he drank some water from the Ganhe River (now in Huxian County, Shanxi Province). Since then forsake drinking liquor. He only drank water which, however, also made him look drunk. [[zh:王重陽]] 6e13b8094c248e450e62d24c0a3db01f4a45a8c3 0 336 410 2009-08-26T02:55:23Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Zhang Ziyang's Life== Zhang's personal name was Boduan and his literary name was Pingshu. He styled himself Ziyang, or Immortal Ziyang. In later years, he changed his perosnal ...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Zhang Ziyang's Life== Zhang's personal name was Boduan and his literary name was Pingshu. He styled himself Ziyang, or Immortal Ziyang. In later years, he changed his perosnal name to Yongchen. More often, he was popularly know as "Gentleman Who Realizes Perfection" ( 悟真先生 Wuzhen Xiansheng ), "Perfect Man Zixuan" and "Perfect Man Ziyang". He lived in the Northen Song dynasty and came from Tiantai, which is located in Jianhai, Zhejiang province. In his boyhood, he started to read books of the Three Doctrines and to study Daoist Skills. After that, he became a successful candidate in the national civil service examination, but then was exiled to the southern border. In the second Xining year of the Northern Song dynasty(AD 1069), his perseverance and devotion moved a certain Perfect man so much that he taught Zhang a formula of Inner Alchemical Refinement, to which he devoted himself for a long time. After that, he improperly passed on the formula three times, which resulted in three disasters in his life. In the eighth Xining year (AD 1075), in order to strengthen Daoists' religious devotion, he wrote the ''On Realizing Perfection'' ( 悟真篇 Wuzhen Pian ).In this book, he explained his personal ideas of Inner Alchemy. After that, many people came to follow him. Zhang became the founder of the Ziyang sect of the Southern Lineage. When he was old, he returned from Chendu to his birthplace in the South, and died at the age of 96, in the fifthYuanfeng year. ==Main ideas== Zhang considered that the gateway to immortality lay in the Refinement of Inner Alchemy, which was characterized by the Integrated Cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life. He tried to explain his ideas of Inner Alchemy by comparing them with Outer Alchemy, considering a man's body as a cauldron, his Spirit and Vital Breath as drugs, and his Essential Matter as Fire Phases. The aim of refinement was to solidify his Vital breath and Spirit into the Golden Elixir. In the meantime, Zhang inherited Chen Tuan's system of Inner Alchemical Refinement and divided the whole process into four phases, i.e. Basic Cultivation ( 築基 Zhuji ), Refinement of Essential Matter into Vital Breath ( 煉精化氣 Lianjing Huaqi ), Refinement of Vital Breath into Spirit ( 煉氣化神 Lianqi Huashen ), and Refinement of Spirit back to Emptiness ( 煉神化虛 Lianshen Huaxu ). Zhang also thought that although Confucianism,Buddhism and Daoism are three different doctrines, the doorway to them are same. He stressed the Cultivation of Spiritual Nature over that of Bodily Life, and thought particularly highly of the Enlightenment of Spiritual Nature ( 明性 Mingxing ) of the Buddhist Chan sect. In the ''General Record of the Buddhist Patriarchs'' ( 佛祖統記 Fozu Tongji ), he said. "I used to pay much attention to Buddhism, and understood much through it". He even claimed that he had understood the most remarkable ideas. In this case, even one word could have led him to all doctrines. Zhang Ziyang also said: Laozi's doctrine focused on Refinement and Cultivation. If a man understood its essence, he could attain immortality immediately. Otherwise, he would by no means go beyond his bodily life. As a result, he considered the Daoist Refinement of Vital breath to be a form of Cultivation of Bodily Life, and Refinement of Spirit back to Emptiness as identical to Enlightenment of the Mind and Realization of Spiritual Nature ( 明心見性 Mingxin Jianxing ), and Sudden Enlightenment ( 頓悟圓通 Dunwu Yuantong ) in Chan Buddhism as equivalent to the Daoist Cultivation of Spiritual Life. He considered that a man should start his cultivation with the pursuit of immortality. Then, he should enlarge his ability by attaining Buddhist sublimity. Ultimately, he should get rid of the false and unreal by realizing his Spiritual Nature. He would then return to Tranquility and Emptiness, his origin. ==Works== In addition to ''On Realizing Perfection'', he also wrote the Four-Hundred-Word Golden Elixir Formula ( 金丹四百字 Jindan Sibai Zi ) to summarize basic knowledge of Refinement of Inner Alchemy and explain its technical terms. He was also engaged in studying Buddhist books, and wrote the ''Chan Humns'' ( 禪宗詩偈 Chanzong Shiji ), which included 32 poems. In his old age, Wang Shibang, his disciple, summed up his main ideas and edited the ''Jade Clarity Secret Blue Flower Writ of the Golden Box and Golden Treasure Elixir Formula for Inner Refinement'' ( 玉清金笥青華秘文金寶內煉丹訣 Yuqin Jinsi Qinghua Miwen Jinbao Neilian Danjue ). [[zh:張紫陽]] 3908ed3d1d13e2aae1dafc4a942ffb9527ccf5bb 0 337 411 2009-08-26T03:16:14Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Shi Tai's Life== Shi Tai's literary name was Dezhi. He styled himself either Xingling or Chuixuanzi. He was born in Changzhou. His life spanned the end of the Northern Song dy...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Shi Tai's Life== Shi Tai's literary name was Dezhi. He styled himself either Xingling or Chuixuanzi. He was born in Changzhou. His life spanned the end of the Northern Song dynasty and beginning of the Southern Song dynasty. Although he spent most of his life as a tailor sewing clothes, he embraced Daoism and visited all sacred sites in the hope of learning Daoist Skills and devoting himself to salvation. After that, he followed Zhang Boduan to learn the Great Dao of the Golden Elixir. As a result, he wrote the ''Tablet on Reversion to the Origin'' ( 還元篇 Huanyuan Pian ), which included 81 four-line verses with five characters to each line. In this book, he explained his own ideas of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). After that, he imparted the Dao to Xiu Daoguang. He died at the age of 137, in Southern Song emperor Gao's 28th Shaoxing year. In later times, he was worshipped as one of the Five Southern Patriarchs ( 南五祖 Nanwu Zu ) by the Complete Perfection Tradition. ==Works== ''Tablet on Reversion to the Origin'' [[zh:石泰]] ceb3586e5c50c2687fe61219d2ced550ef7b9c23 412 411 2009-08-26T03:16:31Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki ==Shi Tai's Life== Shi Tai's literary name was Dezhi. He styled himself either Xingling or Chuixuanzi. He was born in Changzhou. His life spanned the end of the Northern Song dynasty and beginning of the Southern Song dynasty. Although he spent most of his life as a tailor sewing clothes, he embraced Daoism and visited all sacred sites in the hope of learning Daoist Skills and devoting himself to salvation. After that, he followed Zhang Boduan to learn the Great Dao of the Golden Elixir. As a result, he wrote the ''Tablet on Reversion to the Origin'' ( 還元篇 Huanyuan Pian ), which included 81 four-line verses with five characters to each line. In this book, he explained his own ideas of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). After that, he imparted the Dao to Xiu Daoguang. He died at the age of 137, in Southern Song emperor Gao's 28th Shaoxing year. In later times, he was worshipped as one of the Five Southern Patriarchs ( 南五祖 Nanwu Zu ) by the Complete Perfection Tradition. ==Works== ''Tablet on Reversion to the Origin'' [[zh:石泰]] bc3d3ed0957ed4a5d823cfb8005a88030f315810 0 338 413 2009-08-26T03:26:26Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Xue Shi's Life== His other names were Xue Daoguang and Xue Daoyuan, and his literary name was Taiyuan. He lived in the Northern Song dynasty, and came from the Nang realm, whic...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Xue Shi's Life== His other names were Xue Daoguang and Xue Daoyuan, and his literary name was Taiyuan. He lived in the Northern Song dynasty, and came from the Nang realm, which is known as Nangzhong, Sichuan province. According to another version, he came from Mt. Jizhu, Shaanxi. In his early age, he was a Buddhist monk, and his religious name was Zixian. He was also known as Master Piling. According to the ''General Record of Shaanxi'' ( 陝西通志 Shaanzi Tongzhi ), he met Shi Tai in the fifth Chongning year of the Northern Song emperor Hui (AD 1106) and got a formula of Inner Alchemy from him. After that, he moved to the capital city, and converted to Daoism. His Daoist title was 'Perfect Man Zixian' ( 紫賢真人 Zixian Zhenren ). He was famous for his theory of Inner Alchemy. Xue Shi was also considered as the third generation successor among the Five Southern Patriarchs. ==Books== #''His books include the Rhythmic Formulas of the Elixir Essence'' ( 丹髓歌 Dansui Ge ), #''Tablet of the Reversion Elixir and Return to Life'' ( 還丹復命篇 Huandan Fuming Pian ), and #''Commentary to the Tablet on Realizing Perfection'' ( 悟真篇注 Wuzhenpian Zhu ). [[zh:薛式]] 622ecf78a35a8d8b9f33af4099632bcbd58270a0 0 339 414 2009-08-26T03:35:18Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Chen Nan's literary name was Nanmu, and he styled himself Chuixu. He lived during the Southern Song dynasty, and came from Bonou of Huizhou, which is located in Guangzhou provinc...' wikitext text/x-wiki Chen Nan's literary name was Nanmu, and he styled himself Chuixu. He lived during the Southern Song dynasty, and came from Bonou of Huizhou, which is located in Guangzhou province. In his early years, he lived on making barrels. He claimed that Master Xue Zixian ahd imparted to him his ''Tablet of the Reversion Elixir and Return to Life''. Since then, he followed Xue Daoguan to learn the Supreme Oneness Magic Fomulas of the Jade Knife Golden Elixir ( 太乙刀圭金丹法訣 Taiyi Daogui Jindan Fajue ). After that, the Spirit of Mt. Limu gave him the Daoist Book of Great Thunder and Auspicious Clouds ( 景霄大雷琅書 Jingxiao Dalei Langshu ). During that period, he became a Daoist. He used to employ Thunder Skills ( 雷法 Leifa ) to subdue monsters an demons and save people. Menawhile, he also treated patients with Talismanic Water and small soil balls, as a reuslt of which he was known as Soil Ball Chen. During the Northen Song Emperor Hui's Zhenhe era, he was designated as head of Daoist Administration. After that, he came back to Mt. Luofu, living there as a hermit. A few years later, he moved to Changsha, and established the Individual Cultivation sect ( 清修派 Qingxiu Pai ) of the Southern Lineage. In a poem, he said: 'In the eighth month of the Jiadi Renshen year (1212 A.D.), I was living on Mt. Luofu, practicing the formula of Inner Alchemy there, and transmitted it to Bai Yuchan'. Besides Bai, among his successful disciples were Ju Jiusi and Sha Zhexu. ==Books== #''[[Chuixu's Tablet]]'' ( 翠虛篇 Cuixu Pian ), #''Chuixu's Complete Works of Mysterious Enlightenment'' ( 翠虛妙悟全集 Cuixu Miaowu Quanji ), and #''Hymns by Chuixu of Luofu'' ( 羅浮翠虛吟 Luofu Cuixu Yin ). [[zh:陳楠]] 67927b7023a424b9b22efb72b3c888a684683f64 0 340 415 2009-08-26T04:49:59Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Bai Yuchan's Life== His original name was Ge Changgen. Because his stepfather's family name was Bai, his name was changed to Bai Yuchan. His literary names included Ruhui, Ziqi...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Bai Yuchan's Life== His original name was Ge Changgen. Because his stepfather's family name was Bai, his name was changed to Bai Yuchan. His literary names included Ruhui, Ziqing and Baishou. He styled himself Haiqiongzi, Hainan Weng, Wuyi Shanren and Shenshao Shanli, and lived in the Southern Song dynasty. His ancestral home was in Mingqing, Fujian, but he was born in Qiongzhou. In his boyhood, he showed his special talents by memorizing the Nine Classics, composing poems and painting, and he became a successful candidate at the imperial examination for juveniles. When he was a young man, he killed a man in an act of chivalry and took refuge on Mt Wuyi. After that, he became a Daoist and followed Chen Nan for nine years. In this period, he roamed over the country along with patriarch Chen, who, in turn, passed all his Daoist Skills on to him. In the fifth Jiading year, Chen Nan entrusted him on [[Mt. Luofu]] with the privilege of dealing with Daoist affairs on his behalf. After Chen's death, Bai roamed over sacred mountains such as Luofu, Wuyi and Longhu, either with disheveled hair and bare feet, or in rags. He was seen either moving swiftly, or sitting silently, or sleeping all day long, or standing alone through the night, or crying, or laughing. He seemed to others to be an utter madman. In the 10th Jiading year, Peng Lu and Liu Yuanchang became his disciples. In the 11th Jiading year, following Emperor Ning's order, Bai Yuchan was put in charge of a National Offering at the Temple of Jade and Prosperity ( 玉隆宮 Yulong Gong ), praying for a prosperous nation. After that, he also held another National Offering at the Temple of Auspicious Happiness ( 瑞慶宮 Ruiqing Gong ) on Mt. Jiugong. In the 15th Jiading year, he came to Linan. He wrote a letter to the Emperor, expressing his ideas about national affairs. But he had no channel to submit the letter to the emperor. In disappointment, he drank so much that he was terribly drunk. For that, he was detained for one night. This incident made many high ranking officials so angry that they reported it to the emperor, accusing Bai of misleading people. After that, Bai lived as hermit, dedicating himself to writing Daoist books and transmitting concepts of Inner Alchemy. As a result, he founded the Southern Lineage of the Golden Elixir Sect. After his death, he was granted the title 'Perfect Man Ziqing Who understands Dao' ( 紫清明道真人 Ziqing Mingdao Zhenren ). He was also known as 'Gentleman Ziqing'. ==Ideas== In his books, he tries to combine his theory of Inner Alchemy, which is based on Daoist Cosmogony, and his understanding of the concepts of Spirit, Vital Breath and Essential Matter ( 精氣神 Jing Qi Shen ), with the Confucian School of the Book of Changes and the Buddhist School of Chan (Zen). He considered that a man ought to keep to three valuable things in his body, i.e. Essential Matter, Vital Breath and Spirit. Essential Matter originates in the saliva of the Jade Emperor and not from sperm; Vital Breath originates in the vapour of Supreme Simplicity and not from breathing, Spirit comes from the Primeval Lord of Heaven and not from thinking. So a man ought to realize that these three things have come into being before his birth. The three things should not be separated from each other in a man's body. Instead, a man ought to refine them through Inner Alchemy. He also highly praised the [[Integrated Cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] ( 性命雙修 Xingming Shuangxiu ), and suggested precedence of Spiritual Nature over Bodily Life ( 先性後命 Xianxing Houming ), which showed that his theory was a combination of Confucian Rationalism and Buddhism. He also absorbed the School of the Book of Changes in his theory of Inner Alchemy. As a result, he claimed that attainment to immortality is also the doorway to sagehood, and that the cultivation of mind is also the doorway to Buddha. In this way, his theory of Inner Alchemy integrated Buddhism's Cultivation of Mind with Daoism's Cultivation of Bodily Life. Bai was also good at the Magical Registers of the Great Grotto ( 大洞法籙 Dadong Falu ) as well as Fasts and Offerings. He was particularly famous for his mastery of the Thunder Skills of Divine Heaven ( 神霄雷法 Shenxiao Leifa ). He considered Inner Refinement ( 內煉 Neilian ) as the fundamental task, and suggested to combine Thunder Skills with Inner Alchemy. In his opinion, it was Inner Refinement that decided whether Thunder Skills or Talismans and Registers worked or not. Inner Refinement, on the other hand, relied on a man's mind. So he said: Daoist Skills are servants of man's mind. A man's mind governs Daoist Skills. With no worries, a man's mind is in purity. A pure mind brings forth a marvelous Skill. If a man keeps to oneness, he is single-minded, which will strengthen his Skill. So whether his Skill works or not relies on his mind. He also considered that the spirits controlled by Talismans and Incantations were transformations of Essential Matter and Vital Breath in the Magician's body. ==Influence== His theory of Inner Alchemy is different from that of Zhang Boduan and Shi Tai. Zhang employs idea of Sudden Enlightenment ( 頓悟圓通 Dunwu Yuantong ) to define the Reversion to Emptiness of Inner Alchemy ( 內丹還虛 Neidan Huanxu ). Bai Yuchan, on the other hand, integrates ideas of Chan Buddhism into Daoism by stressing that the highest Dao lies in a man's mind, and a man's mind is Dao itself. He also combined Thunder Skills with Inner Alchemy, which helped to form the theory of Cultivation characteristic of the Southern Lineage. That is, Inner Refinement produces Inner Alchemy, and Outer Refinement produces Skills, a theory which has had great influence on the Daoist theory of Cultivation and Refinement of later periods. In addition, when he was roaming over the country, he accepted [[Liu Yuanchang]], Peng Lu, Cheng Shoumo and Zhan Jirei as disciples. According to some books, numerous scholars from different regions came to him in that period. As a result, he ended the tradition of the Southern Lineage according to which one patriarch had only one disciple, a system which had lasted between the eras of Zhang Boduan and Cheng Nan. After his transmitting Dao and teaching Skills on Mt Wuyi, he founded the Southern Lineage of the Golden Elixir sect. On the other hand, following the example of the Twenty-Four Dioceses ( 二十四台 Ershi Sizhi ), and the custom of calling Masters' homes as Dioceses, and believers as Tranquility Rooms, a tradition begun during the Celestial Masters era of the Eastern Han dynasty, Bai Yuchan also had Tranquility Rooms established as places for religious activities. ==Books== #''Essays of Jade Prosperity'' ( 玉隆集 Yulong Ji ), #''Essays of Highest Clarity'' ( 上清集 Shangqing Ji ), #''Essays of Wuyi'' ( 武夷集 Wuyi Ji ), #''Quotations of Perfect Man Bai Haiqiong'' ( 海瓊白真人語錄 Haiqiong Baizhen Renyu Lu ), #''The Treasured Tablet of Dao and its Virtue'' ( 道德寶章 Daode Baozhang ), #''Poems by Haiqiong'' ( 海瓊詞 Haiqiong Ci ), #''Haiqiong's Essays on the Quest for Dao'' ( 海瓊問道集 Haiqiong Wendao Ji ). [[zh:白玉蟾]] e0a35641eec9449d317b76b41caa237e5a4ba5b5 416 415 2009-08-26T04:52:14Z Admin 1 /* Influence */ wikitext text/x-wiki ==Bai Yuchan's Life== His original name was Ge Changgen. Because his stepfather's family name was Bai, his name was changed to Bai Yuchan. His literary names included Ruhui, Ziqing and Baishou. He styled himself Haiqiongzi, Hainan Weng, Wuyi Shanren and Shenshao Shanli, and lived in the Southern Song dynasty. His ancestral home was in Mingqing, Fujian, but he was born in Qiongzhou. In his boyhood, he showed his special talents by memorizing the Nine Classics, composing poems and painting, and he became a successful candidate at the imperial examination for juveniles. When he was a young man, he killed a man in an act of chivalry and took refuge on Mt Wuyi. After that, he became a Daoist and followed Chen Nan for nine years. In this period, he roamed over the country along with patriarch Chen, who, in turn, passed all his Daoist Skills on to him. In the fifth Jiading year, Chen Nan entrusted him on [[Mt. Luofu]] with the privilege of dealing with Daoist affairs on his behalf. After Chen's death, Bai roamed over sacred mountains such as Luofu, Wuyi and Longhu, either with disheveled hair and bare feet, or in rags. He was seen either moving swiftly, or sitting silently, or sleeping all day long, or standing alone through the night, or crying, or laughing. He seemed to others to be an utter madman. In the 10th Jiading year, Peng Lu and Liu Yuanchang became his disciples. In the 11th Jiading year, following Emperor Ning's order, Bai Yuchan was put in charge of a National Offering at the Temple of Jade and Prosperity ( 玉隆宮 Yulong Gong ), praying for a prosperous nation. After that, he also held another National Offering at the Temple of Auspicious Happiness ( 瑞慶宮 Ruiqing Gong ) on Mt. Jiugong. In the 15th Jiading year, he came to Linan. He wrote a letter to the Emperor, expressing his ideas about national affairs. But he had no channel to submit the letter to the emperor. In disappointment, he drank so much that he was terribly drunk. For that, he was detained for one night. This incident made many high ranking officials so angry that they reported it to the emperor, accusing Bai of misleading people. After that, Bai lived as hermit, dedicating himself to writing Daoist books and transmitting concepts of Inner Alchemy. As a result, he founded the Southern Lineage of the Golden Elixir Sect. After his death, he was granted the title 'Perfect Man Ziqing Who understands Dao' ( 紫清明道真人 Ziqing Mingdao Zhenren ). He was also known as 'Gentleman Ziqing'. ==Ideas== In his books, he tries to combine his theory of Inner Alchemy, which is based on Daoist Cosmogony, and his understanding of the concepts of Spirit, Vital Breath and Essential Matter ( 精氣神 Jing Qi Shen ), with the Confucian School of the Book of Changes and the Buddhist School of Chan (Zen). He considered that a man ought to keep to three valuable things in his body, i.e. Essential Matter, Vital Breath and Spirit. Essential Matter originates in the saliva of the Jade Emperor and not from sperm; Vital Breath originates in the vapour of Supreme Simplicity and not from breathing, Spirit comes from the Primeval Lord of Heaven and not from thinking. So a man ought to realize that these three things have come into being before his birth. The three things should not be separated from each other in a man's body. Instead, a man ought to refine them through Inner Alchemy. He also highly praised the [[Integrated Cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] ( 性命雙修 Xingming Shuangxiu ), and suggested precedence of Spiritual Nature over Bodily Life ( 先性後命 Xianxing Houming ), which showed that his theory was a combination of Confucian Rationalism and Buddhism. He also absorbed the School of the Book of Changes in his theory of Inner Alchemy. As a result, he claimed that attainment to immortality is also the doorway to sagehood, and that the cultivation of mind is also the doorway to Buddha. In this way, his theory of Inner Alchemy integrated Buddhism's Cultivation of Mind with Daoism's Cultivation of Bodily Life. Bai was also good at the Magical Registers of the Great Grotto ( 大洞法籙 Dadong Falu ) as well as Fasts and Offerings. He was particularly famous for his mastery of the Thunder Skills of Divine Heaven ( 神霄雷法 Shenxiao Leifa ). He considered Inner Refinement ( 內煉 Neilian ) as the fundamental task, and suggested to combine Thunder Skills with Inner Alchemy. In his opinion, it was Inner Refinement that decided whether Thunder Skills or Talismans and Registers worked or not. Inner Refinement, on the other hand, relied on a man's mind. So he said: Daoist Skills are servants of man's mind. A man's mind governs Daoist Skills. With no worries, a man's mind is in purity. A pure mind brings forth a marvelous Skill. If a man keeps to oneness, he is single-minded, which will strengthen his Skill. So whether his Skill works or not relies on his mind. He also considered that the spirits controlled by Talismans and Incantations were transformations of Essential Matter and Vital Breath in the Magician's body. ==Influence== His theory of Inner Alchemy is different from that of Zhang Boduan and Shi Tai. Zhang employs idea of Sudden Enlightenment ( 頓悟圓通 Dunwu Yuantong ) to define the Reversion to Emptiness of Inner Alchemy ( 內丹還虛 Neidan Huanxu ). Bai Yuchan, on the other hand, integrates ideas of Chan Buddhism into Daoism by stressing that the highest Dao lies in a man's mind, and a man's mind is Dao itself. He also combined Thunder Skills with Inner Alchemy, which helped to form the theory of Cultivation characteristic of the Southern Lineage. That is, Inner Refinement produces Inner Alchemy, and Outer Refinement produces Skills, a theory which has had great influence on the Daoist theory of Cultivation and Refinement of later periods. In addition, when he was roaming over the country, he accepted Liu Yuanchang, Peng Lu, Cheng Shoumo and Zhan Jirei as disciples. According to some books, numerous scholars from different regions came to him in that period. As a result, he ended the tradition of the Southern Lineage according to which one patriarch had only one disciple, a system which had lasted between the eras of Zhang Boduan and Cheng Nan. After his transmitting Dao and teaching Skills on [[Mt. Wuyi]], he founded the Southern Lineage of the Golden Elixir sect. On the other hand, following the example of the Twenty-Four Dioceses ( 二十四台 Ershi Sizhi ), and the custom of calling Masters' homes as Dioceses, and believers as Tranquility Rooms, a tradition begun during the Celestial Masters era of the Eastern Han dynasty, Bai Yuchan also had Tranquility Rooms established as places for religious activities. ==Books== #''Essays of Jade Prosperity'' ( 玉隆集 Yulong Ji ), #''Essays of Highest Clarity'' ( 上清集 Shangqing Ji ), #''Essays of Wuyi'' ( 武夷集 Wuyi Ji ), #''Quotations of Perfect Man Bai Haiqiong'' ( 海瓊白真人語錄 Haiqiong Baizhen Renyu Lu ), #''The Treasured Tablet of Dao and its Virtue'' ( 道德寶章 Daode Baozhang ), #''Poems by Haiqiong'' ( 海瓊詞 Haiqiong Ci ), #''Haiqiong's Essays on the Quest for Dao'' ( 海瓊問道集 Haiqiong Wendao Ji ). [[zh:白玉蟾]] a828a6645a88f64baf3d7db0d1e6351ac4067704 0 341 417 2009-08-26T05:16:56Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Ma Yu's Life== Ma Yu's personal name was Chongyi, and his literal name was Yipu. In later years, he changed his personal name in Yu and his literary name to Xuanbao. He also st...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Ma Yu's Life== Ma Yu's personal name was Chongyi, and his literal name was Yipu. In later years, he changed his personal name in Yu and his literary name to Xuanbao. He also styled himself Danyangzi. So he was known as Ma Danyang. Because he was born in a very wealthy family in Haining, Shandong, he was also called 'Ma Who Owns Half the Realm'. As a young man, he was famous for his talents in poetry and acupuncture. In the seventh Dading year of the Jin dynasty (AD 1167), when [[Wang Chongyang]] was transmitting Daoism in Ninghai, Ma Yu and his wife [[Sun Bu'er]] followed him. They gave up their family property and became Daoist monks. Since then, they lived a simple and peaceful life. Before his death, Wany Chongyang conferred on Ma Yu the secret formula of the Complete Perfection as well as his behest to develop the Complete Perfection. In the sixth Zhiyuan year of Yan emperor Shi (AD 1269), Ma was granted the title 'Perfect Man Danyang Who Embraces Oneness and Non-Interference' ( 丹陽抱一無為真人 Danyang Baoyi Wuwei Zhenren ). He was also known as 'Perfect Man Danyang' ( 丹陽真人 Danyang Zhenren ). In later times, he was worshiped as one of the Seven Perfect Ones of the North ( 北七真 Beiqi Zhen ). ==Ideas== He inherited Wang Chongyang's tradition of Integrated Cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life ( 性命雙修 Xingming Shuangxiu ), and based the cultivation theory of the Complete Perfection on a spiritual pursuit for purity and non-interference. He stressed a combination of one's mind and Spiritual Nature. On the other hand, he likened the relation between Spiritual Nature ( 性 Xing ) and Bodily Life ( 命 Ming ) to that between Spirit ( 神 Shen ) and Vital Breath ( 氣 Qi ). All these, in his opinion, are to be embodied in the theory of Purity and Tranquility ( 清靜 Qingjing ) and Non-Interference ( 無為 Wuwei ). ==Lineage== Ma Yu also founded [[the Encountering Immortality sect]] ( 遇仙派 Yuxian Pai ), a branch of the Complete Perfection tradition. He had many disciples, ten of whom became very famous in later period. His disciple Li Shouning was among the Four Outstanding Daoists in the early period of the Yuan dynasty. ==Books== #''Brilliance of Divine Ligh''t ( 神光璨 Shenguang Can ), #''Gold and Jade Essays of the Pervasive Mystery'' ( 洞玄金玉集 Dongxuan Jinyu Ji ). [[zh:馬鈺]] 1850396e408d19eb20fd065f7e8abca729399f4a 0 342 418 2009-08-26T05:53:19Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The Life of Tan Chuduan ( 譚處端 Tan Chuduan ) (1123-1185)== His original name was Yu, and he styled himself Boyu. Later he was styled Tongzheng, with the Daoist name Chudua...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Life of Tan Chuduan ( 譚處端 Tan Chuduan ) (1123-1185)== His original name was Yu, and he styled himself Boyu. Later he was styled Tongzheng, with the Daoist name Chuduan, and the alternate name "Changzhenzi". He was from Ninghai of Shandong. He read extensively about Confucian classics and history, and was good at Chinese calligraphy. He was generous, attaching importance to filial piety and personal loyalty. He suffered from wandering arthritis for a long time, which could not be cured with drugs or acupuncture. As he heard that [[Wang Chongyang]] had arrived in Shandong in the 7th year of the Jin Dynasty, he went to him on his stilts to seek a cure for his disease, but Wang Chongyang barred the door to him. Nevertheless he waited and waited until late in the evening, and suddenly the door opened by itself. Wang Chongyang thought it indicated that they had an 'Immortal Affinity' ( 仙綠 Xiangyuan ), so he invited Tan Chuduan to stay for the night with him, and the next morning his long bothered illness disappeared. Thus Tan begged to wait upon Wang for the rest of his life. After the burial of his guru at the founder's court of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ), Tan left Shanxi for Luoyang with Liu Chuxuan. Confronted with colored decorations on the streets and surrounded by beautiful women and delicious foods, Tan refined his mind under such circumstances until he found he had no-mind in front of all temptations. Tan Chuduan became head of the Daoists of the Complete Perfection Tradition after [[Ma Yu]], and passed away peacefully in the 25th year of the Dading. Emperor Shizhu of the Yuan Dynasty awarded him the title 'Perfect Man Changzhen of Cloud Water and Accumulated Virtues' ( 長真雲水蘊德真人 Chengzhen Yunshui Yunde Zhenren ) in the 6th year of Zhiyuan. He was one of the Seven Perfect Ones of the North ( 北七真 Beiqizhen ). ==Tan's Thoughts== As a disciple of Wang Chongyang, Tan Chuduan called to pay his respect to Wang and consulted him both in the morning and afternoon, and he finally realized the obscure essence of Dao. Tan tried to dismiss the reflection of everything and reject the difference between the outside world and himself, apart from his bitter cultivation of Dao. At the same time he was concerned with Confucian ethics, and maintained that "loyalty, filial piety and benevolence ae superior to self-cultivation at the temple". He revised Ma Danyang's theory about self-cultivation at the temple, based on the idea that one could cultivate oneself while staying at home. Such a revision matched the need of the ordinary people, so that the Complete Perfection Tradition developed very rapidly ever since. ==Transmission== Tan instituted [[the Namo Sect]] ( 南無派 Nanwu Pai ) of the Complete Perfection Tradition, which had some influence until the end of the Ming Dynasty even if it was less influential than [[the Dragon Gate Sect]] ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ). Among Tan's disciples were Wang Daoming and Dong Shangzhi. ==Major works== ''Essays of Clouds and Water'', which is kept in [[the Daoist Canon]] until today. ==Classical Allusions== #Tan Chuduan was master of Daoist calligraphy, especially fond of writing the two Chinese characters 'tortoise' and 'snake'. He practiced writing them every day, so much so that the tortoise and snake on the paper seemed to be alive. So the Daoist believers enjoyed preserving his calligraphic works as treasures. #Based on the ''Records of the Orthodox Sect of the Golden Lotus'' ( 金蓮正宗記 Jinlian Zhengzong Ji ), Tan Chuduan once passed by a Buddhist temple and asked a monk for some food. Unfortunately, he was beaten so bitterly by the extremely angry monk that two of his teeth were broken. Tan swallowed them together with his blood while bystanders were ready to argue for him. He nodded with a smile instead of getting annoyed. Since then he became very famous because of his graceful manner like that of a real gentleman. [[zh:譚處諯]] 9bc75fa169d5b5242b958fde15d71aeb4b0d986a 0 343 419 2009-08-26T07:37:56Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The Life of Liu Chuxuan (1147-1203)== Liu Chuxuan ( 劉處玄 Liu Chuxuan ) was from Donglai (in today's Shandong province), was styled Tongmiao or Daomiao, and his alternative...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Life of Liu Chuxuan (1147-1203)== Liu Chuxuan ( 劉處玄 Liu Chuxuan ) was from Donglai (in today's Shandong province), was styled Tongmiao or Daomiao, and his alternative name was "Changshengzi". He lost his father when he was very young, and he served his mother with filial piety. Liu was immune to high position and great wealth, pursuing purity and tranquility. In the 9th year of Dading he followed his master [[Wang Chongyang]] to cultivate Dao, travelling around Shandong and Henan provinces and staying there to beg in order to refine his bodily life. After the death of Sovereign Chongyang, out of filial piety, he stayed at Wang's graveyard with Wang's disciples Ma Yu, Tan Chuduan, and Qiu Chuji for three years. After that he followed Wang's will and moved to Luoyang with [[Tan Changzhen]] ( 譚處端 Tan Chuduan ). Like Tan Changzhen he wandered around and lived on begging, refining his spiritual nature on streets full of hustle and bustle. He kept corresponding with Tan as well. In the 16th year of Dading he returned to his hometown (Yexian County, Shandong) to do missionary work with great efforts. Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin dynasty invited him in private after he got the news, and treated him as a very distinguished guest. The endless stream of officials, educated men, and folks of all walks came to make friends with him, so that there were many shoes undressed on the steps outside his room from morning until evening. In the 25th year of Dading, he succeeded as the head of the Daoists of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Qunzhen Dao ). In 1203 he passed away as an immortal. In the 6th year of Zhiyuan, he was conferred the title 'Long-Living Perfect Man Who Brings about Salvation and Virtue' ( 長生輔化明德真人 Changsheng Puhu Mingde Zhenren ). In history, he was called 'Perfect Man of Longevity', one of the Seven Perfect Ones of the North ( 北七真 Beiqizhen ). ==Transmission== Liu Chuxuan founded [[the Suishan Sect]] ( 隨山派 Suishan Pai ) of the Complete Perfection Tradition, and he had a large number of disciples, the most famous of whom included the elderly Lifeng and Yu Daoxian. Yu was famous for his ascetic cultivation of Dao, and influential at the end of the Jin Dynasty. Song Piyun, his eldest disciple, was head of the Daoists of the Suishan Sect, and was later in charge of the compilation of the Daoist Canon and of the construction of Daoist temples. Song made a great contribution to the development of the Complete Perfection Tradition. ==Major works== #''Collection of Heavenly Music'' ( 仙樂集 Xianyue Ji ) #''Quotations of Higher Perfection'' ( 至真語錄 Zhizhen Yulu ) #''Commentary to The Book of Dao and its Virtue'' ( 道德經注 Daodejing Zhu ) #''Elaboration of The Book of Secret Correspondences'' ( 陰符演 Yinfu Yan ) #''Explanation of the Book of the Yellow Cour''t ( 黃庭述 Huangting Shu ) ==Classical Allusions== #Liu Changsheng ( 劉處玄 Liu Chuxuan ) built a house to cultivate Dao at Wugong. His folks trumped up a charge of murder against him and he was put into jail because he did not defend himself. While he was in jail for over three months, he got the chance to read extensively and practice diligently since he was previously not very well educated, so that his calligraphy was greatly improved, and the Chinese characters were written just like flying dragons and dancing snakes. Three months later he was set free because the murderer himself confessed his crime. #In the 9th year of Dading, when Wang Chongyang wandered to Yexian County, Liu Changsheng from Wugong of Yexian County came to meet him as soon as he got the news. In early spring that year, at an obscure spot between the walls of his neighbor's house, Liu once saw two pairs of couplets of auguries, one of which read "With the immortal man (Changsheng) there, Wugong would be a true sacred place to nourish one's spiritual essence". They seemed to be newly written with powerful strokes. Liu felt it was very strange after he saw it. Just at that time he met Wang Chongyang and his disciples, and Wang smiled looking around, and asked, "Did you see the couplets on the wall?" Liu suddenly realized that it was Wang who had written them, so he revered Wang as his master. Wang Chongyang gave him the assumed name Changsheng after the implication of the words on the wall, to avoid his original name Chuxuan, and also styled him Tongmiao. At the time Liu was twenty-one years old. At that point the four Daoist scholars [[Qiu Chuji]], [[Tan Chuduan]], [[Ma Yu]], and Liu Chuxuan got the chance to know one another. [[zh:劉處玄]] c978a82d5182f5b64d7d1138b159ee48b8dd917f 0 344 420 2009-08-26T08:02:44Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The Life of Patriarch Qiu Chuji== Qiu Chuji ( 丘處機祖師 Qiu Chuji Zushi ) (1148-1227) from Xixia of Dengzhou (in today's Shandong province) was also named Qiu Tongmi, and...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Life of Patriarch Qiu Chuji== Qiu Chuji ( 丘處機祖師 Qiu Chuji Zushi ) (1148-1227) from Xixia of Dengzhou (in today's Shandong province) was also named Qiu Tongmi, and had the Daoist name Changchunzi. He became a Daoist at the age of 19, and the next year revered [[Wang Chongyang]] as his master. Qiu ascetically cultivated Dao for thirteen years in Panxi and Longmen by living in caves or by begging for food, wearing a palm-bark cape everyday. So he was called 'Palm-Bark Cape Gentleman' ( 蓑衣先生 Suoyi Xiansheng ). In the 28th year of Dading (1188) he was called in to the royal palace by Emperor Shizong of the Jin dynasty, and consequently became famous. In the 14th year of the first Yuan emperor (1219), Emperor Taizu sent messenger official Liu Zhonglu for Qiu. The next year, after Qiu went to the Western Regions with eighteen of his disciples, he was revered as "Immortal", and the Emperor conferred him the title 'Patriarch' ( 宗師 Zongshi ) in charge of religions over the country. After his ascending to the rosy clouds, Emperor Shizu conferred him the title 'Perfect Man Changchun, Daoist Preacher and Leader ( 長春演道主教真人 Changchun Yandao Zhujiao Zhenren ). During his life, Qiu instituted [[the Dragon Gate Sect]] ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ). ==Qiu's Thought== Qiu followed the essence of Wang Chongyang's thought with his unique elaboration, advocating that Daoists should lead an ascetic personal life and benefit other people, do good deeds, and cultivate their virtue. He hoped that the outer practice of Dao by doing benevolent deeds could contribute to inner cultivation, in order to finally attain the goal of the Golden Elixir for immortality. Through the elaborations of his disciples, his ideas and thought developed into a systematic theory of mind and spiritual essence centered on Dao and the Heavenly Dao, which was aimed at returning to the origin of one's invariable mind and constant spiritual nature. Moreover, Qiu paved the two independent and complementary ways of inner cultivation of mind and spiritual essence as well as outer practice of Dao by doing good deeds in order to realize Dao. ==His Works== #''On Nourishing Life by Waxing and Waning'' ( 攝生消息論 Shesheng Xiaoxi Lun ) ''#[[Direct Pointers to the Great Elixir]]'' ( 大丹直指 Dadan Zhihi ) #''Pan Stream Essays'' ( 蟠溪集 Panxi Ji ) #Record of the Auspicious Gathering with Daoists ( 玄風慶會錄 Xuanfeng Qinghui Lu ) #''Essays on Advocating Dao'' ( 鳴道集 Mingdao Ji ) ==Transmission== Qiu Chuji founded the Dragon Gate Sect of the Complete Perfection Tradition, whose disciples were Zhao Daojian, Song Daoan, Yin Zhiping, Sun Zhijian, Xia Zhicheng, Song Defang, Wang Zhitan, Yu Zhike, Zhang Zhisu, Qu Zhiguo, Li Zhichang, Zheng Zhixiu, Qi Zhiyuan, Mu Zhiqing, He Zhijian, Yang Zhiqing, Pan Dechong. Yin Zhiping, one of his disciples, succeeded Qiu not only as the head of Complete Perfection Tradition, but also developed Qiu's thought and cause. [[zh:丘處機]] 8ffe89a8fd3ac87e0773911edb6a091137ba900e 421 420 2009-08-26T08:03:42Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Life of Patriarch Qiu Chuji== Qiu Chuji ( 丘處機祖師 Qiu Chuji Zushi ) (1148-1227) from Xixia of Dengzhou (in today's Shandong province) was also named Qiu Tongmi, and had the Daoist name Changchunzi. He became a Daoist at the age of 19, and the next year revered [[Wang Chongyang]] as his master. Qiu ascetically cultivated Dao for thirteen years in Panxi and Longmen by living in caves or by begging for food, wearing a palm-bark cape everyday. So he was called 'Palm-Bark Cape Gentleman' ( 蓑衣先生 Suoyi Xiansheng ). In the 28th year of Dading (1188) he was called in to the royal palace by Emperor Shizong of the Jin dynasty, and consequently became famous. In the 14th year of the first Yuan emperor (1219), Emperor Taizu sent messenger official Liu Zhonglu for Qiu. The next year, after Qiu went to the Western Regions with eighteen of his disciples, he was revered as "Immortal", and the Emperor conferred him the title 'Patriarch' ( 宗師 Zongshi ) in charge of religions over the country. After his ascending to the rosy clouds, Emperor Shizu conferred him the title 'Perfect Man Changchun, Daoist Preacher and Leader ( 長春演道主教真人 Changchun Yandao Zhujiao Zhenren ). During his life, Qiu instituted [[the Dragon Gate Sect]] ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ). ==Qiu's Thought== Qiu followed the essence of Wang Chongyang's thought with his unique elaboration, advocating that Daoists should lead an ascetic personal life and benefit other people, do good deeds, and cultivate their virtue. He hoped that the outer practice of Dao by doing benevolent deeds could contribute to inner cultivation, in order to finally attain the goal of the Golden Elixir for immortality. Through the elaborations of his disciples, his ideas and thought developed into a systematic theory of mind and spiritual essence centered on Dao and the Heavenly Dao, which was aimed at returning to the origin of one's invariable mind and constant spiritual nature. Moreover, Qiu paved the two independent and complementary ways of inner cultivation of mind and spiritual essence as well as outer practice of Dao by doing good deeds in order to realize Dao. ==His Works== #''On Nourishing Life by Waxing and Waning'' ( 攝生消息論 Shesheng Xiaoxi Lun ) #''[[Direct Pointers to the Great Elixir]]'' ( 大丹直指 Dadan Zhihi ) #''Pan Stream Essays'' ( 蟠溪集 Panxi Ji ) #''Record of the Auspicious Gathering with Daoists'' ( 玄風慶會錄 Xuanfeng Qinghui Lu ) #''Essays on Advocating Dao'' ( 鳴道集 Mingdao Ji ) ==Transmission== Qiu Chuji founded the Dragon Gate Sect of the Complete Perfection Tradition, whose disciples were Zhao Daojian, Song Daoan, Yin Zhiping, Sun Zhijian, Xia Zhicheng, Song Defang, Wang Zhitan, Yu Zhike, Zhang Zhisu, Qu Zhiguo, Li Zhichang, Zheng Zhixiu, Qi Zhiyuan, Mu Zhiqing, He Zhijian, Yang Zhiqing, Pan Dechong. Yin Zhiping, one of his disciples, succeeded Qiu not only as the head of Complete Perfection Tradition, but also developed Qiu's thought and cause. [[zh:丘處機]] f6bd18b0afad6889dc12fa840f3ae8ac04f864d2 0 345 422 2009-08-26T08:22:33Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The Life of Wang Chuyi ( 王處一 Wang Chuyi ) (1142-1217)== Wang Chuyi's alternate name was Yu Yangzi (it is also said he was named Yu Yang, with his assumed name as Quan Yan...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Life of Wang Chuyi ( 王處一 Wang Chuyi ) (1142-1217)== Wang Chuyi's alternate name was Yu Yangzi (it is also said he was named Yu Yang, with his assumed name as Quan Yangzi or Hua Yangzi). He was from Ninghai (present-day Muping, Shangdong Province). In the 7th year of Dading in the Jin Dynasty (1168 AD), he acknowledged [[Wang Chongyang]] as his master, lived in seclusion for a long time in the Yanxia Cave of Mt. Kunyu, and refined his bodily life for nine years. At the time he was called 'Iron Foot Gentleman'. In the 28th year of Dading (1188 AD), he accepted the call of the first Emperor Shizong of the Jin Dynasty, and went to the royal palace to host the ritual offerings of the Wanchun Festival ( 萬春節 Wanchun Jie ). In his life, Wang founded the Yushan Sect of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ), and after his death the emperor conferred him the title 'Jade Sun Perfect Man Who Realizes Mystery and Universal Salvation ( 玉陽體玄廣度真人 Yuyang Tixuan Guangdu Zhenren ). 18. He was one of the Seven Perfect Ones of the North ( 北七真 Beiqizhen ), and served as the Head Daoist on imperial order. ==His thought on Inner Alchemy== Following Wang Chongyang's thought, Wang Chuyi tried to preserve the concepts of Non-Interference ( 無為 Wuwei ) and the original comprehension of Dao as the essence of Daoism. He stressed that a real Daoist should utterly abandon earthly and physical desires, and cultivate the inner mind and spiritual essence, which he called 'cultivate spiritual nature and accumulate the spirit into one Vital Breath ( 氣 Qi )'. He thought cultivation of Dao required 'absolute sincerity', that is, perfect nature, perfect skills, and perfect practice of Dao. ==His Works== #''Essays of Clouds and Light'' ( 雲光集 Yunguang Ji ) #''Essays of Purity and Perfection'' ( 清真集 Qingzhen Ji ) #''Records of Mt. Hua, the Sacred Mount of the West'' ( 西獄華山志 Xiyue Huashan Zhi ) ==Transmission== Wang Chuyi had a number of disciples. It was said on a tablet that 'his disciples were from more than six sects, and there were not less than sixty thousand of them.' The names of some of his disciples (Xie Daoshu, Zhu Jingyi, etc) could be found on the tablets. [[zh:王處一]] 9b7e1edb36b4422e6033efcc3ec161fca4a0637c 0 346 423 2009-08-26T08:37:18Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Life of Hao Datong== Hao Datong (1149-1212) was named Lin and styled Taigu, and had the courtesy names Tianranzi and Guangningzi. He called himself the Daoist Priest of Remote ...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Life of Hao Datong== Hao Datong (1149-1212) was named Lin and styled Taigu, and had the courtesy names Tianranzi and Guangningzi. He called himself the Daoist Priest of Remote Antiquity( 太古道人 Taigu Daoren ), and had the Sacred Name ( 法名 Faming ) Datong. He was a native of Ninghai (present-day Muping, Shandong). Hao Datong was expert at Laozi's and Zhuangzi's philosophy and at the Science of Changes, and skilled in divination by means of the milfoil ( 卜筮 Bushi ) and by means of the Eight Diagrams ( 占卦 Zhangua ). In the seventh year of Dading of the Jin dynasty (1167), he was converted to [[the Complete Perfection Doctrine]] ( 全真教 Quanzhen Jiao ). In the 15th year of Dading, he was suddenly enlightened while begging in Wozhou, and then cultivated himself ascetically under a bridge, and was called the "Wordless Gentleman" ( 不語先生 Buyu Xiansheng ). Having successfully mastered the Nine Circle Skill ( 九轉功 Jiuzhuan Gong ), he went to the North to do missionary work. During his lifetime he created the Huashan sect of the Complete Perfection Tradition, and after his death, emperor Shizu of the Yuan dynasty bestowed on him the sobriquet "Perfect Man of Broad Peace and Pervasive Tranquility of Remote Antiquity" ( 廣寧通玄太古真人 Guangning Tongxuan Taigu Zhenren ), ranked among the "Seven Perfect Ones of the North" ( 北七真 Bai Qizhen ). ==Thought== Hao Datong and his disciples absorbed the ideas on mind and nature of Chan Buddhism ( 禪宗 Chanzong ) and of the rationalistic Confucian school, and developed a theory on mind and nature, based on the mind and characterized by the triad of mind, nature and Dao. One's ego-mind and the true mind are the key of the theory on mind and nature; they are also called the body of mind. The categories such as nature, Dao and spirit coexist simultaneously. The central issue of the theory is to purify the wicked mind and comprehend one's own mind thoroughly. Correspondingly, all the problems in the process of Cultivation and Refinement ( 修煉 Xiulian ) can be eventually summed up as how to thoroughly understand one's ego-mind and obliterate the worldly mind. ==Works== #On the Ease of Embracing the Three Teachings ( 三教人易論 Sanjiao Ruyi Lun ), #Direct Preaching ( 示教直言 Shijiao Ruyi Lun ), #Explanation to the Scriptures on Mind ( 心經解 Xinjing Jie ), #Explanation to the Scriptures on Salvation from Misery ( 救苦經解 Jiuku Jing Jie ), #Interpretation of the Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes ( 周易參同契釋義 Zhouyi Cantongqi Shiyi ), #Essays of the Daoist Priest of Remote Antiquity ( 太古集 Taigu Ji ). ==Lineage== The Daoist lineage of Hao Datong was great, and most of the disciples were natives of Ninghai. The celebrated ones included the successive disciples Fan Yuanxi and Wang Zhijin, the Perfect Man of Mt Pan ( 盤山真人 Panshan Zhenren ). Fan Yuanxi, whose Daoist name was "Master of Mysterious Communication" ( 玄通子 Xuantongzi ), was the descendant of Fan Zhongyan and the first outstanding disciple of the Complete Perfection Tradition. Wang Zhijin authored an illuminated and elaborate theory on mind and nature. [[zh:郝大通]] 354a88836201b8130a30dee1285eeb58f5953494 0 347 424 2009-08-26T09:02:59Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Life of Sun Bu'er== Sun Bu'er (1119-1182), who had the surname Sun, the given name Fuchun, the religious name Bu'er, and the sobriquets 'Leisurely Lady of Purity and Tranquilit...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Life of Sun Bu'er== Sun Bu'er (1119-1182), who had the surname Sun, the given name Fuchun, the religious name Bu'er, and the sobriquets 'Leisurely Lady of Purity and Tranquility'( 清靜散人 Qingjing Sanren ) and 'Immortal Lady Sun' ( 孫仙姑 Sun Xiangu ), was a native of Ninghai (present-day Muping, Shandong) in the Jin dynasty. She was the wife of Ma Danyang and had three children. In the seventh year of Dading of the Jin dynasty, when living at her home, [[Wang Chongyang]] transformed Sun Bu'er and Ma Danyang by the metaphor of "cutting pears into halves". In the ninth year of Dading of the Jin dynasty, Sun Bu'er renounced her family to live in the Golden Lotus Temple ( 金蓮堂 Jinlian Tang ). Wang Chongyang transmitted to her the Secret Formula of Heavenly Talismans and Cloud Seals ( 天符雲篆 Tianfu Yunzhuan Mijue ). Afterwards, she practised Dao in the Grotto of the Immortal Phoenix Lady ( 鳳仙姑洞 Fengxiangu Dong ), and succeeded in refining elixirs six years later. In addition, she created [[the Purity and Tranquility Sect]] ( 清靜派 Qingjing Pai ) of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ), and became the founder of the Daoist female alchemy of later ages. Emperor Shizu of the Yuan dynasty bestowed on her the title "Meek and Virtuous Perfect Woman of Purity, Tranquility and Profound Perfection" ( 清靜淵真順德真人 Qingjing Yuanzhen Shunde Zhenren ), and emperor Wuzong of the Yuan dynasty conferred upon her another title, "Primordial Sovereign of Purity, Profound Chastity, Mysterious Emptiness and Obedient Salvation" ( 清靜淵貞玄虛順化元君 Qingjing Yuanzhen Xuaxu Shunhua Yuanjun ). Later, she was venerated as one of the 'Seven Perfect Ones of the North' ( 北七真 Bei Qizhen ). ==Ideas on Inner Alchemy== Sun Bu'er inherited Wang Chongyang's theory of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ), and moreover noticed the difference between female alchemy and male alchemy. She divided the practice and study of female alchemy into fourteen steps: controlling the mind, nourishing the vital breath, practising the skills, killing dragons, nourishing the elixir, embryonic breathing ( 胎息 Taixi ), corresponding with fire, receiving elixirs, refining the spirit, dietetics ( 服食 Fushi ), abstaining from grains ( 辟穀 Pigu ), facing walls, entering oblivion, and ascending to heaven. ==Legend== When the Immortal Lady Sun Bu'er passed away in a sitting posture, the perfume wind and auspicious air didn't disappear all day. At that time [[Ma Yu]], who was practising Dao in Ninghai, looked up and saw the Immortal Lady flying past on colorful clouds. The Immortal Lady lowered her head and said to Ma Yu, "Now I'll first go to the Penglai Island of Immortals." At these words, Ma Yu was so happy that he began to dance. ==Lineage==Sun Bu'er took many disciples, but only a few of them can be investigated in the written biographies of the Complete Perfection Tradition. ==Works== #''The Secret Book of Alchemical Skills Imparted by Primordial Sovereign Sun Bu'er'' ( 孫不二元君傳述丹道秘書 Sun Bu’er Yuanjun Chuanshu Dandao Mishan ), #''Quotations from the Preaching of Primordial Sovereign Sun Bu'er'' ( 孫不二元君法語 Sun Bu’er Yuanjun Fayu ). [[zh:孫不二]] 6455519da6eaeb63a165b9945bf626cbe6aa8774 0 348 425 2009-08-26T09:20:01Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The Life of Zhang Sanfeng== Zhang Sanfeng ( 張三丰 Zhang Sanfeng ) was a Daoist from Yizhou of Laodong (southwest of present-day Zhangwu in Liaoning province) in the Yuan an...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Life of Zhang Sanfeng== Zhang Sanfeng ( 張三丰 Zhang Sanfeng ) was a Daoist from Yizhou of Laodong (southwest of present-day Zhangwu in Liaoning province) in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, whose name was Quanyi, whose other name was Junshi, and was also called Sanfeng. He lived from ca.1314~1320 to 1417. ==Mysterious legends about the 'Secluded Immortal'== Zhang Sanfeng was called 'Sloppy Zhang' ( 張邋遢 Zhang Lata ) since he was careless about his appearance. It was said that Zhang Sanfeng was 'well built, with a tortoise-shaped figure and a crane-shaped back, big ears and round eyes, and a thick and long beard and whiskers. He always wore a Daoist cassock with a palm-bark rain cape. When he had a meal, he could eat a lot, but sometimes he ate only once every few days, or ate nothing for a few months. He was very learned, capable of remembering whatever books he read, and of writing poems and essays. He was very casual and free from restraint, with the manner of immortals. There were quite a few legends about his life experience and his background. One of them said that he was born in the Jin Dynasty. There was a story which said that at the end of the Song Dynasty, there was a rebellion, so Emperor Huizong called on him, and Zhang Sanfeng once beat or killed one hundred rebels with one of his fists. Another story said that he could survive by abstaining from grains, move as fast as immortals, and come back to life after death. All his life he was immune to reputation and wealth, and fond of pure cultivation in seclusion. According to his testimony, he was once a county magistrate, quit his position and left his family some time later, and then became a Daoist of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ). Once he ran into the Perfect Man of the Fire Dragon ( 火龍真人 Huolong Zhenren ), who offered him an elixir formula. Wandering to Mt. Wudang with his disciples, Zhang built a cottage for cultivation of Dao after cutting down the bushes and disposing debris and rubble. He predicted: 'The mount will be flourishing some day" and told his disciples 'to carefully preserve the transmission of Dao carefully'. Soon he left [[Mt. Wudang]] and wandered to Sichuan to visit the Perfect Men and the historical sites of [[Mt.Qingcheng]] and Mt.Heming. He also authored a treatise on Taiji shadowboxing ( 太極拳 Taijiquan ) as a method to cultivate Dao and keep fit, which is still very popular even today. ==Claim to be a Secluded Immortal== Zhang Sanfeng had been wandering all over the country in his life, often of uncertain whereabouts. He was famous for his 'seclusion' and claimed to be a 'secluded immortal" ( 隱仙 Yinxian ). In the 24th year of Hongwu (1391), the emperor Zhu Yuanzhang sent Zhang Yuchu to look for him everywhere, but in vain. During the years of Yongle (1403-1425), the emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty sent some officials to look for him several times, but again found him nowhere. As a result, the emperor had Daoist temples constructed on Mt.Wudang on a large scale, so that Zhang's prophecy of the flourishing of Mt.Wudang could come true. In the 3rd year of Tianshun (1459), Emperor Yingzong conferred on him the title Perfect Manifestation of Pervasive Subtlety" ( 通微顯化真人 Tongwei Xianhua Zhenren ), and in the 22nd year of Chenghua (1486), the emperor Xianzong granted him the title 'Brilliant and Lofty Perfect Immortal' ( 韜光尚志真人 Taoguang Shangzhi ). In the 3rd year of Tianqi (1623) Emperor Xizong claimed that Zhang Sanfeng descended unto the altar by manifesting his spirit, and offered him the title Perfect Flying Dragon Sovereign Who Manifests Salvation, Promotes Benevolence, and Benefits the World" ( 飛龍顯化宏仁濟世真君 Feilong Xianhua Hongren Jishi Zhenjun ). With the admiration and confirmation of the emperors of the Ming Dynasty and the surge of Daoist believers, the legend of Zhang's immortality was told and renewed constantly. Until the Qing Dynasty were there still stories circulation about meeting Zhang Sanfeng and being taught Daoist skills. ==Zhang's Thought and Works== Zhang Sanfeng's shared the same general ideas about Daoism as his contemporaries, i.e., that the three religions in China come from the same origin. Zhang maintained that the three religions of Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism had the same tendency to cultivate one's own moral character and benefit the people of the world in spite of their different founders. Therefore Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism all could be named Daoism. In his On the Great Dao ( 大道論 Dadao Lun ), Zhang said that Confucians tried to practice Dao and benefit the world, Buddhists preferred to realize Dao and awaken the world, while Daoist immortals would rather preserve Dao and save mankind. He insisted that cultivation of Dao meant the 'Cultivation Yin and Yang, Spiritual Nature ( 性 Xing ), and Bodily Life ( 命 Ming )"; 'The sages of the three religions established their doctrines based on this concept". Moreover, Zhang considered that 岞eritorious Virtue ( 功德 Gongde ) is the essence of Dao, while the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 Jindan ) is its application, allowing one to attain Immortality". Zhang Sanfeng left many works. Li Xiyue of the Qing Dynasty compiled the ''Complete Works of Gentleman Zhang Sanfeng'' ( 張三丰先生全集 Zhang Sanfeng Xiansheng Quanji ), which was preserved in the ''[[Selections of the Daoist Canon]]'' ( 道藏輯要 Daozang Jiyao ). [[zh:張三丰]] fb663216b4a1ff4ef5d9957071fb43439d58ec3d 0 349 426 2009-08-28T02:07:16Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Du Daojian (1273-1318 AD), alias Chu Yi, was a famous Daoist at the turn of the Southern Song (1127-1279) and the Yuan (1271-1368). Du, from Dangtu (today's Anhui province) named...' wikitext text/x-wiki Du Daojian (1273-1318 AD), alias Chu Yi, was a famous Daoist at the turn of the Southern Song (1127-1279) and the Yuan (1271-1368). Du, from Dangtu (today's Anhui province) named himself Nanguzi. At the age of 14, Du obtained an unusual book from an unusual person. So he made up his mind to cultivate Dao with Mr. Geng of Mount Shishan. Later, Du moved to Mount Maoshan and read over the Daoist Canon. Jiang Zongying, Lineage Master of Mount Maoshan, appreciated him very much as he saw Du and transmitted the scriptural skills of the Great Grotto. Du was presented to Emperor Duzong of the Southern Song and conferred the title of Master of Assistance of Daoism. Later he lived as the abbot of the Temple of Embracing Virtue( 抱德觀 Baode Guan ) in Huzhou, where he advocated the science of mysteries and set up the monastic rules, and took care of neglected tasks, so that the Daoists at the temple were completely convinced. In the 1st year of Jingyan (1276 AD) of Emperor Ruizong's reign during the Song, the Mongol army attacked the south on a large scale and the people feared where the Mongol army had been. Daojian risked his life to see Boyan, the General of the Mongol army, and invited him to the south under the condition that the innocent people not be killed. Du went to the Mongol capital with Boyan after the war in the south ended. When he was presented to Kublai, the first emperor of the Yuan (Mongol) dynasty, he stated that at the time it was extremely urgent not only to seek for and maintain virtuous and talented persons but also to put them in key positions. Later Du became an administrator on the imperial order and lived at the Temple of the Yang Origin ( 宗陽宮 Zongyang Gong ) as its abbot. In the 7th year of Dade (1303 AD) in the reign of Emperor Chengzong of the Yuan, Du was appointed administrator of Daoism for the Hangzhou area and given the title of Lofty Master of Daoism. In the 1st year of Huangqing (1312 AD) in Emperor Renzong's reign, he was revered as the Perfect Man Who Advocates Dao, Embodies Perfection and Worships Orthodoxy ( 隆道沖真崇正真人 Longdao Chongzhen Chongzheng Zhenren ). With his insight into the science of mysteries, Du wrote several works on Daoism: ''The Original Meaning of the Mysterious Book of Dao and its Virtue'' ( 《道德玄經原旨》 Daode Xuanjing Yuanzhi ), ''Elucidation of the Original Meaning of the Obscure Book of Dao and its Virtue'' ( 《玄經原旨發揮》 Xuanjing Yuanzhi Fahui ), ''Guanyin's Elucidation of the Mystery'' ( 《關尹閘玄》 Guanyin Chanxuan ), ''Wenzi's Essays'' ( 《文子纘義》 Wenzi Zuanyi ), and so on. [[zh:杜道堅]] 9fe7493662a0aa6aeaf191defa0b4ae7c6f93af2 0 350 427 2009-08-28T02:29:39Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Li Daochun, also called called Master Ying Chan, alias Yuan Su, was a famous Daoist at the turn of the Southern Song (1127-1279) and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties. Born in Duliang (...' wikitext text/x-wiki Li Daochun, also called called Master Ying Chan, alias Yuan Su, was a famous Daoist at the turn of the Southern Song (1127-1279) and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties. Born in Duliang (in today's Wugang, Hunan province), he also named himself Qing An. As a master of [[inner alchemy]], Li Daochun maintained the idea of the Integration of the Three Teachings. He regarded keeping to the middle as the key to inner alchemy, thinking of the "Middle" as the aperture of the mysterious gate. Therefore he was seen by people of later times as the proponent of the Middle Way sect of inner alchemy. Li was a productive writer and his major works are: #''The Great Collection of Daoist Skills'' ( 《道德會元》 Daode Huiyuan ) #''[[The Triple Heaven Essence of the Book of Changes]]'' ( 《三天易髓》 Santian Yisui ) #''Secret Essentials of the Collected Mystery of the Complete Perfection'' ( 《全真集玄秘要》 Quanzhen Jixuan Miyao ) #''Commentaries on the Supreme Sublime Book of Ascending to Mystery, Eliminating Calamities and Protecting Lives'' ( 《太上升玄消災護命妙經注》 Taishang Shengxuan Xiaozai ) #''Commentaries on the Book of Eternal Purity and Tranquility Told by the Supreme Venerable Sovereign'' ( 《太上老君說常清靜經注》 Taishang Laojun Shuo Chang ) #''Li's disciples edited his speeches into the books Quotations of Qing An, Master of Yin Chan'' ( 《清庵瑩蟾子語錄》 Qing An Yingchan Zi Luyu ) and #''[[Essays on Harmony]]'' ( 《中和集》 Zhonghe Ji ). [[zh:李道純]] 9b1ac2484b3ecd06c6972c5e1971b79be1c9f977 0 351 428 2009-08-28T03:59:27Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The Life of Zhang Yuchu== Zhang Yuchu ( 張宇初 Zhang Yuchu ) (1359-1410) was a famous Daoist of [[the Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] ( 正一道 Zhengyi Dao ) in the Ming Dyna...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Life of Zhang Yuchu== Zhang Yuchu ( 張宇初 Zhang Yuchu ) (1359-1410) was a famous Daoist of [[the Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] ( 正一道 Zhengyi Dao ) in the Ming Dynasty, who styled himself Zixuan, and was also called Qishan. As the eldest son of Zhang Zhengchang, Zhang Yuchu became the 43rd generation Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ). Zhang loved reading since he was young, and was once taught Daoist skills by Liu Yuanran, Perfect Man Changchun. Later Zhang and Liu vilified each other, for they could not get along well with each other. In the 10th year of Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty (1377), Zhang Yuchu succeeded to the position of the Celestial Master of the 43th generation. In the 11th year of Hongwu (1378) he entered the imperial court, and in the 13th year of Hongwu (1380) he was granted the title 'Succeeding Great Perfect Man and Brilliant Exemplar of Orthodox Oneness Who Exemplifies the Ancestor by Non-Interference" ( 正一嗣教道合無為闡祖光范大真人 Zhengyi Cijiao Daohe Wuwei Chanzu Guangfan Da Zhenren ), in charge of Daoist affairs. In the 16th year of Hongwu (1383), he held Jade Register Great Ritual Offerings ( 玉籙大醮 Yulu Daijiao ) on Mt.Zijinshan on imperial order. In the 18th year of Hongwu (1385) he was ordered to pray for rain at the Divine Bliss Temple ( 神樂觀 Shenleguan ), and enjoyed a favourable response from Heaven, for there was an immediate rainfall. In the 22nd year of Hongwu (1389), his memorial to the throne was approved to order to reconstruct the Great Temple of the Highest Clarity ( 上清宮 Shangqing Gong ). In the 24th year of Hongwu (1391), he was given the 'Seal of the Orthodox Oneness Mystery Altar' ( 正一玄壇之印 Zhengyi Xuantan Zhi Yin ). During the years of Jianwen (1399~1402) when he was staying in the countryside, Zhang recklessly did something illegal. As a result, his imperial mandate was canceled. However, after ascending to the throne, Emperor Chengzu ordered Zhang to resume his post. In the first year of Yongle, the emperor ordered Zhang to accompany him to offer the sacrifice to Heaven at the Altar of Heaven ( 天壇 Tiantan ). In the 4th year of Yongle, the emperor ordered him to compile and write Daoist books for him. In the 5th year, the emperor ordered him to hold Jade Register Great Ritual Offerings at the Turning-to-Heaven Temple ( 朝天宮 Chaotian Gong ). After that, Zhang Yuchu went to look for [[Zhang Sanfeng]] several times on imperial order, but in vain. ==The Confucian among the Immortals== Zhang Yuchu was quite learned and versatile, and good at writing poems and calligraphy. Therefore he was quite appreciated by scholars and officials. Su Boheng of the Ming Dynasty said that Zhang Yuchu was 'harsh but learned, with the changes and flying phantoms of nimble immortals and the gods confirming approval of the patters of his prayers. He was not only master of the classics of both Confucianism and Buddhism, but read extensively about the works of scholars of the pre-Qing and Han times as well'. Song Lian not only praised Zhang Yuchu as intelligent with literary gifts, but also regarded Zhang as a true Confucian scholar among the Immortals. In the early Qing Dynasty, Zhang Yuchu was the only Daoist well known to officials and scholars, while a number of Buddhist monks were well known. Famous Daoists were very rare after him. ==His Thought and Works== Zhang Yuchu based his outlook on the world on the idea of the 'Unity between Heaven and Mankind' ( 天人一至 Tianren Yizhi ) by mastery of the doctrines of the three religions. His thought was characterized by harmonizing the concepts of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. In his book ''Xian Stream Essays'' ( 峴泉集 Xianquan Ji ), his ideas were expressed by mixing Confucian thought with Daoist ideas. Essays such as the ''Explanation of the Supreme Ultimate'' ( 太極釋 Taiji Shi ), ''On the Diagram of Anterior Heaven'' ( 先天圖論 Xiantiantu Lun ), ''On the Origin of the River Chart'' ( 河圖原 Hetu Yuan ), ''Discussion on the Xunzi'' ( 辨旬子 Bian Xunzhi ), and ''Discussion of The Book of Secret Correspondences'' ( 辨陰符經 Bian Yinfu Jing ) were full of concepts common with Confucianism. The statements in the ''Questions on Divinities'' ( 問神 Wenshen ) were deeply influenced by the opinions of Cheng and Zhu. There are also ideas borrowed from Buddhism in his works. For example, in his ''Comprehensive Explanation of the Numinous Treasure's Refinement and Salvation ( 靈寶煉度普說 Lingbao Liandu Pushuo ), Zhang borrowed the Buddhist theores of Nirvana and Extrication (mukti or vimukta) in order to raise the soul of the dead from suffering in the next world. He widely adopted the essences of different traditions of cultivation in his methods of cultivation and refinement. He learned the Skills of Pure Brightness ( 淨明法 Jingming Fa ) from Liu Yuanran and [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ) from [[the Elixir Cauldron Sect]] ( 丹鼎派 Danding Pai ), even though he was a master of the Skills of [[Talismans]] and [[Registers]] ( 符錄 Fulu ) and Fasts and Offerings ( 濟焦 Jijiao ) which had been handed down to him through the generations. In the ''Xian Stream Essays , there are quite a number of poems and essays about Inner Alchemy. He built a hut on [[Mt. Longhu]] to cultivate and refine the Inner Elixir ( 內丹 Neidan ), and warned Daoist believers to attach more importance to cultivation and refinement of the Inner Elixir. Zhang thought Inner and Outer Alchemy ( 外丹 Waidan ) were the essence of Daoist immortalism, which must be studied. Therefore he perpetuated the Daoist doctrines of the new Talismans and Registers tradition of the Song and Yuan dynasties, introduced the arts of Inner Alchemy into the Talismans and Registers tradition, and combined Inner Alchemy with the incantations and skills of Talismans and Registers. Furthermore, he stressed that Inner Alchemy should play the main role in one's cultivation and refinement, while Talismans and Registers should play a supporting role. ==His works are as follows== #''Xian Stream Essays'' (12 volumes) #''Ten Daoist Commandments'' ( 道門十戒 Daomen Shijie ) (1 volume) #''Comprehensive Meaning of the Primordial, Lofty, and Sublime Book of the Limitless Salvation of Mankind'' ( 元始無量度人上品妙經通義 Yuanshi Wuliang Duren Shanpin Miaojing Tongyi ) (4 volumes) #''Quotations of the Perfect Sovereign of Emptiness and Tranquility, Celestial Master of the 30th Generation'' ( 三十代天師虛靖真君語錄 Sanshi Dai Tianshi Xujing Zhenjun Yulu ) (7 volumes) [[zh:張宇成]] c341fdceaaeff450b04a9e3b8b09a6c47c01e5f6 0 352 429 2009-08-28T04:58:01Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The Life of Lu Xixing (1520-1606)== Lu Xixing( 陸西星 Lu Xixing ), who lived in the Ming Dynasty, was from Xinghua, in Yangzhou (in today's Jiangsu province), and he was the...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Life of Lu Xixing (1520-1606)== Lu Xixing( 陸西星 Lu Xixing ), who lived in the Ming Dynasty, was from Xinghua, in Yangzhou (in today's Jiangsu province), and he was the founder of the Eastern Sect of Inner Alchemy. Lu was styled Qianxuzi, with the alternate name Changgeng. ==His Experience of Realization of Dao== Lu Xixing was very clever since he was a little child, and quite different from normal persons. 'He had already easily understood human nature and the essence of the divine order of the world when he received education in his teens." He was a master of the Chinese language, and good at painting and calligraphy. He once passed the imperial examination at the county level, and became famous for his abilities, but later, in his twenties, failed nine times at the provincial level. Thus he gave up Confucianism and turned to Daoism. While living in seclusion in the mountains, he ran into a peculiar man many times, from whom he gained the secret skills of Daoist immortality. After that, he declared that [[Lu Dongbing]] had descended down to his cottage of Beihai, and personally imparted an elixir formula to him during his 22-day stay. In his ''Author's Preface to the Tablet of the Golden Elixir'' ( 金丹就正篇：自序 Jindan Jiuzheng Pian Zixu ), he mentioned his adventure of running into the Immortal. 'In 1547 or so, I happened to run into the revered Mr. Lu, one of the Daoist founders of Inner Alchemy, at the cottage of Beihai, because of my affinities with Immortals, and I entertained him and talked to him sincerely, being on good terms with him. Later I often called on him. He not only encouraged me, but taught me the Songs on Concocting the Embryo ( 結胎之歌 Jietai Zhi Ge ), the pivots of sexual activity, and offered me quite a number of his records and ten volumes of the Collections of the Man of Mt. Zhongnan. I studyied all these for 20 years, unaware of how time flied. At the beginning of 1568, I evaded to the wild areas in the remote country and lived as a recluse, before I understood some of his instructions. Thus I came back to my cottage for the Inner Elixir ( 內丹 Neidan ), and accomplished it within a few years." Lu Xixing also mentioned that he almost simultaneously felt what his master had instructed to him in his dream. Finally I realized what the revered Mr. Lu meant and tried to recall what he said, and I seemed to comprehend 80%~90% of it. Comparing it with [[the Three Ways Unified and Normalized]] ( 周易參同契 Zhouyi Cantong Qi ) and the books and songs of elixir formulas, I thought about it over and over again. Until one day, while I was taking a nap, I seemed greatly inspired, and immediately realized most of his instructions. That was why I wrote this essay. In a word, he thought that he had got the true essence of Lu's idea of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ), so that he wrote some books to elaborate the pivots of Inner Alchemy and instituted [[the Eastern Sect]] ( 東派 Dongpai ) of Inner Alchemy. Lu was respected as the founder of the Eastern Sect of Inner Alchemy by the Daoist believers of later times. ==His Thought on Inner Alchemy and Works== Lu Xixing epitomized the Daoist theories of the integrated cultivation of the inner elixir of the Song and Yuan Dynasties. He advocated that Yin and Yang, or male and female could engage in Integrated Cultivation ( 雙修 Shuangxiu ). Lu thought that if the law of Yin-Yang or that of male and female were followed, the young would be produced, while Integrated Cultivation would produce the Elixir if it was followed in the reverse way. He wrote the book ''On the Seven Refutations'' ( 七破論 Qipo Lun ) to illustrate his idea and attack other skills of refinement and of Nourishing Life ( 養生 Yangsheng ). Another book of his, the ''Tablet of the Golden Elixir'' ( 金丹就正篇 Jindan Jiuzheng Pian ) (one volume) was the first thesis about Integrated Cultivation in the history of Inner Alchemy. His ''On the Mysterious Skin'' ( 玄膚論 Xuanfu Lun ) described the general theory of Inner Alchemy. Lu discussed in his book such crucial questions as the interrelation of the alchemical skills of the triple origin, the division of Inner and Outer Alchemy, the difference between Pre-Existence ( 先天 Xiantian ) and Post-Existence ( 後天 Houtian ), and the connection between cultivation of Spiritual Nature ( 性 Xing ) and perfection of Bodily Life ( 命 Ming ). In addition, his ''Obscure Meaning of Laozi's Book of Dao and its Virtue'' ( 老子道德經玄論 Laozi Daodejing Xuanlan ) was preserved in the ''Unofficial History of Fanghu'' ( 方壼外史 Fanghu Waishi ). In his late years, he practiced Buddhist meditation, and wrote the ''Elaboration of the Pivot of the Book of Lengyan'' ( 愣嚴經說略 Lengyan Jing Shuolue ) (one volume) and the ''Brief Explanation of the Book of Lengyan'' (one volume). [[zh:陸西星]] c065f41bc4151efd549036d9b60d0398d8e1de0b 0 353 430 2009-08-28T05:23:57Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Wang Changyue( 王常月 Wang Changyue ) (?-1680), born in Changzhi County, Shanxi province, was a famous Daoist of [[the Dragon Gate Sect]] ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) in the earl...' wikitext text/x-wiki Wang Changyue( 王常月 Wang Changyue ) (?-1680), born in Changzhi County, Shanxi province, was a famous Daoist of [[the Dragon Gate Sect]] ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) in the early Qing Dynasty. His original name was Ping, his Daoist name was Changyue, and he was styled Kunyang. ==Wang Changyue and the Resurgence of the Dragon Gate Sect of the Complete Perfection Tradition== When he was young, at the end of the Ming dynasty, rebellion led Wang Changyue to evade into seclusion with much emotion. In his middle age, Wang revered Zhao Fuyang, the 6th-generation inheritor of the Dragon Gate Sect, as his master. Zhao taught him some commandments, and told him, 'It is easy, but also hard, to realize Dao. At first, you must lead an ascetic life to realize Dao. It is wise to get rid of everything worldly, refine yourself with absolute sincerity according to commandments, and be absorbed in Daoist books and scriptures. At the same time, you must try to understand the natural mystery of the ''[[Book of Dao and its Virtue]]'' ( 道德經 Daode Jing ) and the lively essence of the ''[[Perfect Book of Nanhua]]'' ( 南華真經 Nanhua Zhenjing ). Wang kept in mind his master's instructions to revive the Dragon Gate Sect, and took it up as his personal task. After saying farewell to his guru, Wang wandered about the mountains, following different tutors in twenty-eight or twenty-nine places for eight or nine years, and corroborating with over fifty persons. Later he cultivated Dao strenuously by reclusion on [[Mt. Hua]]. In the 12th year of Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty (1655), Wang Changyue went to Beijing, staying in the Temple of Numinous Blessing ( 靈佑宮 Linyou Gong ). The next year, on imperial order, he preached Daoist commandments to the Daoists at the White Cloud Temple ( 白雲觀 Baiyun Guan ). He opened the Daoist altar to interpret commandments three times, and accepted over one thousand disciples. The open preaching of commandments not only attracted a lot of Daoist followers, but demonstrated the protection and support of the rulers of the Qing Dynasty, which was of great significance to the resurgence of the Dragon Gate Sect. Wang was quite appreciated by the emperor Shunzhi, who granted him the title 'Master of the State' ( 國師 Guashi ) and offered him the purple garments three times. In the 3rd year of Kangxi (1663), Wang Changyue personally moved down south with his disciples, and opened altars to preach commandments in Nanjing, Hangzhou, and [[Mt. Wudang]]. At the time, the Daoists in the south swarmed in to become his disciples. Consequently, the Dragon Gate Sect underwent a resurgence, even if Daoism tended to decline as a whole, and the Dragon Gate Sect became the most influential and powerful sect of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ). Wang himself was respected as 'the founder of the resurgence'. In his ''The Light of the Mind on Mt. Jingai'' ( 金蓋心燈 Jingai Xindeng ), [[Min Yide]] said that Wang 'was first-class among the intelligent scholars of the time'. In the 19th year of Kangxi (1679), he handed down his mantle and alms bowl to his disciple Tan Shoucheng before he passed away, and he was bestowed the title 'Lofty Master Who Embraces Oneness' ( 抱一高士 Baoyi Gaoshi ). ==His Thought and Works== Wang preached Daoist commandments in Nanjing. The record of his preaching was edited and preserved by his disciples in the ''Book of the Azure Garden Altar'' ( 碧苑壇經 Biyuan Tanjing ) (preserved in the ''Collection of Ancient Books from the Tower of the Bookish Hermit'' ( 古書隱樓藏書 Gushu Yinlou Cangshu )). When explaining the commandments, Wang described the order as well as the methods of cultivation and refinement. He stressed that if one wanted to learn to be an immortal through cultivation, he must practice step by step according to the following order. First, he must and find a master and proclaim himself a Daoist believer. He must believe in the Three Jewels ( 三寶 Sanbao ) of Daoism (Dao, Daoist Scriptures, and the community of Daoist masters). Then he must confess his sins, dispose of obstacles, and eliminate passions and attachments. With these severe commandments, he must endure humiliation to get peace and tranquility of mind and purity of bodily life. Moreover, he must gradually exercise severe commandments at the three levels of Elementary Perfection ( 初真 Chuzhen ), Intermediate, and Heavenly Immortality ( 天仙 Tianxian ), based on religious deiscipline, meditation, and wisdom. Wang regarded his skill of the refinement of inner elixirs as an 'invisible approach to Dao" and he objected to 'visible cultivation". He also refuted the skills of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 Jindan ) restricted to refining the Material Essence ( 精 Jing ) and the Vital Breath ( 氣 Qi ). He thought that as long as one realized his Spiritual Nature ( 性 Xing ), one could easily refine his Bodily Life ( 命 Ming ). He especially objected to refining the Material Essence and Vital Breath to get rid of one's illness and prolong bodily life, because he considered that man must die physically sooner or later, but only the spiritual life with a perfect nature could exist eternally: 'Prolonging Life does not mean getting rid of one's illnesses to achive a longer life expectancy. Longevity is the invariable perfect nature and eternal existence of Dao." He also said, 'Buddha has a time of oblivion, while Lao Dan has a time of rising to immortalily". 'The body can only be called an evil demon, and cannot be called Dao even if it lives in the world for a thousand years. The existence of Dao is eternal. Were I to realize Dao in the morning, I would be happy to die in the evening." Wang Changyue innovated in Daoist beliefs in longevity and immortality, and as a result his thought had a tendency to be secularized or less religious. His following works have been preserved: #''The Alms Bowl Mirror'' ( 本鑒 Bojian ) (5 volumes), #''Commandments for Primary Perfection'' ( 初真戒律 Chuzhen Jielu ) (1 volume), #preserved in the ''[[Selections of the Daoist Canon]]'' ( 道藏輯要 Daozang Jiyao ), #''The Book of the Azure Garden Altar''. [[zh:王常月]] 41ed474dc53dde94b07d65faa226e156dac50f4b 0 354 431 2009-08-29T02:33:43Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The Life of Lou Jingyuan (1689-1776)== Lou Jingyuan( 婁敬垣 Lou Jingyuan ), born in Louxian County, Songjiang (in today's Songjiang County, Shanghai) was a Daoist of [[the O...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Life of Lou Jingyuan (1689-1776)== Lou Jingyuan( 婁敬垣 Lou Jingyuan ), born in Louxian County, Songjiang (in today's Songjiang County, Shanghai) was a Daoist of [[the Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] ( 正一道 Zhengyi Dao ) during the Qing Dynasty. He was styled Langzhai, and his alternate names were Sanchen and 'Unofficial Historian of the Highest Clarity'. Lou Jingyuan loved Daoism since he was a child, and revered Yang Chunyi of the Temple of Benevolence and Relief ( 仁濟觀 Renji Guan ), and Zhou Dajing of [[Mt.Longhu]], as his masters of Daoist practice. Lou practiced the Five Thunder Battle Formation Skills ( 五雷陣法 Wulei Zhenfa ) and the secret [[Talismans]] and [[Registers]] ( 符籙 Fulu ) of different sects, and he became a Daoist who knew sublime Daoist skills with 'comprehensive Talismans and Registers'. In the 5th year of Yongzhen (1727), Lou followed Zhang Xilin to Beijing, the Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ) of the 55th generation, and was ordered to worship the stars and pray for rain. His manners of talking and acting were quite appreciated by Emperor Yongzhen. In the 9th year of Yongzheng (1732), Lou cured the illness of Emperor Yongzheng, and was granted the position of fourth-rank official of Mt. Longhu and Abbot at the Hall of Imperial Peace ( 欽安殿 Qin’an Dian ). Later he followed the emperor in practicing Buddhism, writing the poem 'In Praise of Spiritual Nature' ( 性地頌 Xingdi Song ). In the 11th year of Yongzhen (1734), the Hall of Great Brightness ( 大光明殿 Daguang Mingdian ) was built on imperial order for him to live in. Under the support of the emperor, he founded the Zhengyi sect ( 正乙 Zhengyi ) of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition, and was conferred the title 'Perfect Man of Sublime Orthodoxy" ( 妙正真人 Miaozheng Zhenren ) in the 8th month of the same year. After Qianlong succeeded to the throne, Lou was appointed as third-rank Councillor of the emperor, in charge of the printing business of the Daoist Administration Office ( 道錄司 Daolu Si ), and of managing the Temple of the Sacred Mountain of the East ( 東嶽廟 Dongyue Miao ) in Beijing. He was quite distinguished in Beijing, with a sudden rise in social status. As a result people of all walks swarmed to make friends with him. ==The Relationship between Lou Jingyuan and the Emperors== Lou Jingyuan could get privilege from emperor Yongzhen because of his loyalty to the imperial court of the Qing Dynasty. He focussed on loyalty and piety, beneficence and salvation instead of talking about peculiar theories of alchemy. In his contact with influential officials, he did not mention the Daoist skills of Refinement of the Vital Breath and Nourishing of Perfection ( 煉氣養真 Lianqi Yangzhen ), but rather declared that the skills of alchemy and drugs were tricks that evil persons took advantage of to earn their living. Were the perfect immortals willing to save the world in human society? The Reverend Prince Yan visited his house, and asked him about the skills of Nourishing Life ( 養生 Yangsheng ). He replied that 'you are one of the immortals, because you can lead a wealthy and luxurious life with beautiful garments and delicious food". Since there was stewed pork at the table, he said with a smile: 'Eating stewed pork is the best skill of Nourishing Life. Why are you looking for it somewhere else?' The Reverend Prince admired him very much, and praised him highly: 'The revered Mr. Lou is a real Daoist follower." Because of his loyalty to the imperial court, even emperor Yongzheng evaluated him as having 'honest nature and sincerity to Daoism", and offered him prizes and honors to praise his cultivation of purity and tranquility and encourage the people of later times". ==His Thought and Works== Lou Jingyuan thought that 'each mind is the mind of Buddha' and that 'there exists Dao everywhere'. He got along with Yongzheng's opinion that the three religions shared the same origin, and favoured the integration of Buddhim and Daoism. Due to this, Lou was treated favorably by the emperors all his life. At Youngzheng's court, he was the only Daoist who was selected the ''Emperor's Selection of Quotations'' ( 御選語錄 Yuzuan Yulu ). At Qianlong's court, he was appointed again as a high-ranking councillor of the emperor. He died at the age of 90. Among the Daoists of the late Qing dynasty, Lou Jingyuan was the only one who left his works to later generations. His works included the following: #''Commentary of The Book of Nanhua'' ( 南華經注 Nanhua Jing Zhu ) (1 volume), #''The Emperor's Selection of Quotations of the Perfect Man of Sublime Orthodoxy'' ( 御選妙正真人語錄 Yuxuan Miaozheng Zhenren Yulu ) (1 volume), #''Second Edition of the Records of Mt. Longhu'' ( 重修龍虎山志 Chongxiu Longhushan Zhi ) (16 volumes), #''Yellow Register Rituals'' ( 葽籙科儀 Huanglu Keyi ) (12 volumes), #''Mystery Rituals for Petitioning Pre-Existence'' ( 先天奏告玄科 Xiantian Zougao Xuanke ) (1 volume). [[zh:婁近垣]] 6878baf995bc099ff9355c402d3057561033db5d 0 355 432 2009-08-29T03:09:29Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The Life of Liu Yiming (1734-1821)== As the 11th-generation master of [[the Dragon Gate Sect]] ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Qu...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Life of Liu Yiming (1734-1821)== As the 11th-generation master of [[the Dragon Gate Sect]] ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ), Liu Yiming ( 劉一明 Liu Yiming ), from Woxian County of Pingyang, Shanxi province (northeast of present-day Wenxi County, Shanxi province) was a famous master of Inner Alchemy ( 內丹 Neidan ) in the Qing Dynasty. His alternate name was Wu Yuanzi and was also called Non-Harnessed Man of Simplicity ( 素樸散人 Pusu Sanren ). ==His Experience of Wandering About and Practicing Dao== Liu Yiming studied the Confucian classics when he was young. He fell seriously ill three times in his twenties, and nearly died of illness. Having realized the meaning of life due to his illness, Liu turned to Daoism. ''The Inner Chapters on Comprehending the Mind'' ( 會心內集 Huixin Neiji ) said that when he was seventeen, he was seriously ill, and could hardly be cured as hundreds of drugs took no effect. So the next year he went to Nanan in Gansu province to recuperate. His condition got more and more serious in spite of the doctors and drugs. Fortunately he got a prescription offered by a Perfect Man ( 真人 Zhenren ), and he finally recovered. At the age of nineteen, he traveled around to visit Daoists, and met his master, the elderly man Kangu, somewhere in Yulin when he was twenty-two. Kangu rejected heterodoxy and dishonest practice, and orally taught him the right ways of cultivation. Liu Yiming he learnt what he said by heart, and the existing problems in his mind seemed to disappear immediately. After that, in order to consult and confirm, he stayed in the capital for four years, in Henan for two years, in Raodu for one year, in the Western Qin (now Jingyuan County, Gansu province) for three years, and wandered about for four years. During these thirteen years, he studied all the books and scriptures of the three religions and thought deeply about them, but there were some knotty problems that always puzzled him. In the 37th year of Qianlong, he met an elder Immortal on the Han River, and, through his instruction, the thirteen-year doubt in his mind was removed in one moment. Liu Yiming wandered and practiced Dao in many places in his life. According to the record of the 'Song of Oblivion' in the ''Outer Chapters on Comprehending the Mind'' ( 會心外集 Huixin Waiji ), he wandered to such provinces as Shaanxi, Shanxi, Gansu and Ningxia. He said that……it adds up to twenty-five years, the five mountains seem bright with brand-new looks and the fresh air permeates. In the second half of his life he lived in seclusion on Mt. Xiyun and Mt. Xinglong in Yuzhong County, Gansu province, for cultivation of Dao. At the same time, he built an altar to preach Daoism and wrote books to promote his ideas. Thus he became a very influential Daoist of the Dragon Gate Sect of Complete Perfection Tradition in Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, and Ningxia provinces. ==His 'Twelve Kinds of Daoist Books'== Liu Yiming was a master of the theory of ''[[the Book of Changes]]'' ( 易經 Yijing ) of [[Inner Alchemy]], as well as Chinese traditional medicine. He was an expert on medicine and an alchemist at the same time. His approach to Inner Alchemy was characterised by the combination of the three religions, especially that of Confucianism and Daoism. In the ''Preface to the Pointers'' ( 指南針序 Zhinanzhen Xu ), he took the 'Doctrine of the Mean' ( 中正之道 Zhongzheng Zhi Dao ) as the foundation uniting the three religions, expressed as the Golden Mean ( 中庸 Zhongyong ) of Confucianism, the Vehicle of Oneness ( 一乘 Yicheng ) of Buddhism, and the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 Jindan ) of Daoism. In his ''Nine Essentials for the Cultivation of Perfection'' ( 修真九要 Xiuzhen Jiuyao ), he stated that there were nine essential things in the cultivation of perfection. The first important one was to see through human society. That was why he wrote the ''Book of Passing through Barriers'' ( 通關文 Tongguan Wen ), in which he explained the barriers of sexual desire, of the desires for honor and for wealth, and of hardship and poverty by introducing Buddhist thought. The second essence of cultivation was to practice Daoism through benevolence, which shows his combination of Confucian and Daoist thought. In his works, there are many expressions of the combination of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. ==His Elaboration on the Theory of Inner Alchemy== Liu Yiming elaborated on all aspects of the theory of Inner Alchemy in all aspects, and insisted on [[the Integrated Cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] ( 性命雙修 Xingming Shuangxiu ). 'One cannot become an immortal unless he cultivates Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life in an integrated way', and one should cultivate one's Bodily Life ( 命 Ming ) step by step before one's gradual cultivation of one's Spiritual Nature ( 性 Xing ). Liu divided alchemical skills into the supreme, middle, and lower grades, and the Elixir into the inner and outer one. And he thought that the inner elixir comes from man himself as his original nature, while the outer elixir comes from the Vital Breath of Perfect Oneness in Emptiness ( 虛空中真一之氣 Xukong Zhong Zhenyi Zhi Qi ), called Original Life ( 元命 Yuanming ). Influenced by Neo-Confucianism, he also thought that nature could be divided into the nature of destiny and that of temperament. He also made a very unique elaboration and special explanation about ''[[the Three Ways Unified and Normalized]]'' ( 周易參同契 Zhouyi Cantong Qi ), ''On Realizing Perfection'' ( 悟真篇 Wuzhen Pian ), and the ''Book of Secret Correspondences'' ( 陰符經 Yinfu Jing ). [[zh:劉一明]] fb95513393ae4ce0358cec9c2c71dab877ba39e1 0 356 433 2009-08-29T03:52:36Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Life of Min Yide (AD 1758-1836)== Min Yide was a celebrated [[Inner Alchemist]] ( 內丹家 Neidanjia ) of the Qing dynasty. His courtesy name was Xiaogen, his Daoist name was ...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Life of Min Yide (AD 1758-1836)== Min Yide was a celebrated [[Inner Alchemist]] ( 內丹家 Neidanjia ) of the Qing dynasty. His courtesy name was Xiaogen, his Daoist name was Yide, and his sobriquet was Lanyunzi. He was a native of Wuxing in Zhejiang (i.e. Chaozhou City of today), and the 11th generation successor of [[the Dragon Gate sect]] ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ). He was born into an old distinguished family. Born weak, he still walked with difficulty at the age of nine. Later, he became a student of Gao Dongli (named Qingxian and styled Dongli), who was the tenth generation successor of the Dragon Gate sect, in order to study gymnastic techniques. After Gao Dongli died in the 33rd year of the reign of Qianlong (AD 1768), he regarded Gao's disciple Shen Yibing (also known by his literary name Qingyun) as his teacher and became an 11th generation disciple of the Dragon Gate sect. Later, Min Yide secured an official position in the south of Yunnan. In this period, he once called on a Daoist Master of Chickenfoot Mountain ( 雞足山 Jizu Shan ), who was a native of Yuezhi and a disciple of Wang Changyue, in Yunnan in the 55th (or 57th) year of the reign of Qianlong. Yide transmitted books on commandments to the Daoist Master ( 道者 Daozhe ), who imparted to him the Skills of the Dipper ( 斗法 Doufa ). He kept in contact with Jin Huaihuai (i.e. Wang Qingchu, a native of Yunnan), who belonged to the Mind Lineage of Xizhu of the Dragon Gate sect ( 龍門西竺心宗 Longmen Xizhu Xinzong ); White Horse Li (i.e. Li Qingchun, a native of Jiangxia, Hubei); and Li Pengtou (whose name and native place were unknown). Around the last year of the reign of Qianlong, he resigned from office and returned to Wuxing, where he led a secluded life on Mt. Jingai. Then he was put in charge of the religious affairs of that mountain, and engaged himself in writing. He lived in seclusion on Mt. Jingai for more than 40 years, and died in the 16th year of the reign of Daoguang (AD 1836). ==Prosperity of the Dragon Gate sect== After Min Yide took charge of the religious affairs of Mt. Jingai, feeling pity for the decline in successors to the sect and for the collapse of religious buildings, he endeavoured to revitalize Daoist affairs with deep feelings. So he revealed convenient methods of practise of the Dragon Gate sect and advocated the simultaneous cultivation of the Three Doctrines. According to him, Confucianists inquired into the truth through reading, managed state affairs, and harmonized the family; Buddhists awoke to the truth by sitting in deep meditation, realizing Spiritual Nature, and enlightening the mind; and Daoists Cultivated Moral Character ( 修身 Xiushen ), reduced sins, and benefited things and people. As a result, one could just as well practise Commandments ( 律 Lu ), Magic Arts ( 法 Fa ), Worship ( 宗 Zong ), or Doctrine ( 教 Jiao ), and could either stay at home, secure official position, Cultivate Dao ( 修道 Xiudao ) in mountains, pay respect to teachers and visit friends, or grow long hair and change clothes. Following its rejuvenation during [[Wang Changyue]]'s lifetime, the Dragon Gate sect became fairly prosperous during the reigns of Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong. Since Min Yide took charge of the sect, contemporary high officials, Buddhists, Daoists, and petty officials and servants admired his Daoist demeanor, and a lot of people associated with him or became his disciples. ==Works== Min Yide was a prolific writer. During the Jiajing years, he wrote the ''Light of the Mind on Mt. Jingai'' ( 金蓋心燈 Jinggai Xindeng ) in eight volumes, which recorded the lives of over one hundred figures of the Dragon Gate sect from the first to the 14th generation. It has become an important reference material for researching the history of the Dragon Gate sect. During the reign of Daoguang, Min Yide compiled the ''Supplementary Daoist Canon'' ( 道藏續編 Daozang Xubian ) containing about 30 books on Inner Refinement ( 內煉 Neilian ) from the Ming and Qing dynasties. In addition, he compiled the ''Collection of Ancient Books from the Tower of the Bookish Hermit'' ( 古書隱樓藏書 Gushu Yinlou Cangshu ), which contained 38 books on Inner Alchemy written by him and other writers of the Qing dynasty. The above two books are important reference materials for research on the Daoist Inner Alchemy ( 內丹 Neidan ) of the Ming and Qing dynasties. [[zh:閔一得]] ef0ded86fc8439407c508c728552c4fe2931b3af 0 357 434 2009-08-29T04:42:19Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Li Xiyue (1806-1856) was a famous [[inner alchemy]] master( 內丹 Neidan ) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Originally he was named Yuanzhi and styled Pingquan. After becoming a...' wikitext text/x-wiki Li Xiyue (1806-1856) was a famous [[inner alchemy]] master( 內丹 Neidan ) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Originally he was named Yuanzhi and styled Pingquan. After becoming a Daoist, he was renamed Xiyue with the style Hanxu and the title "Man of Changyi Mountain". When young, he was very clever and studied in the Nine Peaks School of Li Jiaxiu. At the age of 20, he became a member of the county school. He was good at playing the Chin and liked wine and poetry. Later, when living on Ermei Mountain to recuperate himself, he encountered Zheng Pushan, an eminent Daoist, and respected Zheng as his master. According to legend, Li learned essential formulae from [[Zhang Sanfeng]] and [[Lu Dongbin]]. Li's works include ''Notes and Commentaries on the Thirteen Supreme Scriptures'' ( 《太上十三經注解》 Taishang Shisan Jing Zhujie ), ''[[Secret Pointers of the Three Chariots]]'' ( 《三車秘旨》 Sanche Mizhi ), ''Talks on the Gist of Dao'' ( 《道竅談》 Dao Qiantan ) (collected in Vol. 36 of the Collection ''of Daoist Scriptures Outside the Canon''( 《藏外道書》 Zangwai Daoshu ) ), ''Notes and Commentaries of the Rootless Tree'' ( 《無根樹注解》 Wugenshu Zhujie ) (collected in Vol. 5 of the Collection of Daoist Scriptures Outside the Canon), ''Nine Stages for Refining the Mind'' ( 《九層煉心》 Jiuceng Lianxin ),the ''Narration of Posterior Heaven'' ( 《后天串述》 Houtian Chaunshu ), etc. His transmission of the way of inner alchemy was called [[the Western School]] ( 西派 Xipai ) with the lineage generation names of Xi Dao Tong, Da Jiang Dong, and Hai Tian Kong. [[zh:李西月]] e78508bb3bc88992305dd8dd6644914d14319749 0 358 435 2009-08-29T04:52:42Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Huang Chang, styled Yuanji, was a famous inner alchemy master living at the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). A local of Fengcheng County, Jiangxi Province, he traveled to Zil...' wikitext text/x-wiki Huang Chang, styled Yuanji, was a famous inner alchemy master living at the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). A local of Fengcheng County, Jiangxi Province, he traveled to Ziliujing of Sichuan and was entreated to stay by some Dao-lovers. He established the Hall of Blissful Teaching( 《樂育堂》 Leyu Tang ) and taught the way and formulae of inner alchemy there. Over ten years later, he dismissed the Hall and left. The content of his teachings was recorded in works such as ''Quotations from the Hall of Blissful Teaching'' ( 《樂育堂語錄》 Leyu Tang Yulu ), ''Notes and Commentaries of the Book of Dao and its Virtue'' ( 《道德經注釋》 Daodejing Zhushi ) (also titled ''Lectures on the Book of Dao and its Virtue'' ( 《道德經講義》 Daodejing Jiangyi ) ), and ''Essential Sayings of Daoism'' ( 《道門語要》 Daodejing Jiangyi ). His way of inner alchemy was centered on the "Aperture of the Mysterious Gate" ( 玄關一竅 Xuanguan Yiqiao ) and characterized by syncretism of Confucianism and Daoism. Deep in content and simple in teaching, his way of inner alchemy has attracted the attention of contemporary learners. [[zh:黃裳]] f66fe5699bc98be470779a1436913ef6f83689b7 0 359 436 2009-08-29T05:15:01Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Reasons for the decline of Daoism in modern times== Daoism started to decline in the later years of the Qing dynasty. In the first year of Daoguang's reign (AD 1821), the emper...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Reasons for the decline of Daoism in modern times== Daoism started to decline in the later years of the Qing dynasty. In the first year of Daoguang's reign (AD 1821), the emperor forbade Zhang Yu, the Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ) of the 59th generation, from going to the capital and being present at court. Henceforth, Daoism lost its political support. After the Opium Wars in 1840, ancient Daoism experienced difficulties, and an unprecedented existential crisis arose because of a long period of repeated wars, social turbulence, economic decline, mass impoverishment, as well as the dissemination of modern Western scientific ideas into China and the Western attack on traditional Chinese ideas and culture. In this period, no significant innovation or theoretical contribution emerged concerning Daoist teachings, Magical Skills ( 方術 Fangshu ), or Fasts and Ritual Offerings ( 齋醮科儀 Zhaijiao Keyi ), which basically carried on as before. Having lost the strong political and economic support from the ruling class, modern Chinese Daoism had no choice but to become a popular and secular religion. ==Eminent modern Daoists and their efforts to innovate Daoism== Although the abrupt turns of politics were a key factor in the decline of modern Chinese Daoism, yet we have to admit that Daoist theoretical stagnation and outmoded, numerous, and disorderly patterns of activities are inner factors that cannot be ignored. Those people eager to revitalize Daoism were thus stimulated to begin to reform and innovate Daoism. Among them [[Chen Yingning]], [[Yi Xinying]], [[Yue Chongdai]] and [[Zhang Enpu]] (a Zhang Celestial Master) were comparatively influential. Chen Yingning devoted himself to the study of Daoism and Nourishing Life ( 養生 Yangsheng ) for his whole life. He created Daoist theories in conformity with the trend of the times, and made remarkable achievements. Yi Xinying applied himself to the study of Daoist theory with great concentration when nobody was interested in it, and pointed out that the long-standing and well-established, rich and varied culture of philosophical and religious Daoism held an important position in the traditional culture of the Chinese nation. He made positive contributions to research on Daoist culture. Yue Chongdai's academic research of Daoism shaked off the yoke of Daoist mythology, and analyzed Daoist theories and evolution from a historical viewpoint. Complying with the demands of the times, he advocated that Daoist priests should actively take part in social activities. Zhang Enpu, the Celestial Master of the 63rd generation, made vigorous preparations for setting up a unified national Daoist organization after the Chinese victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan, which represented the aspiration of the vast numbers of Daoist priests. But to be sure, it was after the founding of the New China that Daoism was truly given a new life following its former difficult state of decline. [[zh:近代高道]] d9937ee780d45896442161a108a3a7ebdb30d1f6 0 360 437 2009-08-29T05:39:11Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Life of Chen Yingning (AD 1880-1969)== Chen Yingning, whose Daoist name was Yuanchunzi, was a renowned contemporary Daoist scholar, and a lay Daoist of the 19th generation of t...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Life of Chen Yingning (AD 1880-1969)== Chen Yingning, whose Daoist name was Yuanchunzi, was a renowned contemporary Daoist scholar, and a lay Daoist of the 19th generation of the Complete Perfection Dragon Gate sect. He was a native of Huaining in Anhui, and was formerly named Zhixiang and Yuanshan, and styled Zixiu. Later, because he liked reading the ''Book of Master Zhuang'', he changed his name into 'Yingning', a term mentioned by Zhuangzi in the sentence 'Yingning -- the attainment of calm in spite of disturbance from the outside world". ==Main activities== Chen Yingning studied Confucianism since childhood and knew the Four Books and the Five Classics well. He once took part in the imperial examinations and passed the examination at the county level. At the age of 15, owing to his being ill, he switched over to study traditional Chinese medical science. So Chen Yingning traveled to all the famous mountains, looked for teachers and friends, and started to get involved in the field of Nourishing Life and Immortalist studies. He spent three years reading [[the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]. Simultaneously, he read a large number of books on Nourishing Life, astronomy, philosophy, medicine and Buddhism, and became more and more interested in Nourishing Life. He started publication of the bimonthly ''Promotion of Good'' to advocate Immortalist studies, and later started publishing the Immortalist Studies Monthly. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, he practised medicine and gave active treatment to the wounded and refugees. In 1956, he participated in the preparations for the founding of [[the Chinese Daoist Association]], and was elected vice-president the following year. After 1960, he became a committee member of the second and third Chinese Political Consultative Conferences. In 1961, he was the second president of the Chinese Daoist Association. He made positive contributions in assisting the government in carrying out policies on religion and uniting with Daoists to join in the construction of socialism, and promoting Daoist academic studies. ==Thoughts on "Immortalist Studies" and the theory of saving the nation by Immortalism== Chen Yingning was good at "Immortalist Studies", and had great attainments in the theories of Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism. But he emphasized especially that Immortalist Studies was a branch of learning independent of the Three Doctrines, and that it should be developed independently. He held that the realistic significance of Immortalist Studies was to prolong life, while its highest level was to secure longevity. At the same time, he held that the Immortalist way was the only way to save and rejuvenate the country. He was particularly against being passive when a national crisis was imminent. He advised people to "be concerned about current affairs temporarily and to wait for the good opportunity" and held that Daoism can save the country. He said that "so-called Immortalist Studies refers to alchemy, including Outer and Inner Alchemy". He held that there are three methods of Immortalist Studies, i.e. taking Divine Elixirs of celestial origin, transforming the Numinous Elixirs of terrestrial origin, and Inner Refinement of the Golden Elixirs of human origin. He once engaged himself in making external elixirs together with his Daoist friends but failed. So he switched from the Alchemical Arts of terrestrial origin to the Inner Refinement of human origin. In other words, he turned from Outer Alchemy to Inner Alchemy. Theoretically, he based himself on Laozi and Zhuangzi's concepts of "deepening the root to firm the base for fruit" and "Keeping to Oneness and Remaining in Peace". Starting with Refining and Nourishing the human body's Material Essence, Vital Breath, and Spirit, he advocated the Integrated Cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life, with an emphasis on Bodily Life. ==The gist of refinement and nourishing== "To unite the Spirit and the Vital Breath into One, and spontaneously practise motion and motionlessness". In his later years, he promoted the "Method for Convalescence by Still Meditation". ==Works== Chen Yingning engaged himself in the study of Daoism for over 60 years, and did scholarly research meticulously and diligently. His works include: #''"The Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography of the Four Repositories" Doesn't Give a Complete Picture of Daoist Learning''; #''A Classification of the Contents of the Daoist Canon''; #''Lectures on the Book of the Yellow Court''; #''Commentary to Sun Bu'er's Poems on Feminine Alchemy''; #''Vernacular Explanations to the Ballads of the Great Dao of the Numinous Origin''; #''On Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life''; #''Differentiation of the Ten Immortals in the Book of Lengyan''; and #''The Inner and Outer Chapters of the Book of Nanhua''. In his later years, he wrote the ''Method for Convalescence from Neurasthenia by Motionless Exercise'' and the ''General Explanation of Motionless Exercise''. He was also the chief editor of ''A Corpus of Daoist Knowledge'', ''An Outline of the History of Chinese Daoism'', and so on. [[zh:陳攖寧]] 4e42f47329036136ea391558c8eabe08e2901614 0 361 438 2009-08-29T06:15:53Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Origin of the Five Northern Patriarchs== The Five Northern Patriarchs ( 北五祖 Bei Wuzu ) were the five Daoist founders worshiped by [[the Complete Perfection Doctrine]] ( ...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Origin of the Five Northern Patriarchs== The Five Northern Patriarchs ( 北五祖 Bei Wuzu ) were the five Daoist founders worshiped by [[the Complete Perfection Doctrine]] ( 全真教 Quanzhen Jiao ), including [[Wang Xuanpu]] the Imperial Sovereign of Donghua ( 東華帝君 Donghua Dijun ), [[Zhongli Quan]] the Zhengyang Imperial Sovereign, [[Lu Dongbin]] the Chunyang Imperial Sovereign, [[Liu Haichan]] the Haichan Imperial Sovereign, and [[Wang Chongyang]] the Chongyang Imperial Sovereign. They were known as the Five Northern Patriarchs, as there were five other Daoist patriarchs – [[the Five Southern Patriarchs]] ( 南五祖 Nan Wuzu ). ==Transmission== According to ''[[the Records of the Orthodox Sect of the Golden Lotus]]'' ( 金蓮正宗記 Jinlian Zhengzong Ji ), the Doctrine of Complete Perfection was passed down from [[the Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ) to [[the Golden Mother]] ( 金母 Jinmu ), who passed it to the Highest Perfect Man of White Clouds ( 白雲上頂 Baiyun Shangzhen ), who passed it to Wang Xuanpu, the Donghua Imperial Sovereign. At the Ningyang Grotto of Mt Zhongnan, Wang Xuanpu imparted the Perfect Formula of Longevity ( 長生真訣 Changshen Zhenjue ), the Fire Phases for Refining Golden Elixirs ( 金丹火候 Jindan Huohou ) and the Black Dragon Swordplay ( 青龍劍法 Qinglong Jianfa ) to Zhongli Quan, who later taught Lu Dongbin the Swordplay of the Heavenly Withdrawal of the Great Dao ( 大道天遞 Dadao Tiandun ) and the Secret Formula for Making Dragon and Tiger Elixirs. Lu Dongbin later imparted to Liu Haichan and Wang Chongyang the Daoist skills of Purity and Tranquility ( 清靜 Qingjing ) and Non-Interference ( 無為 Wuwei ), Nourishing Spiritual Nature and Cultivating Bodily Life ( 養性修命 Yangxing Xiuming ), and Abstracting Elixirs from Liquefied Gold ( 金液還丹 Jinye Huandan ). While Liu Haichan taught the Dao to Zhang Ziyang whose disciples formed the Southern Lineage ( 南宗 Nanzong ) of Daoism, Wang Chongyang imparted Dao to [[the Seven Perfect Ones of the North]] ( 北七真 Beiqi Zhen ) whose disciples formed the Northern Lineage ( 北宗 Beizong ). From then on the Doctrine of Complete Perfection was spread increasingly widely with the passage of time, and its followers were found everywhere. [[zh:北五祖]] 704988677f37be0322e5fcce483def16f37e2d39 0 362 439 2009-08-29T06:22:09Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Lineage of the Five Southern Patriarchs== The Southern Lineage of the Golden Elixir sect( 南宗 Nanzong ) (or Ziyang sect) worshiped [[Zhang Boduan]], [[Shi Tai]], [[Xue Si]],...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Lineage of the Five Southern Patriarchs== The Southern Lineage of the Golden Elixir sect( 南宗 Nanzong ) (or Ziyang sect) worshiped [[Zhang Boduan]], [[Shi Tai]], [[Xue Si]], [[Cheng Nan]] and [[Bai Yuchan]] as their five patriarchs. Because they used to preach Dao in the South, they were popularly known as the Five Southern Patriarchs ( 南五祖 Nanwu Zu ). It is said that in the second Xining year of the Northern Song dynasty (AD 1069), Zhang Boduan met a magician in Chengdu named [[Liu Haichan]] (Imperial Sovereign Haichan), who taught him the Liquefied Gold Reversion Elixir Formula ( 金液還丹訣 Jinye Huandan Jue ). After that, he attained Dao through refinement and cultivation. Then he passed this formula on to Shi Tai, who imparted it to Xue Shi, who transmitted it to Cheng Nan, who taught it to Bai Yuchan. ==Main Ideas== Having inherited [[Zhong Liquan]] and [[Lü Dongbing]]'s ideas of [[Inner Alchemy]], the Five Southern Patriarchs considered that Refinement of the Golden Elixir, i.e. Inner Alchemy, should be based on cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life, and that the Three Doctrines, i.e. Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism, enjoyed the same origin. On that basis, they suggested a combination of Daoism and Buddhism, and the precedence of Spiritual Nature over Bodily Life, which ultimately became characteristic of their school. They stated that Cultivation should start with that of one's Bodily Life, which was also known as Basic Cultivation by Self-Refinement ( 煉己築基 Lianji Zhuji ). Only after one's Essential Matter, Vital Breath and Spirit were in very good condition, could he start to refine Inner Alchemy. In terms of the environment for refining Inner Alchemy, the Five Southern Patriarchs suggested to live and practice in society and among ordinary people, instead of practicing in seclusion. ==Influence== The Five Southern Patriarchs' theory of Inner Alchemy had a great influence on the Complete Perfection Tradition, and improved its ideas of Inner Alchemy. In the meantime, they introduced reforms to [[the Talisman and Registers sect]], by introducing the Refinement of Inner Alchemy into Fasts and Offerings. Scriptures on Inner Alchemy written and left by them contributed a great deal to Breathing Arts, medical science and the science of human body, constituting a part of China's traditional culture. [[zh:南五祖]] 39edf3ee4d995d3468f1845f4a9dfbe9905f937f 0 363 440 2009-08-31T01:44:51Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Origin of the Seven Perfect Ones of the North== As seven disciples taught directly by [[Wang Chongyang]], the founder of [[the Complete Perfection tradition]], they are [[Ma Yu...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Origin of the Seven Perfect Ones of the North== As seven disciples taught directly by [[Wang Chongyang]], the founder of [[the Complete Perfection tradition]], they are [[Ma Yu]], [[Tan Chuduan]], [[Liu Chuxuan]], [[Qiu Chuji]], [[Wang Chuyi]], [[Hao Datong]] and [[Sun Bu'er]], a group which has contributed a lot to the development and transmission of the Complete Perfection tradition, and, consequently, are worshipped as Perfect Ones. Also, because their main activities take place in Northern China, they are known as the Seven Perfect Ones of the North ( 北七真 Beiqi Zhen ). ==Main Ideas== #Integration of the Three Doctrines: Considering that the Three Doctrines (Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism) came from a common origin, they appealed to equality and unity among the Three Doctrines. #Enlightenment of Mind and Revelation of Spiritual Nature ( 明心見性 Mingxin Jianxing ), Precedence of Spiritual Nature over Bodily Life ( 先性後命 Xianxing Houming ), and [[Integrated Cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] ( 性命雙修 Xingming Shuangxiu ): They paid much attention to the Refinement and Cultivation of one's Spiritual Nature and Mind, and considered the purity and tranquility of one's mind as the prerequisite for the Refinement of Inner Alchemy, which they advocated to bring forth one's transcendence. #Poverty and Humility: They suggested that practitioners get rid of all sensual desires and personal demands for wealth, and keep to purity and tranquility. ==Sects and Branches== The Complete Perfection tradition witnessed its great development during the lives of the Seven Perfect Ones of the North, who contributed a lot to it by creating new sects and branches under the Complete Perfection tradition, includding #[[the Encountering Immortality sect]] ( 遇仙派 Yuxian Pai ) founded by Ma Yu, #[[the Namo sect]] ( 南無派 Nanwu Pai ) founded by Tan Chuduan, #the Mt Sui sect ( 隨山派 Suishan Pai ) founded by Liu Chuxuan, #[[the Dragon Gate sect]] ( 龍門派 Longmen Pai ) founded by Qiu Chuji, #the Mt Yu sect ( 崳山派 Yushan Pai ) founded by Wang Chuyi, #the Mt Hua sect ( 華山派 Huashan Pai ) founded by Hao Datong, and #the Purity and Tranquility sect ( 清靜派 Qingjing Pai ) founded by Shun Bu'er. ==Books== Most of the Seven Perfect Ones of the North were intellectuals before joining Daoism, and had a high level in culture and literature. This enabled them to write many books and pass them down. The list of books left by the Seven Perfect Ones of the North includes #Essays of Gold and Jade of the Pervasive Mystery ( 洞玄金玉集 Dongxuan Jinyu Ji ), Essays on Gradual Understanding ( 漸悟集 Jianwu Ji ), Brilliance of Divine Light ( 神光璨 Shenguang Can ) by Ma Yu, #Essays of Water and Clouds ( 水雲集 Shuiyun Ji ) by Tan Chuduan, #Collection of Heavenly Music ( 仙樂集 Xianle Ji ), Commentary to the Book of Dao and its Virtue ( 道德經注 Daodejing Zhu ), Elaboration of the Book of Secret Correspondence ( 陰符演 Yinfu Yan ), Quotations of Higher Perfection ( 至真語錄 Zhizhen Yulu ) and Explanation of the Book of the Yellow Court ( 黃庭述 Huangting Shu ) by Liu Chuxuan; #[[Direct Pointers to the Great Elixir]] ( 大丹直指 Dadan Zhizhi ), Essays on Advocating Dao ( 鳴道集 Mingdao Ji ), Pan Stream Essays ( 磻溪集 Panxi Ji ) and On Nourishing Life by Waxing and Waning ( 攝生消息論 Shesheng Xiaoxi Lun ) by Qiu Chuji; #Essays of Clouds and Light ( 雲光集 Yunguang Ji ), The Record of Mt. Hua, the Sacred Mountain of the West ( 西嶽華山志 Xiyue Huashan Zhi ), Essays of Purity and Perfection ( 清真集 Qingzhen Ji ) by Wang Chuyi, #Essays of the Daoist Priest of Remote Antiquity ( 太古集 Taigu Ji ), Illustration of the Supreme Ultimate ( 太易圖 Taiyi Tu ) by Hao Datong; and [[Primordial Sovereign Shun Bu'er's Quotations on Dao]] ( 孫不二元君法語 Sun Bu’er Yuanjun Fayu ) and the Secret Book of Alchemical Skills Imparted by Primordial Sovereign Sun Bu'er ( 孫不二元君傳述丹道秘書 Sun bu’er Yuanjun Chuanshu Dandao Mishu ). [[zh:北七真]] 04bb2ab039ec94064412aca89028da02ca88ee60 0 364 441 2009-08-31T02:57:26Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Life of Yi Xinying (AD 1896-1976)== Yi Xinying, a native of Suining, Sichuan, who had the popular name Liangde and style Zongqian, and had the religious name Yili and style Xin...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Life of Yi Xinying (AD 1896-1976)== Yi Xinying, a native of Suining, Sichuan, who had the popular name Liangde and style Zongqian, and had the religious name Yili and style Xinying, was a renowned contemporary Daoist scholar. Weak and frequently ill since childhood, he often heard of the Daoist way to strengthen the body and to guard the country, and therefore determined to seek after Dao. At the age of 17, he left home, and went to the Celestial Masters' Grotto ( 天師洞 Tianshi Dong ) (i.e. the Temple of Eternal Dao ( 常道觀 Changdao Guan )) of [[Mt. Qingcheng]], where he asked to become a Daoist disciple. Over a year later, his brother went to the mountain to take him home. But on the way, he escaped to the Black Sheep Temple ( 青羊宮 Qingyang Gong ) in Chengdu, where he stayed and did odd jobs in the institution, learning and passing on skills of silkworm breeding and mulberry growing. In 1917, when the Daoist priest Wei Songxia of the Celestial Masters' Cave went to the Two Immortals' Temple ( 二仙庵 Erxian An ), he was moved by Xinying's piousness and so led him back to the Celestial Masters' Grotto and took him as his disciple. In view of the Daoists' low educational level, Wei told him to go to Chaoyang Temple on the same mountain and to learn from Wu Junke. Wu was a Confucianist, but he was also expert in Dao. Xinying kept forging ahead. He read classics and historical records, and his study was duly rewarded. In 1926, Xinying became a pupil of Yan Kai, a famous Confucianist of Chengdu, and pursued advanced studies in Yan's Studio for Venerating Virtue ( 顏崇德書屋 Yan Chongde Shuwu ). Three years later, Yan died from illness. Xinying went back to Mt. Qingcheng and became a Daoist in charge of reception of visitors. He was at the post for three years. Then the abbot Peng Chunxian appointed someone else as receptionist and let Xinying concentrate on Daoist academic research. In 1942, Yi Xinying succeeded Peng as the abbot of the Celestial Masters' Grotto. One year later, he resigned from office, and once again concentrated on the study of Daoist thought. After the founding of the New China, Xinying led the Daoists into agricultural production. In 1955, he was re-elected abbot of the Celestial Masters' Grotto of Mt. Qingcheng. In 1956, he participated in the preparations for the founding of the Chinese Daoist Association ( 中國道教協會 Zhongguo Daojiao Xiehui ), and was elected its vice president and President of the Sichuan Daoist Association ( 四川道教協會 Sichuan Daojiao Xiehui ) in the next year. Yi Xinying ardently loved reading and collecting books, and searched and collected many Daoist books. Always humble, he never ceased to seek instruction. He kept in contact with [[Chen Yingning]], Chen Guofu, Meng Wentong and the like by letters to discuss academic problems. ==Ideas and works== Yi Xinying venerated [[the Primeval Lord of Heaven]] ( 元始天尊 Yuanshi Tianzun ), the Great Dao Sovereign of the Jade Morning Star ( 玉晨大道君 Yuchen Daddao Jun ), and [[the Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ), whom he held in particular esteem. He regarded the Venerable Sovereign ( 老君 Laojun ) as the Body of the Great Dao ( 大道之身 Dadao Zhi Shen ), Ancestor of the Original Vital Breath ( 元氣之祖 Yuanqi Zhi Zu ) and Root of Heaven and Earth ( 天地之根 Tiandi Zhi Gen ), who leads Divine Immortals ( 神仙 Shenxian ), Perfect Men ( 真人 Zhenren ), Immortals ( 仙人 Xianren ), Saints ( 聖人 Shengren ) and Sages ( 賢人 Xianren ). In his Cosmogony, Dao is taken to be the origin of all things, "is characterized by emptiness, numinousness, and profundity", transforms into the black, white and yellow cosmic Vital Breaths ( 氣 Qi ), and "gives birth to all things". Yi Xinying's theory of life brings Buddhism into Daoism, which holds that when the Five Spirits ( 五神 Wushen ) (Essence ( 精 Jing ), Mind ( 神 Shen ), the Celestial Soul ( 魂 Hun ), the Terrestrial Soul ( 魄 Po ) and Idea ( 意 Yi )) correspond with the Five Thieves ( 五賊 Wuzei ) (fate, utility, opportunity, thing and matter), "the retributive spirit emerges and the six desires arise", and "those who are misled become mortals while those who are enlightened become Saints". When practising Dao, one should firstly refine the commandments and venerate Dao so as to secure Dao. Otherwise, one would transmigrate among the three evils. Yi Xinying's thinking belonged to orthodox Daoism, which insists on the Integrated Cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life ( 性命雙修 Xingming Shuanxiu ) together with respecting commandments. His thinking had few modern characteristics. His works include The Meaning of Laozi's Dao ( 老子通義 Laozi Tongyi ), Explanations to Laozi's System of Daoist Teachings ( 老子道學系統表 Laozi Daoxue Xitong Biao ), Explanations to the Daoist System ( 道學系統表 Daoxue Xitong Biao ), Textbook of Daoist Learning ( 道學課本 Daoxue Keben ), and the Daoist Three-Character Classic ( 道教三字經 Daojiao Sanzingjing ), most of which are lost today. Besides, he edited the Excellent Daoist Series for Women ( 女子道教叢書 Nuzi Daojiao Congshu ) and books on Daoist alchemy and Nourishing Life, most of which were printed and published in temples. [[zh:易心瑩]] afc2c2b828d659dd7f5ff14be5ccb1f35eb75205 0 365 442 2009-08-31T03:26:08Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Life of Yue Chongdai (AD 1888-1958)== Yue Chongdai, whose Daoist name was Dongqiaozi and popular name Yue Yunfa, was a celebrated contemporary Daoist scholar and the 26th gener...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Life of Yue Chongdai (AD 1888-1958)== Yue Chongdai, whose Daoist name was Dongqiaozi and popular name Yue Yunfa, was a celebrated contemporary Daoist scholar and the 26th generation successor of the Orthodox Dragon Gate sect ( 龍門派正宗 Longmen Pai Zhengzong ) of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真派 Quanzhen Pai ). He was a native of Shouguang County in Shandong province. In his childhood, his family moved to Jianping County of Liaoning province, and engaged in agriculture to make a living. Before he was 19, he studied while farming. Gradually, he became eager to keep aloof due to the hard life. In 1912, he renounced his family and went to Cultivate Dao ( 修道 Xiudao ) at the the Temple of Sacred Purity ( 聖清宮 Shenqing Gong ) on Mt. Yiwulu of Liaoning province. He visited the famous mountains and temples of the northeast, and returned to the Temple of Sacred Purity two years later to lead the Daoists into agriculture. In 1920, he became the Daoist in charge of reception at the Temple of Supreme Clarity ( 太清宮 Taiqing Gong ) in Shenyang, and later became the abbot. He insisted that Daoists earn their own living, and led the Daoists of the Temple of Supreme Clarity cultivating the land for 14 years. In 1939, he became a permanent director of the General Daoist Association ( 道教總會 Daojiao Zonghui ) of the Puppet state of Manchuria. In 1944, he left Shenyang for the Temple of Sacred Purity on Mt. Lu to cultivate himself individually for four years. Later, he once visited White Cloud Temple ( 白雲觀 Baiyun Guan ) in Beijing and convalesced there. After the founding of the People's Republic, he became the abbot of the Temple of Supreme Clarity in Shenyang and the 26th generation successor of the Orthodox Dragon Gate sect of the Complete Perfection Tradition ("Chong', the middle character in Yue Chongdai's name, was the 26th character in the genealogy of the Dragon Gate sect). In 1956, he participated in the founding of [[the Chinese Daoist Association]] ( 中國道教協會 Zhongguo Daojiao Xiehui ), and in 1957, he was elected its first president. He participated in the Political Consultative Conference of the People's Republic of China in 1956, and at the third Session of the Second National Political Consultative Conference in 1957, he delivered a speech named "Putting an End to Passive Ideas and Taking Part in Social Activities". Soon afterwards, he was wronged and branded as a Rightist. He died in May 1958. After 1979, he was rehabilitated. ==View on the history of Daoism== In the article "Putting an End to Passive Ideas and Taking Part in Social Activities", he gave a concise account of Daoism with less religious and more academic flavor. He held that Daoism originated from ancient popular beliefs, inherited Laozi's Daoist theory, was founded by Zhang Ling in the last years of the Han dynasty, and then subdivided and spread, and continued circulating in spite of its rises and falls. He expounded Daoist ideas and evolution in a historical perspective and a sober manner. This represented a new tendency to reform Daoism with new thoughts so as to make Daoist academic research inside Daoism more adapted to the development of the times. He stressed individual cultivation and the refinement of mind and nature, and attached importance to the commandment of "Venerating Heaven and loving the people, caring for life and abhorring killing" and its functions. He held that since Daoism was rooted in traditional popular beliefs, having deep roots in the hearts of the people, it possessed an intense national quality and produced an extensive and profound impact. "Daoism is the intrinsic religion of the Chinese nation. It strikes root in the hearts of the people, and it cannot be denied that although Daoism occasionally experienced rises and declines, its popular beliefs are universal and have never faded." [[zh:岳崇岱]] 269a35445e9c95208be2062e62bccdd425be99dd 0 366 443 2009-08-31T03:42:48Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Zhang Enpu (1904-1969), who had the courtesy name Heqin, the literary name Ruiling and the pedigree name Daosheng, was the 63rd generation Celestial Master( 天師 Tianshi ) of [...' wikitext text/x-wiki Zhang Enpu (1904-1969), who had the courtesy name Heqin, the literary name Ruiling and the pedigree name Daosheng, was the 63rd generation Celestial Master( 天師 Tianshi ) of [[the Orthodox Oneness sect]] ( 正一派 Zhengyi Pai ). He was born in his ancestral home, [[Mt. Longhu]]. He practised both Confucianism and Daoism, and mastered [[Talismans]] and [[Registers]] ( 符籙 Fulu ), Fasting and Ritual Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ), and Daoist Magic Skills ( 道法 Daofa ). In 1924, he succeeded his father as the head of the Celestial Master sect ( 天師道 Tianshi Dao ). In 1929, when the national revolutionary activities pounded at Mt. Longhu, the estate, the silver and copper seals granted by emperors through the ages, and the jade seal and sword handed down by the Celestial Masters for generations were confiscated. Zhang Enpu himself was put in jail by the Farmers' Association of Jiangxi province. After the coup d'etat of April 12th 1927, he was freed by Zhu Peide. Chiang Kai-shek sent people to Mt. Longhu to maintain the Celestial Masters' Mansion ( 天師府 Tianshi Fu ) and the Temple of Highest Clarity ( 上清宮 Shangqing Gong ). During the agrarian revolution in the Soviet districts of Jiangxi in 1930, he escaped to Shanghai, where he held the "[[Great Ritual Offering for All-Embracing Heaven]]" ( 羅天大醮 Luotian Dajiao ). In 1934, together with the eminent Buddhist monk Taixu, he held the "Great National Ritual of Praying for Rain and Eliminating Calamities" ( 全國祈雨消災大會 Quanguo Qiyu Xiaozai Dahui ). During the War of Resistance Against Japan, he returned to Mt. Longhu in Jiangxi. In the winter of 1946, he convened the major Daoist figures of Shanghai, and proposed to found the "Shanghai Daoist Society" ( 上海市道教會 Shanghaishi Daojiaohui ). He suggested founding local Daoist societies and then founding a national Daoist society directed by him. In 1947, he founded the Shanghai Daoist Society whose president was Li Lishan, and printed and published ''A Plan to Rejuvenate Daoism'' ( 復興道教計劃書 Fuxing Daojiao Jihuashu ) which had been drafted by [[Chen Yingning]]. At the end of 1948, he left for Taiwan by way of Singapore with his family, and arrived in Taiwan in December 1949. He settled in the Temple of Enlightened Cultivation ( 覺修宮 Juexiu Gong ) in Taibei. In 1950, he set up the Taiwan Office of the Mansion of Celestial Masters Descended from the Han Dynasty ( 嗣漢天師府 Sihan Tianshi Fu ), and in the same year, founded the Taibei Daoist Society ( 台北道教會 Taibei Daojiaohui ) and the Daoist Society of Taiwan Province. In 1957, he called together people related with Daoism who came from mainland China to organize the Lay Daoists' Society ( 道教居士會 Daojiao Jushihui ) as a complement to the Daoist Society of Taiwan Province ( 台灣省道教會 Taiwansheng Daojiaohui ). In 1964, he extensively visited the Malay Archipelago. In July 1968, when the Daoist society of the Republic of China ( 中華民國道教會 Zhonghua Minguo Daojiaohui ) was founded in Taiwan, he was elected its first chairman of the executive council. In 1969, he visited the Philippines to enhance Daoist teachings. Finally he fell ill from constant overwork, and passed away at his residence in Beitou, Taibei on December 25th the same year. [[zh:張恩溥]] 22f92f38a2687b3eed6ed36cd38dbb901ebc382c 0 367 444 2009-08-31T08:59:12Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Temples== Temples are the shrines for the cultivation of Dao and the worship of the divinities of Daoism. 'Temple' (Gongguan) is the general term for Daoist palaces and shrines...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Temples== Temples are the shrines for the cultivation of Dao and the worship of the divinities of Daoism. 'Temple' (Gongguan) is the general term for Daoist palaces and shrines. The residences of ancient emperors are called "palaces"(Gong), while places for surveying the city battlements are called "Lookouts"(Guan). The places for offering sacrifices to spirits in ancient times are also called temples. For example, emperor Wu of the Han dynasty built temples in Chang'an and Ganquan, to venerate Divine Men ( 神人 Shenren ). After Daoism arose, places for religious activities, such as Dioceses ( 治 Zhi ) and Oratories ( 靖 Jing ) at the very beginning, and later Immortal Mansions ( 仙館 Xianguan ), came into existence. Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou dynasty changed the Mansions(Guan) into Lookouts (Guan), and after the Tang and Song dynasties, they were called Temples (Gongguan). According to Daoism, the oldest temple is the Lookout Tower Temple ( 樓觀 Louguan ) of Shanxi. Daoist temples then spread all over the country. The Daoist priests of [[the Complete Perfection tradition]] ( 全真 Quanzhen ) take temples as their home. They adopt the system of the 'Temples of the Ten Directions' ( 十方叢林 Shifang Conglin ) ( 十方常住 Shifang Changzhu ). The 'Temples of the Ten Directions' is an organization and administration system of Daoist temples. The Temples of the Ten Directions are key places for religious activities of Daoism that are scattered all over the country, such as the White Cloud Temple ( 白雲觀 Baiyun Guan ) in Beijing, the Supreme Clarity Temple ( 太清宮 Taiqing Guan ) in Shenyang, Black Sheep Temple ( 青羊宮 Qingyang Gong ) in Chengdu, and the Lookout Tower Platform ( 樓觀台 Louguan Tai ) in Shanxi. The property of the Temples of the Ten Directions belongs collectively to the Daoist priests of the religious organizations. The major officials, such as the Abbots ( 方丈 Fangzhang ) and Supervisors ( 監院 Jianyuan ), are elected by the Daoist priests, and the ordinary officials are recommended by the Daoist priests after mass discussion. The officials hold a one year term. They can renew their term of office if elected consecutively. Incompetent officials will be dismissed after mass discussion. The Temples of the Ten Directions can transmit commandments, but they cannot take in disciples. When the temples declare that they will transmit commandments, the small temples will recommend disciples to converge to receive the Great Commandments of the Three Halls ( 三堂大戒 Santang Dajie ) (namely the Original Perfection Commandments ( 初真戒 Chuzhen Jie ), the Intermediate Extremity Commandments ( 中極戒 Zhongji Jie ), and the Heavenly Immortal Commandments ( 天仙戒 Tianxian Jie ). Regarding religious inheritance, it is regulated that the Daoist priests of [[the Orthodox Oneness Sect]] ( 正一派 Zhengyi Pai ) cannot be appointed Abbots and Discipline Masters ( 律師 Lushi ) of the Temples of the Ten Directions of the Complete Perfection sect. The Temples of the Ten Directions of the Complete Perfection tradition are quite strict with the religious life of their Daoist priests. In these temples, the first and the fifth day of each lunar month are fasting days, when the priests should recite the Book of the Jade Emperor ( 玉皇經 Yuhuang Jing ), the Book of the Three Officials ( 三官經 Sanguan Jing ), and the Book of the Perfect Warrior ( 真武經 Zhenwu Jing ) during their [[Morning and Evening Recitation]] ( 早晚功課 Zaowan Gongke ). At every Daoist festival, such as the sacred birthday of [[the Jade Emperor]] ( 玉皇大帝 Yuhuang Dadi ), the sacred birthday of [[the Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ), and the Festivals of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清節 Sanqing Jie ), grand fasting rituals are held inside the temples, and Daoist altars are set up for the recitation of scriptures for celebration. In the temples, at the Grave-Sweeping Festival ( 清明節 Qingming Jie ) and on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, and on the first day of the tenth lunar month every year, Daoist rituals, which are called "paying debt to the solitary spirits", are held to expiate the souls of the dead. In the temples, striking bells, beating drums, and tapping cloud slabs are used as orders in ordinary life. At five o'clock every day, after getting up, sweeping the courts and halls, and adjusting their hats and dresses, the Daoist priests begin their morning recitation, and in the evening, they perform the evening recitation. Most of the Permanent Daoist Lodgers ( 常住道眾 Changzhu Daozhang ) of the Temples of the Ten Directions are the best ones, chosen to stay and live there from among the Daoist priests who put up at the temples for short stays. The Temples of the Ten Directions generally have a large scale, a big amount of property, and many Daoist priests, so they have a set of well-organized administrative systems. The organization and administration system of temples also includes Shrines for Disciples ( 子孫廟 Zisun Miao ) and Temples for Disciples ( 子孫叢林 Zisun Conglin ). Shrines for Disciples are also called small shrines. These are privately owned and are handed down from masters to disciples, so that the disciples inherit not only the religious inheritance of the masters but also their property. The small shrines can take in disciples, but they cannot transmit commandments, and are forbidden to hang bells or slabs. In the Temples for Disciples, the masters are the abbots, and there are not many Daoist priests living in the temples. Therefore, these temples have no complicated organization; they are similar to ordinary families. The small temples do not receive the Daoist Priests of the Ten Directions, which means that Daoist priests are not asked to put up at these temples for short stays. Usually the temples of small towns and in the countryside are Temples for Disciples. Temples for Disciples are also called Residences for Disciples, which are between the Temples of the Ten Directions and the Shrines for Disciples. They arise mostly from the prosperous Shrines for Disciples, hang bells and slabs, receive Daoist priests for short stays, arrange some duties for the Daoist friends from the Ten Directions who stay in the temple, and administer the affairs of the temples together with them. Temples for Disciples can also transmit commandments, but after that, they cannot take in disciples according to the rules of the temples. Hence Temples for Disciples are actually the higher level of Shrines for Disciples. The officials of the temples mainly include the Abbot, the Supervisor, the Official Host for Guests ( 知客 Zhike ), the Hall Master ( 堂主 Tangzhu ), the Sacred Hall Master ( 殿主 Dianzhu ), the Scripture Master ( 經主 Jingzhu ) and the Master of High Merit ( 高功 Gaogong ). The Abbot is the host of the whole temple. It is actually a ceremonial post. The Abbot does not administer the affairs of the temple and retires from active duty after the transmission of commandments. During the transmission of commandments, the Abbot is also called the Discipline Master. It indicates that the Abbot masters commandments and disciplines, can transmit commandments as a representative of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign, and can be taken as a Master. The candidates for Abbot must be adepts who have received the Great Commandments of the Three Halls, are expert in commandments, disciplines and rituals, and enjoy popular confidence. The Supervisor is also called 'zhuchi' or 'dangjia' (head). The Supervisor is the actual host of the temple, in charge of all the affaires of the whole temple. Though the Supervisor is inferior to the Abbot in rank, he wields greater real power. Supervisors are elected publicly by the Daoist priests of the temples and have a three years' term of office. They can renew their term if elected consecutively, and may be dismissed for faults through mass discussion. The intelligent and capable are usually elected as Supervisors. The Official Host for Guests takes charge of receiving and treating guests, assisting the Supervisor in dealing with all the affairs of the temple, and can be the alternate of the Supervisor. Candidates for the Official Host for Guests must be good at social intercourse, devoted, and desirous to do better at abiding by commandments. The Hall Master is the official in charge of the Hall of the Ten Directions ( 十方堂 Shifang Tang ) and of the Water and Cloud Hall ( 水雲堂 Shuyun Tang ), who specially administers Daoist priests' short stays at the temple. All the wandering Daoist priests who put up at the temple for short stays live in these two halls, so the Hall Master supervises their observance of commandments and rituals, and their violation of the disciplines. In addition, there is the Hall Master of the Life Nourishing Hall ( 養生堂 Yangsheng Tang ). All the old, weak, sick, and handicapped Daoist priests of the temple are adopted and live in the temple, and the Hall Master of the Life Nourishing Hall takes care of their life and medicine. The Sacred Hall Master takes charge of a certain sacred hall. For example, the Hall of Patriarch Lu has a Sacred Hall Master, who is responsible for sweeping, incenses, cleaning the worship wares, and security. The Sacred Hall Masters are usually Daoist priests who have stayed in the temple for years and contributed a lot to the temple. The Scripture Master is in charge of Daoist priests' studying and worship of scriptures, recitation in three periods, and cults and pilgrimage. Besides, he is responsible for the care and sale of the books of the temple. The Master of High Merit is commonly called the Master in Charge of Altars. He is the head of all the Scripture Masters and presides over all the major and minor Daoist rituals. He is responsible for petitions, receiving immortals, all pilgrimage affairs, scriptures, mysterious disciplines, and rituals and rites. Those having intimate knowledge of scriptures and rituals assume the office. In addition, in the temples there are some other administrative organizations, such as the cell, the storehouse, and the accountant's office, and other officials, such as the Master of Scriptures, the Secretary, the Hall Supervisor, the Chief Cantor, the Official in Charge of Affairs, and the Eighteen Heads. Many Daoist temples have been built in history. Some of them were destroyed, and others have been preserved. The celebrated temples include: the White Cloud Temple in Beijing, the Eternal Happiness Temple ( 永樂宮 Yongle Gong ) in Ruicheng, Shanxi, the Mysterious Sublimity Temple ( 玄妙觀 Xuanmiao Guan ) in Suzhou, the Temple of the Limitless ( 無量觀 Wuliang Guan ) in Qianshan, Liaoning, the Eternal Spring Temple ( 長春觀 Changchun Guan ) in Wuchang, Hubei, the Golden Hall ( 金殿 Jiandian ) of Mt Wudang in Hubei, the Purple Heaven Temple ( 紫霄宮 Zixiao Guan ), the Temple of Heavenly Oneness and Perfect Celebration ( 天乙真慶宮 Tianyi Zhenqing Gong ), the Celestial Masters' Grotto ( 天師洞 Tianshi Dong ) of Mt Qingcheng in Sichuan, the Temple of the Highest Clarity ( 上清宮 Shangqing Gong ), the Temple of the Middle Sacred Mountain ( 中嶽廟 Zhong Yue Miao ) of Mt Song in Dengfeng, Henan, the Temple of Longevity ( 萬壽宮 Wanshou Gong ) in Yulong, Mt Xi in Jiangxi, the Eight Immortals Temple ( 八仙庵 Baxian An ) in Xi'an, Shanxi, the Lookout Tower Temple in Zhouzhi (called Diedie in ancient times), Shanxi, the Temple of the Highest Clarity of Mt Longhu ( 龍虎山 Longhu Shan ) in Jiangxi, the Black Sheep Temple in Chengdu, Sichuan, the Primordial Talismans Temple ( 元符宮 Yuanfu Gong ) of Mt Mao in Jiangsu, the Supreme Clarity Temple ( 太清宮 Taiqing Gong ) in Shenyang, the Supreme Clarity Temple in Luyi, Henan and the Supreme Clarity Temple of Mt Lao in Shandong. These temples are not only a precious legacy of Chinese culture, but also an important source of human culture for the present development of tourism. ==Temples and Daoist Culture== Daoist culture is an ancient but ever vigorous branch of the culture of the Chinese nation. Its value is being generally acknowledged by more and more men of insight in China and is becoming gradually understood in the world. Daoist culture has existed in different forms. The temple is one of these forms, which plays an important role in the evolution and development of Daoist culture in general. To know this is of great value for the understanding of the appearance and features of temples, and for the enhancement of what is modern and active for the development of Daoist culture. ===The Substantial Expression of Daoist Culture=== Taking temples as the general term for Daoist places occurred gradually through history. Temples themselves are the product of Daoist culture, but they are also the substantial outer expression of the culture. The custom of calling the religious buildings of Daoism as temples occurred fairly late, no earlier than in the Tang dynasty. An investigation of the history of its formation and evolution shows that temples came into being and developed to satisfy the need of the formation and development of Daoist organizations. It is now generally believed that the religious buildings of early Daoism were mainly Chambers of Silence ( 靖 Jing ) (Quiet Chambers ( 靜室 Jingshi )) and Dioceses ( 治 Zhi ); some other Daoist chambers were called Lu, and those inside Dioceses could be called Guan. The so-called Chamber of Silence refers to a quiet chamber set up by a family worshiping Dao. It was meant to be separate from the other places in the house. "In a family worshiping Dao, the Chamber of Silence is the place showing good faith. Outside, it is isolated from other rooms; inside, there are no sundry articles. The door and windows are opened and closed lightly, and the room is always clean and serious as if spirits were living in it. The Chamber is only furnished with an incense burner, an incense lamp, a petition table and a writing knife." It is thus evident that at the beginning, the Chamber of Silence appeared to distinguish sages from ordinary persons, Daoist priests from common people, and the worship of Dao from worldly affairs. As for the Dioceses of the Celestial Masters Tradition ( 天師道 Tianshi Dao ), they were both public places for the religious activities of Daoism and the seats of the institution of this sect, whose leadership combined politics and religion. The sect is commonly called the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition ( 五斗米道 Wudou Midao ). At the time of its founding, there were already twenty-four Dioceses, and at the time of Zhang Lu, Unfixed Dioceses ( 游治 Youzhi ) were also established. Master Lu's General Daoist Rituals ( 陸先生道門科略 Luxiansheng Daomen Kelue ) further lists Auxiliary Dioceses ( 別治 Biezhi ), Affiliated Dioceses ( 配治 Peizhi ), Surbodinate Dioceses ( 下治 Xiazhi ), etc. This shows the further development of Dioceses. These Dioceses, fixed or unfixed, were places where the Daoist believers held collective religious activities and were inspected and examined by the Celestial Masters Tradition. After Zhang Lu surrendered to Cao Cao, the political power of the sect disappeared, and Dioceses thus became places simply for religious activities. The Outer Register Ritual of the Magical Writ of the Orthodox Oneness ( 正一法文外錄儀 Zhengyi Fawen Wailu Yi ) says, "Every male or female master establishes a Diocese, where the Daoist priests treat each other according to their positions, and conduct themselves in conformity to the rituals. They should realize that their future study attaches importance to perfection from the fact that the previous teachings neglect Dao." It cites The Particular Garden ( 異苑 Yiyuan ) written by Liu Shujing of the Song of the Southern Dynasties, saying, "In the evening when Du Mingshi dreamed of someone entering his temple, Xie Lingyun was born in Guiji. Thinking that it is rare to bear sons, his family sent him to be brought up in Du's Diocese." The temple mentioned above is just the Diocese of Du Mingshi (Zigong), or the room inside the Diocese. The term of Daoist Guan (temple) began to appear in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. Chen Guofu cites the Interpretations of the Terms ( 釋名 Shiming ), saying, "a temple (guan) is a place from which one can look afar." He also cites the annotations, saying, "the word ' Temple' means " to observe". Two temples or observation towers are set up on either side of the palace gate. One can live in the temple or climb up the temple to look afar. Hence the term ' temple'." According to some scholars, Daoists' calling their temples as observation towers is related to their valuing the observation of the heavens, such as astronomy and the observation of clouds. In the Tang dynasty, the name of temples for worshiping the venerable spirits was changed to ' Gong', meaning ' palace'. For example, in the second Tianbao year, emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty ordered to change the name of the Xuanyuan Temple (miao) in the western capital to Supreme Clarity Palace (gong) ( 太清宮 Taiqing Gong ), that of the temple in the eastern capital to Supreme Subtlety Palace (gong) ( 太微宮 Taiwei Gong ), and that of all the Dioceses to Purple Extremity Palace (gong) ( 紫極宮 Ziji Gong ). It is certainly the emperor's privilege to change the name to gong, but this change is nonetheless based on specific Daoist cultural views. As a matter of fact, the world of Immortals in Daoist imagination is one with a strict hierarchy. Just like the political system of the human world, Heaven is governed by the highest venerable spirits, who have their respective subjects. Those having attained Immortality could build Immortal Palaces in Heaven or in other places in the Realm of Immortals. Therefore, the Dioceses of the venerable spirits could also be Palaces. If the temple in the human world served to worship such kinds of spirits, it could certainly be called a' palace' (gong), too. For example, in the Tang dynasty, Laozi was revered as the Supreme Patriarch, the Emperor of the Mysterious Origin ( 太祖玄元皇帝 Taizu Xuanyuan Huangdi ), so his temple was entitled Gong. To sum up, both the appearance and evolution of temples are based on the religious ideas and cultural content peculiar to Daoism. As for Daoist priests, they think that the establishment of temples follows the principles of the world of Immortals they believe in. The scripture Instructions for Conducting Rituals and Commandments for Worshiping Dao of the Three Grottoes of the Pervasive Mystery of the Numinous Treasure ( 洞玄靈寶三洞奉道科戒營始 Dongxuan Lingbao Sandong Fengdao Kejie Yingshi ) says, " The Dioceses of sages exist in the realm of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ), the Five Continents, the famous mountains such as the Five Sacred Mountains ( 五嶽 Wuyue ), the Grotto Heavens ( 洞天 Dongtian ), and in space. Some are towers and halls made of Vital Breath ( 氣 Qi ), some are pavilions and houses made of clouds, some are located at the gate of the sun, the moon and stars, and some are located in clouds. Some are transmutations from nature, are some are made by divine force. Some are built up over a long period of time, and some at one time. The Dioceses are named Penglai, Fangzhang, Yuanqiao, Yingzhou, Pingpu, Langfeng, Kunlun, Xuanpu, or named the Twelve Jade Towers and the Three Thousand Golden Gates. Their names are uncountable. They are traces of the Heavenly Lords ( 天尊 Tianzun ) or Supreme Spirits and the places governed by Sages, Perfect Men and Immortals. This is explained in many scriptures, so here we give no detailed account. These Dioceses are established to transform Man and Heaven and separate the realms of virtuous and foolish people. The numinous temples are set up to imitate Heaven. As Blissful Realms ( 福地 Fudi ), they are the Abodes of Immortals. Their arrangement observes their respective rules. Therefore, in the Daoist priests' minds, temples are ideal places, the realm of Immortals in this world. Their cultural implication is self-evident. Besides, the design of temples fully expresses the special ideas of Daoist culture. It goes without saying that every part of their content is closely related to the needs of the religious life of Daoism, and even its form often reflects or symbolizes a certain idea. For example, in the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 Sanqing Dian ) in the Black Sheep Temple ( 青羊宮 Qingyang Gong ) in Chengdu, there are 36 huge pillars. Among them, there are 8 wooden pillars, which symbolize the eight Heavenly Kings Who Guard Laws, and 28 stone pillars, which symbolize the Twenty-Eight Constellations. The whole design for the construction of the Celestial Masters Mansion ( 天師府 Tianshi Fu ) on the Tiger and Dragon Mountain (Mt. Longhu) is modeled on the arrangement of the Eight Trigrams ( 八卦 Bagua ). For example, the third Hall for Introspection in the Celestial Masters Mansion is in the central position identical to that of the Supreme Ultimate ( 太極 Taiji ). Daoism regards the Eight Trigrams as the embodiment of the rules of the changes of Yin and Yang, and regards the central Supreme Ultimate as the gate for the entrance and exit of Yin and Yang, where the Four Images ( 四象 Sixiang ) get together and [[the Five Agents]] ( 五行 Wuxing ) are converged. Therefore, the Eight-Trigram-shaped building implies that the Celestial Masters Mansion follows and embodies the rules of the changes of Yin and Yang. That the Celestial Master is in the position of the Supreme Ultimate signifies that he is in the venerable position where he communicates between man and spirits and controls the changes of Yin and Yang. Wudang Mountain is designed to follow the shapes of the mountains and water. It is natural and reflects the Daoist idea that "Dao imitates Spontaneity". Moreover, the buildings are basically arranged in line with the legend of the mysterious emperor's cultivation of Immortality. When people go on pilgrimage or travel, they will spontaneously recall the stories about the Highest Emperor of the Mysterious Northern Heaven and the Daoist beliefs and spirit contained in them. As for the divine statues, the seven-star banner, the five-thunder tablet, and other objects in the temple, all of them manifest Daoist views of spirits and of the universe and the methods of religious practice peculiar to Daoism. In brief, temples are the reflection of Daoist ideas and the symbolization of Daoist features. They are outstanding signs that make people with a little common religious knowledge realize that they are religious sanctuaries peculiar to Daoism and distinguish them at first sight from those of other religions such as Buddhism and Christianity. ===A Major Place that Integrates Daoist Culture=== As a huge system, Daoist culture consists of complex and numerous elements. Though we are usually in contact only with a certain part of Daoist culture, we can always feel its characteristic qualities and atmosphere as a whole, and be aware of its peculiar flavor which is not shared by any other worldly or religious culture. This is because Daoist culture is an integral entity whose cultural spirit and outlook on the universe, outlook on life, and view of life, and the way in which they are expressed, have permeated its every ingredient. The culture displays itself to the world with an integrated and unified appearance. Its integration is based on its characteristic cultural spirit and its internal soul, yet the integration should be seen in a certain background of time and space as well. Temples, in this sense, are the glue for the integration of Daoist culture. Firstly, temples provide a container for the integration of the various conceptual elements in Daoist culture. As a huge system, Daoist culture has a large conceptual system including all the teachings about its peculiar beliefs and philosophical ideas, morality and ideals, theories of Immortals, and art works such as architecture, painting, sculptures and music, and the scriptures which record all of the above. The systems of these concepts have their respective characteristic development and their relatively independent history. However, they usually converge and mix up and are indistinguishable in temples. A temple is an integrated entity of these concepts or their reflections. First of all, it is constructed, as has been mentioned above, according to some religious ideas, so it is where the various teachings and theories are most evident. Simultaneously, in temples the sculptures of spirits are often set up and stories concerning the major spirit worshiped in the temple are always painted. In the Hall of the Three Pristine Ones in the Eternal Happiness Temple ( 永樂宮 Yongle Gong ) in Shanxi, in line with [[the Primeval Lord of Heaven]] ( 元始天尊 Yuanshi Tianzun ), the Supreme Sovereign of the Great Dao ( 太上大道君 Taishang Dadao Jun ), and the Supreme Venerable Sovereign ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ) worshiped in it, there is a large-scale fresco named the Chart for Facing the Origin ( 朝元圖 Chaoyuan Tu ), which is magnificent and lively. In the Hall of Chunyang, the story of Zhongli Quan's salvation of [[Lu Dongbin]] is depicted in a picture, in which the models of the characters are quite vivid. Yet all these are closely related to the essential belief of Daoism and the special function of the Eternal Happiness Temple as worshiping Lu Dongbin (Chunyangzi). The vivid artistic images embody profound teachings, and the abstract teachings are reflected through the temple buildings and the artistic images. The mutual fusion of several elements constitutes the whole Daoist culture. This is true not only of the Eternal Happiness Temple. Ordinary temples are the same, except that they are of different influences and qualities. Different elements of temples, such as their architecture, sculptures of spirits, frescoes, couplets hung at the doors, inscriptions on tablets, and music played in rituals, combine the conceptual elements of Daoist culture and display them to people. Secondly, temples realize the integration of the concepts, behaviour and rules of Daoist culture. Daoist culture is an integral entity that contains different kinds of essential elements. They can be generally divided into the three aspects of concepts, behaviour, and rules, which are integrated in temples. The behavioural system of Daoist culture is mainly reflected in the Skills for Cultivation and Refinement aimed at controlling one's own transformations and the Talismans, Registers, and Magic Arts aimed at controlling demons, spirits and the changes of the things outside oneself, as well as the rituals of Fasts and Offerings. Temples are the major places for the conducting of rituals and for Daoists' cultivation and religious activities at ordinary times. The so-called system of rules mainly refers to the commandments that Daoists must observe and to the rules and regulations of temples and Daoist organizations. It also includes taboos in their broad sense. They both reflect and guarantee Daoist priests' beliefs, morality and forms of organization. Simultaneously, the Daoist system of behaviour is restrained by Daoist rules. When talking about the relation between the practice of Daoist Skills and following Daoist commandments, Zhang Yuchu, the Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ) of the 43rd generation of the Ming dynasty, says, "all those who practice Daoism must put commandments in the first place and their study in the second place." The observance of commandments is even more important than the study of concrete Skills. Life in temples is in essence a life restrained by various kinds of rules. As a matter of fact, during the period of [[the Tradition of the Mighty Commonwealth of Orthodox Oneness]] ( 正一盟威道 Zhengyi Mengwei Dao ), one purpose for the Celestial Masters to establish Dioceses was to make Daoist believers lead their religious life correctly under certain rules. Master Lu's General Daoist Rituals says, " The Celestial Masters establish Dioceses and positions just as the officials of counties and districts govern people. Daoist believers are all registered and their hiearchical relations are determined. They are ordered to assemble three times a year on the seventh day of the first month of the lunar calendar, the seventh day of the seventh month, and the fifth day of the tenth month. They should assemble in the Dioceses they belong to. At that time the Celestial Masters should amend the registers of their Diocese, deleting the names of dead ones and adding the newborn. Also, they should count the number of households and the population, so as to rectify the register. They promulgate orders time and again to make the people understand the laws. On these three days, the Heavenly Officials and Earthly Spirits assemble in the Dioceses to check the registers. Both the Celestial Masters and the people should keep calm and serious and should not drink wine or eat meat, nor make an uproar. After returning home when the assembly is over, the people must teach their family the rituals and taboos they have learned and ensure that the whole family practices them together. Hence the Daoist teachings are widespread and both the family and the nation enjoy great peace. Therefore, one purpose for the establishment of Dioceses is to check and strengthen the teachings of the Daoist patriarchs by studying and practicing rituals, i.e., what we call rules, through the religious life. Later, temples grew from early Chambers of Silence and Dioceses into common Daoist temples, and their functions of holding rituals, restraining Daoist believers, and advocating Daoist teachings were further perfected. Temples are not only places for preaching scriptures and the Dao, but also the abodes of the ritual altars, and even of ancestral altars. For example, the Ancestral Altar of All Skills ( 萬法宗壇 Zhengyi Pai ) of the Orthodox Oneness Sect ( 正一派 Zhengyi Pai ) was originally located in the Celestial Masters' Mansion. Moreover, apart from announcing and observing the common rules and commandments of Daoism, temples also compile their own special rules such as placards of rules for punishment. Hence when [[Wang Chongyang]] established religious rules, he took "living in temples" to be the first regulation. "All those who leave home must firstly dwell in temples. The temple is the house where one's body belongs and where one's mind becomes peaceful. When the Vital Breath and the spirit are in harmony, one enters the true Dao." Thirdly, the integration of refined and popular Daoist culture is mainly accomplished in temples. Besides its profound philosophies and its Skills that ordinary people can hardly understand, Daoist culture contains elements that common believers are able to understand and participate in. The former is refined while the latter is popular, the former is high while the latter is low in rank. However, in temples, the superior and the inferior, the refined and the popular are combined harmoniously, naturally and peacefully without any conflict. Undoubtedly, temples are important places for spreading advanced Daoist culture. Hence in ancient temples there was always a scripture-writing office and a ritual hall. "A ritual regulates that a scripture-writing office must be firstly set up in any temple. It should be set up in a single yard, which ordinary people cannot enter." "A ritual regulates that all the ritual halls, the places for preaching teachings and educating people, should be established behind the main hall, and they should not hold too many people." Some of the regulations about temples are aimed at Daoist priests and are thus relatively profound, but most of them are aimed at ordinary believers and are thus easy to understand and accept. As a result, the bounds between the refined and the popular are broken. Religious activities in temples must be held by Ritual Masters ( 法師 Fashi ) with high quality so as to win the faith of the people, and the rituals set for the people must be comprehensible, so the rituals' form, conduct, music and symbols must be what the people love to see and hear. Then the difficult and profound secrets of the way of practicing the Daoist rites come to be understood and taken up by ordinary people to some degree. This is another example of the integration of the refined and the popular. Moreover, temples are usually the centre of activities for eliminating disasters and praying for good fortune, such as the inspection tours of spirits and the celebration of the birthdays of spirits. As far as their social function is concerned, these activities are folk customs that can be developed only in temples or with temples as their actual initiator. For example, the fifteenth day of the second month of the lunar calendar is the birthday of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign. Its celebration has been considered important since the Tang dynasty and was not abandoned after the Song dynasty. In Hangzhou, the capital of the Southern Song dynasty, "the Venerable Sovereign's commemoration is held every year at the Tianqing Temple. At the festival, ten thousand lamps are lighted, and offerings are given to sages and fasts are practiced to pray for good fortune for the people. Both officials and ordinary people in large numbers present incense and worship the spirit." Similarly, similar folk customs are held on the birthday of the Great Jade Emperor ( 玉皇大帝 Yuhuang Dadi ). According to the customs in the region of Suzhou in the Qing dynasty, "the ninth day of the first month of the lunar calendar is the Heavenly Birthday (i.e., the birthday of the Great Jade Emperor). On this day the Daoist priests of the Qingzhen temple converge at the court and render offerings to the Jade Emperor. The rite is locally named ' Rendering Offerings to Heaven'." Since the Ming and the Qing dynasties, the worship of Lu Dongbin has been flourishing among the common people, and the shrine of Patriarch Lu has been an important centre for the people's worship of the spirit. Generally speaking, apart from these venerable spirits, all the temples having a certain influence in local areas hold a central position in these folk customs. Related to the celebration of spirits' birthdays and to the spirits' inspection tours, temples always become places for the display of popular cultural recreation. In old times, theatres only existed in cities, and popular operas were connected with offering sacrifices to spirits. Therefore, in fairly big temples, there were usually stages. Thus ties were formed between temples and the common people who watched operas. In brief, both the refined and the popular aspects of Daoist culture are manifested in temples. Furthermore, related to each other, they appear in the same time and space so as to appeal to all. The temple's function of cultural integration enables it not only to preserve Daoist culture, but also to mix up its various elements. The continuous process of mixing causes the fashions of different ages and the doctrinal changes within Daoism to merge into the culture gradually, so as to reflect the dynamic integration of Daoist culture. ===An Important Carrier for Passing on Daoist Culture=== As carriers of the existence of Daoist culture, temples are an important channel to spread it and a major place for the transmission of Daoist skills. A culture must first be understood in order to be accepted. Men always explore the strange world outside firstly through their senses. Temples are places that can be felt, seen and heard for people to discover Daoist culture. For the majority, they are actually their first place of contact with Daoist culture. With their solemn divine statues, their winding incense smoke and the harmonious sounding of bells, temples give most people a very strong first impression, which, though possibly shallow and superficial, is vivid and lively and quite different from that gotten from rumors or books. Temples, especially celebrated ones, are usually famous scenic spots that appeal to tourists from all directions and are widely popular. As early as the 1920s, when investigating the temple fair on Mt. Miaofeng in the suburbs of Beijing City, the famous historian Gu Zhegang said something that had keen insight: " Buddhist and Daoist Temples receiving offerings spread in every place. For example, in Suzhou, there are the Mysterious Sublimity Temple ( 玄妙觀 Xuanmiao Guan ), the Northern Temple, Mt. Qizi, Mt. Qionglong, Mt. Shangfang, Mt. Guanyin, and so on. Such places, however, are not influencial. They receive offerings from a radius of only a hundred li. The powerful temples, such as West Lake and Mt. Putuo in Zhejiang, Mt. Tai in Shandong, Mt. Jiuhua in Anhui, Mt. Wutai in Shanxi, Mt. Emei in Sichuan, Mt. Luofu in Guangdong, and Mt. Qixia and [[Mt. Mao]] in Jiangsu, etc., can attract offerings from within a thousand li or even several thousand li. This is because their landscapes are especially splendid and provide pilgrims with satisfactory beauty, which adds marvelous bearings to the spirits in their imagination. The wonder of Beijing lies in the best scenic regions round the capital and Zhili, where there are high and steep mountain ranges, dense apricot orchards and pine trees, the torrential Hun River and babbling springs. Therefore, the temples (on Mt. Miaofeng) attract offerings from the capital, from the northern part of Zhili (Mt. Tai attracts offerings from the southern part of Zhili), and from people who sojourn in the capital and Zhili." Here Mr. Gu gives a general account of the Buddhist and Daoist temples, but he focuses on the temple fair of Mt. Miaofeng that worships the Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud ( 碧霞元君Bixia Yuanjun ). It seems a bit simple to explain the cause of the numerous pilgrims as the beautiful landscape, but it is true that temples can attract a large number of tourists, and it is sure that the main motive of the tourists' climbing the mountain is their pilgrimage. Certainly, some tourists only visit the mountains for leisure, and few are scholars like Mr. Gu who go for specific research purposes. Although tourists are not necessarily pilgrims, the temples they visit give them a basic knowledge of Daoist culture. Based on this knowledge, some of them will have an interest and impulsion to engage in further study of Daoism. As for many pilgrims, who begin by entering temples to burn incense, pray for good fortune and blessings, or save the souls of the dead, they gradually deepen their attachment to Daoism and improve their understanding of Daoist culture. As the major places for displaying Daoist culture, temples are natural bases for spreading it. To put it in today's words, temples are strong and solid sources for propagating Daoist cultural information. Temples are basic places for propagation and education. One can study and investigate Daoism and Daoist culture in many ways. For example, to begin with texts is one way, to obtain Skills from an extraordinary person is another way, and to study because of some predestined relationship may be another possible way. However, the most common way is to formally acknowledge someone as one's teacher and learn knowledge and Skills from him in temples, because temples are the major places to preserve Daoist rituals, and temples with ancestral altars are also sacred places for keeping and transmitting Talismans and Registers. They may also possess a ritual altar for the transmission of commandments of [[the Complete Perfection Sect]] ( 全真派 Quanzhen Pai ). It is true that at certain times in history, Daoist Skills were formerly not transmitted to Daoist priests. During the Southern Song dynasty, Ning Quanzhen transmitted the Donghua Numinous Treasure ( 靈寶 Lingbao ) Skills. Having inherited the great Skills from the master, Liu Nengzhen, the Left Daoist Official in Charge of Registers, slandered him afterward and caused him to be put in jail for a time and almost put to death. So Ning Quanzhen took an oath, saying, "The Donghua Numinous Treasure Skills belong to a superior Daoist sect. They must be transmitted only between Perfect Men and must not be passed on to Daoist priests." Ning Quanzhen's indignant words were a special case in the Daoist history of transmission. Moreover, his proposition failed to be carried out over a long period of time. During the Yuan dyansty, Lin Gao, an important descendent of the Donghua sect, was appointed the preacher of the Doctrine of Mysteries of the Wenzhou branch, and later was promoted to be the Daoist official in charge of registers of this branch. Zhang Sicheng, the Celestial Master of the 39th generation, entitled him the Numinous Treasure Magical Master Who Communicates with Mysteries and Enhances Teachings ( 靈寶通玄弘教法師 Lingbao Tongxuan Hongjiao Fashi ) and an eminent Daoist priest, and let him preside over the Tianqing Temple of Wenzhou. Thus having gone round, the Donghua Numinous Treasure skills finally returned to the Daoist temple. In fact, Daoist skills may be kept in private families, but it is difficult to keep them for a long term and continue passing them on from generation to generation. Furthermore, ritual texts just kept in some places are stagnant; they can be passed on continuously in an active form only by transmitting, learning, demonstrating and practicing them continuously. This is our view of the transmission of Daoist skills. As Daoist skills are one of the essential components of Daoist culture, the conclusion applicable to the transmission of Daoist skills also suits the whole Daoist culture. The Daoist culture kept and transmitted in temples is a living vigorous one. Many products of Daoist culture have lasted for several hundred or even over a thousand years and been preserved in temples. Some of them have become precious cultural relics. Such cases are quite easy to find. We need not mention the group of buildings of the Ming dynasty on Mt. Wudang, the temple at the foot of Mt. Tai, the Dipper Tower, the Southern Heavenly Gate on the way up the mountain, the Jade Emperor Summit and the Shrine of the Emerald Cloud at the top of the mountain, which, together with the whole region, have already been acknowledged by the United Nations to be world heritage sites. There are far more odd scraps of historic relics kept in ancient Daoist temples. Formerly on Mt. Mao, there were eight treasures for protecting the mountain, bestowed by an emperor of the Northern Song dynasty. Having experienced frequent difficulties for over a thousand years, four of them are still preserved today: the Jade Tablet, the Great Sovereign's Seal of the Nine Venerable Immortals, the Talisman for Pacifying the Mind, and the Cinnabar Inkstone. Among them, the Jade Tablet not only has peculiar designs, but also is better than ordinary materials at conducting heat. Its temperature is usually lower than that of the atmosphere, so vapors will coagulate on it in summer, and people say that it can "perspire". The Cinnabar Inkstone is made of something unknown which is somewhat transparent. Breath can be turned into water to temper the cinnabar, so people call it "Ha (breath) inkstone". They are both rare things. Ancient Daoist relics are not only found in ancient temples on famous mountains such as Mt. Mao, Mt. Wudang and Mt. Luofu. Various kinds of rare historic relics with ancient and profound flavor can be found in any temple of long age. Divine statues over one thousand years old, such as the fresco in the Eternal Happiness Temple in Shanxi, are uncountable in temples all over the country. Besides ancient man-made cultural relics, there are plenty of ancient trees, living cultural relics, in temples. The Venerable Sovereign's cypress for tying oxen in front of the Lookout Tower Platform ( 樓觀台 Louguantai ), the one-thousand-year old ginkgo in the Celestial Masters' Grotto on Mt. Qingcheng, the camphor tree said to have been planted by the Celestial Master in person at the ruins of the Temple of the Highest Clarity ( 上清宮 Shangqinggong ) on the Tiger and Dragon Mountain (Mt. Longhu) were either planted by Daoist priests or endowed with cultural flavors by the exaggeration of Daoist legends. They are still living today thanks to the protection by Daoist temples and Daoist priests through ages. Hong Kong Daoist temples have a shorter history than these ancient temples, but in them you can also enjoy the potted trees of the Ching Chung Taoist Association ( 青松觀 Qingsongguan ) and the big glossy ganoderma of the [[Fung Ying Seen Koon]] ( 蓬瀛仙館 Peng Ying Xian Guan ). Temples record the evolutionary history of Daoist culture. A temple is a living history book of Daoist culture, the witness of its repeated changes and the embodiment of its tenacious vitality. Hence temples have profound and lasting historic and cultural implications, which are not possessed by any false antiques. ===The Energy for the Creation and Renewal of Contemporary Daoist Culture=== In the past one hundred years, China has stepped towards modernization and partly entered modern society. Daoism and its culture have also changed accordingly. With more and more media through which society and academic circles get information about Daoism, Daoist culture has further extended its influence. Having expanded beyond temples early on, it participates in the creation of ordinary human culture day by day, and its research and applications are not confined to temples or even to Daoism itself. However, the impetus or the basis for the development of contemporary Daoist culture is still primarily temples. The value of Daoist culture is expressed in various aspects. Therefore, people have different ideas of its advantages and disadvantages, as well as what to advocate and what to avoid, and so what is propagated and what is criticized in reality varies greatly. Now a lot of people of insight affirm the sensible factors of this old cultural system, but what is accepted and what is rejected varies with each individual. Hence the affirmation and praise of Daoist culture by society, including academic circles, is always confined to certain aspects. For example, ever since the Tang and Song dynasties, some people in society have realized the value of Gymnastics ( 導引 Daoyin ), Vital Breath skills, and [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ) skills, and some laymen have studied and practiced them. In modern times, Breathing Arts ( 氣功 Qigong ) have become prosperous, and Daoist Breathing Arts are quite favored by people. Some learn them, some probe into them, and some attempt to link them up with modern science so as to improve and develop them. Yet, those learning the skills do not necessarily know their position in Daoism or explore their inside information. They just get one ladle from the sea of Daoist culture. To carry forward Daoist culture comprehensively still depends on Daoist circles themselves and mainly on temples. This is because, firstly, contemporary Daoism exists mainly with the temple as its basic unit. In history, the existence of Daoism has always been based on temples. Nevertheless, as most of the imperial courts through the ages have supported Daoism to varying degrees and intellectuals of certain wealth or social influence have been converted to Daoism, there have been quite a lot of Daoist priests among the common people or hermits in history. Some people of cultural creativity have occasionally appeared. They have given impetus to the development of Daoism and Daoist culture to some degree. Ning Quanzhen, the founder of the Donghua Numinous Treasure mentioned above, is a typical example. Since modern times, the vicissitudes of world affairs have caused the social structure to be greatly different from that of ancient times. Imperial courts have died out early on, Daoism now develops completely independently, and the groups of intellectuals of the so-called scholar-bureaucrat class of ancient times have evolved into the salaried class making a living on their technological skills, most of whom have no ultimate concern about this world, and few of whom are interested in Daoist culture or even ordinary culture. This further shifts the focus of the existence and development of Daoism to temples. The Orthodox Oneness sect has Daoist priests living scattered in society, and the Complete Perfection sect has lay Daoists. Together with the Daoist priests in temples, they constitute the whole Daoist community. In history, many of the lay Daoists of the Complete Perfection sect have had deep study and insight of culture, and even till modern times, there were still Daoist scholars like Chen Yingning. However, scholarly lay Daoists scattered in society and who cultivate themselves well are rarely seen in the contemporary age. This is directly related to the characteristics of the time of the whole intellectual class. The scattered Daoist priests of the Orthodox Oneness sect formerly constituted a large proportion of the community of all Daoists. Though conducting rituals while busy and engaged in industry or agriculture in their spare time, they generally keep learning Skills from teachers and pay attention to the transmission of Skills from teacher to disciple. As a result, they play an important role in the preservation and practice of Daoist Skills and the spread of Daoist culture. Yet this group has little creativity, and the renewal of their Skills and teachings primarily relies on the ancestral altars and big temples. Since modern times, the Daoist ancestral altars have declined successively, and the renewal of the scattered Daoists' Skills is even more problematic. Simultaneously, due to their limited cultural attainment, the scattered Daoists lack abilities in the other aspects of Daoist culture. Consequently, the existence and development of present-day Daoism relies on temples. The second reason is that as a religious culture, Daoist culture has belief has its core. It is determined to a great degree by the religious feeling founded upon faith, whether or not one attaches importance to Daoist culture or has interest in conversion to it. Out of their religious feeling, abbots and Daoists in temples once made great effort to maintain and carry forward Daoism and Daoist culture in the past, and some even shed blood and sacrificed themselves for it. Things have changed today, but most Daoists in temples still keep this feeling, which is the major spiritual impetus for them to endeavor continuously to advance the study and spread of Daoist culture. This feeling is not possessed by intellectuals having a sympathy for Daoism and is different from academic motivations. Thirdly, it is related to the correspondent economic power necessarily possessed by Daoist culture and cultural studies. Even if some common people in society have good opinions of Daoist culture and are willing to study and promote the factors they consider beneficial to modern times and people, their ability always falls short of their wishes because of a lack of financial and material support. It seems only temples, especially those with a strong economic foundation, have this ability at present. In recent years, famous temples have been gradually restored in the interior of China. Those in charge of this are usually from Daoist circles or from the restoration committees made up of the Daoist believers of some temple. Moreover, famous Daoist temples in Hong Kong, such as the Ching Chung Taoist Association , the Fung Ying Seen Koon, and the Temple of Great Immortal Huang ( 黃大仙祠 Huangdaxian Ci ), have branches overseas, which have become the base for carrying forward Daoist culture abroad. The establishment of temples is the basis for advancing the development of other cultural undertakings. At present, big temples support the restoration of temples in relatively bad financial conditions. This is itself the extension and development of Daoist culture and provides conditions for the whole development of the Daoist culture as well. All the other affairs, such as preaching scriptures and teachings, publishing periodicals, training students, conducting academic research, etc., cannot be done without financial support, and certainly many of them have to rely on the temples' economic support. Indeed, temples have the conditions and possibility of carrying forward Daoist culture, but this is also directly related to whether the abbot of the temple pays attention to culture and is willing to exert himself in cultural undertakings. Due to their low cultural quality and attainment, the abbots of some temples have no impetus for cultural pursuits. To describe them by citing the words of Mencius, they are not unable, but are unwilling to do anything. In comparison, the abbots of quite a number of temples have seen the importance of improving the cultural quality of temples. They have also realized that the cultural charm characteristic to Daoism itself is essential for it to hold a standing in the world and face up challenges from various other religions and popular cultures. As a result, they endeavor to improve the cultural content of their own temples and are devoted to contributing to different aspects of Daoism, such as academic and artistic pursuits. In recent years, temples in Hong Kong, the mainland of China and Taiwan have made many attempts to develop and advocate Daoist culture and improve the cultural content of temples within the new historic conditions. Some have set up Daoist colleges, some publish periodicals, and some establish web-sites to make the public enjoy the resources of Daoist culture by means of modern technology, and some assist the holding of academic conferences and research. This is quite worth praising. We expect that the leaders of the big temples, having the foresight to carry forward their own excellent culture and resolution, will be able to unite numerous people sympathizing and loving Daoism in society to shoulder together the heavy responsibility of developing Daoist culture under the new historic circumstances. If they can succeed, the Daoist culture created by the Chinese nation will undoubtedly be enhanced and bring benefit to China as well as to the whole world. [[zh:宮觀]] 7b6a8244d7ba58bd527ebd71ee922f7242f6ba38 0 368 445 2009-09-01T03:52:38Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The First Stage of Research on Daoism(from late 19th century to early 20th century)== In the early stage of research on Daoism, researchers of Daoism were almost all Sinologist...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The First Stage of Research on Daoism(from late 19th century to early 20th century)== In the early stage of research on Daoism, researchers of Daoism were almost all Sinologists. After the Meiji Restoration, the capitalist economy was developing rapidly in Japan. The politicians of Japan focused on the resources and the markets in China beyond the sea. Under such circumstance, Japan began to attach importance to the research on the society, the economy, culture, and religion of China. At the time, it was generally thought that there was much in common essentially between Japan and China and that Chinese culture was the source of many aspects of Japanese culture. The representative works are: #''Origin of Laozi (Laozi and his works)'' (Takeuchi Yoshio) #''Daoist Ideology and its Development'' (Tsuda Sokichi) #''Daoist Ideology'' (Koda Rohan) #''Research on Japanese Ideology'' (Oyanagi Shigeta) #''Annals of the White Cloud Temple with an appendix: Annals of the Temple of Mt. East'' (Oyanagi Shigeta) #''Supplementary Study of Japanese Ideology'' (Oyanagi Shigeta) #''Daoism and the Thoughts of Laozi and Zhuangzi'' (Oyanagi Shigeta) ==Oyanagi Shigeta (1870-1940)== A Japanese monk of Buddhism. He graduated from the Department of Sinology of the Institute of Human Sciences of the Imperial University of Tokyo in 1894 and obtained his doctoral degree of literature with his dissertation Zhu Xi's Philosophy in 1921. During the time of his investigation in China, he stayed in the White Cloud Temple ---- the largest Daoist monastery of the Dragon Gate Sect of the Complete Perfection Tradition, where he obtained the first-hand information about the priests' life in the Daoist temples. In 1923, He completed his book A Survey of Daoism based on his teaching materials. Soon after his book was published, the Publishing House of Commerce introduced its Chinese version into China. His major contribution was his collection of information on Daoism as well as arrangement of the related historic materials. In addition, he began his study of Daoism in a comparatively scientific approach without any prejudice he had as he studied some other religions. He pointed out that Daoism originated from the union of immortality cults, ancient religious belief, and folk religion. He also thought that the developmental history of Daoism could be divided into several stages: the stage of foundation, the stage of completion, the Tang and Song period, the stage of separation, and the stage of decline. His view on the history of Daoism is still influential today. We have to admit that there were some apparent weak points in his research, that is, he limited his research within Daoism itself rather than studied Daoism as a social phenomenon connected to other aspects of society. Therefore he did not track down the relations between Daoism and other phenomena such as social politics, science, culture, and other religions as well. ==Daoist Studies for Political and Military Purposes (from 1920s to 1940s)== Since the 1930s, the militaristic Japanese government sped up its invasion of China, and the research of Daoism in Japan was associated with the war against China. The Railway Cooperation of Southern Manchuria in Shenyang and the Institute of East Asia in Shanghai studied China in all aspects, including its politics, economy, society, culture, history, customs, and religions. At the same time they collected a lot of information that was needed in the war against China. The findings of their investigations are embodied in the book A Survey of the Customs in Rural China, which was published after the war. Of course we must admit that some of the scholars still took a conscientious attitude at the time towards the study of religions, including the study of Daoism. Their representative works are as follows: #''The Daoist Classics'' (Girano Yoshitaro) #''The Ledger of Merits and Demerits'' (Girano Yoshitaro) #''The History of the Temple of Supreme Clarity'' (Igarashi Toshitaka) #''A Research on Chinese Ideology'' (Tachibana Shiraki) #''Daoism and Mythology'' (Tachibana Shiraki) #''A Textual Research: The Book of Supreme Peace'' (Fukui Koujun) #''The Foundamental Research on Daoism'' (Fukui Koujun) #''A Study of the Japanese History of Ideology'' (Fukui Koujun) #''The Actual Daoism'' (Yoshioka Yoshitoyo) #''A Research on Daoism'' (Yoshioka Yoshitoyo) #''On the History of Daoist Classics'' (Yoshioka Yoshitoyo) #''Daoism and Buddhism'' (Yoshioka Yoshitoyo) Some of the books mentioned above were published after the war. ===Fukui Koujun (1898 - 1991)=== A Japanese Buddhist monk. He majored in philosophy and graduated from the Department of Literature of Waseda University. After graduation, he came to China as a student (an apprentice) of Tsuda Sokichi. At the time Tsuda Sokichi worked as a researcher in the Department of Manchurian Railways and Academic Investigation of Japanese Association. Later he was found guilty because he was framed by a false accusation of insulting the dignity of the imperial family. The real reason why he was framed was that he elaborated on the ancient history of Japan in an objective way. As a result, some of his books about ancient history were not published. His views on history and his manner of pursuing his studies deeply influenced Fukui Koujun. Fukui obtained his doctoral degree with his dissertation A Research on Daoism. His academic books included ''A Research on "the Books of Numinous Treasure", A Textual Research on "Biographies of Various Immortals"'' ( 《列仙傳》 Liexian Zhuan ), and ''The Formation of "the Formula of the Preface of the Book of the Dao and its Virtue". His Complete Works of Fukui Koujun'' with six volumes was published in 1987. His son Fukui Fmimasa is one of the representatives of Daoism studies in Japan, but Yoshioka Yoshitoyo was the best successor of Fukui's way of pursuing the studies. ===Yoshioka Yoshitoyo (1916 - 1981)=== He graduated from the Chizan College (today's Taisyo University). When he was studying in China, he once lived in the White Cloud Temple in Beijing like Oyanagi Shigeta. His descriptions about his memories of his religious life at the Daoist temple were generally acknowledged as the precious personal experience with great value. Both Fukui and Yoshioka changed thoroughly the traditional views in which Daoism was regarded as something attached to Confucianism and Buddhism. Instead they studied Daoism as an independent religion. And their study of Daoism had been developed into a sort of comprehensive research. In other words, the field of their research had been expanded to history, archeology, literature, local chronicles, and chronological tables. They were strict with their research, apparently influenced by the Qianjia School of China in their methods of pursuing their studies. Their research on the history of the ''Daoist Canon'', on the ''[[Books of the Numinous Treasure]]'', the ''[[Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]]'' ( 《周易參同契》 Zhouyi Cantongqi ), and ''the Biographies of Various Immortals'' was done by quoting copiously from many sources, referring to each other, and making comprehensive comparisons. Their arguments were always based on the evidence with careful textual research and novel understanding. Nevertheless, their research was chained to the texts and what they saw or experienced at the Daoist temple, for they attached excessive importance to the texts so that they failed to look into Daoism as a social phenomenon in their research. And the other chances might be that they did not have enough time to go deeply into the position and the functions of Daoism in the Chinese society, culture and customs as well as science and technology. ==Research on Daoism in the Period of Restoration after the War (1945 -1972)== Owing to the foundation of the People's Republic of China and the outbreak of the Korean War, the study of China was reinforced around the world during this period. In the mean time, the research on Daoism was soon restored and greatly developed in Japan because of the development of theories of social sciences and sciences of humanities and the emphasis on the comprehensive studies after the war. The symbol of it was the foundation of the Society for the Research on Daoism of Japan in 1950. In its pronouncement it declared: ''Daoism is considered as a religion that is immersed in the whole life of the Chinese people. As for all the experts of East Asia, especially Sinologists, the importance of Daoism is self-evident. Judging by the development of the tendency of systematic study of China, the research on Daoism cannot be neglected anymore. Therefore, we set up the Society of the Research on Daoism. The society is faced with a very tough job for it to complete, for Daoism itself is a very complicated field for us to study. However, without comprehensive research on other religions in East Asia and the corresponding research involved in the other disciplines, it is impossible for us to get a better understanding of Daoism. After making a detailed observation of the present situation of Daoism, we have decided to take an approach in which all the aspects will be united as one.'' Since its founding, the Society for the Research on Daoism has admitted the scholars who originally belonged to the Society for the Research of Chinese Buddhism. It is reported that at present there are over 600 scholars in the society. In the following year after its establishment, the society had issued its magazine ''Oriental Religions'', which it has continued to publish up to the present. Since 1989, the society began to award the prize of the Society of the Research on Daoism of Japan once every two years so as to reward the scholars of the younger generations. In addition to the works of Fukui and Yoshioka, there are other representative works: #''The World of Laozi and Zhuangzi'' ----- ''Ideology of Huainanzi'' (Kanaya Osamu) #''The Culture and Thoughts of Chinese Masses'' (Kimura Eichi) #''Research on the History of the Six Dynasties--- Section of Religion'' (Miyakawa Hisayuki) #''The Religious History of the Six Dynasties'' (Miyakawa Hisayuki) #''The Research on the History of Daoism'' (Ofuchi Ninji) #''The Contents of the Daoist Scriptures in Dunhuang Manuscripts'' (Ofuchi Ninji) #''The Research on Religious Associations or Societies in Modern China'' (Sakai Tadao) #''The Research on the Moralistic Storybooks in China'' (Sakai Tadao) #''A Study of Supplementary Precious Scrolls'' (Sawada Mizuho) #''Detailed Discourse on the Refutation of Heresy'' (Sawada Mizuho) #''The Book of Zhuangzi'' (Fukunaga Mitsuji) #''Laozi'' (Fukunaga Mitsuji) #''Ideology of the Vital Breath'' (Fukunaga Mitsuji) #''Daoism and Japanese Culture'' (Fukunaga Mitsuji) #''Daoism and Japanese Ideology'' (Fukunaga Mitsuji) #''Daoism and Ancient Japan'' (Fukunaga Mitsuji) #''Mirrors and Swords in Daoism'' (Fukunaga Mitsuji) #''The Research on the Belief in Gengshen'' (Kubo Noritada) #''The Research on the Belief in Gengshen ---- Section of Island'' (Kubo Noritada) #''The History of Daoism'' (Kubo Noritada) Based on the research done by the Japanese scholars we can easily find the new characteristics of the research on Daoism in Japan in the period of restoration after the war. Firstly, research on the history of Daoism has been converted from the perspective of cultural history to that of politics and society. For example, Prof. Miyakawa, the expert of the history of the six dynasties, studied the Tradition of Five Pecks of Rice and the Supreme Peace Tradition in this way. So did Prof. Ofuchi Ninji in the ''Rebellion of the Yellow Turbans and the Tradition of Five Pecks of Rice''. Prof. Kubo Noritada wrote about ''the Religious Reforms in China'' from the perspective of the society, in which he looked into the political and social contents embodied in the Complete Perfection Tradition. Other authors also focused on the social and political factors in their articles on unofficial religion and secret societies as well. They discussed Daoism as a sort of social movement of rebellious farmers and scholar-bureaucrats so that they analyzed the mass movement covered with religion. Prof. Miyagawa pointed out that it was because most of the preachers of Daoism in the six dynasties were of humble origins that Daoism was called the religion of the common people. The rebels of the lower classes claimed to be the emperor by taking advantage of the Daoist magic figures. So did the Daoist organizations led by Zhang Ling, Zhang Lu, and Zhang Jiao. Prof. Miyagawa shares his views on the significance with those who think highly of the social functions of Daoism. Secondly, research on the history of Daoism has shifted from focusing on the written documents (literature or texts) to the connections between Daoism and the beliefs of the common people, Daoism and superstition, Daoism and customs, and Daoism and festivals. For example, Prof. Kubo made a lot of interesting observations of the folk beliefs of China, such as the beliefs in the Kitchen Spirit, the City God, the Local God of Land, God of Earth and so on. His research deepened our understanding of the religious beliefs and customs of Chinese people, especially the farmers. Kubo Noritada (1913 - ), graduated from the Department of Literature of Tokyo University. After the war, he worked as a professor and head of the Institute of Japanese Culture there. After his retirement, he became professor of Taisyo University. His book The Belief of Gengshen which had been reprinted seven times made comparative studies on the custom of "guarding for Gengshen" popular in Japan and southern Korea by making comprehensive observations. He pointed out in his book that it came from Chinese Daoism. His works did not only study Daoism from the perspective of the folklore, but studied Daoism in Northeast and Southeast Asia. Thirdly, there are more scholars involved in the study of Daoism. After the restoration of the diplomatic relations between China and Japan, the Japanese people became more concerned about Chinese history and society. As a result, more and more young scholars were interested in Daoism. At the 35th anniversary, there were seven speakers under 50 years old, and four of them under 40 years old. The youngest one was only 32 years old. In recent years, some new associations have been set up in various places in Japan to study Daoism. For example, the Daoist Conference of Taisyo University, the Institute of Ideology of Nourishing Life in Ancient China in Kansai District, and the Institute of Daoist Culture in Kanto District. Fourthly, Daoist Studies became independent during this period. Daoist study in Japan had long been attached to the study of Chinese philosophy and Buddhism. In 1974, Prof. Fukunaga Mitsuji was empoyed by Kyoto University as a lecturer of Daoism in the Department of Chinese Philosophy and Chinese Literature. He was the first in history to teach Daoist Study as one of the major courses and he developed a group of scholars of the younger generation. In 1983, at the 31st international conference of the Society of Japan, Confucianism and Daoism were independent as the fourth department. In 1985, the French and Japanese Academic Conference on Daoism and Japanese Culture was held at Paris University and an International Conference of Daoist Rituals and Music was held in Hong Kong. It indicated that the Daoist Study as a branch of sciences has become independent from other sciences in Japan or in the world. Fifthly, new materials were discovered. ''The Daoist Canon, the Supplementary Daoist Canon'', and ''[[the Essential Collections of the Daoist Canon]]'' ( 《道藏輯要》 Daozang Jiyao ) have been reprinted many times, which provide important conditions for the Daoist study. The contents of the written materials and pictures in Dunhuang Manuscripts have been published. The Daodejing and other texts copied on silk were discovered in the tomb of the Han dynasty at Mawangdui of Changsha, and they have been published, which has deeply influenced Daoist study. Sixthly, there is an expansion in the research field. The research on Daoism in Japan attached much importance to the classics and history. In this period, Daoism in the Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore has become the objective of their research. Meanwhile they began to pay more attention to the research on the Daoist rituals. The representative figures and works in the period are: #''The Research on Chinese Ideology and its Present Situation'' (Fukui Fumimasa) #''The Oriental Studies in Europe and America with Comparisons'' (Fukui Fumimasa) #''The History and Structure of Daoism'' (Fukui Fumimasa) #''The Research on Sacrifice Offerings in Rural China'' #''The Clans and Drama in China'' #''The Research on Witchery Drama in China'' #''The Present Situation of Chinese Daoism ---- Daoists, its Associations and Temples'' (Hachiya Kunio) #''Chinese Daoism ---- Its Activities and the Present Situation of its Temples'' (Hachiya Kunio) #''The Research on the Daoism in the Jin Dynasty'' (Hachiya Kunio) #''The Vital Breath in Philosophical and Religious Daoism'' (Mugitani Kunio) #''The Thirty-nine Chapters of the Perfect Book of the Great Grotto'' ( 《大洞真經》 Dadong Zhenjing ) ''and Others'' (Mugitani Kunio) #''The Index of Xiang'er's Commentary on Laozi''( 《老子想爾注索引》 Laozi Xianger Zhu Suoyin ) (Mugitani Kunio) #''The Index of Declarations of the Perfected'' ( 《真誥索引》 Zhengao Suoyin ) (Mugitani Kunio) ===Hachiya Kunio (1938 - )=== Graduated from the Department of Education of Tokyo University in 1963 with a Doctorate of literature. Before his retirement he was the professor of the Institute of Japanese Culture of Tokyo University and after his retirement he was the professor of College of Culture. He focused on the history of Chinese ideology originally with the following works published: #''Annotations of the Ritual of Adulthood'' #''Annotations of the Ritual of Wedding'' #''On the Formula of the Golden Gate and Jade Lock of the Perfect Man Wang Chongyang'' ( 《金關玉鎖訣》 Jinguan Yusuo Jue ) #''Understanding of Laozi and Zhuangzi'' Since the 1980s, he visited China many times and saw the restorations of Daoism in Mainland China by himself so that he became more confident about the situation of Daoism. In 1987 and 1988, he came to China twice to make investigations, and had his book ''The Present Situation of Chinese Daoism ---- Daoists, its Associations and Temples'' published in 1990. He published another book ''Chinese Daoism ---- Its Activities and the Present Situation of its Temples'' published in 1995 after his investigations in China four times since 1990. He thinks that compared to the Buddhist monasteries, Daoism takes on more varieties of its appearance. As far as the arrangement of the halls in the temples, the implications of the couplets, and the arrangement of worshiping the deities, each one of the eighty Daoist temples he has observed has its own characteristic. Thus he can see the concretization of Chinese culture. As for the religious belief of the Daoists and their daily life within the Daoist temples, it does not seem to have apparent different characteristic as what can be seen through the appearance of the temples. However, as far as the local characteristic of the gods' personalities, the scope of worship, and the situation of paying the religious homage to temples, and the life of the Daoists are concerned, the different Daoist temples have different characteristics. ===Mugitani Kunio (1948 -- )=== Graduated from Department of Chinese Philosophy of Tokyo University in 1972, he is professor of the Institute of Human Sciences in Kyoto University. He majors in the history of Chinese ideology, and has been focusing on the ideology of Chinese Daoism. His major works are #''A Brief Textual Research on the Chronicle of Tao Hongjing's Life'' #''The Thought of Relief in Early Daoism'' #''Brief Ideas on the Daoist Doctrine from the South and North Dynsaties to the Sui and Tang'' #''Different Theories on Heaven in Daoism'' #''The Vital Breath in Philosophical and Religious Daoism '' Since 1974, he applied the techniques of computer to compile the index of the Daoist scriptures. His books the ''Index of Xiang'er's Commentary on Laozi'' and the ''Index of Declarations of the Perfected'' have been published, and are both quite helpful to the research work in all the other countries. ===Maruyama Hiroshi (1959 ---)=== Graduated from Department of Comparative Culture of Tsukuba University, he took the courses for the doctor's degree in Department of History and Anthropology in Tsukuba University. At present he is the associate professor of the Research Center of Northeast Asia in Northeast Asia University. He went to Taiwan many times to investigate the Daoist rituals there. Moreover he is an excellent linguist, capable of speaking Mandarin and Minnan dialect as well as English, and is also able to read French. Due to his outstanding linguistic ability, he has a broad view in his research on Daoism and he tries to adopt in his research the latest approach of anthropology as well as the good points of the traditional approaches. Among the scholars of the younger generation, Maruyama Hiroshi is remarkably rich in his works with safe arguments. His essay ''A Textual Research of the Jade Altar Ritual for Petition'' ( 玉壇發表科儀 Yutan Fabiao Keyi )---- ''A Exploration Probe of the Historical Pedigree of the Daoist Rituals at Tainan'' was published in 1991 when he was only 32 years old. It was awarded with the first prize of the Society of Daoism of Japan. And it is thought that the essay tracks down the techniques of rituals back to the Eastern Jin dynasty after the author's accurate investigations on the Jade Altar Ritual for Petition performed by the Daoists of Orthodox Oneness Tradition in some places of Taiwan. Moreover the author studies the Technique of Obtaining the Heavenly Vital Breath by Pacing the Big Dipper ( 取天氣罡法 Qu Tianqi Gangfa ), which is typical of the Jade Altar Ritual, and confirms that it accords with the Orthodox Technique of the Heavenly Heart ( 天心正法 Tianxin Zhengfa ) that started in the Song dynasty. In other words his essay is a sort of combination of on-the-spot investigation and the textual research. Thus he introduces a new approach to Daoist studies. The research on Daoism in Japan has accumulated for nearly one hundred years. Based on the characteristic of the Daoist culture, the independent Daoist studies have formed ten branches. #Works on Daoism #History of Daoism #Daoism and folklore, Daoism and conviction, Daoism and calendar, Daoism and literature #Daoism and sciences #Daoism and Confucianism and Buddhism #Daoist ideology and philosophy #Research on the classics and literature Daoism #Transmission of Daoism #Daoist temples, Daoists, Daoist rituals, and Daoist festivals #Academic tendency In the field of the history of Daoist ideology, the Japanese scholars are interested in the relations of the three religions (Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism), the vital breath (qi), and the definition of Daoism. In the field of the Daoist classics, they focus on the research on the Daoist Canon and other Daoist literature as well as the written documents unearthed in Dunhuang. Moreover, they pay close attention to the historic materials as well as the compilation of the contents of the Daoist Canon and the new edition of the Daoist Canon. In the relation of Daoism and the literary works, they are trying to fix the area to be studied and regularize the methods for doing their research. In the field of Daoist folklore, they attach great importance to the investigations about the customs and Daoist rituals in the mainland of China in order to make comparison between the literature and the practice of the rituals. In the field of Daoism and the history of science and technology in China, they pay more attention to the study of alchemy and skills of nourishing life. As a result, in this period there has been an increase in the amount of the research that has been done on a larger scale than that in the past. In 1983, the Hirakawa Publishing House of Japan published the three volumes of the Daoist Canon edited by Fukui Koujun. It can be seen as the summary of the past Daoist research done in Japan as well as the starting point in the new era. In 1994, after 20 years of preparation, it turned out the ''Daoist Dictionary'' compiled by Noguchi Tesuro, Sakade Yoshinobu, Fukui Fumimasa, and Yamada Toshiaki. 132 scholars in the world were involved in the writing of it. It can be regarded as the historical summary of the Daoist study in the 20th century as well as the foundation for it in the 21th century. [[zh:日本的道教研究]] 5e894a551a98c7d78b77d9f0fb18c4cc5a2e3c69 0 369 446 2009-09-01T05:30:27Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Daoist Studies in Korea== The Korean Peninsula is connected with the northeast of China. Before World War II the Korean Peninsula was a united nation. Chinese Daoism was transm...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Daoist Studies in Korea== The Korean Peninsula is connected with the northeast of China. Before World War II the Korean Peninsula was a united nation. Chinese Daoism was transmitted to Korea many times throughout history, which accounts for the fact that there were people studying Daoism in Korea a long time ago, of whom Yi Gyugyeong was one of the most famous. ===Yi Gyugyeong (1788 -- ? )=== He was a scholar of the practical school in the Korean Dynasty. ''The Five-State Disorderly Manuscripts of Long Sheets on Redundant Words'' ( 《五洲衍文長散稿》Wuzhou Yanwen Changqian Sangao ) consists of 60 volumes, among which there were 1500 articles written in ancient Chinese that are considered as the encyclopedia of ancient Korea. His articles on Daoism in this book series are: #''Discrimination on Daoist Scriptures and Books of Immortality'' #''Discrimination on the Origin of Daoism in Japan'' #''Discrimination on the Problem of Three-Korea'' #''Discrimination of Womhyo Uisang'' #''Discrimination on Mt. Back Dusan'' #''Discrimination on the Two Dippers' Descending'' #''Discrimination on the Barrack System'' ( 營室制度 Yingshi Zhidu ) #''Discrimination on Chart of the Ranks of the Perfect Souls of Numinous Treasure'' ( 靈寶真靈位業圖 Lingbao Zhenling Weiye Tu ) #''Discrimination on the Origin of the Perfect Man Zhang'' His work ''The Five-State Disorderly Manuscripts of Long Sheets on Redundant Words'' known as "the Single Copy in the World" was never printed until 1959 by Dongguk Publishing House of South Korea. In 1910, the Korean Peninsula was invaded and occupied by the Japanese militarist government and the Korean people persisted in their struggle against the Japanese. Unfortunately the economy and culture in Korea were deeply affected by the Japanese. Along with the Daoist studies in Japan, the Korean academic circle did the research on Daoist history in Korea. And Yi Newnhwa was one of the most remarkable figures. ===Yi Newnhwa (1869 - 1943)=== He was a famous historian and scholar of folklore. He wrote a lot on Korean history such as ''History of Gods in Korea'', ''History of Buddhism in Korea'', ''A Textual Research of Witchery Customs in Korea'', and ''A Survey of Religions''. ''History of Daoism in Korea'' is the first history book written in ancient Chinese on Daoist transmission into Korea. It is probably because he was not allowed to write in Korean, nor willing to write in Japanese under the Japanese domination. It might, as well, account for the fact that he called himself Lay Daoist of Disablement so as to indicate his helplessness. ''History of Daoism in Korea'' was not published during his lifetime. In 1958, it was printed by photography by Dongguk University Publishing House of South Korea. In 1981, it was translated into Korean by a professor from the State University of Han Yang. His book has 29 chapters. The author discussed the connection between the legends of Dan-gun and the Three Divine Mountains and the legends in ancient China, the Daoist transmission into Goguryeo, Baek-je, and Silla, the different Korean sects of alchemy, and the Daoist influence on Korean customs. Prof. Cha Junwan, the contemporary Korean researcher of Daoism, announced as he commented on Yi's works that the Korean Daoist studies used to be attached to the studies of Buddhism and the customs, and the Daoist study was just sort of brief introductions. The scholars did not pay attention to the Daoist transmission into Korea until Li's book was published, which changed the scholars' minds on the Daoist studies. His book was a worthy masterpiece. Yi Newnhwa will never be forgotten for his achievements in his paving the way to the Daoist study and hard work in collecting, and rearranging information. Miura Kunio the Japanese professor claimed that Yi's History of Daoism in Korea was the first general history of Daoism in Korea, which had unexpectedly made such great achievement, we had nothing to say but praise and admiration. ==Daoist Studies in Korea after World War II== After World War II, the Korean Peninsula had to be separated into two independent countries, and in the 1950s there was a civil war against. As a result Daoism in Korea was not studied until the1970s. In the1980s, there were two academic societies of a group of scholars established in Korea with a number of essays and books published. The representative figures in this period were Do Gwangsun and Cha Junwan. ===Do Gwangsun (1927 --)=== Do Gwangsun graduated from Gyeong Buk University, he was once Professor of Hanyang University, chairman of the Daoist Society of Korea, and head of the Institute of Human Sciences of Korea. He is proficient in Chinese and Japanese, getting along very well with the Japanese researchers of Daoism. He became the international member and consultant of it as the Daoist Society of Japan was set up. He was rich in his works with his studies of Chinese Daoism and Confucianism. He translated the ''Analects of Confucius'', ''Mencius'', ''Recent Records of Meditation'', and ''Records of Meditation of Gentleman Tuixi''. And he wrote a number of books, including ''Daoism in Korean Culture'', ''Theories of Immortality in Korea'', ''A Historical Research on the Legend of Dan-gun'' ( 檀君神話 Tanjun Shenhua ), and ''Religious Characteristic of Dungryudo'' ( 風流道 Fengliu Dao ). In 1983, he wrote an article Korean Daoism for the publication of the three volumes of Daoism. In 1994 when ''Dictionary of Daoism'' was published in Japan, he wrote such entries as Dungryudo, Dan-gun, and Hwarang ( 花郎 Hualang ). In the1980s, the Daoist Society of Korea launched many academic activities under his leadership, including the international conferences of "Korean Culture and East Asia Culture" in 1986, and of "Daoist Culture and Science in East Asia" in 1989. In 1987, the Daoist Society of Korea started publishing the academic journal ''Daoist Studies'' every six months. After his retirement, the present chairman of the Daoist Society of Korea is a professor from Suk Myeong Women University. ===Cha Junwan (1920 --)=== Cha Junwan graduated in 1948 from Department of Chinese Language of College of Human Sciences in Seoul University with BA, and after his graduation he worked there as a lecturer, associate professor, and a professor. He was once the member of the Academic Committee of South Korea, chairman of the Society of Daoist Ideology of Korea, and head of the Dunhuang Society of Korea. After retirement he became the honored professor of Seoul University and a professor head of the Society of Japanese Studies in Dan-guk University. He began his Daoist studies in the 1970s, and set up the Society of the Daoist Ideology of Korea in 1986. He launched reading "the Master who Embraces Simplicity" in a club and a conference to issue their essays. Most of the members in the club were young scholars. Six volumes of collected essays published from 1987 to 1992, including ''Daoism and Korean Ideology'', ''Daoism and Korean Culture'', ''Development of Daoist Thoughts in Korea'', ''Understanding of Daoisot Thoughts in Korea'', ''Koean Daoism and Daoist Ideology'', and ''Modern Enlightenment of Korean Daoism''. The Korean scholars surveyed the connection between Chinese Daoism and the culture and ideology of the Korean Peninsula and the Daoist influences on the Korean social life. In 1978, Cha Junwan published his masterpiece ''A Study on Daoist Ideology in Korea'' and it was republished after it was collected in the series of books of Korean history and renamed as Daoist Ideology in Korea with some supplementary in 1984. In 1990, Miura Kunio and Nozaki Mitsuhiko, the Japanese scholars, translated his book into Japanese and published it with the title Daoism in Korea. Miura thinks Cha Junwan takes a new perspective in his research, that is, to discuss whether Daoism would hinder the process of modernizing Korea with Daoism as a fundamental religion. In Cha's book there is one basic axis that interacted with five round axes. The five round axes are #theories of immortality, #Daoist rituals, #cultivation and refinement of Daoism, #theory of graphic interpretation of geography, #popular Daoism. Miura commented that Cha wrote it with his versatile talents, bringing the Korean Daoist study onto a higher level by discussing it from the ancient time to the present and it was of great significance indeed. Nevertheless, Cha's book is very redundant with too much duplication, which might be his special style or that of Korean scholars. What is remarkable is that Cha thinks that Chinese skills of geomancy and Chinese theories of the graphic interpretation of geography were transmitted into Korea from China. And some intellectuals dissatisfied with reality mastered them and saw the tendency of the times and the direction of its movement and forecast the decline of the Ming and the rising of the Qing so that they had the clear sense of resisting China. Sooner or later, Korea would have such a destiny that it could force Japan to surrender from oppressing China and dreaming of the union of the world. If such an idea was viewed as active, enterprising, and exclusively self-reliant, if such an idea of national history was regarded as the consequence of the Daoist transmission into Korea, it should be taken into serious consideration by those who study the history of Daoist transmission. [[zh:韓國的道教研究]] 350ae9b427f0def0a32c2db2363489ae9481b792 0 370 447 2009-09-01T07:00:15Z Admin 1 Created page with '==French Sinology and the Beginning of Daoist Studies== After Columbus discovered the New World, the first westerners to China were the Portuguese missioners in 1514. The Spanish...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==French Sinology and the Beginning of Daoist Studies== After Columbus discovered the New World, the first westerners to China were the Portuguese missioners in 1514. The Spanish missioners published in Spanish Stories of the Great Han Empire in 1585, introducing Chinese history and culture as well as its language. It was also published in French and spread all over Europe. From then on Europe began its studies of Sinology. From the late 17th century on Sinology of Europe and America was dominated by French Sinologists, for the French missioners of the Society of Jesus started their study of Sinology. From 1552 to 1773 there were 42 missioners of the Society of Jesus came to China for their missionary work. The information they offered to the Society of Jesus indicated that they took a purely negative attitude towards Daoism. Liu Ying the missioner mentioned in ''Religious History of Chinese Philosophers'' (1656 -1737) that there were three types of Daoists. The first was engaged properly in refining elixirs while remaining celibate, for they thought they could become immortals by taking elixirs. They were like the fanatics known as the Society of the Rose Cross in Europe. The second would get married like other people. The third was the ritual masters who were often invited to pray for blessing by doing ritual offerings and often played small tricks like the artists on the streets. The author believed that like the evil sources made of countless streams with the unbearable stink, both Daoism and Buddhism submerged the vast empire with something more harmful than what Dayu once liberated China from. In ''Voltaire's Dictionary of Philosophy'', there was one chapter named Questions and Answers on Chinese Doctrine, in which Laojun's Tradition refers to Daoism. In ''History of the Hun, Turkey, and other Tartar Nations'', Joseph de Guignes, professor of Syrian, used Daoist as a special term, and claimed that Laozi was the only god in China in the Tang dynasty. It is generally thought that Chavannes (? --1919) is the founder of Sinology in France. Chavannes graduated from Advanced Normal School of Paris. He once worked at the French Legation in China. After he returned to France in 1893, he became professor of Chinese at the French Academy. In 1910, his essay ''Village Grandpa Spirit'' ( 社神 Sheshen ) in China was published, which was thought to be the first to study the ancient cults to offer sacrifices in China. Another of his essays ''Casting the Dragon Bamboo Slips'' ( 投龍簡 Tou Longjian ) was thought to have paved the way for the study of the Daoist rituals. Therefore he was regarded as the pioneer of Sinology in France and the founder of the academic research on Daoism in France. ==Henri Maspero's Daoist Study (1883-1945)== Among the followers of Chavannes, Pelliot was known to the world for his robbing a large number of Dunhuang scriptures from China. Granet (1884-1941) was famous for his research on Chinese religions and the thoughts of ancient Chinese people, his works including ''Festivals and Ballads in Ancient China and Chinese Religions''. Henri Maspero (1883-1945) was another follower of Chavannes'. After the French invasion of Vietnam the institution called the French Academy of the Far East was set up to study East Asia. In 1911 or so, the two incomplete copy of the ''Daoist Canon'' of the Ming dynasty obtained by the National Library of Paris helped a lot with Daoist studies in France. Henri Maspero was from a family of historians. In 1904 he completed his works on the financial history of Egypt. Since 1911 he had been professor of the French Academy of the Far East, staying in the Far East for 15 years. Since 1920 he had been professor of the French Academy (Paris), in charge of the "Lectures of Chinese Language and Literature" for over 20 years, which was started by his teacher Chavannes. In 1944, he became head of the Department of Literature of the French Academy. In that year, he was sent to a concentration camp because his son was one of the members of an organization opposing the Fascists. In 1945 he died at the concentration camp at the eve of the victory of World War II. Maspero had written a several works on Sinology with his broad views. Moreover he had never avoided giving answers to the questions on the Chinese history of Daoism after the end of the Han dynasty. His most famous work was his lecture in 1937 with the title ''Immortals of Daoism ---- Their Interaction with Gods''. His lectures delivered in 1940 were also well known, which were named the ''Religious Belief and Daoism in the Six Dynasties in China'' and the ''Ancient Daoism and Techniques of Nourishing Life''. The other manuscripts left by Maspero were edited and published by his student and colleague Demieville (1894 - 1979), which was given the title ''Posthumous Manuscripts on Religion and History in China'' (filling three volumes). The second volume with the title "Daoism" contained the manuscripts of Maspero's speeches and those written during the war. In the preface of this volume Demieville claimed that the three articles on Daoism of the first few centuries AD had never been published. It is a critical era because the general form of Daoism was shaped at the time. Henri Maspero was the first who tried to have the academic discussion on the history and documents of Daoism in this era and he was nearly the only master of it until the present. In 1971 the second volume was republished with another title ''Daoism and Chinese Religions''. ''The British Encyclopedia'' views it as the best and most authoritative work on Daoism in the west. Maspero regarded Daoism as one of the most wonderful religions in the world. In his article ''Laozi and Zhuangzi: Mysterious Experience of the Sage's Life'' Maspero thought Daoism was dedicated to creating a scientific idea of the world. He pointed out that philosophical Daoism and religious Daoism were not as different from each other as people had thought, for they came from the same origion of the old religion. He considered Daoism existing in the Six Dynasties as something at the turning point in the Daoist history of development and named the Daoism before and in that era as the "ancient Daoism". He thought that from the Tang to the modern time, Daoism had been in the course of the endless decline. It was because the Daoists lived in the Daoist temples, having lost their influence on the common people while the Daoists who stayed among the masses purely worshiped the Daoist rituals. He named the Daoism after the Tang that had adopted the magical skills and the rituals as the Popular Daoism or the Modern Popular Daoism so as to distinguish it from the ancient Daoism. Maspero began his research on Daoism with Daoist literature. He thought the ancient Daoism was a religious group with its tradition of transmitting the ''[[Perfect Book of the Great Grotto]] ''( 《大洞真經》Dadong Zhenjing ),which was different from another one with its tradition of transmitting ''the Books of the Numinous Treasure'' ( 《靈寶經》Lingbao Jing ). The ancient Daoism led its believers to pursue longevity and immortality as well as individual salvation, and it had a series of Daoist arts of nourishing the body and spiritual essence in order to achieve immortality. It required its believers to accumulate merits and virtues so that they could be combined unconsciously with the Dao through conscious concentration. Thus they reached in a trance the mysterious realm of being integrated with the Dao. In this sense he thought there was not much difference between Daoism and the thought of Laozi and Zhuangzi. Even if Laozi and Zhuangzi were in a much earlier time than the Daoists in the Six Dynasties, there was successiveness in their theories and practice. In the preface to Daoism and Chinese Religions, Kaltenmark, another student of Maspero's, stated that Maspero's greatness lay in his understanding of such a profound religion as Daoism and his paving the way for a better understanding of it with his valuable questions. Translating Maspero's works into Japanese from French, Kawakatsu Yoshio, the famous Japanese scholar of Kyoto University, thought Maspero was master of both Europe and Asia and the only person who independently searched for the Daoist history and the inner system of Daoist arts. His remark is not overstated. Maspero's views of studying Daoism were succeeded by the younger generations of French researchers of Daoism, and still remained very influential until today. Demieville, another student of Maspero, was versatile, modest, and honest, engaged mainly in the research of Buddhism. Another two of Maspero's students continued his research on Daoism. Maxime Kaltenmark worked in the Sino-French Research Center in Beijing from 1949 to 1953, where he made comprehensive contact with Chinese culture and customs. In 1953 he published in Beijing the French version of the ''Biographies of Various Immortals Translated with Notes'' ( 《列仙傳譯注》Liexian Zhuan Yizhu ). ''The British Encyclopaedia'' commented that it was the French version of the earliest biographies that existed and its long explanations offered much knowledge of mythology. In 1957, he was employed as the tutor of the fifth group of the Advanced French Academy in Paris, delivering lectures on the Chinese history of Daoist ideology. In 1965 he published the French version of ''Laozi and Daoism'' in Paris, which was translated into English and German. ''The British Encyclopaedia'' claimed it was the excellent survey on Daoist philosophy and religious Daoism. The other works of Kaltenmark's include the ''Book of the Five Talismans of the Numinous Treasure'' ( 《靈寶五符經》Lingbao Wufu Jing ) and ''Thought in the Book on the Supreme Peace''. Prof. R.A. Stein, another student of Maspero, once did his research work in China and Vietnam. In 1951 he became the professor of the Advanced French Academy, giving lectures on Comparative Studies of Religions in the Far East and the Mid Asia, and he did research on Daoism and Tibet. His book Political Development of Daoism in the Second Century deals with the rebellions of the Yellow Turbans in China and the Chinese followers of the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition. His research developed a new approach to Daoist research and broadened the views on it. In 1966 cooperating with a famous anthropologist, Stein set up the Information Center of History of Chinese Religions. The Department of Religious Studies of the Advanced French Academy became one of the most important institutions of stduying Daoism and Buddhism in Europe and America. ===Daoist Studies of Kristofer M. Schipper (1934 - )=== Schipper was a student of Kaltenmark and Stein. He was from Holland, studied in France since 1953, and began his study of Daoism since 1958. In 1962, he went to Taiwan as a researcher of French Academy of Far East, making on-the-spot investigations on Daoism. With the famous Daoists Zeng Ci, Chen Weng, and Chen Rongsheng of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition respected as his teachers, he studied for seven years the Daoist rituals and systems of the Pristine Subtlety Lineage of the Numinous Treasure ( 靈寶清微宗lingbao Qingwei Zong ) in the south of Taiwan. In 1970 he collected several secret manuals on Daoist rituals that were passed down from generation to generation in the Daoist families and the librettos that are quite popular among the masses. Since 1970 he became the professor of Advanced French Academy and set up the Daoist Research and Information Center in 1973. In 1975 he became chief secretary of the European Association of Research on China, and took charge of drawing up and editing the ''Index and Annotated Bibliography of the Daoist Canon'' ( 《道藏索引和提要》Daozang Suoyin He Tiyao ). Many experts of Daoism from France, Italy, Denmark, Holland, Switzerland, Germany, and the United States were involved in making the index and verifying the authors and the contents of the scriptures, the dates of writing, and the lineage to which the scriptures belonged. In 1979, as one of the sponsors of the conference, he presided over the Third International Conference of Daoist Studies held in Zurich of Switzerland. Since 1981 he had visited the Mainland China for many times, investigating the history and the present situation of Daoism. In the early 1990s, he was invited as the professor of Leyden University in Holland, shuttling between Holland and France. He has made great contributions to the research of Daoism in the following aspects. Firstly, K.M.Schipper compiled the following reference books for Daoist studies: #''Index of the Book of the Yellow Court'' ( 《黃庭經索引》Huangtingjing Suoyin ) #''Index of the Inner Book of the Man Who Embraces Simplicity'' ( 《抱樸子內篇索引》Baopuzi Neipian Suoyin ) #''Index of the Outer Chapters of the Man Who Embraces Simplicity'' ( 《抱樸子外篇索引》Baopuzi Waipian Suoyin ) #''Index of the Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel'' ( 《雲笈七簽索引》Yunji Qiqian Suoyin ) #''Concordance of the Daoist Canon'' ( 《道藏通檢》Daozang Tongjian ) Among the reference books mentioned above, the widely spreading Concordance of the Daoist Canon is an invaluable tool for conducting research on the Daoist Canon. If only you know one word of the title, you can recall its full name and where it is in the Daoist Canon. It was issued in Taiwan together with the new edition of the ''Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era'' ( 《正統道藏》Zhengtong Daozang ). In 1996, ''Concordance of the Daoist Canon ----- Five Versions'' ( 《道藏索引----五種版本道藏通檢》Daozang Suoyin --- Wuzhong Banben Daozang Tongjian ), which was adapted by Chen Yaoting, was published by the Shanghai Bookstore as the reference book for the new edition of the ''Daoist Canon''. It is thought that because of the appearance of the reference books edited by K.M.Schipper, there was an international upsurge of the Daoist studies in 1970s ~1980s. Secondly, K.M. Schipper did a comprehensive research on Daoist rituals, to which he attaches importance in many aspects such as the contents, the forms, and the developments of them. In 1975, with the ''Complete Collection of Golden Register Rituals of Fen-deng and Juan-lian'' ( 《金籙分燈卷簾科儀全集》Jinlu Fendeng Juanlian Keyi Quanji ) in the British Museum as an original, he compared that collected in the Daoist Canon with the Daoist manuals collected by the Daoists Zengci and Chen Weng of Tainan and the Daoist Wang Longfei of Hujie. Thus he obtained a relatively complete copy of the ''Golden Register Rituals of Fen-deng and Juan-lian'' ( 《金籙分燈卷簾科儀》Jinlu Fengdeng Juanlian Keyi ). In his research he paid much attention to the actual situation of the rituals practiced by the contemporary Daoists. He took the Golden Register Ritual Offering for Peace and Exorcising Evils ( 金籙祈安禳災醮 Jinlu Qi’An Rangzai Jiao ) performed at the village Sucuo in Taiwan as an example. He depicted it in great detail, including the setting-up of the altar, the arrangement of the spirit tablets, the difference of the Daoists' duty who performed the ritual, and the procedure and the musical score of the ritual. Apart from what is mentioned above, Schipper published the following works: #''Vernacular and Classical Rituals in Daoism'' #''A Study of Buxu: Daoist Liturgical Hymn and Dance'' #''Scapegoat Rituals in China'' Thirdly, he did research on the history and corporeality of Daoism. His first book the ''Inner Biography of Emperor Wu of the Han and the Legends in Daoism'' was published in 1956. The British Encyclopedia thought it was not only a study of the translation of the biographical stories by the Daoist believers but also that of the background of the Daoist rituals of the Maoshan Sect. His later research on Daoist history was often related to the history of Daoist rituals. For example: #''Duty and Function of the Inspector of Merits'' ( 都功Dugong ) #''Daoist Ordination Ranks ( 法位 Fawei ) in the Dunhuang Manuscripts'' #''Daoist Ritual and Local Cults of the Tang Dynasty'' #''Zhao Yizhen and the Daoist Lineage of the Pristine Subtlety'' Fourthly, Schipper did some comprehensive research on Daoism as well. In 1982, he published the Daoist Body in Paris, which deals comprehensively with Daoism, and California University published its English version in 1993. In the preface of its English version, the author states that Daoism is living even if it is still in the unfavorable situation today. Daoism in part exists in the everyday life of the Chinese people while there is not a clear distinction between their religious life and worldly life. In order to know more about it, we must elaborate in detail what composes Daoism, which is involved in its material and social factors. That is, we should not only dwell on the Daoist skills of nourishing life and attaining immortality, but also the rituals, the myths, and the mysterious magical skills of Daoism. Some of these might not be in concord with one another, but they are closely related to one another in Daoism. The author thinks that Daoism is a social system of the temples with the community and the local culture of the common people. In this respect, Daoism reflects that most of the common people are not uneducated, ignorant, or superstitious as we have been taught to believe. The society of the common people lies deeply rooted in the tradition of their belief and cults. Such a tradition is strong and prosperous enough for Daoism to survive the stiffest persecution. The Daoism of the masses is still reserving its famous mountains, its festivals, and its altars for offering sacrifices. First, the treasure of Daoist literature ---- ''the Daoist Canon'' is the best example. It might be concluded that the popular religion in China is a sort of balance between the official culture and orthodox ideology. The Daoist Body reflects properly the breadth of vision of the contemporary French researchers as well as the research methods characteristic of many of the best French Sinologists Moreover his book contains both the findings of his research on Daoist literature and the materials of his investigation. It embodies his approach to observe the society and Daoism from the structural perspective, contains the capacity of sociology and anthropology with his attention to the actual practice of Daoism, and enriches the traditional Daoist studies in France since the last century. In the first chapter Schipper points out that Daoism can not be observed based on the westerners' ideas about religion. For it is the best expression of the popular religions in China with abundant and extensive literature of over 1000 kinds and it accumulates every aspect of traditional popular beliefs in China. Therefore the Japanese scholar Fukui Fumimasa thinks that K.M.Schipper is the foremost international figure in the field of Daoist studies not only in France but also in Europe. ==Daoist Studies of Isabelle Robinet and Anna Seidel (1938-1991)== Isalelle Robinet as one of the students of Kaltenmark was the professor of Provence University in France. She was dedicated mainly to the study of Daoist ideology, especially of the history and thought and the magical skills of the Supreme Clarity Tradition. In 1977 the French Institute of Sinology published her book the Commentaries on ''"the Book of Dao and its Virtue" before the Seventh Century''. It systematically elaborated the commentaries made by Yan Zun, the Old Man of the Riverside ( 河上公 Heshang Gong ), Wang Bi, the Wu Emperor of the Liang, Zhou Hongzheng, Cheng Xuanying, and some other scholars. She thought that the commentary made by Yan Zun belonged to the philosophical Daoism except for a series of regulations or adjustments, by which Yan was to be against Buddhism. For the sake of the Old Man of the Riverside, ''the Book of Dao and its Virtue'' became a textbook on arts of domination as well as methods of longevity and immortality. His commentary was different from those of Zhuangzi, Huainanzi, Hanfeizi, or Yan zun who regarded it as ontology so as to cover their political views as well as that of Wang Bi who gave some metaphysical explanations. In fact Wang's commentary represented the views of the new Daoist School known as Metaphysics in the third century. Since the 1970s, Isalelle Robinet published a series of works of her research on the Highest Clarity Tradition, such as Daoist Meditation in 1979. In 1993, Canadian professors Julian Pas and Norman Girardot translated it into English and published it in New York with the title ''Daoist Meditation ---- the Mao-shan Tradition of Great Purity''. It is remarked that it is one of the most important books on Chinese religions published in the west over the past ten years. The author did comprehensive explorations on the profound mystery and secret techniques of the Highest Clarity Tradition. Her investigations properly and exactly described the unique imaginative cosmology, the symbolic system of the body, travels to the constellations, the inner elixir, the methods of meditation, and the practice of the rituals of the Highest Clarity Movement of Mt. Maoshan. All of this composed one of the most fundamental Daoist traditions. In ''Revelation of the Great Purity Tradition in Daoist History'' that published in 1984 she studied in great detail the history, the influential figures, and the classic books of [[the Highiest Clarity Tradition]] of [[Mt.Mao]]. She was awarded the title Doctor of French Nation because of this book. She wrote the postscript for the ''Daoist Meditation'' that was attached to the English version of the book. She claimed in the postscript that the classic books of the Highest Clarity Tradition are most important in the Daoist history. This tradition was considered the fourth highest in the Daoist system of ordinations. From the sixth to tenth century, the Highest Clarity Tradition had dominant influences among the Daoist believers, for it was very close to reality and capable of comprehending the truth with graceful and elegant performance. It was not a religion to give you a promise, require you to wait, or tell you the end of the world. It is this that distinguishes the Highest Clarity Tradition from the other Daoist traditions. Although there are different evaluations about her study of the Highest Clarity of Mt.Maoshan in the international academic circle, it is generally acknowledged throughout the world that she is the most devoted to the research on it with original views on it. ===Anna Seidel (1938-1991)=== Anna Seidel was born in Berlin and lived in Munich in her childhood. After her graduation from Munich University, she followed Kaltenmark and Stein to study Daoism and was awarded the doctor's degree with her dissertation ''Divinization of Laozi in Daoism of the Han''. ''The British Encyclopedia'' thinks it was an initial study of popular Daoism. Since the 1970s she stayed in Tokyo as a member of the French Academy of the Far East, editing and published Papers on Buddhism and Synopsis of Asian Studies (the journal of the French Academy of the Far East). She mainly studied philosophical and religious Daoism of China besides her research on Chinese Buddhism. The following books are very good examples. #''Laozi and Lihong: A Perfect Image of the Redeemer in Early Daoism'' #''Zhang Sanfeng: A Daoist Immortal of the Ming Dynasty'' #''Laozi and Daoism in the Later Han'' #''License to the Other World ---- Views of Death Embodied in the Tomb-Contracts of the Later'' #Han (Traces of Han Religion in Funeral Texts Found in Tombs) ''Chronicle of Daoist Studies in the West 1950-1990'', which Seidel published in 1990, is acknowledged as an authoritative summary in this field. She quoted and analyzed 541 essays or books written by 208 experts of Daoism during the 40 years, most of which are the works of the researchers from Europe and the United States except for a few overseas Chinese authors and few authors from China and Hong Kong or Japan. It is a pity, however, that the Daoist studies in Russia are not mentioned in her book. As she looked into the prospect of Daoist studies in the west, she mentioned some flaws or defects and some fields in Daoist studies that are still waiting for the scholars of the younger generations to cultivate. She is so far-sighted and forward- looking that this book is regarded as admirable and inspiring as a milestone. Nevertheless we must point out that she has never been to the Mainland China where Daoism originated even if she had been studying Daoism all her life. So she was biased as she analyzed the present situation in China. For example, she said that what she did was important for the university scholars in the People's Republic of China, for it was hard for her to figure out its reason. She thought that the Chinese intellectuals were indulged in self-admiration and paid no attention to Chinese traditional culture of men of letters, because they held their Confucian contempt to popular religions. With the low academic level and low diffusion of the higher education, the disastrous situation of the libraries, the lack of sufficient religious terms, and the political hazard to discuss Daoism or publish anything on Daoism, all this and some other factors made the Chinese scholars incapable of doing significant work on Daoism. It is really "difficult for us to discuss about her views". What we can say is that she was either partial or ignorant. She regretted that it might occur that what the westerners' studies on Daoism might well teach Chinese people something about their own culture. Even if she has given up the arrogant or haughty attitude of the western adventurers that our elder generation encountered in 1950s, there is still something arrogant behind her regret, so much so that she seems to feel superior to the Chinese people. In her eyes, the Chinese scholars are still the "Confucians" wearing Chinese skullcaps, reading for imperial examinations or advancement of their status or the "slaves" who act on the orders of the westerners who held western-styled walking sticks in their hands. She thinks the Chinese scholars are still waiting for the western researchers to teach them to read the Daoist books and tell them the stories of the immortals, even kowtowing to them. She was familiar with the Chinese culture, but she only had the interest in making observations with sympathy and on constant guard. In other words she just had her curiosity on it just as those who enjoyed appreciating the antiques or appreciating the birds. Anna Seidel was not able to go beyond the conventional opinions of the western people to look down upon the present Chinese. In 1991, she died in the United States before she came to China to make on-the-spot observations, which is really a great loss for the French academic circle. And the Chinese Daoists those who know her feel very much regretted for her in the Chinese academic circle. ==Daoist Studies of John Lagerwey and Other Young Scholars== John Lagerwey is a very promising scholar in his middle age. He graduated from Harvard University with the doctoral degree of the languages and culture of East Asia and became the student of K.M.Schipper later. Since 1977 he has been working at the French Academy of Far East and has been to China and Taiwan many times. At present he stays in Hong Kong as its representative. In 1981 he published his book ''Essential Secrets of the Most High'' ( 無上秘要 Wushang Miyao ) --- ''Daoist Encyclopedia in the Sixth Century''. It offers the illustrations of the titles of Daoist books, the rehabilitation of the contents, the translated versions of the various volumes, and the contrasts between the quotations of the ''Essential Secrets'' of the Most High and the originals that exist at present in the Daoist Canon. ''The Index of the Quoted Books in the Essential Secrets of the Most High'' he edited is very useful to the Daoist studies in the Han, Wei, and the Six Dynasties. In 1985 at the International Conference on the Daoist Liturgy and Music in Hong Kong, he presented his essay ''Ritual Space in the North of Taiwan'' to discuss the rituals for exorcising evils the red-headed Daoists performed in the north of Taiwan. In 1987 he wrote about such entries related to Daoism as "Daoist community", "Daoist master of ceremonies", and "Daoist sacrifice offerings" for the ''Religious Encyclopedia''. In 1987, MacMillan Publishing Company of the US published his book ''Daoist Ritual in Chinese Society and History''. It is the first book written in English for scholars and common readers about Daoist rituals with comprehensive introductions. There are three parts in it: the origin of the Daoist rituals, the basic forms of Daoist rituals, and Daoism in the rituals and Chinese society. The author raised three questions: What are Daoist rituals? What role do they play in Chinese cosmology? What role do Daoist rituals and Daoist ideology play in the development of Chinese history? He thinks that Daoism is a religious symbolic and behavioral system deeply rooted in the social life of Chinese people, and Daoist rituals demonstrate such a system by acting and music. It reflects the Chinese people's cosmology, their life principals, and their views of life and death. And it is closely related to politics, history, and customs in Chinese society as well. The second part "Basic Daoist Rituals" is the most important, including the rites of offerings characteristic of offering sacrifices at local temples and the family accumulations of merits and virtues for the dead souls. Perhaps John Lagerway is the first western scholar to describe the abundant Daoist ritual names, the scriptures of rituals, the facilities at the ritual space, the announcement documents and communication documents concerned, and the scriptural formula of the rituals. In the concluding part he points out that Daoism is a symbolic system with compound structures which is expressed in its rituals and music based on its classic books and idols and passed down from generation to generation. Lagerway expounds in his book the rich Daoist rituals from the new perspectives of sociology, history, and anthropology with a serious attitude toward his writing. We have every reason to believe that the Daoist studies in France will surely be more prosperous with the hard work of the researchers of the younger generations. Among the French scholars devoted to the Daoist studies, Franciscus Verellen works at the French Academy of the Far East at present. He published his book on Du Guangting in 1989. At the Beijing International Academic Conference on Daoist Culture in 1996 he presented his essay ''Zhang Daoling and the Legend of Lingjing'', discussing the historic facts in early Daoism from the new perspectives of anthropology and the annals of local history. Christine Mollier, a student of K.M.Schipper, works at the French National Academy of Science, engaged in drawing up the contents for the Dunhuang manuscripts in France and devoted to some other related studies. In 1990 she published her book Daoist Revelation in the ''Fifth Century ---- the Book of Divine Incantations of the Pervasive Abyss'' ( 洞淵神咒經 Dongyuan Shenzhou Jing ). She thinks that the ideas of the revelation did not exist in China unlike religions in the west whereas such ideas existed in the Book of ''Divine Incantations of the Pervasive Abyss'', that is, clear up the evils. It is inevitable for the end of the world to come. As the disasters of various kinds befell, everything in the world would be destroyed; the end of the world is the last salvation. To realize Utopia, the social ideal of the pious Daoist believers, is the collective salvation for them. She has adopted the structural approach to analyze ideologically the ''Book of Divine Incantations of the Pervasive Abyss'' based obviously on her background of Christian culture. Just as what she states in the introduction of the book, it is quite valuable to try this new approach to study Chinese Daoism. There are some even younger scholars such as Isbella Hong who is devoted to the study of the Daoist immortal Lv Dongbing and Hualan who is interested in the study of Shao Yong and the Daoist philosophy. [[zh:法國的道教研究]] 195761cde607a13d924435cad4a418818a5b1b07 0 371 448 2009-09-01T09:00:52Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Sinology in Germany Before the 18th Century== Germany did not start its research on Sinology until the 18th century even if there had been some books to introduce China written...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Sinology in Germany Before the 18th Century== Germany did not start its research on Sinology until the 18th century even if there had been some books to introduce China written by the German missioners from Catholic churches. The representative figures at the time were J.Adam Schall von Bell (1591-1666) and A.Kircher (1601-1680). J.Adam Schall von Bell was of a noble family and received traditional classical education in Germany. In 1611, he studied in St. Andreleo Abbey of the Society of Jesus Rome and he admired the missionary experience of Matteo Ricci in China. He became a priest after graduation and left for China through Portugal for his missionary work. In 1623 he arrived in Beijing where he learned Chinese and then moved to Xi'an to do his missionary work. He was highly appreciated by the emperors of the Ming and Qing due to his contributions to making the Shi-Xian Calendar as well as the astronomic instruments and some weapons. The Chongzhen Emperor of the Ming granted him a horizontal tablet with inscriptions "Imperial Praise of Astronomy" ( 欽褒天學 Qingbao Tianxue) and the Shunzhi Emperor of the Qing the title "Master of Communion with Mystery" ( 通玄教師 Tongxuan Jiaoshi ). He was once taken into prison owing to a false accusation and died in Beijing of a disease after he was set free. He resided in China for over forty years, and the three volumes of the ''Reminiscence of Adam S. Bell'' were about his experience of his missionary work in China. A.Kircher published his ''Illustrated History of China'' in 1667 to introduce religions and customs of China with pictures and accompanying essays, which was widely spreading in Europe during the 17th century. In 1730 Bayer (1694-1738) published the ''Stories of Natural Sciences of China'' (Jottings of Rarities and Miscellaneous Stories). Such books written by missioners were simply introductions of some common knowledge about China instead of valuable Sinology. ==German Sinologists Staying in France and Sinological Courses in Universities== In 1814 when the course of Sinology was started in Paris, Klaproth (1783-1835) of German attended its lectures. Klaproth learned Chinese at the age of 14 and worked as an interpreter in a Russian delegation to China at the age of 21, and he once learned Mongolian and the Manchu language. In 1815 he went to Paris for studying Sinology. In 1828 he translated the Tablet on the Supreme Correspondence from the Manchu language into French published that book. In 1833 he published in French his essay ''Daoists' Religion in China''. We may conclude that he was the first Sinologist who studied Daoism. In the late 19th century, there were some German Sinologists who began to write books about Chinese Daoism. August Pfitzmaier (1808-1887) published his series of essays on the ''Academic Papers of Vienna Academy of Science'' between 1869 and 1885: #''The Daoists' Wish for Longevity'' #''Some Propositions on Daoist Beliefs'' #''The Basis of Theories of Chinese Daoism'' In his works, he quoted a lot of expressions of Daoists of the Tang about nourishing life. Ernst Faber (1839-1899) the missioner arrived in Hong Kong in 1864 and left for Shanghai in 1886. He did his missionary work among German immigrants and studied Sinology at the same time. Later he published a number of essays about his research on the Confucian thoughts and he was considered as the Sinologist of the highest attainments in the 19th century. In 1873 Faber published the German version of his book An Introduction to Chinese Religious Studies and its English version in 1879. In 1884 and 1885 he presented his essays in ''German Daoism and Historical Nature of Daoism''. In 1881 Gabelenz (1846-1885) the German Sinologist published on ''China Report'' his essays about Zhuangzi and Wenzi in German and an English paper ''Laozi's Life and His Doctrine''. In 1892 Berlin University of Germany started the lectures on languages of the East Asia, which was held by Prof. Grube. Grube (1855-1908) was engaged in some research work in Beijing between 1897 and 1899. He did some investigations on Chinese customs and popular beliefs. After that Grube published his essays ''the Chinese Religions and Sacrifice Offerings'' and ''Religions in Ancient China''. ''His essay Daoist Myths: Biographies of Various Immortals'' discussed the language of the book and based on it Grube analyzed the Daoist concept of the creation of the world. He studied Chinese popular beliefs and the formation of "the Eight Immortals" and published his essays ''Influences of Chinese Popular Religions on Buddhism'', P''opular Gods in Xiamen'', and ''Beijingers' Exploitation of Death''. What is most remarkable is that he translated single-handed the first 48 chapters of the Chinese classic novel of myth the ''Romance of the Gods'' ( 《封神演義》 Fengshen Yanyi ) into German, which was completed by Herbert. In 1912 Berlin University in German formally set up lectures of Chinese language that were given by Groot (1854-1921), the Sinologist from Holland. Groot was originally an official in charge of affairs of the Indian colony and later was well known for his study of Chinese Daoism. He published six volumes of ''The Religious System of China'' between 1892 and 1910, which became the masterpiece that later Sinologists must read. Between 1903 and 1904 he published another Sinological masterpiece of the world: the two volumes of ''Sectarianism and Religious Persecution in China''. In addition, he published Chinese Religion in English, which was translated into German later. Franke (1863-1946) the German scholar gave lectures of Chinese language in Berlin University as well. He learnt translation at the German Embassy in China in 1888, and became an interpreter and consul at the German Embassy in China after 1890. In 1907 he became professor of Chinese in Hamburger University in Germany, responsible for lectures of Chinese language and culture. Later he transferred to Berlin University. Franke was very versatile in his studies, with the five volumes of the ''History of the Chinese Empire'' as his major works. His other books about the Chinese religion are ''1900' Books of Religious Studies in China'' and ''1909'Books of Religious Studies in China'', both of which were published on ''Archives of Religious Studies'' in 1910 and 1915. What he did is quite important for Chinese religious studies in the academic circle of Europe and America. In 1945 the Society of Sino-Germany in Beijing published Franke's ''A Collection of Speeches'' and ''Essays on Chinese Culture and History'', which included his discussions on his research on Daoism. After Franke, Forke (1867-1944) took up Sinology as well after his learning Chinese and being an interpreter. From 1903 to 1923, he was professor of Chinese at the College of the Oriental Languages in Berlin University. After 1924 he became a professor of Chinese in Hamburger University, engaged in his study of Chinese philosophy. In 1939 his book the ''History of Philosophy in Medieval China'' came out, in which there were such essays as ''Chinese Mysticism and Gehong as a Philosopher and Alchemist''. Wilhelm (1873-1930) the missioner was one of the most influential figures in the field of German Sinology. While staying in China, he spent most of his time in Qingdao doing his missionary work. Before World War I he translated and published the works of philosophical Daoists, including ''[[Laozi]]'', ''[[Zhuangzi]]'', and ''Liezi''. Later he became the literary consultant at the German Embassy in China. As the China Institute of Frankfort University was founded, he became professor of Chinese there. He thought ''Laozi'' was a book about life and virtue whereas ''Zhuangzi'' had something mysterious in it. Apart from what has been mentioned above, He wrote the following books: #''Practical Knowledge about China'' #''Laozi and his Daoism'' #''The Spirit of China'' #''The History of Chinese Culture'' #''Orient ---- the Formation and Transformation of Chinese Culture'' #''Philosophy in China'' #''Principles of Golden Essence of Supreme Oneness ( 《太乙金華宗旨》 Taii Jinhua Zongshi ): Translations with Notes'' Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961), the famous psychologist, wrote the preface for it and the book was published in English later. Wilhelm Translation and Research Center was founded in Born in honor of him because of his great contribution to Sinology. ==Weber's Research on Daoism== Being one of the founders of sociology in Germany, Max Weber (1864-1920) was quite well known as a sociologist, historian, and an economist as well as a politician. He was graduated from Department of Law in Heidelberg University and worked in Berlin University, Heidelberg University, and Munich University as well. The findings of his research were embodied in the three volumes of ''A Collection of Essays of Religious Sociology''. The first volume contained his masterpiece the ''Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism'' and the ''Economic Ethic of Religions of the World''. Weber's Daoist study was part of his research on the religious ethic of the world, which is within the theoretical system of the economic ethic of religions of the world and it is a sort of supplementary of his research on the Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism. Weber thought that the Christian Protestantism formed after the religious reform in the western world promoted the development of modern capitalism in the west. It was because there was not only a sort of affinity between the Protestant ethic and the capitalist spirit, but also because the Protestant ethic was a decisive force that caused the formation of the capitalist system. His intention of writing the book ''The Religion of China: Confucianism and Daoism'' was originally to demonstrate that China did not succeed in developing capitalism as the west did, because China did not have the religious ethic as a powerful "lever arm" to advance the development of capitalism. Nevertheless, as Max Weber did not know Chinese language, his research had to be based on the very little knowledge of China that missioners introduced in the course of their colonial activities and the limited translated books of Daoism and Confucianism. As a result it goes without saying that his study of China was inevitable to be biased. ''The Religion of China: Confucianism and Daoism'' is constituted of three sections. The first section is the Foundation of Sociology, which discusses the economic and political system in Chinese society in the following aspects: #cities, feudal princes, and spirits; #the feudal country and the official salary; #administration and agricultural system; #autonomy, law and capitalism. It pointed out that there existed a series of unfavorable conditions for the development of capitalism in Chinese political, agricultural, and legal systems as well as its consanguinity. The second section deals with the orthodox system of values in Chinese society ---- Confucianism: the scholar class, the Confucian orientation of life and so on. Weber thought the scholar class in Chinese society certainly belonged to the ruling class and the orthodox system of values they represented was Confucianism, which was purely the mundane ethic in the worldly society and which was simply a general code to establish political principles and social rites for the educated mundane people. The third section is about Daoism. It was based on ''Grube's Religion and Culture of Chinese and Groot's Unity of Heaven and Man: Foundations of Chinese Religions, Ethic, State System, and Science''. Weber thought Daoism was excluded by Confucianism and considered as heterodoxy in China. And he found that in the struggles between scholars and their rivals the Daoist believers always took the side of the opponents. Weber mentioned about Zhang Ling, the Celestial Master of Daoism, and he claimed that Zhang's descendants founded a Daoist organization in the unstable era of the declining Han dynasty. This organization had its administration, taxation system, and strict and forceful discipline, succeeding in resisting against the political authority at the time. Weber noticed that Daoism appeared as the heresy of Confucianism. It is true that Daoism was opponent of scholars at first. Weber thought however both Daoism and Confucianism were conventional even if they were against each other. Therefore both of them could not be the "lever arm" to advance the appearance of capitalism. We have to point out that in the common sense or at the research level Weber did not surpass his European contemporaries in his Daoist study. Weber claimed that Daoism was antirational with its primitive witchery, kinds of therapies, techniques of longevity, and skills of dispelling disasters. It is quite natural for Weber to have such opinions about Daoism, for many European Sinologists who had Christian or Catholic background shared the similar ideas at the beginning of the 20th century. From the perspective of the religious organization, he thought that Daoism was the community of witches whereas Chinese Buddhism, as far as the form transmitted to China was concerned, was no longer the same as early Indian Buddhism for salvation. Instead Buddhism had become the organization of monks to practice secret skills or sorcery. In fact Daoism and Buddhism, so far as the mundane are concerned, did not become religious groups decisive in the sociological sense. In the respect of the religious teachings he analyzed that the Daoist doctrine did not have any rational effects, nor did it form a force to contend with other forces though it was different from the crude witchery or the universalist theory. His analysis had properly referred to the religion of the west. In his eyes Daoism was just piles of witchery, kinds of therapies, and skills of longevity, and techniques of dispelling disasters although he realized Daoism was the religion of the mundane against orthodox Confucianism. ==Daoist Studies in Germany around World War II== At the eve of World War II the German Sinologists swarmed into some other countries from Germany, and one of them was the son of Wilhelm. Born in Qingdao of China, Hellmut Wilhelm taught German in Beijing University and took charge of the Society of Sino-Germany. In 1948 he went to the United States as a professor at the Orient College in State University of Washington. Some of his works are the ''Chinese History of Ideology and Society and the Chinese Society and State: the History of an Empire''. He had helped his father with the translation of the ''Book of Changes'', and he wrote the Book of Changes: Annotated Translations, which was translated into English later. At the same time, he was famous for his lectures of the ''Book of Changes'', whose influence on the studies of the ''Book of Changes'' has lasted in the Western Europe until today. In the meantime Erkes wrote ''the Origin of Daoism'' and ''the Origin of Daoists''. After World War II Sinology in Germany was not very prosperous. In recent twenty years, however, more and more university and middle school students of Germany are learning Chinese and Sinology gradually gets prosperous. Nevertheless German Sinologists attach their major importance to Confucianism and Confucian idealist philosophy in the Song and Ming dynasties, which is in accordance with the ideological tradition in their academic circle. In a word the Daoist studies in Germany after the war has continued what they did before the war and has been influenced by France. ===Wolfgang Franke=== He is the son of Franke the Sinologist. He came to China in 1937 and worked in the Society of Sino-Germany. In 1950 he returned to Germany as a professor of Hamburger University. His works are as follows: #''Annotated Bibliography of the History Books of the Ming'' ( 《明史書目題解》 Mingshi Shumu Tijie ) #''The 100 Years of Chinese Revolution'' #''China and the West'' #''Franke's works on Daoism are the Three-One Tradition'' ( 三一教 Sanyi Jiao ) and ''its Development in Singapore and Malaysia and Reviews on Lin Zhaoen'' ===Werner Eichhorn=== He has a lot of works on Chinese culture, Chinese religion, and Daoism. They are #''Daoist Speculation in Chapter 2 of Zhuangzi'' #''Description of the Rebellion of Sun En and Earlier Daoist Rebellions'' #''A Textual Research on Zhangjiao Uprising and Zhanglu's Political Power'' #''The History of Chinese Culture'' #''The Values and Legal Status of Buddhism and Daoism in the Song'' #''Chinese Religions '' #''Religion and State Worship in Ancient China'' ===Joseph Thiel=== He is mainly engaged in studying the history of the Yuan dynasty. He wrote about the debate between Buddhism and Daoism in his book ''the Debate between Buddhism and Daoism in the Yuan Dynasty''. His other works are ''Epistemological Problem in Zhuangzi'' (Das Erkenntnis problem bei Chuang-tzu) and ''the Concept of the Dao in the Book of Dao and its Virtue''. ===Wolfgang Bauer=== He has written the following books: #''A Study of the Old Man of the Yellow Stone'' ( 黃石公 Huangshi Gong ) #''China and the Exploration of Happiness --- Heaven and the Ideal State in the Chinese History of Ideology'' #''Gehong' Theory of Inner Elixir'' #''The Worship of the Stone Genitals in Today's Taiwan of China'' ===Hans Steininger=== Hans Steininger, a professor of Wurzburg University, is famous for his study of ''Guan Yinzi'' and ''the Perfect Book of Wenshi'' ( 《文始真經》 Wenshi Zhenjing ). In 1965, he gave lectures on the literature of the Far East in Wurzburg University and founded the Institute of Sinology. In 1979, cooperated with Prof. Schipper, he joined in the research work on the Annotated Bibliography of the Daoist Canon. He is the international member of the Daoist Society of Japan, and he had a close relation with the Institute of Japanese Culture of Tokyo University and Department of Literature of Waseda University. In 1985 when it was his 65th birthday, a collection of 30 essays Oriental Religions and Philosophy was published in honor of him. It had four sections: Daoism, Buddhism, the other religions, and philosophy. The essays that are related to Daoism are as follows: #''Yueyang and Poems of Lv Dongbing ---- Poems of Refining Elixir of the Song'' #''The Changing History of Sacrifice Offerings in the Wutong Era '' #''Interpretations to Refining Elixir in the Novel A Journey to the West '' #''The Celestial Master's Means of Defining Heaven's Will'' #''The Role of the Imperial Sovereign Donghua in Transmitting Daoism'' #''Daoists's Integration of the Three Doctrines in the Song and Yuan'' #''Daoist Ordination Ranks in the Dunhuang Manuscripts'' #''The Records of the Pervasive Perfection'' ( 《洞真記》 Dongzhen Ji ) ''by Guo Xian'' #''The Eighty Commandments of the Venerable Sovereign'' ( 《老君八十戒》 Laojun Bashi Jie ) #''License to the Other World ---- Views of Death Embodied by the Tomb-Contracts of the Later'' #''Han'' (Traces of Han Religion in Funeral Texts Found in Tombs) #''The Therapy Ritual as the Therapy and the Ideas of Evils in Early Daoism'' After the war, many German Sinologists stayed in France or Japan for their Sinological studies, some of whom are usually considered as French or Japanese Sinologists. For example, Anna Seidel was regarded as a French Sinologist. And some others returned to Germany. For example, Farzeen Baldrian-Hussein studied the Daoist inner elixir in the Advanced French Academy. She published her dissertation on the translation and research of ''the Secret Skills of Numinous Treasure'' ( 《靈寶秘法》 Lingbao Mifa ). Her other essays are ''Yueyang and Poems of Lv Dongbing ---- Poems of Refining Elixir of the Song, Lv Dongbing in Literature of the Northern Song, Daoism: Summa, Inner Elixir'', and so on. She is now teaching in Wurzburg University. [[zh:德國的道教研究]] f333398d593cff3c37c44a941372f82db187e9b4 0 372 449 2009-09-02T02:52:11Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Marco Polo and Matteo Ricci== Italy is a civilized country in Europe with a long history. Due to its developed navigation and trade on the sea, Italy focused on China of the ea...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Marco Polo and Matteo Ricci== Italy is a civilized country in Europe with a long history. Due to its developed navigation and trade on the sea, Italy focused on China of the east in the early time of history. In about the 13th century, there was a book to introduce China in Italy, that is, the famous Travels of Marco Polo. Marco Polo (1254-1342) was a traveler. In about 1271, he came to China with his father and uncle by land through the Middle Asia. In 1275, he arrived in the capital of the Yuan dynasty. He was not neglected by the first emperor of the Yuan dynasty and worked as an imperial official for 17 years. After he returned to Italy in 1292, he was captured in a war and dictated Travels of Marco Polo, in which he mentioned the fertile land in China as well as the prosperity of its cities and the brilliant civilization of China. Even if there are some people who doubt about the authenticity of Marco Polo and his story, it is certain that the book reflected the concern of the Italian and European people of the ancient time about what was going on in China and in the east of the world. The westerners think Marco Polo's book had the direct influence on the development of the capitalism in Europe and on the setting up of the new shipping line to the east. The Catholic missioners of the Society of Jesus were the first to do research on Sinology in Italy, the most wellknown of whom was Matteo Ricci (1552-1610). He was studying in a school of the Society of Jesus when he was young and joined the Society of Jesus at the age of 21, receiving the education for ministry at the Rome College. After he studied in Portugal, he was sent to India to do his missionary work. In 1582 he learned Chinese in Marco, and went to Zhaoqing of Guangdong Province with another Italian missioner of the Society of Jesus to set up the first Society for his missionary work the next year. After he stayed in Guangzhou for ten years, he began to change his hair into the Chinese style with a long pigtail like a Confucian. On the one hand, he introduced the map and the terrestrial globe into the intellectual circle. On the other, he translated Comentaries on ''the Four Confucian Classics'' ( 《四書章句》 Sishu Zhangju ) into Latin and introduced it to the west. In the preface of his book, he put the Confucian ethic and the thoughts of the Rome philosophers side by side. In 1595, he went up to Nanchang of Jiangxi Province. In 1597 he was appointed to the chairman of the Chinese Society of Ministry of the Society of Jesus. After moving to Nanjing, he made friends with Xu Guangqi and Li Zhi, the famous officials. In 1601 he was permitted to present in Beijing the Shenzong Emperor of the Ming with the clock, the map of the world, and the articles of Catholics. And he was appointed to a official position by the Ming court. On the one hand, he accepted the salary offered by the Ming court at the time. On the other, he introduced the knowledge of natural sciences of the west and the Christian doctrine to the Ming officials such as Xu Guangqi, Li Zhizao, Feng Yingjing, and Yang Tingjun. In 1610 he died from a disease in Beijing. In his late years of life he wrote about his experience of doing missionary work in Beijing. In 1615 it came out in Latin with the title ''the History of Christian Expedition to China''. Later the book was translated into various languages such as German, Spanish, Italian, and English. In 1942 the English version of ''China in the 16th Century ---- Notes of Matteo Ricci 1583-1610'' was published, which had great influence on the western world including Italy. It is believed that no one is able to explain better than Matteo Ricci the noble qualities of the Chinese, their love for freedom and order and knowledge, their zeal to religions, and their sensitivity to justice and ethic. And he claimed to have generalized in his research on the customs of the Chinese and their legal and political system. Nevertheless he was a missioner who was sent for Catholic expedition. His mission was to pave the way to transmit Catholic in China and contended the believers from the traditional religions of China. So it is almost impossible for him to take a just and objective attitude towards the traditional religions such as Daoism and Buddhism or the religions of the masses. When it came to the various sects of religions in the 10th chapter of Volume I in ''China in the 16th Century ---- Notes of Matteo Ricci 1583-1610'', he mentioned about Confucianism, Sakyamuni, and Laozi that refers to Daoism. Matteo Ricci thought that the Daoist books were full of wild words and it was easy for people to draw conclusion that how much cheat there were in it. The special duty of the Daoists was exorcising with the talismans and none of their prophecies was efficacious. Such descriptions as these indicate that he had only skin-deep contact with Daoism, considering it as the accumulation of the superstitious customs of the Chinese without careful study of it, especially without a complete understanding of the Daoist doctrine and its literature. His opinions had quite direct influence on the Italian Sinologists and the later missioners over a long period of time. They either took an interest in Daoism or defamed it as an enemy or a barrier. Even if it has made contribution to the study of Sinology in Italy, this book has a passive effect on the studies of Chinese religions. ==Early Sinologists and their Research on Daoism== Most of the early Italian Sinologists were missioners of the Society of Jesus such as P. Lagarus Cattane (1560-1640), P. Nicolaus Longobardi (1559-1624), P. Prosper Intercetta (1625-1696), and P. Martinus Martini (1614-1661). Cattane was the assistant of Matteo Ricci. He compiled a dictionary of Chinese pronunciation and wrote essays about learning Chinese. P. Nicolaus Longobardi was the chairman of the Society of Jesus in China. His article the Essentials of Chinese Religions stated that the Chinese people never knew the souls, the Chinese men of letters did not believe in gods. We can see that opinions of P. Nicolaus Longobardi differed from those of Ricci who held that Chinese people thought everything had the soul. P. Prosper Intercetta took charge of the Catholic affairs in Hangzhou in the middle of the 17th century. Later he published in Paris his book ''Confucius---Chinese Philosopher'', which helped the theory of Confucius spreading among the European readers. P. Martinus Martini edited and published the ''New Maps of China'' in 1665, which consisted of seventeen maps, including the map of the whole territory of China and the maps of different provinces. It helped the western world to get a better understanding of the Chinese geography since the maps were drawn up according to the geographic map-making principles of the west. He wrote two important essays as well: the War of the Tartar People and ''the First Chapter of the Chinese History''. The former was about how the Manchu nationality conquered China and the latter talked about the Chinese history before Jesus Christ. They are of great values in the history of studying Sinology of both Europe and Italy. Of the Italian missioners, P. D'elia (1890-1963) later became a real Sinologist. He was the visiting professor of Chinese language and literature in Rome University. He published ''the History of the First Theory of Christianity in Chinese Language'', ''the Chinese Terrestrial Globe of Father Ricci'', and ''the Origin of Arts of Chinese Christianity: 1580-1640''. He was in charge of proofreading and publishing ''the Complete Works of Matteo Ricci'' (three volumes). With his unique ideas about Chinese religions, he thought that the ancient religion of China was monotheism, which was ruined later by superstitious Buddhism and Daoism. His ideas, however, did not accepted by most European Sinologists. The careful Daoist studies by Italian Sinologists began with the first complete Italian version of ''[[the Book of Dao and its Virtue]]''. It was Stanislas Julien (1797-1873) who translated it from Chinese into Italia.His student Antelmo Severni (1828-1909) later became the professor of Chinese Language in Floruns Universit and his successor Julien Carlo Puini (1839-1924) did his initial research on Chinese Daoism. Besides, Giovanni Vacca (1856-1936) the visiting professor of Rome University wrote the essay ''Notes of China'' on the Daoist outer elixir that carried in the magazine ''the Journal of Oriental Studies in 1913''. ==The Daoist Studies at the Academy of the Near, Middle, and Far East== It is a well-known research institution of Oriental Studies in Italy, which was founded by the Asian thinker Giuseppe Tucci (1894-19830). Tucci was very talented with languages and he did comprehensive research on the religious thoughts of ancient Persia, India, Chinese Tibet, and China. In 1922 he published ''the General History of Philosophy in Ancient China''. In the appendix of the section "Laozi and India" of this book, Tucci criticized some incorrect opinion that was put forward in 1904 that the theory of Laozi came from Buddhism or Brahmanism. He compared the Buddhist theory with some section of Daoist philosophy he translated by himself, pointing out there were complete different ideas in these two. The definition of the Dao contains energy and mass and the Dao is the origin as well as the end of everything. Based on this Daoist doctrine, Daoists believe neither in karma nor in reincarnation. They think life is the natural inevitability instead of pain. He thinks if we compare Daoism with Buddhism and Brahmanism, Daoism seems to be closer to Brahmanism. Kumarajiva the king of Arsam had got ''the Book of Dao and its Virtue'' translated into Sanskrit. But when we compare the Sanskrit classics with the sections of ''Laozi'' and ''Liezi'', we can find that Daoism and Brahmanism happened to have coinidence of expressions or similar meanings, but the ideological system of the two properly differ from each other. In 1924, Tucci published his book about Daoism: ''Praise of Daoism''. He justified favorably and persistently the obvious unique Daoist character and its difference from the Indian thought. In 1946 he published his book ''Religious Asia'' to introduce from every perspective the influential Asian religions of various kinds, including Chinese religions (from the ancient ideas of heavenly mandate to Confucianism, Daoism, and the gods worshiped by the common people) and the religion of Chinese Tibet before Buddhism. In 1958 under the leadership of him Rome published the three volumes of ''Oriental Culture'' and Lionelle Lanciotti wrote the section of Chinese religions for it. Tucci's contributions to Sinology lay in his comparing the philosophers of ancient Greece and Rome with those of the east such as Laozi and Confucius even if such comparison was initial and experimental as we look at it today. It is out of question that he opened up the great expectation of the research on Chinese philosophy and religions in European Sinological circle. ==The Daoist Studies from 1960s to 1980s== Between 1960 and 1980 there was a vigorous campaign all over the world of studying Daoism in the academic circle. There came forward a number of experts and a lot of works on Daoism although it was not as prosperous as in France and Japan. Lionelle Lanciotti and Giuliano Bertuecioli were the most remarkable ones. ===Lionelle Lanciotti=== He was once a student of Father Wilhelm's. Later he started his study of Sinology under the guidance of a famous Sinologist in Stockholm and furthered his study in Leiden University of Holland in 1951. At present he is professor of Chinese literature at the College of Orient University in Napoli and works as a chief editor of the journal China and publisher of the magazine O''rient and West (Quarterly)''. In 1957 he published his essay Modern Daoism in China on the journal China and in 1981 as the first translator he introduced to the Italian readers ''the Book of Dao and its Virtue'', the silk book unearthed in the tomb of the Han at Mawangdui of China. It was reprinted in 1993, by which we can see how this discovery is concerned about in Italy. In 1960 he founded the Sinology Center in Venice University, which was changed later into Section of Sinology of Department of India and the Far East. In 1984 and 1987 he took charge of the publication of the essays of the Academic Conference of the Oriental Studies (five volumes), of which the Asian religions: ''the 3rd - 10th century and Venice and the Orient are closely related to Chinese Daoism''. ===Giuliano Bertuecioli=== He was also a student of Father Wilhelm's. He took a diplomatic career since his youth, living and working in China, Chinese Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam for over 40 years. He had a special interest in Daoism. In 1953 he published his essay ''On the Case of Daoists''' Using Fire Penalty at the White Cloud Temple on the magazine Orient and West. He did a textual research on that the ex-abbot of the White Cloud Temple and his layman secretary were executed the fire penalty by the Daosits because they had committed a lot of crimes. After he visited in 1974 [[Mt.Mao]] that is famous for its prosperity of Daoism, he published his article ''the Memory of Mt.Maoshan'' on the Journal of Oriental Studies to describe the prosperity in history of the Daoist temples on Mt.Maoshan. In 1985 he paid his second visit to Mt.Maoshan and published his article ''My Second Visit to Mt.Maoshan'' on the same magazine to depict the decline of Mt.Maoshan Daoism during the Cultural Revolution. In 1980s he published some other articles on Daoism such as ''Matteo Ricci and Daoism and Mysticism in Ancient China''. Before long he translated the Yuan zaju play ''Fool's Paradise'' ( 《黃梁夢》 Huangliang Meng ) into Italian, which was imbued with the ideas of Daoism. After Schipper, the expert of the Daoist studies, took charge of the drawing up of ''the Annotated Bibliography of the Daoist Canon'', Bertuecioli was in charge of the Italian group of the seminar on the ''Daoist Canon''. He proofread the contents of the ''Daoist Canon'', drew up the index and wrote the abstracts for some of the Daoist scriptures. Alfredo Cadonna, the Italian scholar, has got involved in drawing up ''the Annotated Bibliography of the Daoist Canon'' as well. Alfredo Cadonna is the visiting professor of Sinology in Venice University and the secretary of the Orient College of Venice University. Cadonna is also an expert of the Dunhuang Manuscripts. In 1982 he published on the magazine China his essay ''the Queen Mother of the West: the Passages in the Two Volumes of the Dunhuang Manuscripts''. In 1984 he published in Venice another essay ''the Daoist of the Emperor: the 12 Passages in One Volume of the Dunhuang Manuscripts''. It is the Italian version with notes about part of the Daoist Ye Jingneng's life in the Dunhuang Manuscripts (No 36836). And he published on the magazine Venice Orient his essay ''the Daoist Astronomer from Chang'an to the Moon'' (based on Xue Aihua's notes about the Dunhuang Manuscripts (No 36836)). In 1992 he published on the magazine China his essay ''the Contents of the Documents on the Daoists Ye Jingneng and Ye Fashan of the Tang''. He is the leader of the research group of Daoist philosophy and terms, which offers help to other Italian scholars for their research on Daoism. ==The Rising of the Sinologists of the Younger Generation== In 1980s a number of Sinologists began to study China and Chinese Daoism in Italy. Of them Fabrizio Pregadio and Monica Esposito have made achievements. ===Fabrizio Pregadio=== He was graduated from Venice Unversity in 1983. He published on the magazine ''China'' his essay ''ABC of Latest Daoism Study in 1981 and Wang Chong and Daoism ---- the 24th Volume of "Judgements on Opinions"'' ( 《論衡》 Lunheng ) Translated with Notes in 1982. His graduate thesis was ''the Language of "Judgements on Opinions": Commentary and Grammatical Analysis of "the Void of the Dao" in the 24th Volume''. Pregadio furthered his study in Leiden University of Holland and did research on the ancient science of China and Daoist inner and outer alchemy at the Institute of Human Sciences in Kyoto University of Japan from 1986 to 1994. He published on the magazine ''Dictionary of Alchemy of China ---- Notes of Mehu's Commentaries on "Classics on Drugs and Acupuncture" ''( 《藥石爾雅》 Yaoshi Erya ) in 1986. In 1987 he translated into Italian the first, fourth, sixteenth, and nineteenth chapters of the book ''the Inner Book of the Man Who Embraces Simplicity'' and published it in Rome with the title ''Drugs of Supreme Clarity: Ge Hong's Inner Book of the Man Who Embraces Simplicity''. In 1990 as he obtained his doctor's degree at the College of Orient University in Napoli, he published two book reviews on ''Synopsis of the Far East and Asian Studies: the Medical Books in Mawangdui Manuscripts and the Latest Two Daoist Books of Nourishing Life. His dissertation "the Book of the Nine Cauldrons"'' ( 《九鼎經》 Jiuding Jing ) and ''its Tradition with the tranlations and notes of the Yellow Emperor's Book of the Divine Elixir of the Nine Cauldrons'' ( 《黃帝九鼎神丹經》 Huangdi Jiuding Shendan Jing ) was published in Book II of ''On the Chinese History of Ancient Science'' edited by Yamada Keiji. His dissertation introduced in detail such early works of alchemy as ''the Yellow Emperor's Book of the Divine Elixir of the Nine Cauldrons'' and ''the Yellow Emperor's Formula of the Divine Elixir of the Nine Cauldrons''. The fourth part analyzed the process and practice of refining elixir and the author stressed that it was the symbolic reliving of the origin of universe. He attended the seminar of ''the Daoist Canon'' and wrote some of abstracts for the Daoist scriptures. In 1993 he published his article ''Guide to the Study and Textual Research on the Daoist Canon'' on the magazine ''China''. In recent years he focused on ''the Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes''. In 1995 he published on the eighth issue of the ''Synopsis of the Far East and Asian Studies his essay the Expression of Time in "the Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes"''. He pointed out that'' the Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes'' was the origin of the Daoist theories of inner and outer alchemy. He thought it integrated the magical skills with the theories of the Daoist scriptures and the Book of Changes. ''The Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes'' widely spread in the southern areas of the Changjing River during the Six Dynasties. In 1996 he published his book in Venice ''the Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes: from "the Book of Changes" to Alchemy''. It introduces the various versions of ''the Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes'' with notes and remarkes some important paragraphs. In addition it analyzes the relationship between ''the Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes'' and ''the Book of Dragon and Tiger'' ( 《龍虎經》 Longhu Jing ), ''the Book of the Golden and Azure'' ( 《金碧經》 Jinbi Jing ), and ''the Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes in Ancient Language'' ( 《古文參同契》 Guwen Cantongqi ). Another young scholar also attended the Schipper's seminar of the ''Daoist Canon''. His essay A Research on the Daoist Lu Xiujing (406-477) was on ''the Annual of the College of Orient University''. Franco Gatti still another younger scholar graduated from Venice University and took charge of his share of editing Venice and Asia published by Venice University. His graduate thesis was about the Daoist Poems of Pacing the Void. In 1991 Gatti published on the magazine ''China'' his essay ''the Daoist Ye Jingneng (?-740): with Notes of the historical Documents in the Translated Passages''. Based on the orthodox history and other historical materials he translated the historical documents about Ye Jingneng into Italian in order to distinguish him from another historic figure Ye Fashan. His graduate thesis was about Wu Jun the Daoist of the Tang. The young scholar Monica Esposito came to China twice in 1986 and 1989 to further her study in Fudan University and the Academy of Social Sciences in Shanghai. In 1987 she graduated from Venice University and her graduate thesis was ''Practice of Chinese Qigong ---- the Introduction to the Contemporary Original Works and Styles. Later she published her book Qigong: the Five Breath School'' ( 《五息闡微》 Wuxi Chanwei ) ''of New Daoism with a complete Italian version of the Subtle Elaboration of Five Breath School'' ( 五息功 Wuxi Gong ) after she supplemented her thesis with discussions on the relations between Daoism and Qigong. In 1988 she did her research on the Daoist inner alchemy under the guidance of Prof.Robinet in Paris University and completed her postgraduate thesis ''An Introduction to the Literature of the Inner Alchemy in the Supplementary Daoist Canon''. In addition, her thesis contains the biographies of the patriarchs narrated by Men Yide the grand Daoist in the Qing dynasty as well. Part of her thesis was published in 1992 with the title ''the Collection of Essays of Inner Alchemy of the Dragon Gate Sect in the Supplementary Daoist Canon on the Annal of the College of Orient University''. In 1993 under the guidance of Prof. Robinet she completed her doctoral dissertation ''[[the Dragon Gate Sect]] on Mt. Jingai and the Arts of the Inner Alchemy in the Supplementary Daoist Canon''. She reconstructed the pedigree of the Dragon Gate Sect of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] based on the documents in ''the Light of the Mind on Mt. Jingai'' ( 《金蓋心燈》 Jingai Xindeng ). She points out that there are many errors or false records in [[the Light of the Mind on Mt. Jingai]] when its author redorded the biographies of the patriarchs from the first to fourth generation. Even the dates of birth and death of Zhao Xujing the patriarch of the first generation was a mistake, which indicated that it was the author who desperately distorted it. She thinks that the real founder of the Dragon Gate Sect of Complete Perfection Tradition should be its eight patriarch [[Wang Changyue]] (1522-1680), which was the orthodox pedigree of the Dragon Gate Sect although it is always thought that the Dragon Gate Sect started from [[Qiu Chuji]]. In 1995 she published in Venice her essay ''Return to the Origin --- Conceived Dictionary of the Inner Alchemy of the Ming and Qing'' (it is collected in the book ''the Original Materials of the Studies of Chinese Culture''). In 1996 she published her book the ''Arts of Refining the Vital Breath'' to introduce to the common readers the Daoist theories of refining the vital breath of the inner alchemy in the Ming and Qing dynasties. She narrated the history of the Mind Lineage of Xizhu ( 西竺心宗 Xizhu Xinzong ) of the Dragon Gate Sect and translated with notes ''the Inner Monologue of Er Lan'' ( 《二懶心話》 Erlan Xinhua ) of Min Yide the grand Daoist in the Qing dynasty. Monica is very diligent of the contemporary Italian scholars of the young generation who study Sinology. Sinology in Italy has a very long history, but the Daoist studies still remain at the first stage. Fortunately there are a number of young scholars who are doing their research on Daoism in such countries as France, the Great Britain, Japan, and China. We can anticipate that the Italian Sinologists of the new generation will make great achievements in Sinology and Daoist studies. [[zh:意大利的道教研究]] ede9fe3d70ef0d99d21be0cae2a2923cc2269ccc 0 373 450 2009-09-02T03:30:28Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Daoist Studies before World War II== The United States came to China after the European countries like Holland and the Great Britain opened the door of China with warships and ...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Daoist Studies before World War II== The United States came to China after the European countries like Holland and the Great Britain opened the door of China with warships and cannons. In this sense it began its studies of Sinology or China much later than the other European countries. In the 19th century there were some American missioners who came to China for their missionary work. Of them Arthur Henderson Smith (1845-1932) the Congregational priest came to Tianjin and Shangdong of China for his missions. In the meanwhile he worked as the correspondent of a newspaper in Shanghai. In 1899 he published in New York his book ‘’Country Life of China: a Sociological Study’’, in which he mentioned about the temples, religions, communities, and religious liturgies in the countryside. At the beginning of the 20th century, Obed Simon Johnson a doctoral student of University of California came to China, and in 1928 he published his doctoral dissertation A Textual Research on Chinese Alchemy by Shanghai Commercial Publishing House, which was translated into Chinese by Huang Sufeng in 1936. Despite the title "a textual research", the author did not supply many materials in it nor did he analyze Chinese alchemy with chemical knowledge. Of course he pointed out that the European alchemy was transmitted from Chinese alchemy and thought alchemy was closely related to Daoist theories. He also thought Alchemy played an important role in ancient chemistry and medicine. At the end of 1920s, James Roland Ware (1901- ) came to China as the first postgraduate student of ‘’’Harvard Peking Academic Society’’’. He went back and got his doctoral degree at Harvard University in 1932. In the 1930s he published his essay ‘’A Discourse on Daoism Based on the Chronicle of the Wei and the Chronicle of the Sui’’. In the 1960s he published ‘’Qutations of Zhuangzi’’ ( 《莊子語錄》Zhuangzi ) and Chinese ‘’Alchemy, Medicine, and Religions in 320AD: Ge Hong's Inner Book of the Man Who Embraces Simplicity’’. The latter is the relatively complete English version of the Inner Book of the Man Who Embraces Simplicity in the west at present. Before and during World War II, Japan and France with the tradition of studying Sinology were involved in the war while the United States was developing its economy at a high speed at the time. The research on China was also developing very rapidly. The Library of Congress of the United States became one of the centers with the most abundant collections of Chinese books in the world. The experts who began their studies of China and Chinese Daoism before World War II had their works come out after the war. Derke Bodde (1909- ), the professor of Chinese in University of Pennsylvania, translated and published the ancient Chinese book ‘’Records of Festivals in Peking’’ ( 《燕京歲時記》Yanjing Suishiji ). He had been doing research on Chinese philosophy and popular religions. In the 1960s he took up the post of the chairman of the Association of Oriental Studies and published ‘’Two Versions of the Book of Dao and its Virtue, Chinese Cultural Tradition, and Festivals in Ancient China’’. Herrlee Glessner Greel (1905- ) was once the honored professor of the Chinese history of Martin Nelson Lectures in Chicago University and spent most of his time studying Chinese history and the Chinese history of philosophy. Between 1955 and 1956 he became the chairman of the American Association of Oriental Studies. In 1937 he published his book A Study of Early Chinese Culture. In 1970 he published a collection of his essays ‘’Daoism and Other Studies of the History of Chinese Culture’’. Some of articles in the book had been published in Taiwan and the US, which had great influences at the time. ==Daoist Studies in the USA after World War II== After World War II the researches on China were reinforced in the United States, especially after the foundation of the People's Republic of China and the breakout of the Korean War. The Daoist studies in the US developed rapidly under such circumstances. While Greel took up the post of the chairman of the Association of Oriental Studies, Greel's article ‘’"What is Philosophical Daoism and Religious Daoism?"’’ appeared on the magazine ‘’Journal of the American Association of Oriental Studies’’. In spite of the fact that he cared more about the studies of Laozi and Zhuangzi, he was the first to study Chinese Daoism in the American academic circle of Daoist studies. Probably Holmes Welch (1921-1981) was the one who made most efforts than any other people to study Daoism in the USA. He obtained his bachelor's degree in 1942 and master's degree in 1956. He was director of the Research Center of the East Asia and vice-chairman of the Research Center of World Religions in Harvard University. In 1956 he published his first essay ‘’Syncretism in Early Daoism on Papers on China’’ of Harvard University. In 1957 he published his essay ‘’Chinese Daoism and the Celestial Master Zhang on the Journal of Oriental Studie’’s of Hong Kong University. Later he went to Taiwan and Hong Kong many times to make investigations on the situations of Buddhism and Daoism and the Daoist rituals there. In 1957 he published his book ‘’Split of Dao: Laozi and Daoism’’, in which there are four parts altogether: the Question of Laozi, ‘’the Book of Dao and its Virtue’’, the Daoist Movement, and Today's Daoism. The author has given some explanations on ‘’the Book of Dao and its Virtue’’ as well as brief introductions about the Daoist history. The new British Encyclopedia claims that it has the most readable detailed explanations on ‘’the Book of Dao and its Virtue’’ and the first clear narration of the Daoist movement. Welch was actively involved in organizing the first three international conferences on Daoist studies, and promoting Daoist studies all over the world. After the first international conference on the Daoist studies, he published on ‘’History of Religions’’ of Chicago University a survey of the conference: ‘’Bellagio Conference on Daoist Studie’’s. After the second conference of Daoist studies, Welch cooperated with Anna Seidel in publishing the book: ‘’Facets of Daoism --- A Collection of Essays on Chinese Religion’’. This book collected nine articles from the scholars of France, the United States, and Japan, which further promoted Daoist studies internationally. After the third international conference of Daoist studies, he returned to the USA and committed suicide probably because of his old age, his marriage and his family, or his work. But his contribution to the development of Daoist studies in the USA and in the world is respectful and worthy of cherishing our memory of him. ==Daoist Studies of Michael Saso (1930- )== Michael Saso obtained his bachelor's degree of literature in St. Clara University in 1952, master's degree of philosophy in 1955 and another master's degree of Chinese Studies (history and literature) in Yale University in 1964, and doctoral degree of Chinese literature and religion in London University of UK in 1971. He taught first in London University and then in State University of Washington. Since 1974 he had been professor of Chinese Religions in Department of Religions of Hawaii University until his retirement. In 1964 Saso made investigations on Daoism and the folk customs and worked as a professor at the College of Foreign Languages in a university in Taiwan. His investigations in Taiwan mainly focused on the Hsinchu area in the north of Taiwan. He learned the Daoist rituals from the local Daoists Chen Dengyun and Qian Zhicai and collected a number of the Daoist ritual scriptures that spread widely in the north of Taiwan. In 1975 ‘’Chuang-Lin Hsu TAo-tsang: A Collection of Daoist Manuals’’ (‘’Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Zhuang and Lin Lineages’’) ( 《莊林續道藏》Zhuanglin Xu Daozang ) which he edited was printed in Taiwan. It fills 25 volumes with 104 kinds of the Daoist ritual scriptures collected by the Daoist families. Saso classified them intofour different types as the Golden Register ( 金籙 Jinlu ) ---- Morning Ritual Offerings ( 午朝醮事wuchao Jiaoshi ), the Yellow Register ( 黃籙 Huanglu ) ---- Funerals at Midnight ( 午夜喪事 Wuye Sangshi ), the Ritual Document Review ( 文檢wenjian ) ----- Secret Formulas of Talismans and Incantations ( 符咒秘訣fuzhou Mijue ), and Lesser Techniques ( 小法 Xiaofa ) ---- Lesser Techniques of the Divine Empyrean of Mt.Lv ( 閭山神霄小法 Lushan Shenxiao Xiaofa ). It is said that the local Daoists at Hsinchu are not satisfied with Saso because he made the scriptures of the Daoist rituals kept in the Daoist homes known to the public. The publication of the ritual scriptures provides the valuable new information for the research on Daoist rituals and also suggests the necessity and possibility to add more scriptures to the Daoist Canon. In 1979 he published ‘’Integration of Daoist Secret Formula s’’ in Tokyo, which annoyed the Hsinchu Daoists greatly and spoiled his fame as well. Saso's research on Daoism was deeply influenced by the tradition of American sociology and anthropology and he paid great attention to studying the rituals and making on-the-spot investigations. His major works on the Daoist rituals are ‘’Daoism and the Rite of Cosmic Renewal’’, ‘’The Daoist Masters' Rite of the Bestowal of Registers’’ ( 給籙儀式 Geilu Yishi ), ‘’Nocturnal Invocation Ritual’’ ( 宿啓科儀 Suqi Keyi ) ‘’and Daoist Music’’, ‘’and the Structure of Daoist Liturgy in Taiwan’’. And his books about the investigations on the present situation of Daoism are ‘’Religious Festivals in Taiwan’’, ‘’Daoist Competition in the North of Taiwan’’, ‘’Chinese Families’’, ‘’Registration of Population in Taiwan’’, ‘’Daoism in Northern Taiwan, and Religions in Taiwan.’’ His studying of the Daoist books is mainly based on the Daoist scriptures of Daoist rituals he obtained when he learned from the Daoists in Hsinchu. His research on the Daoist doctrine is also based on what he learned from the Daoist Chen Dengyun instead of studying the Daoist books. It can be imagined that he was censured because of his studying Daoism from the perspectives of sociology and anthropology, but his new point of views and unique approach are certainly worthy of our notice. Saso's research on the Daoist rituals begins also with historical literature as well as the present situation of Daoism in Taiwan so that his research is both historical and close to reality. For example, he thinks that there are three types of Daoist rituals in Taiwan, which can be compared to a grand symphony with its three movements played simultaneously. The first type of rituals is popular for praying to the spirits for happiness and benefit. The second type is the tediously singing of scriptures and usually ends in the praying for releasing from suffering. The third type is the traditional Daoist ritual performed by the black-headed Daoists. The first and second type is closely related to each other. In the eyes of Chinese people, the microscopic and macroscopic world, that is, the inner and outer world must be seen as a united system. What is going on outside the human body is bound to take place in correspondence within man himself. There is a worldly hell because man's anger and selfishness lie in his inner world. Favorable weather, abundant financial resources, and man's mutual amities between each other result from man's awareness of the Dao and cherishing of the virtue. One must save the ghosts in the hell before the Heaven blesses him according to the world outlook of Chinese people. It indicates that the Buddhist ideas of mercy, forgiveness, and universal salvation have been absorbed in the Daoist system of religious beliefs, which has become the means of obtaining the blessing of Heaven. The third type is the integrated theme of the first two types. Such rituals start with consecrating the incense burner and end up returning the incense burner. Saso thinks that in such a tradition the rituals are the outer presentations of visualization of the inner alchemy. ‘’The Book of Dao and its Virtue’’ is regarded as the guide to refine the essential matter as well as the vital breath and the spirit, and to perfect one's spiritual world of great Daoists. That Daoists perform such rituals at the Daoist temples or at the Daoist altar are to present what they visualize. After analyzing in detail the ritual master's process of visualization during the ritual offerings, he points out that only after the integration with the Dao, the ritual master is able to help people's praying in accord with the Dao, which can bring about the revival of the nature. To pray for happiness, fortune, and longevity and to experience the integration of oneself with the nature are the objectives of the ritual offerings of orthodox Daoism. Although people may have different ideas about hia analysis of the structure of the Daoist rituals and take various attitudes towards it, Saso's opinions are quite instructive for promoting the research on Daoist rituals as well as on the history of Daoism. ==Daoist Studies of Michel Strickman and Other Scholars== Michel Strickman is from Germany and has studied in France for many years, and he is proficient in German, French, English, and Chinese. He once worked as a professor of Department of Oriental and Asian Studies in Berkeley College of California University. His Daoist study has focused on the Six-dynasty period and published a series of works. #’’The Mao Shan Revelations: Daoism and the Aristocrac’’y #’’Tao Hongjing's Alchemy’’ #’’Daoism’’ #’’The Daoist History’’ #’’The Daoist Literature’’ #’’A Daoist Confirmation of Liang Wu Di's Suppression of Daoism’’ #’’The Longest Daoist Scripture ----- the Book of Salvation’’ ( 〈度人經〉 Duren Jing ) #’’Chinese Religion, History and Anthropology’’ #’’The Revelation of the Highest Clarity Tradition: the Mao Shan Sect’’ #’’The Therapy Ritual as the Therapy and the Ideas of Evils in Early Daoism’’ Strickman took charge of editing the book ‘’Collection of Essays on Japanese Religion and Philosophy’’ in honor of Prof. Steininger as well as the four volumes of collections of essays on Tantric and Daoist Studies in Honour of R.A. Stein: ‘’Papers on China and Buddhism’’. Judging by his works we can see that his study of Daoism focuses on the Daoist history in the six dynasties as well as the Daosit scriptures and the Daoist figures, especially the Highest Clarity Tradition of Mt.Maoshan. Strickmann thinks that Daoism is not only the most progressive religion that appeared in the Chinese territory but also one of the largest in the world. Many people, however, neglect it and did no research on it. It is a serious mistake. Such an attitude might be caused by the missioners' disgust against the complicated local traditions or by the Manchu repellence against Daoism due to the Manchu invasion into the central plains. He insists that the first step is to study the Daoist doctrines such as ‘’the Declarations of the Perfected’’ ( 《真誥》 Zhengao ). Studying it we can not only be aware of Daoism but also get an overall idea of the religions in Medieval China as well as the development of Chinese religions during the fifth and sixth centuries. Anyone who has a little understanding of the Declarations of the Perfected is clearly aware that it is rather difficult to read or comprehend and even more difficult to do research on, so much so that it is thought that it is not worth studying. But Strickmann does not think so and he argues that ‘’the Declarations of the Perfected’’ is such a great book with large quantity of information as to the society, culture, literature, and history that we must admit that it is a reliable chronicle of the Daoist development. He thinks that before Tao Hongjing there were a lot of works by Yang Xi and Xu's family and it is Tao Hongjing who rearranged their works into books. He says that we can feel that each article in ‘’the Declarations of the Perfected’’ is interrelated to each other and we can get something of the process and methods of the foundation of Daoism if we study the relations between them. In this sense ‘’the Declarations of the Perfected’’ is the beginning of the Daoist study. As a scholar who studies Daoism, he takes such an active attitude towards this book and clearly expounds his views on it. He is really commendable. In the early 1990s, Strickman left Berkeley of California University for France to teach and do his research in a university in the south of France. Unfortunately he died young like Anna Seidel. At the end of 1920s the American academic circle was quite interested in the Daoist alchemy of China, but it was Nathan Sivin who did serious research scientifically and systematically on it in the 1960s. He was professor of History of Science and History of Chinese Culture in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He obtained his MA in 1960 and Ph.D of the history of science at Harvard University in 1966. Since 1973 he has worked as a professor in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since the Chinese history of science and technology is closely related to the history of Daoism, his research is directed into Daoism. Sivin was the first to study the Daoists of the Tang dynasty and his book ‘’Chinese Alchemy: Preliminary Studies’’ deals with Sun Simiao's life and thought as well as the activities in which Sun was involved. He translated part of the ‘’Essential Formula of Golden Alchemy’’ ( 《金丹要訣》 Jindan Yaojue ) with a textual research on it. In its appendix there is the index of the books on the Chinese alchemy written in English and some other languages, and the index of their different versions. It can be considered as a summery of the research on the Chinese alchemy in the west during the past fifty years. Apart from this, Sivin published some other essays on Daoism in 1960s and 1970s. #’’Life of Ge Hong and the Inner Book of the Man Who Embraces Simplicity’’ #’’On Reconstructing Chinese Alchemy’’ #’’Chinese Alchemy as Science’’ #’’On the Word Taoist as a Source of Perplexity ( With Special Reference to the Relations of Science and Religion in Traditional China.)’’ #’’Report on the Third International Conference on Daoist Studies’’ Since the end of 1970s, Sivin's interest in his research has shifted, so we can hardly find his essays or books on Daoism now. Traditionally the American academic circle has been attaching great importance in their studies to the approaches of anthropology and sociology. Since the 1970s the American scholars have published a number of findings of their investigations on Chinese religions. Let's take ‘’David Jordan's Gods, Ghosts, and Ancestors ---- Popular Religion in Rural Taiwan’’ as an example. David Jordan has obtained his doctoral degree of anthropology at Chicago University and works as a researcher of anthropology in California University. Between 1966 and 1968, he made investigations on the people's life and religion in the Bao'an village near the City of Tainan. ‘’Gods, Ghosts, and Ancestors’’ was a report of his investigation, in which he narrated the Taiwanese religion, the village gods, the technique of divination, the family gods and so on. Jordan thinks that the religion in rural Taiwan is a mixture of three supernatural beings like gods, ancestors, and the ghosts' souls that is integrated with the social relationship between people in this world. And the villagers attach more importance to their worship of ghosts than gods or ancestors. Emily M. Ahern, the assistant professor of Yale University, made investigations on the worship of ancestors at the Nanxi village in the north of Taiwan from 1969 to 1970. In 1973 Stanford University published her book ‘’Rite for the Dead in Rural China’’. Daoism is not directly discussed in the two books mentioned above, but it is presented more than Buddhism, Confucianism, and popular beliefs. There are some other investigations similar to what is mentioned above and their authors are usually the young scholars. But the date, location, or investigation procedure is not mentioned often in their reports and the background information such as the name, age, occupation, interpreter is not recorded either, which may affect the importance of their investigations to some extent. [[zh:美國的道教研究]] d3136909e9bd0a8afb5e5ffa82b41e5be1f1b41a 451 450 2009-09-02T05:36:19Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki ==Daoist Studies before World War II== The United States came to China after the European countries like Holland and the Great Britain opened the door of China with warships and cannons. In this sense it began its studies of Sinology or China much later than the other European countries. In the 19th century there were some American missioners who came to China for their missionary work. Of them Arthur Henderson Smith (1845-1932) the Congregational priest came to Tianjin and Shangdong of China for his missions. In the meanwhile he worked as the correspondent of a newspaper in Shanghai. In 1899 he published in New York his book ''Country Life of China: a Sociological Study'', in which he mentioned about the temples, religions, communities, and religious liturgies in the countryside. At the beginning of the 20th century, Obed Simon Johnson a doctoral student of University of California came to China, and in 1928 he published his doctoral dissertation A Textual Research on Chinese Alchemy by Shanghai Commercial Publishing House, which was translated into Chinese by Huang Sufeng in 1936. Despite the title "a textual research", the author did not supply many materials in it nor did he analyze Chinese alchemy with chemical knowledge. Of course he pointed out that the European alchemy was transmitted from Chinese alchemy and thought alchemy was closely related to Daoist theories. He also thought Alchemy played an important role in ancient chemistry and medicine. At the end of 1920s, James Roland Ware (1901- ) came to China as the first postgraduate student of '''Harvard Peking Academic Society'''. He went back and got his doctoral degree at Harvard University in 1932. In the 1930s he published his essay ''A Discourse on Daoism Based on the Chronicle of the Wei and the Chronicle of the Sui''. In the 1960s he published ''Qutations of Zhuangzi'' ( 《莊子語錄》Zhuangzi ) and Chinese ''Alchemy, Medicine, and Religions in 320AD: Ge Hong's Inner Book of the Man Who Embraces Simplicity''. The latter is the relatively complete English version of the Inner Book of the Man Who Embraces Simplicity in the west at present. Before and during World War II, Japan and France with the tradition of studying Sinology were involved in the war while the United States was developing its economy at a high speed at the time. The research on China was also developing very rapidly. The Library of Congress of the United States became one of the centers with the most abundant collections of Chinese books in the world. The experts who began their studies of China and Chinese Daoism before World War II had their works come out after the war. Derke Bodde (1909- ), the professor of Chinese in University of Pennsylvania, translated and published the ancient Chinese book ''Records of Festivals in Peking'' ( 《燕京歲時記》Yanjing Suishiji ). He had been doing research on Chinese philosophy and popular religions. In the 1960s he took up the post of the chairman of the Association of Oriental Studies and published ''Two Versions of the Book of Dao and its Virtue, Chinese Cultural Tradition, and Festivals in Ancient China''. Herrlee Glessner Greel (1905- ) was once the honored professor of the Chinese history of Martin Nelson Lectures in Chicago University and spent most of his time studying Chinese history and the Chinese history of philosophy. Between 1955 and 1956 he became the chairman of the American Association of Oriental Studies. In 1937 he published his book A Study of Early Chinese Culture. In 1970 he published a collection of his essays ''Daoism and Other Studies of the History of Chinese Culture''. Some of articles in the book had been published in Taiwan and the US, which had great influences at the time. ==Daoist Studies in the USA after World War II== After World War II the researches on China were reinforced in the United States, especially after the foundation of the People's Republic of China and the breakout of the Korean War. The Daoist studies in the US developed rapidly under such circumstances. While Greel took up the post of the chairman of the Association of Oriental Studies, Greel's article ''"What is Philosophical Daoism and Religious Daoism?"'' appeared on the magazine ''Journal of the American Association of Oriental Studies''. In spite of the fact that he cared more about the studies of Laozi and Zhuangzi, he was the first to study Chinese Daoism in the American academic circle of Daoist studies. Probably Holmes Welch (1921-1981) was the one who made most efforts than any other people to study Daoism in the USA. He obtained his bachelor's degree in 1942 and master's degree in 1956. He was director of the Research Center of the East Asia and vice-chairman of the Research Center of World Religions in Harvard University. In 1956 he published his first essay ''Syncretism in Early Daoism on Papers on China'' of Harvard University. In 1957 he published his essay ''Chinese Daoism and the Celestial Master Zhang on the Journal of Oriental Studies'' of Hong Kong University. Later he went to Taiwan and Hong Kong many times to make investigations on the situations of Buddhism and Daoism and the Daoist rituals there. In 1957 he published his book ''Split of Dao: Laozi and Daoism'', in which there are four parts altogether: the Question of Laozi, ''the Book of Dao and its Virtue'', the Daoist Movement, and Today's Daoism. The author has given some explanations on ''the Book of Dao and its Virtue'' as well as brief introductions about the Daoist history. The new British Encyclopedia claims that it has the most readable detailed explanations on ''the Book of Dao and its Virtue'' and the first clear narration of the Daoist movement. Welch was actively involved in organizing the first three international conferences on Daoist studies, and promoting Daoist studies all over the world. After the first international conference on the Daoist studies, he published on ''History of Religions'' of Chicago University a survey of the conference: ''Bellagio Conference on Daoist Studies''. After the second conference of Daoist studies, Welch cooperated with Anna Seidel in publishing the book: ''Facets of Daoism --- A Collection of Essays on Chinese Religion''. This book collected nine articles from the scholars of France, the United States, and Japan, which further promoted Daoist studies internationally. After the third international conference of Daoist studies, he returned to the USA and committed suicide probably because of his old age, his marriage and his family, or his work. But his contribution to the development of Daoist studies in the USA and in the world is respectful and worthy of cherishing our memory of him. ==Daoist Studies of Michael Saso (1930- )== Michael Saso obtained his bachelor's degree of literature in St. Clara University in 1952, master's degree of philosophy in 1955 and another master's degree of Chinese Studies (history and literature) in Yale University in 1964, and doctoral degree of Chinese literature and religion in London University of UK in 1971. He taught first in London University and then in State University of Washington. Since 1974 he had been professor of Chinese Religions in Department of Religions of Hawaii University until his retirement. In 1964 Saso made investigations on Daoism and the folk customs and worked as a professor at the College of Foreign Languages in a university in Taiwan. His investigations in Taiwan mainly focused on the Hsinchu area in the north of Taiwan. He learned the Daoist rituals from the local Daoists Chen Dengyun and Qian Zhicai and collected a number of the Daoist ritual scriptures that spread widely in the north of Taiwan. In 1975 ''Chuang-Lin Hsu TAo-tsang: A Collection of Daoist Manuals'' (''Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Zhuang and Lin Lineages'') ( 《莊林續道藏》Zhuanglin Xu Daozang ) which he edited was printed in Taiwan. It fills 25 volumes with 104 kinds of the Daoist ritual scriptures collected by the Daoist families. Saso classified them intofour different types as the Golden Register ( 金籙 Jinlu ) ---- Morning Ritual Offerings ( 午朝醮事wuchao Jiaoshi ), the Yellow Register ( 黃籙 Huanglu ) ---- Funerals at Midnight ( 午夜喪事 Wuye Sangshi ), the Ritual Document Review ( 文檢wenjian ) ----- Secret Formulas of Talismans and Incantations ( 符咒秘訣fuzhou Mijue ), and Lesser Techniques ( 小法 Xiaofa ) ---- Lesser Techniques of the Divine Empyrean of Mt.Lv ( 閭山神霄小法 Lushan Shenxiao Xiaofa ). It is said that the local Daoists at Hsinchu are not satisfied with Saso because he made the scriptures of the Daoist rituals kept in the Daoist homes known to the public. The publication of the ritual scriptures provides the valuable new information for the research on Daoist rituals and also suggests the necessity and possibility to add more scriptures to the Daoist Canon. In 1979 he published ''Integration of Daoist Secret Formula s'' in Tokyo, which annoyed the Hsinchu Daoists greatly and spoiled his fame as well. Saso's research on Daoism was deeply influenced by the tradition of American sociology and anthropology and he paid great attention to studying the rituals and making on-the-spot investigations. His major works on the Daoist rituals are ''Daoism and the Rite of Cosmic Renewal'', ''The Daoist Masters' Rite of the Bestowal of Registers'' ( 給籙儀式 Geilu Yishi ), ''Nocturnal Invocation Ritual'' ( 宿啓科儀 Suqi Keyi ) ''and Daoist Music'', ''and the Structure of Daoist Liturgy in Taiwan''. And his books about the investigations on the present situation of Daoism are ''Religious Festivals in Taiwan'', ''Daoist Competition in the North of Taiwan'', ''Chinese Families'', ''Registration of Population in Taiwan'', ''Daoism in Northern Taiwan, and Religions in Taiwan''. His studying of the Daoist books is mainly based on the Daoist scriptures of Daoist rituals he obtained when he learned from the Daoists in Hsinchu. His research on the Daoist doctrine is also based on what he learned from the Daoist Chen Dengyun instead of studying the Daoist books. It can be imagined that he was censured because of his studying Daoism from the perspectives of sociology and anthropology, but his new point of views and unique approach are certainly worthy of our notice. Saso's research on the Daoist rituals begins also with historical literature as well as the present situation of Daoism in Taiwan so that his research is both historical and close to reality. For example, he thinks that there are three types of Daoist rituals in Taiwan, which can be compared to a grand symphony with its three movements played simultaneously. The first type of rituals is popular for praying to the spirits for happiness and benefit. The second type is the tediously singing of scriptures and usually ends in the praying for releasing from suffering. The third type is the traditional Daoist ritual performed by the black-headed Daoists. The first and second type is closely related to each other. In the eyes of Chinese people, the microscopic and macroscopic world, that is, the inner and outer world must be seen as a united system. What is going on outside the human body is bound to take place in correspondence within man himself. There is a worldly hell because man's anger and selfishness lie in his inner world. Favorable weather, abundant financial resources, and man's mutual amities between each other result from man's awareness of the Dao and cherishing of the virtue. One must save the ghosts in the hell before the Heaven blesses him according to the world outlook of Chinese people. It indicates that the Buddhist ideas of mercy, forgiveness, and universal salvation have been absorbed in the Daoist system of religious beliefs, which has become the means of obtaining the blessing of Heaven. The third type is the integrated theme of the first two types. Such rituals start with consecrating the incense burner and end up returning the incense burner. Saso thinks that in such a tradition the rituals are the outer presentations of visualization of the inner alchemy. ‘''The Book of Dao and its Virtue'' is regarded as the guide to refine the essential matter as well as the vital breath and the spirit, and to perfect one's spiritual world of great Daoists. That Daoists perform such rituals at the Daoist temples or at the Daoist altar are to present what they visualize. After analyzing in detail the ritual master's process of visualization during the ritual offerings, he points out that only after the integration with the Dao, the ritual master is able to help people's praying in accord with the Dao, which can bring about the revival of the nature. To pray for happiness, fortune, and longevity and to experience the integration of oneself with the nature are the objectives of the ritual offerings of orthodox Daoism. Although people may have different ideas about hia analysis of the structure of the Daoist rituals and take various attitudes towards it, Saso's opinions are quite instructive for promoting the research on Daoist rituals as well as on the history of Daoism. ==Daoist Studies of Michel Strickman and Other Scholars== Michel Strickman is from Germany and has studied in France for many years, and he is proficient in German, French, English, and Chinese. He once worked as a professor of Department of Oriental and Asian Studies in Berkeley College of California University. His Daoist study has focused on the Six-dynasty period and published a series of works. #''The Mao Shan Revelations: Daoism and the Aristocracy'' #''Tao Hongjing's Alchemy'' #''Daoism'' #''The Daoist History'' #''The Daoist Literature'' #''A Daoist Confirmation of Liang Wu Di's Suppression of Daoism'' #''The Longest Daoist Scripture ----- the Book of Salvation'' ( 〈度人經〉 Duren Jing ) #''Chinese Religion, History and Anthropology'' #''The Revelation of the Highest Clarity Tradition: the Mao Shan Sect'' #''The Therapy Ritual as the Therapy and the Ideas of Evils in Early Daoism'' Strickman took charge of editing the book ''Collection of Essays on Japanese Religion and Philosophy'' in honor of Prof. Steininger as well as the four volumes of collections of essays on Tantric and Daoist Studies in Honour of R.A. Stein: ''Papers on China and Buddhism''. Judging by his works we can see that his study of Daoism focuses on the Daoist history in the six dynasties as well as the Daosit scriptures and the Daoist figures, especially the Highest Clarity Tradition of Mt.Maoshan. Strickmann thinks that Daoism is not only the most progressive religion that appeared in the Chinese territory but also one of the largest in the world. Many people, however, neglect it and did no research on it. It is a serious mistake. Such an attitude might be caused by the missioners' disgust against the complicated local traditions or by the Manchu repellence against Daoism due to the Manchu invasion into the central plains. He insists that the first step is to study the Daoist doctrines such as ''the Declarations of the Perfected'' ( 《真誥》 Zhengao ). Studying it we can not only be aware of Daoism but also get an overall idea of the religions in Medieval China as well as the development of Chinese religions during the fifth and sixth centuries. Anyone who has a little understanding of the Declarations of the Perfected is clearly aware that it is rather difficult to read or comprehend and even more difficult to do research on, so much so that it is thought that it is not worth studying. But Strickmann does not think so and he argues that ''the Declarations of the Perfected'' is such a great book with large quantity of information as to the society, culture, literature, and history that we must admit that it is a reliable chronicle of the Daoist development. He thinks that before Tao Hongjing there were a lot of works by Yang Xi and Xu's family and it is Tao Hongjing who rearranged their works into books. He says that we can feel that each article in ''the Declarations of the Perfected'' is interrelated to each other and we can get something of the process and methods of the foundation of Daoism if we study the relations between them. In this sense ''the Declarations of the Perfected'' is the beginning of the Daoist study. As a scholar who studies Daoism, he takes such an active attitude towards this book and clearly expounds his views on it. He is really commendable. In the early 1990s, Strickman left Berkeley of California University for France to teach and do his research in a university in the south of France. Unfortunately he died young like Anna Seidel. At the end of 1920s the American academic circle was quite interested in the Daoist alchemy of China, but it was Nathan Sivin who did serious research scientifically and systematically on it in the 1960s. He was professor of History of Science and History of Chinese Culture in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He obtained his MA in 1960 and Ph.D of the history of science at Harvard University in 1966. Since 1973 he has worked as a professor in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since the Chinese history of science and technology is closely related to the history of Daoism, his research is directed into Daoism. Sivin was the first to study the Daoists of the Tang dynasty and his book ''Chinese Alchemy: Preliminary Studies'' deals with Sun Simiao's life and thought as well as the activities in which Sun was involved. He translated part of the ''Essential Formula of Golden Alchemy'' ( 《金丹要訣》 Jindan Yaojue ) with a textual research on it. In its appendix there is the index of the books on the Chinese alchemy written in English and some other languages, and the index of their different versions. It can be considered as a summery of the research on the Chinese alchemy in the west during the past fifty years. Apart from this, Sivin published some other essays on Daoism in 1960s and 1970s. #''Life of Ge Hong and the Inner Book of the Man Who Embraces Simplicity'' #''On Reconstructing Chinese Alchemy'' #''Chinese Alchemy as Science'' #''On the Word Taoist as a Source of Perplexity ( With Special Reference to the Relations of Science and Religion in Traditional China.)'' #''Report on the Third International Conference on Daoist Studies'' Since the end of 1970s, Sivin's interest in his research has shifted, so we can hardly find his essays or books on Daoism now. Traditionally the American academic circle has been attaching great importance in their studies to the approaches of anthropology and sociology. Since the 1970s the American scholars have published a number of findings of their investigations on Chinese religions. Let's take ''David Jordan's Gods, Ghosts, and Ancestors ---- Popular Religion in Rural Taiwan'' as an example. David Jordan has obtained his doctoral degree of anthropology at Chicago University and works as a researcher of anthropology in California University. Between 1966 and 1968, he made investigations on the people's life and religion in the Bao'an village near the City of Tainan. ''Gods, Ghosts, and Ancestors'' was a report of his investigation, in which he narrated the Taiwanese religion, the village gods, the technique of divination, the family gods and so on. Jordan thinks that the religion in rural Taiwan is a mixture of three supernatural beings like gods, ancestors, and the ghosts' souls that is integrated with the social relationship between people in this world. And the villagers attach more importance to their worship of ghosts than gods or ancestors. Emily M. Ahern, the assistant professor of Yale University, made investigations on the worship of ancestors at the Nanxi village in the north of Taiwan from 1969 to 1970. In 1973 Stanford University published her book ''Rite for the Dead in Rural China''. Daoism is not directly discussed in the two books mentioned above, but it is presented more than Buddhism, Confucianism, and popular beliefs. There are some other investigations similar to what is mentioned above and their authors are usually the young scholars. But the date, location, or investigation procedure is not mentioned often in their reports and the background information such as the name, age, occupation, interpreter is not recorded either, which may affect the importance of their investigations to some extent. [[zh:美國的道教研究]] 25707a887267a21ddb1bb0e3decffa2e43072a51 0 374 452 2009-09-02T06:06:35Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The Society of Chinese Religious Studies and the Journal of Chinese Religions== There were not many scholars who were devoted to Chinese religious studies and Daoist studies un...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Society of Chinese Religious Studies and the Journal of Chinese Religions== There were not many scholars who were devoted to Chinese religious studies and Daoist studies until the 1970s while such studies were already very popular in other parts of the world. Daniel Lee Overmyer, professor of the University of British Colombia in Canada, suggested in 1974 during a meeting of the Chinese religion section of the American Society of Religious Studies that the Society of Chinese Religious Studies be established. In 1975 Canadian scholars completed the preparation for it. The Society of Chinese Religious Studies was not only admitted by experts of Chinese studies in many related fields, but also approved by the American Society of Religious Studies and the Association of Asian Studies. At its founding, there were only six members and 44 members the following year. Ten years later (1987) it had 200 members, and presently, over 300. In addition to the members from Canada, there are also scholars from the United States, Germany, Belgium, the Great Britain, France, Sweden, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, China, Korea, and Chinese Hong Kong and Taiwan. Apart from the own activities they organized themselves, the members of the Society also take part in the activities launched by the American Society of Religious Studies and those of the research group of Chinese religions of the Association of Asian Studies. The Society of Chinese Religious Studies publishes its own journals. In 1976 and 1977 it published three issues of '' the News of the Society of Chinese Religious Studies''. Between 1977 and 1981 the title was named The '' Information of the Society of Chinese Religious Studies'' and there were six issues altogether. Since 1982 the journal has been entitled '' The Journal of Chinese Religions'' and publishes one issue annually. It contains chiefly the essays concerning the researches on Chinese religions, followed by some book reviews (primarily on the non-English works). In addition, the Society publishes two issues of The News of the Society each year with academic information in which the members of the Society are interested. Daniel Lee Overmeyer has made one of the greatest contributions to initiating the activities of the Society of Chinese Religious Studies. He graduated from Westman College in 1957 with a BA and received his MA in 1966. In 1971 he obtained his Ph.D from Chicago University. He devoted himself to the Chinese religious studies, especially popular beliefs of the Ming and Qing. His books and essays are as follows: #'' Popular Buddhism: Heterodoxy Sects of the Late Period of Traditional China'' #'' Chinese Religion'' #'' Dualism and Conflicts: Chinese Popular Beliefs'' #'' Alternative: the Popular Religious Sects in Chinese Society'' #'' My View on the Role and Position of the Pao-chuan in Popular Religious Literature of China during the 16th and 17th Centuries'' #'' Values in Chinese Religious Literature: Ming and Ch'ing Pao-chuan'' #'' Scriptures of the Oldest Sect in China: Precious Scroll on the Great Destiny Told by the Buddha, 1943'' ===Daoist Studies of Julian Pas=== Pas has also made great contributions to promoting the activities of the Society of Chinese Religious Studies in Canada and '' The Journal of Chinese Religions''. He was born in Belgium and presently is professor of Department of Religious Studies at Sathcachewan University. He once was a Catholic priest and when he devoted himself to God, both his family and the residents of the village where he grew up were very proud of him and very much pleased. In 1959 he was sent to Taiwan by the Vatican to do missionary work. He spent two years learning Chinese at the College of Chinese Language in Hsinchu, taught at the Seminary of Taizhong, and did his missionary work in that area. This experience put him in close contact with the religious life of the masses of Taiwan. Julian Pas loves traditional Chinese culture and enjoys studying Chinese history and philosophy. Recalling this period of his life, he remarked that he began feeling doubt about some of the basic Catholic doctrines that he formerly considered the absolute truth, as well as about some of the regulations and principles of the Church. At the same time his ideas about the possibility of salvation and eternal life none other than Catholicism also began to change. He began to feel that thousands of kind Chinese people must have their own religion and that it is impossible for all of them to be thrown into the hell. In order to obtain the peace of mind, he devoted himself entirely to his work and prayer, hoping in vain he could rid his trouble. However he found that his ideal and struggle was not practical and he enjoyed very much working together with the Chinese people of Taiwan. So when he returned to Belgium in 1966, he decided not to be a Catholic missioner. After some time of waiting, he was approved to quit by the Vatican. Then he got married with his fiancee of Taiwan and immigrated to Canada where he pursued his doctor's degree of the Comparative Studies of Religions and began his career of education in the city of Saskatoon that is located in the mid-west of Canada. In 1975 he was invited to work at the East Sea University of Taiwan and he acknowledged Lin Zhengqi as his teacher in Taizhong to study the Daoist scriptures and rituals. In 1978 Zhang Xianyuan of Taiwan held the ritual for him at the City God Temple ( 城隍廟 Chenghuang Miao ) of Taizhong to confer him as the Inspector of Merits of Three and Five ( 三五都功 Sanwu Dugong ) so that he became a foreign Daoist formally after receiving his register and his post. In 1984 he came to the mainland of China for investigations. In 1985 he attended the International Conference of Daoist Rituals and Music held by the Chinese University of Hong Kong. In 1994 and 1995 he made investigations on the development of the Chinese religions in Taiwan and he thought that Taiwan is part of China, and the cultural background of Taiwan is accord with China. His major works are #'' A Select Bibliography on Daoism'' #'' A Further Research on Chinese Religion'' #'' Articles of Zhuangzi'' #'' Symbolism of the New Light: Further Researches into Daoist Liturgy, Suggested by A Comparison Between the Daoist Fen-Deng Ritual and the Christian Consecration of the Easter Candle. '' #'' Rituals of Cancellation of Evil'' #'' The Turning of the Tide: Religion in China Today'' #'' Revival of Daoist Rituals and Popular Religion'' #'' A Journey to the Hell: A New Report of a Mysterious Journey to the Court in the Hell'' #'' Religion in New Year Cards of China'' In addition, he edited a collection of essays: '' Religion in China Today'' and worked together with other scholar in translation of Prof. Robinet's book The Daoist Meditation. In recent years, as the vice-chairman of the Society of Chinese Religious Studies and the chief editor of the Journal of Chinese Religion, Julian Pas has made great efforts to organize the academic activities and publish and circulate books on Daoist studies. He has contributed a lot to Sinology and Daoist studies in Canada. Julian Pas is versatile in his academic his research, involved in many fields of Chinese religious culture. His guests often say that his residence is like a museum of Chinese popular religious culture. It is just as he says that he loves Chinese culture. His masterpieces are '' Symbolism of the New Light: Further Researches into Daoist Liturgy, Suggested by A Comparison Between the Daoist Fen-Deng Ritual and the Christian Consecration of the Easter Candle, and Rituals of Cancellation of Evil''. The former was published on the '' Journal of the Hong Kong Branch of the Royal Asiatic Societ'' y and the latter was the essay presented at the International Conference of Daoist Rituals and Music held in the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The former essay mentioned above has four parts: the Daoist ritual of Fen - Deng, Christian fire consecration and Easter candles, essentials of comparison and contrasts, and hypothesis and conclusion. In his description of the Daoist ritual of Fen-Deng, Julian Pas analyzed the significance and the formation of the Feng-Deng ritual by adopting the findings of Prof. Saso and Prof. Schipper. In the second part of his essay, he analyzed the process of the Christian liturgy of fire consecration and Easter candles based on the Christian classics and the descriptions of the theologians. In the third part he made comparisons between the Daoist and Christian rituals in five respects: the label of the ritual, the means of getting the new light, the procedure of the trinity, and the parade of light and the structure of the ritual. As for his use of comparison, Julian Pas mentioned that the symbol of light is a model in all aspects. Like the symbol of light, the symbol of water is one of the motifs that often appear in religious and literary documents. In the dualistic system, light and darkness are entirely different from each other. Light is regarded as the sacred radiation and light is the symbol of the sacred, purity, and life while darkness is the symbol of evil, demons, filth, and death. Julian Pas chose to make comparison between the Daoist ritual of Feng-deng and the Christian Consecration of Easter candles because both of them use the new fire and the new light, both of which are the symbolic models of light. Julian Pas thinks that the symbol of light can be discussed in many respects and he likes to find a special motif from the two traditional rituals that seems to have no connection to each other. In fact they not only appear to be similar, but exactly similar to each other in meaning and accurate expression. The first example is the Daoist ritual of Fen-Deng and another is the liturgy of the Catholic Easter candles as the new fire consecration on Sunday at the eve of Easter. We should say that both his ways of comparison and the choice of the point of tangency of comparison are meaningful and rational as far as the things to be compared are concerned. The author sums up the result of his comparison in the last part of his essay. The ritual itself in its original sense is the ceremony to celebrate the Sun's giving the vigorous power to human beings and the returning to the process of growth on the special day of the Spring Equinox. This ritual should be regarded as an initial model and interpreted as something independent in every major tradition. With the symbol of light as a model, in Mediterranean and the Yellow River civilizations there are two similar but independent ritual traditions with similar meanings and processes, the phenomena itself has added something valuable to the world religious anthropology. Nevertheless Julian Pas put forward a historical hypothesis that Christianity once influenced the Daoist ritual of Fen-Deng. It is bound to be too venturous to be responded. Both Saso and Schipper did research on the ritual of Fen-Deng and both of them are from Christian families, and they are quite formilar with the liturgy at the Easter and the Mediterranean cultural tradition. I guess they won't agree on Pas' opinion that the Daoist ritual of Fen-Deng has influenced by Christianity. According to archeological and documentary information, Christianity was indeed transmitted into China in the Tang dynasty, but it did not have much influence on the religious life of Chinese people. And there is nothing that can be applied as the evidence or witness to suggest that Christianity once influenced the Daoist rituals. Therefore, his "historical hypothesis" is just a venturesome hypothesis instead of a historical fact. After all, people will have interest in his comparason and analysis since he described the people in different traditions of human civilization who put their wish for light into their religious beliefs so that they formed their unique symbolic systems and rituals of pursuing light that are passed down from generation to generation, in which their ideal for light is placed on the execration of darkness. ==Daoist Studies of Other Canadian Scholars== ===Julia Ching (1934 - )=== Shw was born in Shanghai. As a professor of Chinese philosophy of Toronto University, Julia does her research on Confucian school of idealist philosophy of the Song and Ming. Her major works are: #'' Christianity and Chinese Religions'' #'' The Virtue of Wang Yang-ming's Four-Sentence Teaching'' ( 四句教 Sijujiao ) #'' Zhu Xi and Daoism'' '' Zhu Xi and Daoism'' is an essay presented at the Academic Conference of Zhu Xi's Thought. In this article the author discusses Zhu Xi's understanding and evaluation of Daoism as well as the influence of Daoism on Zhu Xi. Julia thinks that Zhu's criticism of [[Laozi]] and [[Zhuangzi]] is less serious than his rebuke on Buddhism, especially the Chan Sect. On the one hand, Zhu Xi admitted that the orthodox spirits be worshiped officially by the royal and official families. On the other hand, she objected to the excessive or unofficial sacrifice offerings and to the heterodoxy spirits unofficially worshiped. Zhu Xi did not oppose to all the arts for longevity despite his different ideas about them. The author thinks Zhu Xi did not deny Daoism in all aspects. Instead she points out that Zhu Xi did not mean to hurt Daoism as he criticized Daoism in that Daoist priests did not read books of Laozi and Zhuangzi. Zhu Xi thought the Daoists constructed the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ) by imitating the Buddhist Three Bodies, and put Laozi above the Highest Emperor of the Heaven, because he sincerely hoped Daoism could be better than Buddhism. As for the Daoist influence on Zhu Xi, Julia thinks that there was something in Zhu Xi's cosmology brought from both philosophical and religious Daoism even if Zhu integrated it with his own theory after his refroms of Daoist cosmoloy, and thus increased the philosophical implication of Daoism. In addition, Julia rearranged two books wrapped up in the '' Daoist Canon'', contributing to Daoist studies '' (a Textual Criticism of "the Three Ways United and Normalized of the Book of Change" and a Textual Criticism of "the Book of Secret Correspondence")''. Interestingly, Zhu Xi used a penname "Kong Tong Daoist" for his book '' a Textual Criticism of the Three Ways United and Normalized of the Book of Change''. Julian thinks that Kong Tong may imply the author was not a registered true Daoist. Of course, it is just one of the interpretations to Kong Tong. ===Jan Yun-hua (1923 - )=== Jan Yun-hua was born in Sichuan Province of China. He graduated from Sichuan University with BA in 1948 and obtained his Ph.D at a university in India in 1964. He had worked as a teaching assistant, an associate professor, and a professor in Department of Religious Studies in a university of Canada for over 20 years. Jan was once Dean of Department of Religious Studies, and was awarded the title Honored Retired Professor as he retired. After 1979 he visited the mainland China for many times for academic exchanges with Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing University, Sichuan University, and so on. Jan Yun-hua loves Chinese culture, friendly as he treats Chinese people, and objective and impartial as he makes evaluations. On Dec. 21,1991 Jan Yun-hua delivered a speech on the religious culture and the present academic exchanges between the scholars of mainland China and those of Chinese Taiwan at the Academic Conference of Religion and Culture across the Taiwan Strait. In his talk, he mentions that the scholars in mainland China have done a lot of fundamental work, which is not only a good foundation for the future academic research in mainland China but also in Taiwan and other countries in the world. Jan refers to the compiling of reference books and printing collections of religious documents such as '' the History of Chinese Buddhism'' edited by Ren Ji-yu and '' the History of Chinese Daoism'' edited by Prof. Qing Xi-tai, and some investigations on the religions of minority nationalities. He highly evaluates such basic work and thinks that some of them are superior to what has been done in Taiwan or Japan. He criticizes that the academic circle of Taiwan is pursuing creating what is new or trying to please the public with claptrap as he says that people can learn something from what the scholars of the Mainland China have done and the research work done in the Mainland China is a mirror for people to see themselves. At first Jan Yun-hua focused on Buddhism in his research. Since 1970s, his essays on Daoism have published. His major works are #'' Chronicle of Buddhist Studies in China 581-960'' #'' The Change of Buddhism in China'' #'' Indian Buddhism of the Tang'' #'' Problems of Dao and Dao De Jing '' #'' Simplified Contents of Silk Manuscripts on Daoism'' #'' The Silk Manuscripts on Daoism'' #'' Dao Yuan or Dao: The Origin '' #'' Dao, Principle and Law: The Three Key Concepts in the Yellow Emperor Daoism'' #'' Thoughts as Buddhata: Complete and Pure Concepts in the Chan Sect of Buddhism '' #'' The Religious Situation and the Studies of Buddhism and Daoism in China Supplementary on Buddhist Books of the North Lineage of the Chan Sect ---- the Hymn of the Monk Jiji'' #'' Dunhuang Manuscripts on No-Thought'' ( 無念 Wunian ) #'' Cultural Borrowing and Religious Identity: A Case Study of the Daoist Religious Codes '' #'' The Bridge between Man and Cosmos: The Philosophical Foundation of Music in the Tai-ping ching'' #'' Recent Works of Religious Studies in China'' #'' Human Nature and its Cosmic Roots in Huang-Lao Daoism'' Most of Jan Yun-hua's works are written in English. Of his works on Daoism, the most representative one might be '' The Bridge between Man and Cosmos: The Philosophical Foundation of Music in the Tai-ping ching'' It is prsented at the International Conference of Daoist Rituals and Music in the Chinese University of Hong Kong. At the very beginning of his article Jan Yun-hua says that compared to the other part of Chinese culture, Daoist music is almost neglected and its philosophical implication is not mentioned at all. It is partly because scholars only pay their attention to the philosophical works such as '' Laozi'' and '' Zhuangzi '' instead of Daoist music, which is considered something non-cultural when they discuss Daoist philosophy. Moreover, in the famous works of Daoist studies, the authors do not mention the philosophical meaning of music though they regard music as part of the complete rituals. Jan Yun-hua thinks that the text of Tai-ping Jiing, but never noticed by scholars. No one has ever studied them yet until now although it has been published. It is reasonable for him to think so, for there are not many new or special sourses of information in his article, and what he quoted comes from '' Proofread Edition of the Book of Supreme Peace'' ( 《太平經合校》Taiping Jing Hejiao ) that published over 20 years ago. He points out that '' No. 240 of Some Formula'' ( 某訣第二百四 Moujue Di Erbaisi ) in the 116th volume of the book implies that music can reach the mind of Heaven, Earth, and Man and dispel the evil as it starts, and form the harmonious atmosphere to attain the great peace as music goes on. Jan concludes that '' [[the Book of Supreme Peace]]'' thinks music is the expression of happiness and music in its nature is the art of voice and virtue. And happiness is the natural and healthy life, because it does not only exist in the world and universe, but also imbued in everything. Voice and melody is the language of music and harmony is the key to music. Harmonious melody is the power to move and inspire man. When happiness is embodied or expressed in the sound of music, such music has the power to start life in other analogous world, and thus inspire the living things to be happy in their world. When a man in the world or in the universe is happy, the world will share his happiness and join in it. The bridge between Man and cosmos is formed through the sound of music and its power. Religious music has something in common with other analogous music in the magic and entertainment. At the same time it is different from other types of music, for knowledge of religion is essential for building of the bridge except for the skillful techniques. In construction of such a bridge between man and cosmos, one may succeed or fail, for individual's ability is decisive. Such knowledge of religion includes distinguishing, promoting, and stopping the growth of different types of life. Any misunderstanding and changing of them will not only cause the failure in building the bridge to the spirits, but also may very well bring about disasters to man and the world. Nevertheless the world is likely to gain peace and prosperity with happiness and good luck if competent musicians play the harmonious music full of magic power at the right time. As a result, man can attain the communication with cosmos. It is the aim of music mentioned in '' the Book of Supreme Peace''. Jan Yun-hua points out that most of scholars of Chinese culture know that music has the power to influence nature and social phenomena. The power of music is able to regulate heaven and earth, including societies, which is the same in both ancient and modern philosophy. '' The Book of Supreme Peace'' shares the ideas with other Chinese philosophies. The peaceful life itself and its position are demonstrated in the universe. The conditions for life's existence, the religious knowledge of music, and species of life and their different appearances are stressed as well. All this is the important characteristic of the philosophy of music in '' the Book of Supreme Peace''. Jan sums up at the end of his article that music has the power to build a bridge between man and cosmos, which is beneficial and helpful for man. Tranquility, peace, longevity, and prosperity are the object of Daoist music. If man hopes it is to be true, man will build such a bridge, for it is full of hope and optimistic anticipation, and it is the whole of Daoist religious philosophy. [[zh:加拿大的道教研究]] c3fd48a8fd9a3d3e2b60a68ee61b00aab25152d7 0 375 453 2009-09-02T06:28:08Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The Initial Stage== Russia, a country adjacent to the north of China has had links with China economically and culturally since ancient times. However, the study of Daoism in R...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Initial Stage== Russia, a country adjacent to the north of China has had links with China economically and culturally since ancient times. However, the study of Daoism in Russia, like those in France and Japan, concurred with Tsarist Russia's invading China. From the late 1700's to the early 1800's, missionaries from the Orthodox Eastern Church, who were appointed by the Tsar were curbed by the Holy Religious Yard, a religious organization managed by the government and simultaneously led by the Asian Department of Foreign Affairs Ministry of Tsarist Russia. The missionaries collected a wide range of information concerning China's politics, economy, local people and customs while learning the languages of Manchu and Chinese peoples, and engaging in translating books of Manchu and Chinese languages into Russian. In 1807, the ninth missionary Bichurin(1777-1853) came to China and stayed in Beijing for more than ten years. Bichurin also known as Yatinpu who associated with the influential officials of the Qing Dynasty and the upper class and gathered a big chunk of books and materials, was eminent for doing research on Mongolia and Chengjisihan(1162-1227), chieftain of ancient Mongolia, together with ancient Middle Asia. In 1842, the journal ''Son of Motherland published his Laozi and His Doctrines''. Within the same year, his ''Statistical Collection of Chinese Emperors'' was published, which claimed: "Laozi's ethical doctrine went against the Confucian creed," and the heirs of Laozi: "broke away from his mode of thought and formed new principles", which led to the establishment of Daoism. In 1818, Tsarist Russian government decreed that "the Orthodox Eastern Church missionaries' main mission in China later on should not focus on religious activities, but on the overall research of China's economy and culture as well as on the prompt reports of China's major incidents about politics and lives to the Tsarist Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry." Just in the same year, the translator of Chinese with the Tsarist Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry, Kamski was transferred to be the dean of Orthodox missionaries in China. ''The Journal of National Education Ministry'' published his Russian version of ''Tablet on Supreme Correspondence'' translated from the language of the Manchu people in 1912. Russian research on Sinology witnessed bloody aggression from the very inception because the Orthodox Eastern Church missionaries took the political developments of the imperial court in the first place and served Tsarist Russia, whose ambitions were to invade China's Northeast and Huabei, an old administrative division including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei Province, Shangxi Province and the Inner Mongolia. Thus, during the incipient period, the Russian Sinologists did not attach much importance to the studies on Daoist School and Daoism. ==Earnest Study on Daoism from the Middle of the 1800's== With the deepening understanding of China's politics and culture from the middle of the 1800's to the early 1900's, the Tsarist Russian Orthodox Eastern Church missionaries began to be keen on the thought of the Daoist School and Daoism. Vaciljev (1818-1900), a Sinologist majoring in oriental languages and graduating from the History and Philology Department of Kasan University, reached Beijing with the Twelfth Orthodox Eastern Church Missionary Delegation and stayed there for seven years to learn Sanskrit, languages of Mongolia, Tibetan, Manchu nationalities, etc. He did research on three religions: Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism. Vaciljev was a professor in Kasan University in 1851; he taught as a professor in Petersburg University in 1855. The year 1873 saw the publication of his ''Oriental Religions: Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism''. Vaciljev's religious mysticism conformed to Laozi's philosophy, "unifying those who were discontented with the reality under the same banner". He established the first Chinese school in Petersburg, which laid a foundation for the Department of Oriental Languages of Petersburg University, and fostered an army of Sinologists. After Vaciljev passed away, the study of Sinology in Tsarist Russia was closely related to that in France due to the tradition of worshipping France. In 1885, Georgijevski (1851-1893) held in his ''The Early Period of Chinese History'' in '''Book of Dao and Its Virtue''', the 'Dao' indicated the Primordial Chaos of the primeval state of the universe, and the Primordial Chaos intrinsically bore rationality", "According to Daoist doctrines, the variety of the world could be seen was none other than the indication of life embodied in 'Dao', which was eternal, unified, and absolute. 'Dao' was substance, power, and rationality of the universe." In his ''Living Principles of the Chinese'', completed in 1888, Georgijevski thought the philosophical theories in the ''Book of Dao and Its Virtu''e surpassed the materialistic theories in the earliest ancient Greece, and he opposed Hegel's assumption that there were no philosophical thoughts in China. In addition, he wrote ''Mythological Views of the Chinese & Mythologies''. One student of Vaciljev, Popov published his Various Gods and Spirits in China in Moscow in 1901. The literary giant of Russia Tolstoi (1828-1910) mentioned in his, Letter to the Chinese in October, 1906: "I am so interested in the lives of Chinese. I attempt to go close to their lives by means of Chinese religious doctrines-the books of Confucius, Mencius, Laozi and the notes in these books." Tolstoi paid much attention to the doctrines of Laozi, deeply impressed by the idea that "A good soldier is actually an ominous war machine" in Chapter 31 of Laozi. Nonetheless, he confused Laozi's "non-interference" and "non-resistance" and considered "Dao" and the god in Christianity were the same in essence. Tolstoi was the editor-in-chief in compiling ''Book of Dao and Its Virtue by Laozi''. ''Book of Dao and Its Virtue'' was translated into Russian for the first time by Konisy. Dulelin provided notes to it. ==Daoism study after 1917== From 1920s to 1960s, the study of Russian Daoism underwent the third development. After the October Revolution in 1917, the USSR was concerned with the national independence of the colonial and semi-colonial countries in Asia. Adopting new positions, viewpoints, and methods, the Sinological studies in the USSR evolved rapidly and excelled in international Sinological study. However, the "Leftist" ideological trend affected the religious research, leading to the restraints of research work, including the research on China's Daoism. Apekseev(1881-1951), a Sinologist who had taken up Sinology in France, and who was an adored student of Chavannes, came to investigate China and covered more than half of China from 1906 to 1909. He founded the second Chinese school in Russia in 1912. Apeksjev concentrated on Confucianism study and wrote a large number of works with regard to Chinese history and culture such as #''Buddhism in Chinese Folk Religions'', #''Chinese Folk Religions'', #''Gods and Ghosts in Chinese Folk Painting'', #''Chinese New Year Pictures: Social Ordered Articles and Classical Performers'', #''A Tentative Study on "Laozi"Compilation'', #''On Chinese Religious System'', #''On Problems in " the Book of Change" for Sinology in Europe'', #''Daoist Superman Theory'', and ''The Dragon Cult in China'', etc. In 1982, the Russian Oriental Research Institute published Apekseev's collected works ''Oriental Study•Essays and Documents''. Shushki(1897-1946), a student of Apekseev specialized in researches on Daoist School and Daoism, and Published Daoist Daoist Believers in Buddhism, Study on Daoist Classics "Liezi" in 1928. He also translated the Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity into Russian and completed translating the Book of Change, which was published by Russian Science Publishing House in 1960. Besides, Shkurki(1868-1948) got his A Survey of Daoism published on Asian Bulletin in 1926. From the 1930s on, the studies on Daoism were strikingly reduced due to the political factors of the scholars, whose published essays centred on the philosophy of [[Laozi]] and [[Zhuangzi]] and some other subsequent schools. For example: Petrov(1907-1949) got his ''On China's Philosophical History '' published in 1936. In 1940, the third copy of ''Journal of Academic Series of Tomsk Teachers' College'' issued the ''Book of Secret Correspondences--A Page of Chinese Philosophical History'' appended with the translation of ''Scripture of Yin Mark and notes '' by Marakujev(1891-1955). Marakujev also gave his comments to every note. The entry of "Daoism" can be found in both ''USSR Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Encyclopedia'' published from 1942 to 1947. In 1950, Yang Xingshun(1905-1989), a Chinese descendant overseas published his ''A Philosopher in Ancient China, Laozi and His Doctrines'' with a prose translation of ''Book of Dao and Its Virtue '' which was the second version in Russia. Mr. Yang, who came from Zhejiang Province, China, and graduated from the University of Communist Social Sciences, taught in the Far East Chinese Lenin School in Haishenwai. From 1939-1940, he taught and moonlit as an interpreter in the Communist International Specialized Workshop, and obtained a post in the Committee of USSR Broadcasting from 1941 to 1946. When appointed as dean of Oriental Philosophy and Sociology Study Room of Philosophy Research Institute in USSR Academy of Sciences in 1948, he earned his vice PHD for his dissertation of ''Philosophical Theories in Book of Dao and Its Virtue ''. After the publication of ''A Philosopher in Ancient China, Laozi and His Doctrines '' in 1950, its Chinese version was issued by the Science Publishing House in Beijing in 1957. The book summarized that Laozi's thoughts took an important position in the philosophical history of ancient China, and that Laozi's doctrine of "Dao" was materialistic in essence. It finalized in commenting the studies on ''"Book of Dao and Its Virtue" '' by the scholars in Europe, the Tsarist Russian scholars before October Revolution, and the USSR scholars. Being the representative of the study on ''Laozi'' within the period of USSR, this book exerted an influence on the researches about Chinese philosophical history for quite a long time, and it is still taking effect up to now. ==Daoism study in Russia after 1970s== From 1970s on, since the USSR witnessed violent political turmoil, the research of social sciences took on an unprecedented activist look. Especially, changes took place in religious policy, which led to the fact that the Russian academic circle paid more concern and attention to the religious issues and all the religions in the world. Such an academic ideological trend adjusted itself to China's success in reforming and opening up to the world, and the researches on China's thoughts and culture as well as on Chinese Daoism proceeded actively in the USSR and the Russian academic circle. The Chinese Department of the Oriental Study Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences consecutively held academic seminar, titled Chinese Society and State in February to March annually since 1970. It is said that the symposium has been held more than twenty times. After the symposium, a collection of theses would be published. The collection of 1982, named Dao and Daoism in China, gathers 14 theses and consisted three sections. The first section is concerned with the theoretical structures of Daoism and its revelation in China's ideology in the Middle Ages, including: # ''The Universality of the Early Daoism (Golohova) '' # ''Symbol of Instrument in the "Book of Dao and Its Virtue"(Blozlova) '' # ''Philosophy of Zhuangzi: A Peaceful and Ascetic Life (Malyawin) '' # ''The Main Evolutions of Daoism in the Six Dynasties-Motivated by "The Master Who #Embraces Simplicity" by Ge Hong (Torchinov) '' # ''Wang Yangming and Daoism (Kobtsev) '' # ''Culture in Ming Dynasty and Lin Zhaoen's Daoist Topic (Martilov) '' The second section makes a comparison between Daoism and Buddhism conceptions, including: # ''Dao and Brahma: Phenomena of the Incipient Ultimate Community (Vaciljev) '' # ''A Preliminary Study on the World Model in Daoism and Buddhism (Gligriva) '' # ''Buddhism and Daoism in Japan-Study on the Mutual Relation and Evaluation (Ignatolwitch) '' The third section is about the influence of Daoist thoughts upon the social lives, including: # ''Chinese Monstrous Novels from the 3rd to 6th Century and Daoism (Gonejina) '' # ''Roaming Proses with Daoist Traits (Zawtskaya) '' # ''Daoist Concept of Life and Dramas from 1500 to 1600 (Shelowa) '' # ''Daoist Origin of Chinese Martial Arts (Abajev) '' # ''The Daoist Tradition in Folk Religious Campaign (Porchneva) '' # ''Vaciljev and Porchneva co-compiled Dao and Daoism in China. '' Vaciljev, Doc. of History, whose masterpieces are ''Chinese Sacrificial Rites, Religion and Tradition, Oriental History of Religion, Daoism as Religion: Explorations on Immortality, Divination and Superstition '', etc. is an advanced researcher in Moscow Oriental Study Research Institute, and a representative of contemporary Russian Daoist research. Porchneva, also an advanced researcher in Moscow Oriental Study Research Institute, specialized in Chinese folk religions and wrote ''Bailianjiao Uprising: Ideology of Chinese People's Revolt from 1796 to 1804, Chinese Folk Religious Campaign in Ming and Qing Dynasties: Ideological Issues, together with a dissertation, Concepts of Heretical Religions'', etc. ==Russian First Monograph of Daoist History== In 1993, St. Petersburg Oriental Study Center published ''Daoism: A Preliminary Account of Historical Religion'' by Torchinov. Torchinov (1955-) called himself Torchv, graduated from the Oriental Department of Leningrad University and obtained his vice PHD in Leningrad Religious History Museum, majoring in Chinese Daoism. He transferred his job to Oriental Study Research Institute of Moscow, Russian Academy of Sciences afterwards and earned his PHD in St. Petersburg in 1993. He produced a great number of works, including # ''On Realizing Perfection: Translation with Notes, '' # ''Daoist Philosophy in Daoist Documents-Motivated by 'Tablet on Secret Correspondences' and 'On Realizing Perfection', '' # ''The Origin of Daoism and Its Different Stages, Alchemy and Rituals in Daoism, '' # ''A Prose Interspersed with Verse on Touring to Mount Tiantai by Sun Chuo and the Mutual Relations of Buddhism and Daoism, '' # ''The Traditional Chinese Daoism in Contemporary History Studies and Science beyond Russia, '' # ''Methodology on the Researches of the Mutual Relations of Buddhism and Daoism, '' # ''Daoism and State in Traditional China, '' # ''Chinese Theories and History of Alchemy and Chemistry, '' # ''Chinese Medical Sciences and Its Social Ethical Position, '' # ''Utopia in Chinese Society at the Joint of the Ancient Times and the Middle Ages, '' # ''Traditional Chinese Daoism and Imperial Power, '' # ''Ethic and Rituals in Daoism, '' # ''Selective Translation of 'the Book of Suprme Peace', '' # ''Daoism and Alchemy --the Mutual Relations between Religions and Traditional Scientific Forms in Medieval China, '' # ''Daoism: Explorations on Immortality and Liberty-Selective Translation of Chinese Ancient Daoist Documents''. In 1993, St. Petersburg Oriental Study Center published Torchinov's monograph ''Daoism: A Preliminary Account of a Historical Religion'', which consisted of four parts, foreword, body, conclusion and references. In the foreword, Torchinov illustrated Daoist research aimed to structure the Daoist philsophical system in the historical development and to put forward the scientific ideas of the production, formation and development of the Daoist tradition. The first chapter of the body consists of eight sections, presenting the eight major issues of Daoist research, namely, unification of Daoist Schools and Daoism; whether Daoism was China's national religion; the relation between Daoism and folk beliefs; the relation between Daoism and the state; Daoist Schools and the Daoist developing regularities; traditional Chinese Daoism and the skills of making pills of immortality; the general evaluation on Daoist doctrines; the universal productive theory in Daoism and theory of the universe. The second chapter is made up of seven sections, outlining the Daoist historical development, namely, the origin of Daoism; Daoism before and after Han Dynasty; masters of Heaven and Daoist church; Daoism in the turbulent period (from the 4th to 6th century); Daoism in Tang and Song Dynasties; composition and deformation; the Daoist 'religious reformation' and its consequences; Daoism from 1300 to 1800. This book is followed with references in Russian, Chinese, English and French. Compared to that in other countries, Daoist research in Russian lagged behind as far as research talents or research fruits are concerned. The publication of Torchinov's monograph indicated the Sinological tradition in Russia had begun to renew itself. [[zh:俄國的道教研究]] d18dac6514c4aa075dbe1cda424a6dda864cbe47 0 376 454 2009-09-02T07:45:50Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Daoism Studies by Liu Ts'un-yan== Being separated by oceans with other continents in the Southern Hemisphere, Australia was little affected by the two world wars of the 20th ce...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Daoism Studies by Liu Ts'un-yan== Being separated by oceans with other continents in the Southern Hemisphere, Australia was little affected by the two world wars of the 20th century. However, due to its population and unique history, it has a slower economic and cultural development than some European and Latin American countries. The same is true for its studies about China. Since Professor Liu Ts'un-yan took part in the cause of Australian higher education, its Chinese education and Chinese study has begun to pick up. For the last 40 years it has turned out lots of research workers. With China's opening to the outside, China becomes stronger and stronger and an increasing number of Chinese immigrated into Australia. Both the economic trade and cultural communication between China and Australia are getting more frequent, consequently Australia attaches more importance to its studies about China and has won its place in the international field of Chinese Study. Of course, Professor Liu Ts'un-yan should be the No. One among the researchers who study about Daoism. Liu Ts'un-yan (1917- ), styled himself Yu Sheng, has his ancestral home in Lin Qing, Shan Dong Province. His ancestors before the 10th generation moved to Guang Zhou and his family became one of the "eight banners" of the Han Army. Liu was given the name Ts'un-yan by his uncle-in-law Zuo Zi and Bing Long Gong. His friend Yuan Shusan, an astrologer, named him Yu Sheng just because the Five Agents of his Eight Characters lack water. He was born in Beijing and had started to learn some hornbooks such as "Three-Character-Classic", "One-Hundred-Family-Surname" and "Thousand-Word-Primer" since his childhood. Later in adulthood he read and learnt by heart ''The Four Books and the Five Confucian Classics''. At the age of 12, he left for Shanghai to go on with his studies there. He had been in Dong Wu No. 2 Middle School and Guang Hua Middle School. While in middle school, he liked to read novels, especially those by such contemporary writers as Lu Xun, Zhou Zuoren, Ye Shentao, Lao She, Shen Congwen and Mao Dun, etc. Afterwards, he turned to prose and often contribute to the literature magazines like The Analects and ''On The Earth'', etc. In 1935 he was admitted as a student of the Chinese literature department in Beijing University. Zheng Ji, Luo Shangpei, Zheng Tianting and Sun Kaidi had been his teachers successively. When he recalled his life in Beijing University, he said: "All the courses here are doctrine of the mean, for she did guide you into the gate of a comparatively ideal and unbiased learning", "life here is almost perfect. " During his study in Beijing University, Liu Ts'un Yan copied books in the library daily. He had once abstained from eating lunch for over two weeks in a cold winter because he was copying the left works of Wang Guowei and twice proofreading ''the Supplementary Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government and the Four Books''. When the Resistance War against Japan broke out, Liu returned to Shanghai and took up some teaching work in the universities. He had once edited or co-edited some magazines and published ''An Introduction to the History of Chinese Literature, the Literary History in Qing and Han Dynasties, A Chronicle of Mr. Yu Lichu'', and ''A Collection of Western Star''. In 1940 Liu went to Hong Kong to take an official position there. After the war, he went to England to pursue advanced study and got his Doctor's Degree at London University. Later he came to Australia and once was the dean of the Chinese Department in National University, president of the Asian research institute and research fellow of the humane studies centre. Besides he was once invited as a member of the British and Northern Ireland Imperial committee on Asia. Originally Liu was interested academically in Chinese Classic literature. His works included: ''Chinese Popular Novels in the Two Libraries in London, A Study on the Edition of Popular Literature in Ming and Qing Dynasties'', and ''Buddhism and Daoism Influence on Chinese Novels'', etc. Around the 60's Liu Ts'un-yan became concerned with the study of Daoism and got a series of articles about Daoism research published, most of which was taken in ''The Collected Works of the Gentle Breeze Hall''. He studied Confucianism while very young and had a solid foundation in Chinese traditional literature, history, and philosophy. Later as a youth he received a strict education on modern science. Consequently he held a critical attitude against both the Daoism and Buddhism at the beginning. He once regarded Daoism as " the humblest, the most meaningless and the most shallow and poorest", etc. After the 70s, Liu Ts'un-yan was invited successively by Chinese academia to visit and participate in academic activities in Beijing, Tianjing, Chengdu, Xian, Shanghai, Wuhan and Dunhuang, etc. With a tender feeling for both his motherland and his old friends, he had a deeper understanding of China's present condition and gradually took an impartial attitude towards Chinese culture and religion. What's more, he made more original discoveries and gave his incisive arguments. In 1971 Liu Ts'un-yan got one of his articles on Daoism and Chinese history of medicine published in Bulletin, a well-known periodical on Chinese Studies in Holland. Its title is ''Daoists' Knowledge of Tuberculosis in the 12th Century''. He pointed out in the article that the Daoists at that time had already known that tuberculosis could be infectious through various means, especially by special or parasitic reason, as was shown in a Daoism Book named ''the Highest Mysterious Origin Great Skills of the Jade Hall of the Three Heavens'' in middle 12th century. They also discussed about the prevention and treatment. Having studied all the literatures of different times and compared with the concerned records in western history of medicine, Liu Ts'un-yan concluded that the Chinese Daoists had obtained a knowledge in the field hundreds of years earlier than other countries in the corresponding period. Although Liu Ts'un-yan was not an expert in medicinal history, he set a good example to the latter scholars on Daoism studies for his detailed analysis, wide vision, accurate reasoning and impartial argument presented in this article. ==The Collected Works of the Gentle Breeze Hall and its Content== It's the traditional Chinese habit to name one's collected works after the place where he lives. In the 30s when he was playing an outstanding role in the literary world in Shanghai, Liu Ts'un-yan lived in a room named "Benevolence Deposit Hall". In the No.1 issue of the periodical ''Talk of Wind and Rain'' was a translation of ''A Story of the Saint Robber'' by Liu Yusheng. It was annotated in the end that "this is finished on January 24th, 22 AD, at Benevolence Deposit Hall in Shanghai." His pseudonym and room name at that time were respectively his style and name. Having undergone many hardships living and writing abroad, he named his room "Gentle Breeze Hall", which showed his longing and wish. In his youth he liked giving speeches and was good at words. Although he is old now, he still can write a magnificent piece of writing in detailed sharpness just as he did when he was young. In 1976 and 1984, the English translation of ''The Selected Works of The Gentle Breeze Hall'' and its continuation were published in Bylun Bookstore, Lyedon, Holland. Thus it proved that he entitled his works "the Gentle Breeze Hall" at least in the 70s. In 1991, three volumes of his collected works containing 48 thesis were published in Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House, about 20 of which were research essays on Daoism. They are mainly concerned about the following three aspects: First, researches about the Daoist Scriptures, especially those about the commentaries to ''the Book of Dao and its Virtue'', such as ''On the Nature of the Gu Huan's Commentaries on Laozi in the Daoist Canon'', ''the Collective Commentaries in the Daoist Canon on the Book of Dao and its Virtue by the Three Emperors'', and ''the Merits and Demerits of Commentaries by the Three Emperors on the Book of Dao and its Virtue in the Daoist Canon'' etc. Liu Ts'un-yan thought the notes and detailed annotations to ''the Book of Dao and its Virtue'' by [[Gu Huan]] was indeed one of the best research books on Laozi from the North and South Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty. The comments were made by He Shanggong while the detailed annotations by Cheng Xuanying in early Tang Dynasty. Emperor Tang Xuezhong also gave his annotation in the "Imperial" section and Gu Guan himself presented his explanation in the part "Huan said…". Besides, Yan Zun of the East Han Dynasty had his idea in the "Yan" part. Therefore Liu Ts'un-yan concluded "the notes by Gu Huan available now had not been compiled into a book until the Song Dynasty. Although it seemed unnecessary for Gu Huan to do so, it is undoubtedly self-evident that his researches on the ''Book of Dao and its Virtue'' are of objective value." The essay ''The Merits and Demerits of Commentaries by the Three Emperors on the Book of Dao and its Virtue in the Daoist Canon'' was published in 1969, followed by ''the Collective Commentaries in the Daoist Canon on the Book of Dao and its Virtue by the Three Emperors'' in 1973. The three emperors refer to Tang Xuanzhong, Song Huizhong and Ming Taizhu who had given their remarks to Laozi respectively. Generally speaking, the scholars studying the history of thoughts considered that their interpretations would lack penetrating judgements and thus had no research value because they were not actually done by the emperors themselves. However, in Liu Ts'un-yan's opinion the Notes by the Three Emperors worth a further discussion as they had their individual distinguishing features. Any scholars or those studying the history of ideology should not attach less importance to them just because they were by emperors. This is disclosed in ''The Merits and Demerits of Commentaries by the Three Emperors on the Book of Dao and its Virtue in the Daoist Canon and is further proved in the Collective Commentaries to the Book of Dao and its Virtue''. Liu Ts'un-yan put in the Notes that since the emperors had different experiences they held deep or shallow understanding of the Daoist thoughts. What really provoked thinking was that the one with a deep understanding did not necessarily become successful emperor while that with a shallow understanding did. Comparing their Notes, Song Huizhong and Wang Yuanze particularly knew the essence and there were certain places between the lines that deserved praising. Second, researches about the history of Daoism, especially textual researches about its history and historic figures. The followings are examples: ''Daoism of the Past 1800 Years; the Wives and Daughters of Celestial Master Zhang; An Ode to the Genealogy of Celestial Master Collected by MianDeLong; Xue Sun and Lord Lan; Fasts and Offerings of Daoism from the Five Dynasties to the Southern Song Dynasty; Zhang Zunfang and the Daoist Books in the Song Dynasty; Zhang Boduan and On Realizing the Truth; Confucian Scholars in the Ming Dynasty and Daoism; Wang Yangming and Daoism;'' and ''Wang Yangming, Buddhism and Daoism'', etc.. Liu Ts'un-yan has started his researches on the history of Daoism since he wrote ''Confucian Scholars in the Ming Dynasty and Daoism'' in 1966. It discusses in detail the historical background for the popularity of the Daoists' cultivation and refinement in the Ming Dynasty. It believes that "of all the thoughts in the Ming Dynasty Daoism has a much greater impact than that of any of the well-known new scholars like Wang Yangming, Wang Longxi, Zhan Ganquan and Luo Jinxi." Liu Ts'un-yan pointed out that Daoism had been ignored in the past three-hundred-year history of the Ming Dynasty because there hadn't been a single thinker and because the Daoist Books were anonymous without original ideas." In fact, "Daoism spread over all the levels of the society and had a greater impact than any other periods." A case in point is that the famous Confucian scholar Wang Yangming's thoughts contains rich Daoism and that group of Wang Yangming were deeply influenced but not freed from Daoism. In Liu's opinion, "Being employed and communicated by the Confucian scholars, Daoism had made some meaningful improvement to the actual society." On the other hand, "Daoism nature was somewhat purified because of the participation of the Confucian scholars." Later in 1970 and 1978, Liu Ts'un-yan wrote successively ''Wang Yangming and Daoism, Wang Yangming, Buddhism and Daoism'', which further proved the great influence of Daoism in the Ming Dynasty and Wang Yangming's thoughts of mixing up the Three Doctrines. Although these writings were concerned with the history of Daoism, they were written mainly for researches on the history of ideology. Liu Ts'un-yan began to study Daosim history probably in late 70s or early 80s. In 1986 he made a public speech entitled ''Daoism of the Past 1800 Years'' at Chong Ji College in Hong Kong Chinese University. It is believed to be a summary and outline of all Liu's researches on Daoism. Liu Ts'un-yan said "Daoism is locally born and bred with a history of nearly 2000 years. Of course it is not modern in many ways and we have a hard job to accept many of its superstitious activities. However, with the help of religious power it persuades people to be kind to the social masses, which is also what is aimed at by all the existing noble religious beliefs". Undoubtedly his view was objective and fair compared with what he thought in 60s. In addition to the origin, the establishment, and the changes during the Northern and Southern Dynasties of Daoism, Liu Ts'un-yan gave a complete analysis to Daoism and Chinese society and Chinese people's life. He said: the first worth-mentioning is that Daoist activities were supported by all the rulers in the long history of China, no matter he was of the Han nationality or the other nationalities. The gradual fusion or even mixing up of the Three Schools (Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism) is the second important thing that affected but not hindered the development of Daoism. The third thing I want to mention is that the Inner Alchemy can be traced back to the ancient people's idea of Ascending. On the other hand, the long experienced Refine Elixirs, or the Outer Alchemy inspired it. The fourth thing I must point out is that Daoism as a religious activity had a deep influence on those so-called Confucian scholars in the Song Dynasty and Ming Dynasty. According to Liu Ts'un-yan, if we did not have that knowledge, even if we thought it ridiculous, we could not have a comprehensive understanding of some of the Daoist activities in Chinese history and society. This is the idea of a historian, which has already been agreed on by other historians both at home and abroad. In the 70s and 80s, Liu Ts'un-yan got his other articles on Daoism history published, putting forward more valuable arguments. ''Xu Sun and Lord Lan'' is one of them. Xu Sun is called Celestial Master Xu, or the Patriarch of the Numinous Treasure Pure Brightness Sect. In this article Liu Ts'un-yan numerated the various resources related to Xu Sun as was recorded in Daoist Canon. He pointed out the book the ''Biography of the Two Perfect Sovereigns Wu and Xu of the Filial Piety Sect'' was not perhaps written until the early 9th century before his other stories were put to words. What was collected in this book was far less complete. As time went by, the stories about Xu Xun grew more concrete and fixed until after the Daoist activities of the Western Hill Sect in Jiang Xi province flourished after the Tang Dynasty. According to the historical materials about ruling and geography, Liu believed it was those northern worshipers who composed the Xu Xun's genealogy purposely. They knew very well the famous family names in the North, although they did not brazenly equal Xu Xun of the religion as that of the Eastern Wei Dynasty. Actually this is like putting Zhang's hat on Li's head, confusing one thing with the other but not clearly stated. The Pious Dao Sect probably began in Shan Dong and spread slowly southward, taking in many true historical stories of the Southern Dynasty and then exaggerating them. ''The Fasts and Offerings from the Five Dynasties to the Southern Dynasty'' was a piece of writing on Daoism Rituals from the aspect of documents. It consisted of five parts, including: Fasts Originated from Numinous Treasure, Lu Xiujing's Idea, Differences between Fasts and Offerings, [[Du Guangting]]'s Criticism, Consecration of the Incense Burner and Outer Official, Refining Salvation, Several Daoist Books in the Southern Song Dynasty, Left ''Record of the Dreamlike Prosperity of the Eastern Capital'', etc. Liu thought Numinous Treasure had been regarded as the sources of fasts and offerings. Lu Xiujing developed the essence of Fasts and improved the spiritual value of Daoist Fasts and Offerings. What is more, he analyzed the difference between Fasts and Offerings, defining the position, condition and qualification of the Ritual Master in Fasts and Offerings. Liu Ts'un-yan also studied and introduced with his approvals two Daoists: one is Du Guangting of the Five Dynasties in late Tang, the other is Jin Yongzhong of the Southern Song Dynasty. Most interestingly Liu gave an introduction to such Daoist rituals as Consecration of the Incense Burner, Outer Official, Refining Salvation, Destruction of Jail. Frankly speaking, Liu Ts'un-yan studied these terms on the basis of the written materials. It was different from what the western anthropologists did. Therefore his researches are sound and persuasive. Third, researches related to Daoism. Liu Ts'un-yan cultivated an interest in literature since childhood and had especially studied the popular literature in the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasty. Consequently his researches combined literature studies with that of Daoism. For example, ''Complete Perfection Tradition and the Novel "The Journey to the West", Make-up Examination of Lu Xi-xing and Wu Chen-eng's Stories, Reading the Daoism Section in the Religion Dictionary, Left Traces of Zoroaster and Mani Tradition before the Tang Dynasty'', etc.. Among them ''Complete Perfection Tradition and the Novel "The Journey to the West"'' was published in 1985. It put forward the question: "Is there any relationship between the Complete Perfection Tradition and the novel The Journey to the West, or what is the relationship?" Liu Ts'un-yan replied:" In my opinion, supposing the existence of the novel the Journey to the West in Complete Perfection tradition before the appearance of the hundred-chapter version of Jingling Lifetime Virtue Hall during 1573-1620 of the Ming Dynasty, it is quite possible the case." There is some sense in his assumption. One reason is that "many of the classic novels such as ''the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the Outlaws of the Marsh, the Romance of the Gods'' had been converted into different versions by various compilers during its pretty long history of existence." There were many records in the Ming and Qing Dynasties that the Journey to the West was written by [[Qiu Chuji]]. Another reason is that the existing one-hundred-chapter version has lots of traces of the Complete Perfection Tradition. For example, the 8th chapter began with the quotation from the 5th piece of the ''Poetry of Su Wu'' by the revered Master Feng in Vol. 2 of ''the Lingering Sound of the Cranes''. In the 36th chapter was the seven-character poem "after the front string is the string after", which was from ''On Realizing Perfection''. In Chapter 71 came the Ziyang Perfect Man Zhang Boduan. Notes in Chapter 36 were from ''On Realizing Perfection''. Chapter 90 concluded by saying "the ancient sublimity ''Three Ways Unified and Normalized'' is slightly different as not to set up Elixir exactly". In the 50th chapter was the original writing of Ma Danyang titled Nan Kezi. And so Chapter 91 started with the modified poem of Wang Danyang's ''Patridge''. What the Elder of the State said about the only Revered Dao was from the rhapsody in Chapter 9 of the Lingering Sound of the Cranes. In addition, there were lots of words and phrases from the Complete Perfection Tradition, such as "local immortal", "Eight Hundreds, Three Thousands", "Twelve Hours", " Long Hua Fair", "Yu Hua Fair", "As Like", "Six Six, Three Three", etc.. Liu Ts'un-yan believed that in the novel ''the Journey to the West'' there still remains two original versions of the original stories from Complete Perfection Tradition. One is what happened in Cechi from Chapter 44 to Chapter 46. The other is what Monkey told Monk Tang in Chapter 36. In Liu's words: "These words are just like the refurbished version of the ''Three Ways Unified and Normalized and On Realizing Perfection''. The author wrote in such way that we are made to forget who they really are while reading. If there was once a Complete Perfection Tradition version of the Journey to the West, I am sure these words are original." Naturally people doubted Liu Ts'un-yan's assumption about the existence of the Complete Perfection Tradition version of the novel, for they were still expecting the discoveries made in archaeology and edition study. Mr. Liu Ts'un-yan too is concerned with every bit of the news related to different editions of the novel. However, people are filled with admiration as to Liu's familiarity with the novel and his skillful use of the Daoist Documents. Although Liu Ts'un-yan is retired now, he goes on with his studies in Daoism. Recently he has some writings published including ''Philosophical Daoism and Daoist Arts, Xiang'er's Commentary on Laozi and Daoism, the Nature of the Daoist Canon, On the Inner Alchemy Rhapsody of Perfect Man Tao'', etc. ==Daoist Researches by Other Australian Scholars== there are a group of young and middle-aged scholars in Australia who have a good command of Chinese and are active in various economic and cultural fields related to China. Among them is Professor D.L.Holm of Mchaley University, Sydney. His research is concerned about Chinese studies and Daoism studies. Holm was a German born in American. He has been interested both in China and Chinese culture since his childhood when he came across some Chinese students. He finished his college education in America and Britain and obtained his Master Degree with the thesis ''On the Confucian Classics of the Chang Zhou School of the 19th Century''. Later with the help of Professor Peter Long of Cambridge University in England, he finished his Doctor Thesis ''On the Activities in Literary and Artistic Field in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region during the Resistance War against Japan''. Holm focused on the researches on folkways in North China and had his personnel investigations in the Northwest and the North China. He divided Chinese traditional yangko dance, a popular rural dance into two types: comic and mythic. The latter type of yangko opera is closely related with people's religious life in North China and Northwest. During his investigation in China, Holm once went to White Cloud Temple in Mount. White Cloud, Jia County, Sanxi province and was deeply impressed by the grandness of this Daoist temple built in the Ming Dynasty. Professor B. Hedrischke of the Merben University had also studied Chinese Daoist thoughts. Her thesis ''Notions about Wealth and Poverty in the Book of Supreme Peace'' discussed the classification of wealth and poverty, the plan of achieving wealth and avoiding poverty and the social role of the wealthy as well. Besides, she put forth many original ideas about ''the Book of Supreme Peace'' and the early Daoist studies. [[zh:澳大利亞的道教研究]] d75bc2f54220c28d040bea83eac0d6b33fb4fa1c 0 377 455 2009-09-02T08:05:02Z Admin 1 Created page with '''==The appearance of the English translation of "Daoism"== Great Britain was an old-brand capitalist nation. However, it was the navigators of Portugal and Spain who discovered ...' wikitext text/x-wiki ''==The appearance of the English translation of "Daoism"== Great Britain was an old-brand capitalist nation. However, it was the navigators of Portugal and Spain who discovered the sea route to China long before the Great Britain began to expand its boundaries. Catholic priests had opened China's door. Therefore, England paid great attention to trade in China from the very beginning. By the middle of 1700s the British total trade amount to China had exceeded that of other countries in Europe. In order to further open up China's market, the British began to study China's diplomacy and military affairs. It was to meet with this need that the British started to study China's culture and religions. So the current English translation "Taoism" came in being after a long process. In 1873 , a priest named John Chamers(1825-1899) published a paper entitled "tauism" ( the English translation of Daoism at that time). In 1879, Douglas (1838-1913) published "Confucianism and taouism" with English translation taouism for "Daoism". In 1880, James Legge(1815-1896), a missionary, published a book ''Chinese Religion''s. In this book, "Taoism" was firstly used to translate "philosophical Daoism" and "religious Daoism". Since then western experts have been using it till today. James Legge was sent to Malacca and appointed as president of the Royal Asiatic Society in 1839. In 1843 he came to Hongkong and returned to England in 1873. In 1875 he was appointed the first lecture professor of Sinology in Oxford University. When in Hongkong, he translated Chinese classic literature works into English with the sponsoring of an opium monger Charton and the help of Wang Tao and made systematic studies on Chinese religion. In 1852, he published ''Chinese Ghost Notions'' and in 1891 he published ''China's Religion''s based on his teaching and studying in Oxford University. The subtitle is ''A Comparison between Confucianism'', ''Daoism and Christianity'' in which philosophical Daoism and religious Daoism was both translated as "Taoism". He wrote the entry of ''"Laozi"'' for ''the Great Britain Encyclopedia'' (Vol. 9) in 1882. In 1891 James Legge translated some important Confucian classics including ''the Four Book''s into English. Moreover he translated ''Laozi'' into English as well. Later, his English versions were taken in ''the Eastern Holy Classics Series'' (Vol.39) edited by Marks Mille. Legge's English versions of Chinese ancient classics were so influential that they had been used or cited by western experts ever since. The European and American sinological academy praised highly James Legge's contributions. Thus his translation of "Taoism" had been adopted till now. After James Legge, Needham Edkins (1823-1905), an agent in Shanghai for the London Missions, preached fifteen years there and published ''Chinese Religions'' and later ''Chinese Religion Conditions''. At the same time, he published many articles in ''Christian Administration Journal'' and ''China Review''. They are ''Taoism in Qin and Han Dynasties'' and ''Religious Prosecution in China'', etc. John Chamers arrived in Hongkong in 1852 and presided in the affairs of Hongkong Branch Association. He had ever translated "Laozi" into English and published it in London with the title ''A Survey of Laozi's Philosophy'', ''His State Theory and His Book of Dao and its Virtue''. After William Edward Soothill (1861-1935) came to China, he preached in Wenzou and in 1907 was appointed as the chief instructor on Western Fasting in Shanxi University. Returning home in 1914, he was sent to China again in 1925 as a member of the Sino-Britian Gengzi Reparation Committee. He was a Chinese Professor in Oxford University and taught student missionaries "Chinese Three Doctrines" after he went back. In addition to preachers, some administrative officials or diplomats conducted a lot of studies on Chinese Daoism and other religions, among them Edward Harper Parker (1849-1926), Frederic Henry Balfour (1846-1909) and Arthur Waley(1889-1966),etc. were well-known. Edward Harper Parker was a student translator at British legation in China from 1869 to 1871. In 1871-1875 he worked at consulates in Tianjin, Dagu, Hangkou, Jiujiang and Guangzou. He returned in 1895 and was a Chinese lecturer in Liverpool University and later in 1901 a Chinese professor in Victoria University in Manchester. He successively published his works ''Religion and China, Religion Studies in China''. The latter was appended with a catalogue of Daoist research documents, which is of great academic value. Besides, his other essays such as ''the Book of Dao and Its Virtue Still Alive'', ''Daoism as Religion'', ''Daoism'' were published in the magazines ''China Review'' and ''Dublin Review''. Balfour came to China in 1870 as a businessman of silk and tea. After that he worked in press and publishing house, being the chief correspondent for several newspapers. Meanwhile he was engaged in translating Daoist classics, including ''the Tablet on Supreme Correspondence'', ''the Book of Purity and Tranquility'', ''the Book of Secret Correspondences'', etc.. His translation of ''the Perfect Book of Nanhua'' was published in London in 1881. Then in 1884 he got ''the Daoist Classics'' (written n English) published in Shanghai. Arthur Waley was a self- taught sinologist and In his youth, he learned classical literature in Lagebe College and the Royal College in Cambridge University and once was an assistant librarian at the book department of the National Museum of Great Britain. Then he taught in the Research Institute on the East and Africa in London University. He had translated the Japanese classic ''Stories Told by Yuan'' and in 1931 he translated ''The Journey to the West of the Perfect Man of Eternal Spring'' by Daoist Li Zhichang of the Yuan. From 1930 to 1932, Waley had his thesis ''A Survey of Chinese Alchemy'' and the ''Alchemy in Buddhism Book''s. In 1934, he published his works ''The Dao and Its Power: Laozi and its Role in China's Ideology'', a research on the ''Book of Dao and its Virtue''. Later in 1939, another work on ''the Book of Master Zhuang'' named ''Three Philosophies of Life in Ancient China'' was published and afterwards was translated into German and French. It should be pointed out that many English people came to China from the nineteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth century. They, however, were only interested in political invasion and economical plunders. They didn't know less about China's religion including Daoism than those who came from Europe and America. But they didn't think much of these thoughts and cultures. Accordingly, England didn't exert to found a traditional position of sinological studies, nor did it train generations of sinologists. In their eyes, the cultures of Egypt, India and China were past in history and they had been the losers. ==Needham Needham's (1900-1995) studies on Daoism== He was considered the most famous among the contemporary learners in England who studied Daoism. Out of his respect for China's philosophical and religious Daoism, Needham Needham translated his family name as Li, showing he respect to Laozi Lier as his Forefather. His style was "Elixir Shinning " and he assumed himself "the Tenth Veteran Daoist". In 1922 he graduated from Cambridge University and obtained a Doctor Degree for philosophy in 1924. In his early years, he was engaged in bio-chemical studies. In 1931 he published Chemical Embryology, which described the whole process of chemical changes in embryonic development. Thus he was known as the "father of chemical embryology". In 1937 he got in touch with three Chinese learners and became interested in China and began to learn Chinese. He devoted the rest of his life to linking up the activities between the East and the West, between China and Europe. In 1939, he wrote the first paper on China's science history. In 1942 he came to Chongqing as science counselor of British Embassy in China in charge of the sino-Britain cooperation in science. After the Second World War, he was appointed as the director of science department in UNESCO. In March 1946 he delivered a long lecture entitled ''China's Contributions to Science and Technology'' in Paris. In May 1947 he made a speech ''Science and Technology in Ancient China'' in London. In 1948 he returned to Cambridge University, setting about writing ''The History of China's Science and Technology''. The original English title can be translated into ''China's Science & Civilization''. It was firstly published in 1954. It planed to have seven volumes published. Now it intends to publish twenty. Parts of Needham Needham's ''The History of China's Science and Technology'' are closely related with Daoism. They include the History of Science Thoughts (Vol. 2, 1956); the section about the science of the earth in ''Mathematics and the Science of Heaven and Earth'' (Vol. 3, 1959); ''Physics, book one of Physics and Physical Skills'' (Vol. 4, 1962); ''Discoveries and Inventions on Alchemy and Physiological Alchemy'', book five of ''Chemistry and Chemical Industry'' (Vol. 5, 1983); Botany, book one of ''Biology and Biological Arts'' (Vol.6, 1986). ''The History of China's Science and Technology'' not only deal with the world meaning of China's science and technology but also introduce the deserved historic position of Daoism in an unprecedented field in the world. Needham Needham wrote in his Human & his Position that "in fact Daoism was the major contributor in the science development in ancient and the mid-century China. As Fou Youlan said, it is the only mysterious system ever seen in the world that is not counter-science." In Needham's opinion, philosophical and religious Daoism are both part of the natural mysticism. "In a certain period in the world history, it is the denial of mysticism, not the rationalism that help the development of experimental science. " Daoism holds a series of complicated and delicate conceptions that are the basis for all China's subsequent scientific thought. For a long time Needham had been using a simple formula to indicate his research results. That is: Daoism promotes science, whereas Confucianism hinders it. As to Needham's studies on Daoism, some scholars in Japan and America gave their critical views from different aspects. One of the Japanese scholars pointed out in ''The Well-Organized philosopher Needham'' that "there are three aspects of Needham's arguments about China's science that are controversial: #Daoism's contribution to science #Chinese organic science with the corresponding one in the West #the relations between natural laws and nature laws. Firstly, the study on Daoism's contribution to science has only started since Needham. He looked up lots of materials in the documents and history of Daoism that proved convincingly that the thoughts and arts of Daoism have a close relationship with the development of China's science. For example, in ''The Journey to the West of the Perfect Man of Eternal Spring'', the Perfect Man Qiu of Eternal Spring, with his followers, had once observed a total solar eclipse. They had collected the different eclipse time at different places, claiming "as far as the shadow like a fan touches, it is total darkness. Then lights mount on gradually as it goes far. " Needham thought "that probably is the earliest record about the move of the shadow of solar eclipse on the earth." As to time estimation, Needham believed " the earliest records was written in ''Engraving Skills'' by a Daoist named Li Lan in the Northern Wei Dynasty (around 450 A.D)". As to Chemistry, Needham believed that "Chemistry started in the private laboratories of the Daoist Temples during the Tang Dynasty. It finally achieves some results. A case in point is the gunpowder as a useful weapon. The first testing ground is the battle between Song and Jin." In ''A Free Talk about the Authors in Modern History of Science and Technology Needham'' said: "We should solute China's records on sunspot ever since the 1st century B.C. We should solute the earliest sylvite combustion test in the world conducted by Tao Hongjing of the 5th century A.D. We should also solute the first correct interpretation made in 1300 A.D. by Hobert Ahdin Sella about optic circumstances of rainbow. All these have definitely lead to modern science. Moreover, we should observe the practical thinking system indispensable to breed these inventions." It is undoubtedly scientific, objective and historic to study the practical thinking system from the aspect of science development. Anyway, what Needham has done is nothing but a beginning. Consequently there would appear various points of disagreement. After all both his contributions and academic position are universally acknowledged as to the studies on the history of China's science and technology or the studies on the relation between Daoism and science and technology. ''The New Encyclopedia of Great Britain'' praises his second volume ''the History of China's Science and Technology'' to be "the most perfect document on Daoism's contributions to science" ==Piet Van der Loon and other English scholars' studies on Daoism== Piet Van der Loon(1920-) graduated from Leiden University of Holland in 1946. From 1948 to 1972 he was a Chinese professor in Cambridge University, then a lecture professor in Oxford University and he retired in 1987. Now he is an honor member of Cambridge University library, a director of Japan's Daoism Association and an honor member of France Association on Asia. In 1984 he published ''An Investigation of the collected Daoist Books in Song Dynasty'' at the Cambridge Research Institute on the East. Th book is written in English and Chinese. For the Chinese part it was entitled ''A Record of the Public and Private Daoist Books in Song Dynasty''. In this part recorded the contents of all the books, including #''A New History of the Tang Dynasty, the History of the Song Dynasty'', #''Comprehensive Annals, A General Investigation of Documents'', #''A Complete List of Chongwen'', #''Supplementary Lists from Secretary Province to Four Palace Storehouses'', #''A Record of the Fasting Readings of the Yuan County with Attached Record and Postscript'', #''A Record of the Fasting Readings of the Qu County'', #''the Book List of the Hall of Suichu, Working out the Recorded Fasting Readings'', #''On the Eastern Temple, Jade Sea, and #''Contents of the Daoist Cannon Palace'', etc.. The authors themselves proofread all of them and the late Guang Qinghan put them down in fine brushwork. ''A Record of the Public and Private Daoist Books in Song Dynasty'' was composed by way of the stroke numbers of book titles. There are a total of 1600 types of about 3600 volumes. As to the part written in English, it consisted of ''the Contents of the Documents in the Royal Library'', ''the Contents of the Private Documents and the Daoist Canon''. It accounts for the nature and inheritance of those books in the Song Dynasty (960-1276 A.D.). Besides, it explains the history of the inheritance of the Daoist books, especially the Song Dynasty emperors' policies to Daoism and its influence on the storage of Daoist books. This book was popularly esteemed soon after its publication in Euro-America as well as in Japan. It opens up a new way and lays a solid foundation for researches on the changes of Daoist books, for it is an important research achievement that records all the Daosit Books in the whole Song Dynasty. In addition to Piet Van der Loon, some contemporary British sinologists studied Daoism a lot. Angus Charles Graham (1919-1991) was one of them. He was an art postgraduate of Oxford University, a philosophy Doctor of London University and a professor of Eastern and African Research institute in this university. He had for a long time engaged in studying ''the Book of Master Zhuang and Liezi''. His works includes ''the Inner Chapters of Zhuangzi; the Outer Chapters of Zhuangzi; Zhuangzi: An Investigation of Commentaries in China; and Liezi: the Daoist Classics''. Another is Barrett, professor of the Eastern Studies Department of Cambridge University, who wrote ''Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism in Li Xiang's Thoughts''. In addition, he was in charge of the notes to "the history of Daoism studies "in vol. 14 of ''the Religion Encyclopedia'' edited by Aliada. He also published many a book review on Daoism research works in the periodical ''Studies on Asia''. [[zh:英國的道教研究]] 87a38c8ab8e620ac215c60c7d3d147d3b1096a55 0 378 456 2009-09-03T02:27:04Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}}' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} d884e4e3551bf9699eb65335e26bdb834b23d214 459 456 2009-09-03T03:05:53Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} Inner Alchemy( 內丹 Neidan), by its name, refers to the concocting of elixirs in the human body, in parallel with [[Outer Alchemy]] ( 外丹 Waidan ), the practice of medicine allegedly refined from minerals. In contrast, Inner Alchemy, Daoist scholars claim, ought to be reached from inside through refining substances in human bodies, consisting of Essential Matter ( 精 Jing ), Vital Breath ( 氣 Qi ), and Spirit ( 神 Shen ). By processing these internal substances, Daoist scholars claim, Ultimate Medicine ( 大藥 Dayao ) is produced. This theory became the guideline to Inner Alchemy in later periods. Broadly speaking, Inner Alchemy refers to the “elixir” inside the human body as well as the theories on its refinement and production. Above all, in the process of “producing the internal elixir”, the manipulation of the human mind and breath were highly stressed. In ancient China, Essential Matter, Vital Breath and Spirit were regarded as the “root of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life”. Accordingly, the Theory of Inner Alchemy was gradually incorporated with the Theory of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life. Although, as a term, Inner Alchemy first occured many centuries later than the term Golden Elixir ( 金丹 Jindan ), nevertheless, as an idea or method about extending human life through internal exercise, it should be traced back to very ancient times. Clues can be found in books such as Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals ( 《呂氏春秋》 Lushi Chunqiu ), and [[Zhuangzi]] ( 《莊子》 Zhuangzi ), which mention, in a hope of curing diseases caused by humidity and coldness, a man called Mr. Yinkang who invented a kind of gymnastics to stimulate the movement of vital breath and blood in human body. According to [[the Inner Book of the Yellow Emperor]] ( 《黃帝內經》 Huangdi Neijing ), [[the Yellow Emperor]] used to do the exercises of the "Transformation of Essential Matter into Vital Breath" ( 移精變氣 Yijing Bianqi ), which was regarded by scholars in later times as a breakthrough leading to the Refinement of Essential Matter into Vital Breath ( 煉精化氣 Lianjing Huaqi ), an important concept in the Theory of Inner Alchemy, which came into being in a much later period. In addition, in Zhuangzi, we find terms such as the Fast of the Mind ( 心齋 Xinzhai ) and Sitting in Oblivion ( 坐忘 Zuowang ), which, as methods for spiritual manipulation, should be traced back to the"Refinement of Spirit" ( 煉神 Lianshen ), an antique tradition. Just on the basis of the above-mentioned, the Art of Inner Alchemy came into being. Actually, at the end of the Eastern Han dynasty when [[the Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]] ( 《周易參同契》 Zhouyi Cantong Qi ) was written, a set of practicable theory had been formed, although the term “Inner Alchemy” cannot be found in the book. However, in this book, Wei Boyang, the author, used the term “Reversion Elixir", which referred to both Inner Alchemy and Outer Alchemy. Since the author of the book mentioned repeatedly a concept of Cultivation of Inner Nature in the context of discussions about the "Reversion Elixir’’ ( 還丹 Huandan), we conclude that, by the end of the Eastern Han dynasty when the book was written, the cultivation of Inner Alchemy had already been put into practice although, as a term, it was rarely used then. In terms of documents available in present times, the term “Inner Alchemy” was first used during the Southern and Northern dynasties by Hui Si, the third generation patriarch of the Tiantai school of Buddhism, who mentioned that “the power of Outer Alchemy would lead to Inner Alchemy”. It proves that, at least prior to the Southern and Northern dynasties, Inner Alchemy, first initiated by Daoism, had even attracted the attention of Buddhism. According to the Record of Mt. Luofu, Shu Yuanlang, a Daoist scholar in the Sui dynasty, said, “human bodies should serve as Cinnabar Cauldrons, and human hearts as carriers of Spirit” in refining Inner Alchemy. His idea indicated the typical way of thinking in that period among some Daoist scholars who tended to put Inner Alchemy and Outer Alchemy in parallel. Since then, the parallel between Inner Alchemy and Outer Alchemy has prevailed in Daoism all the time. Since end of the Tang dynasty, more Daoist scholars, such as Lu Dongbing and Zhong Liquan, paid more attention to the cultivation of Inner Alchemy. After the Song dynasty, the Cultivation of Inner Alchemy became a dominant trend in Daoism thanks to the efforts of scholars such as Chen Tuan, Zhang Boduan and [[Wang Chongyang]]. In following years, a variety of books on Inner Alchemy were written, and many sects of Inner Alchemy formed. Among them, three sects, namely, [[the Central Sect]] ( 中派 Zhongpai ), [[the Western Sect]] ( 西派 Xipai ) and [[the Eastern Sect]] ( 東派 Dongpai ) attained nationwide fame and influence. Among the three, the Central Sect was represented by Li Daochun, who started his Daoist career in the Southern Lineage of the Golden Elixir Sect, and joined [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ) in the early years of the Yuan dynasty. On the basis of a combination of the Southern Linage ( 南宗 Nanzong ) and Northern Linage ( 北宗 Beizong ), Li created his own Inner Alchemy theory characterized by Integrated Cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life ( 性命雙修 Xingming Shuangxiu ). The Eastern Sect was represented by Lu Xixing, a Ming Daoist scholar, who stressed the important role of Basic Cultivation by Self-Refinement and Cultivation of Spiritual Nature in the Refinement of Inner Alchemy. Lu claimed that the Realization of Spiritual Nature ought to be followed by the Integrated Cultivation between the Male and Female ( 男女雙修 Nannv Shuangxiu ). The Western Sect was represented by a Sichuan scholar, Li Xiyue, who credited his theory on Inner Alchemy to Zhang Sanfeng and Lu Xixing. In his books, Li highlighted the special role of Refining Heart in the Cultivation of Inner Alchemy. Starting with the theory of the Mutual Corresp ondence of Heaven and Man ( 天人相應 Tianren Xiangying ), Daoist scholars regard the human body as parallel with the whole universe. In terms of its nature, they argue, a human body actually constitutes a small universe, which shared common rules of movement with the universe: counterparts of the sun, moon, and stars in the universe can be found accordingly in human bodies. Ultimately, the theory led to an emulation of the Cosmic Orbit Movement in the refinement of Inner Alchemy. According to a book like the Guidebook for the Elixir Field ( 《規中指南》Guizhong Zhinan ) by Chen Xubai, the Elixir Cauldron, the Elixir Medicine and the Fire Phase constitute the three essential elements of the Refinement of Inner Alchemy. As for the Elixir Cauldron, the Guidebook for the Elixir Field said that it referred to the container and burner in the process of refinement; the Elixir Medicine referred to the Essential Matter, Vital Breath and Spirit in human bodies; the Fire Phase, the book explained, referred to the skill and timing in manipulating the Elixir Medicine. After centuries of practice, Daoism has developed a set of operational systems. For people living in modern society, Inner Alchemy is too hard to reach. Nevertheless, we should not forget its special contributions to human health in ancient times. Even today, in an era of modern science and technology, the glamour of Inner Alchemy remains strong. As a valuable heritage from ancient Chinese culture, it deserves more studies and researches in a modern light. [[zh:內丹]] 5d09c9ebe7d2992e41791091c546030debd7ab05 10 379 457 2009-09-03T02:31:47Z Admin 1 Created page with '<br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc style="margin: 0 0 0 1em;" |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[Inner Alchemy]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#cc...' wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc style="margin: 0 0 0 1em;" |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[Inner Alchemy]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |Terms of Inner Alchemy |- ||[[Mind , Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] <br> [[Essential Matter , Vital Breath and Spirit]] <br> [[Great Reversion Elixir]] <br> [[Small Reversion Elixir]]<br> [[Integrated Cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] <br> [[Three Flowers Condensing onto the Head]] <br> [[Transporting through the Three Vehicles]]<br> [[Meeting of the Three Parts]] <br> [[Refining the Mind through the Nine Cauldrons]] <br> [[Intercourse of Dragon and Tiger]]<br> [[Refinement of Essential Matter into Vital Breath]] <br> [[Refinement of Vital Breath into Spirit]] <br> [[Refinement of Spirit Back to Emptiness]]<br> [[Refinement of Emptiness into Dao]] <br> [[Reversing Kan with Li]] <br> [[Centering Merits When Yin And Yang Join]]<br> [[The Five Vital Breaths Oriented to the Origin]] <br> [[Rebirth from the Original Fetus and Bones]] <br> [[Basic Cultivation]] <br> [[Self-Refinement]]<br> [[Harmonizing the Breath]] <br> [[Obtaining the Elixir Drug]] <br> [[Collecting Elixir Drugs]] <br> [[Fire Phases]] <br> [[To Increase Fire]]<br> [[To Reduce Fire]] <br> [[To Nourish in Warmth]] <br> [[Bathing]] <br> [[Unfixed Zi Phase]] <br> [[River Chariot]]<br> [[Mysterious Pearls]] <br> [[Passages and Cavities]] <br> [[Cosmic Orbit]] <br> [[Feminine Alchemy]] <br> [[Cutting the Red Dragon]]<br> [[Refining the Form through the Supreme Yin]] <br> [[Body of Original Chastity]] |} 32669555b2fcc28fc937ee7b7f2991b5a6b424d0 458 457 2009-09-03T02:35:12Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc style="margin: 0 0 0 1em;" |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[Inner Alchemy]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |Terms of Inner Alchemy |- |align=center align="center" |[[Mind , Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] <br> [[Essential Matter , Vital Breath and Spirit]] <br> [[Great Reversion Elixir]] <br> [[Small Reversion Elixir]]<br>[[Integrated Cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] <br> [[Three Flowers Condensing onto the Head]] <br> [[Transporting through the Three Vehicles]]<br>[[Meeting of the Three Parts]] <br> [[Refining the Mind through the Nine Cauldrons]] <br> [[Intercourse of Dragon and Tiger]]<br>[[Refinement of Essential Matter into Vital Breath]] <br> [[Refinement of Vital Breath into Spirit]] <br> [[Refinement of Spirit Back to Emptiness]]<br> [[Refinement of Emptiness into Dao]] <br> [[Reversing Kan with Li]] <br> [[Centering Merits When Yin And Yang Join]]<br>[[The Five Vital Breaths Oriented to the Origin]] <br> [[Rebirth from the Original Fetus and Bones]] <br> [[Basic Cultivation]] <br> [[Self-Refinement]]<br>[[Harmonizing the Breath]] <br> [[Obtaining the Elixir Drug]] <br> [[Collecting Elixir Drugs]] <br> [[Fire Phases]] <br> [[To Increase Fire]]<br>[[To Reduce Fire]] <br> [[To Nourish in Warmth]] <br> [[Bathing]] <br> [[Unfixed Zi Phase]] <br> [[River Chariot]]<br>[[Mysterious Pearls]] <br> [[Passages and Cavities]] <br> [[Cosmic Orbit]] <br> [[Feminine Alchemy]] <br> [[Cutting the Red Dragon]]<br>[[Refining the Form through the Supreme Yin]] <br> [[Body of Original Chastity]] |} ac3c5251b20ab4c3b23acc196cdf521a5b8c91ee 0 380 460 2009-09-03T03:12:42Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Among the three terms usually found in books on Inner Alchemy, Mind was regarded as substance, Spiritual Nature as the soul, namely the governing power, of the mind, and last but...' wikitext text/x-wiki Among the three terms usually found in books on Inner Alchemy, Mind was regarded as substance, Spiritual Nature as the soul, namely the governing power, of the mind, and last but not least, Bodily Life as the Vital Breath. According to the Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Teachings on Cultivating Mind ( 《太上老君說了心經》Taishang Laojun Shuo Liaoxin Jing ), "Mind governs Spirit, whether in motion or at rest". The author argues that Mind controls the movements and functions of Spirit. In this sense, Mind is equal to substance, and Spiritual Nature equal to its function. By comparison, Daoism attaches an importance to the inseparable link between Mind and Spiritual Nature. In the refinement of Inner Alchemy, the Enlightenment of Mind ( 明心 Mingxin ) and the Realization of Spiritual Nature ( 見性 Jianxing ) are equally emphasized. Among the two elements, the Enlightenment of Mind, or the Purifying of Mind, in another term, represents a process of cleaning the human Mind. Even in the years before the First Emperor of the Qin dynasty, "purifying human minds by [[[the Book of Changes]]" ( 《易》Yi ) had been popularly mentioned. In the later periods, Daoism borrowed concepts from the book in expounding Purifying Mind and other ideas about Inner Alchemy. In Chinese, the character “purifying” consists of two parts, namely, “the sun” and “the moon”, which stands for Yang and Yin separately. It suggests that in order to purify human minds, Yang and Yin should be inseparably linked. When the two fundamental elements become one, Original Chaos ( 混沌 Huntun ) will return. Accordingly, the goal of Purifying Mind can only be achieved by ridding human beings of wisdom or desire, and returning to original simplicity, a state in which a complete circulation between Spirit and Vital Breath is attained. In another word, Substance and its Function are completely united. [[zh:心性命]] c7411112694299754b3ac7f85906720966010067 461 460 2009-09-03T03:13:30Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} Among the three terms usually found in books on Inner Alchemy, Mind was regarded as substance, Spiritual Nature as the soul, namely the governing power, of the mind, and last but not least, Bodily Life as the Vital Breath. According to the Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Teachings on Cultivating Mind ( 《太上老君說了心經》Taishang Laojun Shuo Liaoxin Jing ), "Mind governs Spirit, whether in motion or at rest". The author argues that Mind controls the movements and functions of Spirit. In this sense, Mind is equal to substance, and Spiritual Nature equal to its function. By comparison, Daoism attaches an importance to the inseparable link between Mind and Spiritual Nature. In the refinement of Inner Alchemy, the Enlightenment of Mind ( 明心 Mingxin ) and the Realization of Spiritual Nature ( 見性 Jianxing ) are equally emphasized. Among the two elements, the Enlightenment of Mind, or the Purifying of Mind, in another term, represents a process of cleaning the human Mind. Even in the years before the First Emperor of the Qin dynasty, "purifying human minds by [[[the Book of Changes]]" ( 《易》Yi ) had been popularly mentioned. In the later periods, Daoism borrowed concepts from the book in expounding Purifying Mind and other ideas about Inner Alchemy. In Chinese, the character “purifying” consists of two parts, namely, “the sun” and “the moon”, which stands for Yang and Yin separately. It suggests that in order to purify human minds, Yang and Yin should be inseparably linked. When the two fundamental elements become one, Original Chaos ( 混沌 Huntun ) will return. Accordingly, the goal of Purifying Mind can only be achieved by ridding human beings of wisdom or desire, and returning to original simplicity, a state in which a complete circulation between Spirit and Vital Breath is attained. In another word, Substance and its Function are completely united. [[zh:心性命]] f80327c86102e19fec18c196355fc06e342c57b3 0 381 462 2009-09-03T03:52:28Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} As specific terms of Inner Alchemy, Essential Matter, Vital Breath and Spirit credit their origins to philosophy and medical science in the era before the First...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} As specific terms of Inner Alchemy, Essential Matter, Vital Breath and Spirit credit their origins to philosophy and medical science in the era before the First Emperor of the Qin dynasty. In the Book of Changes” ( 《周易》 Zhouyi ), we read the following sentences: “the refined vital breath forms substance when gathering, whereas it creates transformations when spreading out. By observing the transformations of substance, a man can understand the essence of ghosts and spirits”. In ancient Chinese philosophy, besides “refined vital breath”, “refined spirit” was also a popularly used concept. In Zhuangzi ( 《莊子》 Zhuangzi ), “refined spirit” was used in the author’s description about the life of a “Higher Man” ( 至人 Zhiren ). In this case, “refined spirit” referred to a man’s aspiration. Since the era of the Warring States, the Medical School ( 醫家 Yijia ) used to mention “refined spirit” in its texts in parallel with “refined vital breath”. The author of the Simple Questions of the Yellow Emperor ( 《黃帝素問》 Huangdi Suwen ) mentioned, “the interplay of mild internal organs and strong protecting layers around would produce perfect ‘refined spirit’. Without the interplay between them, ‘refined vital breath’ would be totally lost”. In Daoism, by borrowing concepts such as “refined spirit” and “refined vital breath”, new concepts such as “Essential Matter”, “Vital Breath” and “Spirit” came into in popular use. Among the “Three Jewels” ( 三寶 Sanbao ), as called by Daoists, “Essential Matter” stood for the pure substances which constituted the human body. “Essential Matter” was classified into two parts: the Essential Matter of Anterior Heaven ( 先天之精 Xiantian Zhijing ), namely, Original Essence ( 元精 Yuanjing ), would be traced back to the substances preceding all lives; Conversely, the Essential Matter of Posterior Heaven ( 後天之精 Houtian Zhijing ) referred to semen produced in sexual intercourse; in parallel, Vital Breath was divided into two categories: the Vital Breath of Anterior Heaven ( 先天之氣 Xiantian Zhiqi ), or the Original Vital Breath ( 元氣 Yuanqi ), referred to a man’s Essential Matter, which was initiated by the Spiritual Fire ( 神火 Shenhuo ) in the depth of the human body. In contrast, the Vital Breath of Posterior Heaven ( 後天之氣 Houtian Zhiqi ) existed everywhere in the universe, which was breathed in human body, and became an important source for human life. Only by the refinement of Spirit, would the Vital Breath of Posterior Heaven be helpful to the cultivation of Inner Alchemy; Similarly, “Spirit” consisted of two categories. The Spirit of Posterior Heaven ( 後天之神 Houtian Zhishen ), also known as the Spirit of Discernment ( 識神 Shishen ), was an important factor in learning and thinking. In the Book of Dao and its Virtue ( 《道德經》 Daode Jing ), Laozi said that “in learning, a man ought to increase something every day”. Laozi highlighted the role of the Spirit of Discernment in accumulating knowledge. In terms of the Refinement of Inner Alchemy, however, the Spirit of Anterior Heaven played a much more important role. Also known as the Original Spirit ( 元神 Yuanshen ), the Spirit of Anterior Heaven ( 先天之神 Xiantian Shishen ) stood for inborn wisdom. In order to strengthen the Original Spirit, a man ought to decrease the function of the Spirit of Discernment, just as Laozi claimed in Book of Dao and its Virtue, “In learning Dao, a man ought to decrease something every day”. Here, Laozi suggested, a man ought to rid himself of unfavorable functions from the Spirit of Discernment in order to enter a state of intuition characterized by Non-Interference. In this way, a proper function of the Original Spirit would lead to a transformation of the Vital Breath of Posterior Heaven into the Vital Breath of Anterior Heaven, a process which would strengthen the Original Spirit, and, accordingly, bring about a healthy life. [[zh:精氣神]] cc08693face4ed71ca92e5688f1ec4df3e8bd5a0 0 382 463 2009-09-03T03:58:14Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} The term Great Reversion Elixir was firstly used in [[e Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]]《周易參同契》 Zhouyi Cantong Qi ), whi...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} The term Great Reversion Elixir was firstly used in [[e Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]]《周易參同契》 Zhouyi Cantong Qi ), which mentioned the term at the end of first chapter. He said, “the attainment of the Reversion Elixir ought to follow the return to the initial state of Spiritual Nature” ( 性 Xing ), but he mentioned nothing about any differences between either the “Great” Reversion Elixir and the [[Small Reversion Elixir]] ( 小還丹　Xiaohuan Dan ), or the “Inner” and “Outer” ones. Obviously, in the book, Reversion Elixir only served as a symbol, which pointed to basic rules governing both [[Inner Alchemy]] and [[Outer Alchemy]]. In the late period, [[Ge Hong]], the famous Daoist scholar, highlighted the important role of the Reversion Elixir in extending human life from the perspective of Outer Alchemy ( 外丹 Waidan ). Ge stressed that the root of human longevity lay in the Reversion Elixir, which was attained by refining the Nine-reversion Elixir. Since the end of the Tang dynasty, Outer Alchemy saw a series of failures in practice. Daoism began to shift its effort to Inner Alchemy. Accordingly, Reversion Elixir was used to describe Inner Alchemy. In the books on Inner Alchemy, the Great Reversion Elixir stood for the Small Elixir-based refinements, which would lead to a full circulation of the Vital Breath ( 氣 Qi ) across the Twelve Channels and Collaterals ( 十二經絡 Shier Jingluo ) in human bodies, a state known as the Seven Returns and Nine Reversions ( 七返九還 Qifan Jiuhuan ) in a Daoist term that allegedly credited its origin to the mathematical principles of the River Chart . According to the River Chart ( 河圖 Hetu ), nine numbers, namely, from one up to nine, normally standing for five directions separately, suggested the seasonal changes of the Vital Breath of the Universe. Daoist Alchemists introduced the theory into their Studies of Inner Alchemy, arguing that the circulation of Vital Breath in human bodies followed the same movement rules as the Vital Breath of the Universe, rotating from Six in the north to Seven in the south, then from Eight in the east to Nine in the west. Among them, the number Nine stood for the extremity of Yang, also the point of reversion. In Chinese, Nine Reversion referred to perfection or extremity, which also suggested a start of another round of movement. Generally speaking, the Great Reversion Elixir stands for the highest achievement of Refinement of Inner Alchemy, a goal beyond most people’s capacity. Every single step demands years of effort and practice, and above all, correct methods and a healthy mentality. [[zh:大還丹]] e489b49bf58b7eca53eaaaa550977144f1805a73 0 383 464 2009-09-03T04:02:32Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} In parallel with the [[Great Reversion Elixir]] ( 大還丹 Xiaohuan Dan ), the Small Reversion Elixir was also popularly used in books on [[Inner Alchemy]] ( ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} In parallel with the [[Great Reversion Elixir]] ( 大還丹 Xiaohuan Dan ), the Small Reversion Elixir was also popularly used in books on [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). In these books, it used to stand for the mixture of Kidney Water ( 腎水 Shenshui ) and Mind Fire ( 心火 Xinhuo ), or the mating between Yin ( 陰 Yin ) and Yang ( 陽 Yang ), in another term. According to the Trigram Figures from [[the Book of Changes]] ( 易 Yi ), one Hexagrammatic Line standing for Yang ought to be taken from Kan, and one Hexagrammatic Line standing for Yin added to Li. In this way, the Trigram Figures of Kan and Li return to those of Qian and Kun, namely, a circle from the Posterior Heaven to the Anterior Heaven, or a “return” in another term. Since the “return” in this case pointed to a reversion to the original state, the character “small” was used. Liu Yingming, a famous Daoist scholar in the Qing dynasty, likened it to “resuming all stuffs of the old home, and reclaiming its original simplicity.” He suggested that the Return to Original Simplicity constituted the most important aspect of cultivation. Without it, other refinement and cultivation were out of question. In this sense, the Small Reversion Elixir constitutes the fundamental element in a bid to extend human life. [[zh:小還丹]] 25c86c410ac19362c1ee16e67230acdbef7ad836 0 384 465 2009-09-05T01:57:22Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} Although popularly known as a term related to Inner Alchemy, Spiritual Nature ( 性 Xing ) and Bodily Life ( 命 Ming ) has from early on been regarded as an im...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} Although popularly known as a term related to Inner Alchemy, Spiritual Nature ( 性 Xing ) and Bodily Life ( 命 Ming ) has from early on been regarded as an important concept. [[The Book of Changes]] ( 《周易》 Zhouyi ) said that "Principle ought to be pushed to the extreme, and Spiritual Nature be developed to the utmost in order to perfect the Bodily Life". In later periods, however, Confucianism ( 儒家 Rujia ) and Daoism ( 道家 Daojia ) gave utterly different explanations to the concept. For Confucianism, Spiritual Nature stood for the anterior elements of human beings, the nature and universe, and Bodily Life for the destiny or pre-determined fate; [[Zhuangzi]], the great Daoist philosopher, regarded "Spiritual Nature" as virtues and merits in human beings, and Bodily Life as the coherence among myriad beings; in Daoism, however, the concept was injected with new ideas. Generally speaking, in terms of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ), Spiritual Nature stood for the Spirit and Mind of human beings, or the Spirit of Mind ( 心神 Xinshen ), in another term, and Bodily Life for Vital Breath and Substance. According to Daoism, the Cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life would lead to the extension of human life. Moreover, Daoist sects gave different answers to the ways leading to cultivation. In the history of Daoism, the idea that [[the Southern Lineage]] ( 南宗 Nanzong ) prioritized Bodily Life whereas [[the Northern Lineage]] ( 北宗 Beizong ) prioritized Spiritual Nature” is popularly recognized. In this case, the Southern Lineage refers to the Southern Lineage of the Golden Elixir Sect, which credited its tradition to Zhang Beiduan, the famous Daoist in the Northern Song dynasty; while the Northern Lineage stood for [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ), which was founded by Wang Chongyang, a Daoist in the Southern Song dynasty. Noticeably, both lineages stressed the inseparable nature of integrated cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life. The trend became even clearer after the integration of the Southern Lineage with the Northern Lineage. In general, Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life are inseparable in Daoist cultivation. The Integrated cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life will lead to attainment of integration with Dao. [[zh:性命雙修]] 0a3d568b94c8aea7e61d2195f4657f8c108595fc 0 385 466 2009-09-05T02:31:19Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} “Three Flowers Condensing onto the Head ” ( 三花聚頂 Sanhua Juding ) is a term of Inner Alchemy ( 內丹 Neidan ). In ancient times, the character “fl...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} “Three Flowers Condensing onto the Head ” ( 三花聚頂 Sanhua Juding ) is a term of Inner Alchemy ( 內丹 Neidan ). In ancient times, the character “flower” was interchangeable with “splendor”, and the latter was the original form of the former. Therefore, “three flowers” is actually “three splendors”, which refer to the splendor of the Essential Matter ( 精 Jing ), the Vital Breath ( 氣 Qi ) and the spirit of a human being. By “condensing onto the head”, we mean that these three things are mixed up and gather at the Aperture of the Mysterious Gate ( 玄關一竅 Xuanguan Yiqiao ). The Compilation of the Great Achievement of the Golden Elixirs ( 金丹大成集 Jindan Dacheng Ji ) compiled by Xiao Tingzhi says, “Question: What does Three Flowers Condensing onto the Head indicate? Answer: It indicates the unification of spirit, the Vital Breath and the Essential Matter, and the aperture of them is named the Aperture of the Mysterious Gate.” In this term the “head” denotes the “the inner court of the heavenly palace”. The “heavenly palace” refers to the brain, and the “inner court” refers to the space inside the brain, with the line connecting the aperture of yintang and that of baihui as its centerline. “Three Flowers Condensing onto the Head” is a superior state of the skill of Inner Alchemy. The emergence of this state must be preceded by an orderly process of cultivation and refinement. Ancient inner alchemists used symbolic expressions for fear of divulging Heaven’s secrets and losing the great Dao, and therefore there were many variants of the name “three flowers”. Essentially speaking, the internal sense of “three flowers” is “triple Yang”, namely Yang within Yin, Yang within Yang, and Yang within Yin-Yang. “Triple Yang” is related to the conversion from [[the Five Agents]] ( 五行 Wuxing ) and Celestial Trunks ( 天干 Tiangan ). In ancient China, “water” represents the north and corresponds to rengui in terms of Celestial Trunks and kidney in human body; “fire” represents the south and corresponds to bingding and heart; “gold” represents the west and corresponds to gengxin and lung. Kidney governs the Essential Matter; heart governs spirit; and lung governs the Vital Breath. Water is situated in the north, a direction of Yin, and its corresponding Celestial Trunks are ren, which is Yang and gui, which is Yin, so what is called “Yin within Yang” refers to “ren”, one of the two Celestial Trunks representing the north. Fire is situated in the south, a direction of Yang, and its corresponding Celestial Trunks are bing, which is Yang and ding, which is Yin, so what is called “Yang within Yang” refers to “bing”, one of the two Celestial Trunks representing the south. Gold is situated in the west, a direction of Yin. It corresponds to lung, which exhales the old and inhales the new, connects the inside and the outside, hence its nature of transformation between Yin and Yang. What is called “Yang within Yin-Yang” refers to “geng”, the Celestial Trunk representing the west and lung together with xin. Inner Alchemy stresses “Refinement of Essential Matter into Vital Breath ( 煉精化氣 Lianjing Huaqi )”, i.e., removing gui but promoting ren in the water of kidney, “Refinement of Vital Breath into Spirit ( 煉氣化神 Lianqi Huashen )”, i.e. removing xin but promoting geng in the gold of lung, and “Refinement of Spirit Back to Emptiness ( 煉神還虛 Lianshen Huanxu )”, i.e., removing ding but promoting bing in the fire of heart. Ren, geng and bing singnify “triple Yang” in [[the Essential Matter, the Vital Breath and spirit]]. After fire is added, they sublime and gather in the aperture niwan. This is called “Three Flowers Condensing onto the Head”. The character “head (ding)” indicates tripod (ding). Having discarded the old and introduced the new and cast off the old self, one enters a divine state, where his body glows brilliantly. At this time the Essential Matter, the Vital Breath and spirit returns to a “unified” state from a divided state. They appear in the sky spontaneously like petals of golden flowers. This is a good outcome of internal exercise. That’s why “flower” is also “splendor”. [[Zh:三花聚頂]] 8e872b8aa8f6dba0260734f7f4478c60f88e4b42 0 386 467 2009-09-05T02:48:23Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} “Transporting through the Three Vehicles” ( 三車搬運 Sanche Banyun ) is a term of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). Drawn by an ox, a sheep or a deer...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} “Transporting through the Three Vehicles” ( 三車搬運 Sanche Banyun ) is a term of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). Drawn by an ox, a sheep or a deer respectively, the “three vehicles” signify the different [[Fire Phases]] ( 火候 Huohou ) in the practice of Inner Alchemy. According to [[the Transmission of Dao by Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin]] ( 鍾呂傳道集 Zhonglu Chuandaoji ), they actually refer to the three forms of “River Chariot” ( 河車 Heche ), vehicles used for carrying things across river. “Crossing river” is indeed another metaphor in Inner Alchemy. The ancients derived inspiration from the phenomenon that the leaves falling onto river can carry things, and so invented “boats”, the “river chariots”. A “River Chariot” is needed for “crossing river”. Daoist Inner Alchemy associated it with the process of refining the vital breath. In the opinion of Daoist believers, there is more Yin than Yang in human body, which indicates that water is the major channel in human body. In other words, there exists a particular river course in human body, and the main points of refining the vital breath consist in walking in the river course, leading the vital breath with the mind and recycling it through the whole body, so as to produce the great elixir. Then what does the “River Chariot” exactly refer to in the Cultivation and Refinement ( 修煉 Xiulian ) of Inner Alchemy? There have always been different arguments. The chapter “On the River Chariot” in the Transmission of Dao by Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin points out that the River Chariot is formed “in the water in the due north”. Among [[the Five Agents]] ( 五行 Wuxing ), “water” is situated in the due north. It represents the kidney in human body, where the “true breath” is stored. The “orthodox breath” generated by the “true breath” is just the River Chariot. How can one run this true breath to produce the inner elixirs? Many passes have to be traversed, especially weilü, jiaji and yuzhen, namely the “Three Passes”. During the practice of Inner Alchemy, only when being abundant can the Original Vital Breath ( 元氣 Yuanqi ) pass the “Three Passes”. If it runs too slowly or even halts, one may conduct it appropriately. However, this can be done only after the vital breath moves. Otherwise, it is as good as trying to help the shoots grow by pulling them upward, and all the previous efforts will be wasted. When guiding the vital breath, one should increase Yang for nine times and decrease Yin for six times. This is the carrying skill of the “ox chariot”. It is so-called because the “carrying” speed is so low that it seems the chariot is pulled by an “ox”. After practicing for some time, one has abundant Original Vital Breath and becomes skillful. Then he can speed up conveniently, increasing Yang for thirty-six times and decreasing Yin for twenty-four times. This is the carrying skill of the “sheep chariot”. It is self-evident that the speed of a sheep is higher than that of an ox, so the carrying skill of a “sheep chariot” is a natural improvement upon that of an “ox chariot”. When the Reversion Elixir ( 還丹 Huandan ) functions satisfactorily and easily of itself, and the inhaled vital breath can ascend to the point of niwan, one should increase Yang for 216 times and decrease Yin for 144 times, which corresponds to the great numerology of the theory of changes. This is the carrying skill of the “deer chariot”. At this moment, the vital breath in human body circulates in the twelve main and collateral channels and the eight particular passages, which means the “big [[Cosmic Orbit]] ” ( 周天 Zhoutian ) is unblocked. It deserves attention that the three vehicles of “ox, sheep and deer” are just description of the Fire Phases of Inner Alchemy. The practitioners are not requested to strive for “acceleration” sedulously. As far as the mind is concerned, the primary principle in controlling the “Fire Phases” is spontaneity. One should not act with undue haste, or else all that has been achieved will be spoiled. We must keep it firmly in mind. [[zh:三車搬運]] 3041b64b8d5ee5d8e3f7b3b5c6cf32c36ba92adb 0 387 468 2009-09-05T03:24:00Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} In the history of Daoism, the Meeting of the Three Parts, as a term ( 三家相見 Sanjia Xiangjian ), has had different implications. [[Laozi]] was the first p...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} In the history of Daoism, the Meeting of the Three Parts, as a term ( 三家相見 Sanjia Xiangjian ), has had different implications. [[Laozi]] was the first philosopher, who used “Three” as a technical term in his discussion about nourishing life. In the [[Book of Dao and its Virtue]] ( 《道德經》 Daode Jing ), “One” stood for the Supreme Ultimate ( 太極 Taiji ), “Two” stood for Yin and Yang, and “Three” for Yin, Yang and Vital Breath in Harmony. In the later periods, it developed into a typical way of thinking in Daoism. In [[the Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]] ( 《周易參同契》 Zhouyi Cantongqi ), for instance, it was transformed into a mode governing the refinement of the elixir. The author said, “Three, Five and One stand for the Essence of heaven and earth. All mysterious knowledge ought to be taught by pithy formulas instead of books”. In this context, “Three” referred to an integration of “One”, namely, “water” and “Two”, namely, “fire”; “Five”, stood for “earth” in the center. From the perspective of the Five Agents ( 五行 Wuxing ), “Three, Five and One” in the Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes symbolized the process of mixing “water”, “fire” and “earth” into “vital breath”. On the basis of the above-mentioned ideas, On Realizing Perfection ( 《悟真篇》 Wuzhen Pian ) came up with the proverb “the meeting of the Three Parts gave birth to a baby”. “Baby” was a popularly used nickname for Inner Alchemy. In the book On Realizing Perfection, the “Three Parts” reflect a mysterious relation between “numbers” and “directions”. According to this theory, a single number points to a specific direction. The number “three”, for instance, stood for “east”, “two” for “south”, “four” for “west”, “one” for “north’, and “five” for “center”. According to the theory, when “three”, namely the “east” met with “two”, the “south”, “five” was produced; Similarly, when “four”, the “west” met with “one”, the “north”, “five” also came out. If another “five”, namely, the “center” was added, more “three” and “five” came into being. Accordingly, “three” and “five” became the symbols of completion of the elixir, which, in some books on Inner Alchemy, was compared to giving birth to a baby with a ten-month-long pregnancy. Technically, the Meeting of the Three Parts used to stand for the combination of originally separate Essential Matter, Vital Breath and Spirit into oneness, or the union of inseparable three parts in human beings, namely, the body, mind and spirit. [[zh:三車搬運]] 06e14c129eb43d25347b541f8eae620296fd2c76 469 468 2009-09-05T03:25:01Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} In the history of Daoism, the Meeting of the Three Parts, as a term ( 三家相見 Sanjia Xiangjian ), has had different implications. [[Laozi]] was the first philosopher, who used “Three” as a technical term in his discussion about nourishing life. In the [[Book of Dao and its Virtue]] ( 《道德經》 Daode Jing ), “One” stood for the Supreme Ultimate ( 太極 Taiji ), “Two” stood for Yin and Yang, and “Three” for Yin, Yang and Vital Breath in Harmony. In the later periods, it developed into a typical way of thinking in Daoism. In [[the Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]] ( 《周易參同契》 Zhouyi Cantongqi ), for instance, it was transformed into a mode governing the refinement of the elixir. The author said, “Three, Five and One stand for the Essence of heaven and earth. All mysterious knowledge ought to be taught by pithy formulas instead of books”. In this context, “Three” referred to an integration of “One”, namely, “water” and “Two”, namely, “fire”; “Five”, stood for “earth” in the center. From the perspective of the Five Agents ( 五行 Wuxing ), “Three, Five and One” in the Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes symbolized the process of mixing “water”, “fire” and “earth” into “vital breath”. On the basis of the above-mentioned ideas, On Realizing Perfection ( 《悟真篇》 Wuzhen Pian ) came up with the proverb “the meeting of the Three Parts gave birth to a baby”. “Baby” was a popularly used nickname for Inner Alchemy. In the book On Realizing Perfection, the “Three Parts” reflect a mysterious relation between “numbers” and “directions”. According to this theory, a single number points to a specific direction. The number “three”, for instance, stood for “east”, “two” for “south”, “four” for “west”, “one” for “north’, and “five” for “center”. According to the theory, when “three”, namely the “east” met with “two”, the “south”, “five” was produced; Similarly, when “four”, the “west” met with “one”, the “north”, “five” also came out. If another “five”, namely, the “center” was added, more “three” and “five” came into being. Accordingly, “three” and “five” became the symbols of completion of the elixir, which, in some books on Inner Alchemy, was compared to giving birth to a baby with a ten-month-long pregnancy. Technically, the Meeting of the Three Parts used to stand for the combination of originally separate Essential Matter, Vital Breath and Spirit into oneness, or the union of inseparable three parts in human beings, namely, the body, mind and spirit. [[zh:三家相見]] 67213cecdfc302a82facbe85540441ca342a1349 0 388 470 2009-09-05T03:44:45Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} This is another term popularly seen in books on [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). Originally, the “Nine Cauldrons” stood for national treasures in ancien...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} This is another term popularly seen in books on [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). Originally, the “Nine Cauldrons” stood for national treasures in ancient times. In later periods, Daoism borrowed it as a symbol of the highest level in the refinement of Outer Alchemy. In the Yellow Emperor's Nine Cauldron Alchemical Scripture ( 《黃帝九鼎神丹經訣》 Huangdi Jiuding Shendan Jingjue ), “Nine Cauldrons” referred to the Nine Ways ( 九法jiufa ) and Nine Reversions ( 九轉 Jiuzhuan ) in the Refinement of the Elixir. Since the rise of the Studies of Inner Alchemy, it became one of the fundamental concepts in the Refinement of Inner Alchemy. As for its implications on a symbolic level, various answers were given by different schools or sects. Some argued that it ought to stand for the human mind, which played a central role in the connection of the Seven Mysterious Gates ( 七竅 Qiqiao ) and the circulation of Yin and Yang; Others claimed that it stood for the Elixir Field ( 丹田 Dantian ) in human bodies, which led to the Seven Energy Nodes ( 七節 Qijie ) in the upper part and the kidney in the lower part; Some scholars referred to the “Nine Cauldrons” as an emblem of 12 divisions of a day named after 12 Celestial Trunks ( 天干 Tiangan ). In general, it was popularly accepted that “Nine Cauldrons”, as a term, was a metaphor for refinement of Spiritual Nature, which suggested, just like the refinement of Elixirs, that timing and consistency were equally important in the refinement of Spiritual Nature. In order to achieve the goal of [[Integrated Cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] ( 性命雙修 Xingming Shuangxiu ), a man must hold adequate skills as well as good virtues. [[zh:九鼎煉心]] 0c101646280ecd791e4ec94288c78e2516479a6e 0 389 471 2009-09-05T03:54:34Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} In ancient China, “Dragon” and “Tiger” used to act as two of the four mysterious animals, which were the emblems for [[the 28 Stellar Spirits]] ( 二十...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} In ancient China, “Dragon” and “Tiger” used to act as two of the four mysterious animals, which were the emblems for [[the 28 Stellar Spirits]] ( 二十八星宿 ershiba xingxiu ) Among them, the “Blue Dragon” stood for the Seven Stellar Spirits of the east, and the “White Tiger” symbolized the Seven Stellar Spirits of the west. In ancient China, “east” also stood for Yang, and “west” for Yin. Accordingly, the image of the two animals was linked to Yin or Yang separately. Among ordinary Chinese, “Dragon” and “Tiger” were developed into symbolic images for “male” and “female” separately. As a result, the marriage between a man and a woman used to be known as a relation between a dragon and a tiger. In Daoist theories about the Golden Elixir, the symbolism of the “Dragon” and “Tiger” was popularly used and further developed. In books on Outer Alchemy, the “Dragon” became the symbol of Lead, and “Tiger” the symbol of Mercury. In the later period, when the theory of Outer Alchemy was borrowed by scholars of Inner Alchemy, accordingly, the “Dragon” and “Tiger” became symbols for elements in the refinement of Inner Alchemy: “Dragon” used to act as a metaphor of Spirit or Spiritual Nature, and “Tiger” as a metaphor of Vital Breath or Desire. According to [[the Direct Pointers to the Great Elixir]] ( 《大丹直指》 dadan zhizhi ) by [[Qiu Chuji]], “Dragon” was also known as the “Vital Breath of True Yang” ( 正陽之氣 zhengyang zhiqi ), and “Tiger” as the “Water of Perfect Oneness” ( 真一之水 zhenyi zhishui ). Patriarch Qiu said that the “Vital Breath of True Yang” referred to the Vital Breath “Bing”, which existed in “Mind Water” ( 心液 xinye ). Since “Bing” was a representative of Yang in the 12 Celestial Trunks , the “Vital Breath of True Yang” was also known as the “Yang Dragon”; the “Water of Perfect Oneness”, on the other hand, referred to Water “Gui”, which existed in the “Vital Breath of Kidney”. In the 12 Celestial Trunks ( 天干 tiangan ), “Gui” was the emblem of Yin. Accordingly, the “Water of Perfect Oneness” was known as “Yin Tiger”. In ancient China, the “Intercourse of Dragon and Tiger” was used to symbolize a harmonious relation between “Kidney Water” ( 腎水 shenshui ) and “Vital Breath of Mind” because “Mind” belonged to “Fire”, and “Kidney” belonged to “Water”, according to the theory of the “[[Five Agents]]” ( 五行 wuxing ). In later periods, it was borrowed to describe a sexual intercourse between a man and a woman, which, the ancient scholars argued, demonstrated a common principle: a stress over a harmonious and complementary relationship between Yin and Yang, the fundamental elements in the Universe.. [[zh:龍虎交媾]] a17e13191fbd65d2d3811df17903c6c432e47db8 0 390 472 2009-09-05T05:33:53Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} This was another important concept in [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). In Daoism, the Refinement of Essential Matter ( 精 Jing ), Vital Breath ( 氣 Qi ) a...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} This was another important concept in [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). In Daoism, the Refinement of Essential Matter ( 精 Jing ), Vital Breath ( 氣 Qi ) and Spirit ( 神 Shen ) was regarded as the gateway to longevity and immortality. Daoist scholars argued that at the moment of a man’s birth, his Essential Matter, Vital Breath and Spirit were totally mixed into an inseparable entity, a state dominated his whole infancy, which was hailed as the period closest to Dao. When he grew up, unfortunately, the [[Essential Matter, Vital Breath and Spirit]] fell apart. During his span of life, the division became worse on daily basis, a trend that led to his death. In order to prevent it from happening, Daoist scholars invented some ways to reverse the trend. They claimed that a man could return to his infancy by Cultivation, which would reassemble the divided Essential Matter, Vital Breath and Spirit. To achieve the goal, as the first step, a man ought to Refine Essential Matter into Vital Breath, namely Transforming Three into Two. In this case, “Three” stood for Essential Matter, Vital Breath and Spirit, and “Two” for Vital Breath and Spirit. As a result, “Essential Matter” would be refined into “Vital Breath” in this phase, which allegedly lasted about a hundred days. For this reason, this phase was known as the “One Hundred Day Pass” ( 百日關 Bairi Guan ). Sometimes, it was also called the “Initial Pass” ( 初關 Chuguan ), which featured its elementary nature in a total process of refinement. In terms of the refinement process, the Refinement of Essential Matter into Vital Breath was regarded as the “Phase of Interfering Action”, a term highlighting a series of technical activities such as the “Collection of Medicinal Herbs” ( 采藥 Caiyao ), “Storage” ( 封固 Fenggu ), “Refinement” ( 烹煉 Penglian ), and “Extinguishment of Fire” ( 止火 Zhihuo ). Obviously borrowed from Outer Alchemy, these terms were used to describe the process of Refinement of Inner Alchemy: “Vital Breath of Anterior Heaven” initiated by mediation was channeled into the “Lower Elixir Field” for storage and mixing with Essential Matter; the function of a man’s “Mind” would lead to refinement of “Essential Matter” into “Vital Breath”; the circulation of “Vital Breath” around the Ren and Du channels would lead to a condensation and combination of Spirit and Vital Breath; this stage ought to end with the “Extinguishment of Fire”. In Daoism, the whole process was called the Refinement of Essential Matter into Vital Breath. [[zh:煉精化氣]] 0350b00053b9273d49cdf2a95dc4970e4365e5c6 0 391 473 2009-09-05T06:09:57Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} The “Initial Pass” ( 初關 Chuguan ), namely, the “[[Refinement of Essential Matter into Vital Breath]]” ( 煉精化氣 Lianjing Huaqi ) ought to be fo...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} The “Initial Pass” ( 初關 Chuguan ), namely, the “[[Refinement of Essential Matter into Vital Breath]]” ( 煉精化氣 Lianjing Huaqi ) ought to be followed by the “Refinement of Vital Breath into Spirit”, which belonged to the “Middle Pass” ( 中關 Zhongguan ) in the “Work of Three Phases” ( 三步功 Sanbu Gong ). Since it used to take as long as ten months to complete, it was also known as the “Ten Month Pass” ( 十月關 Shiyue Guan ). In contrast to the “Refinement of Essential Matter into Vital Breath”, which drove the Vital Breath in the human body to circulate around the “Microcosmic Orbit” ( 小周天 Xiaozhou Tian ), namely, the Ren and Du channels, the “Refinement of Vital Breath into Spirit” highlighted the “Macrocosmic Orbit” ( 大周天 Dazhou Tian ), where the circulation of Vital Breath went beyond the Ren and Du channels, rather involving the Twelve Channels and Collaterals ( 十二經絡 Shier Jingluo ) in the body; the “Refinement of Essential Matter into Vital Breath” was known as “Transforming Three into Two” ( 收三歸二 Shousan Guiyi ), whereas the “Refinement of Vital Breath into Spirit” was known as “Transforming Two into One” ( 由二歸一 Youer Guiyi ), which featured a marriage between “Vital Breath” and “Spirit”. In Daoism, the complete mixture of “Vital Breath” and “Spirit” was known as the “Sacred Embryo” ( 聖嬰 Shengying ) or the “Ultimate Medicine” ( 大藥 Dayao ), a term borrowed from “[[Outer Alchemy]]”. Obviously, it was a transitional phase from “Interfering Action” ( 有爲 Youwei ) to “NoneInterference” ( 無爲 Wuwei ). Technically, “Vital Breath” was circulating between the “Lower Elixir Field” ( 下丹田 Xia Dantian ), or “Fire”, in another term borrowed from Outer Alchemy, and the “Middle Elixir Field” ( 中丹田 Zhong Dantian ), namely, the “Yellow Court” ( 黃庭 Huangtin ), or “Cauldron” in books on Outer Alchemy. It took about ten months to achieve the complete mixture of “Vital Breath” and “Spirit”, a process known as “Nourishing the Infant” in [[Inner Alchemy]]. [[zh:煉氣化神]] 0cd4173e0d5a54443879501dee13ba6a420e5df7 0 392 474 2009-09-05T06:15:00Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} The successful conclusion of [[the Refinement of Vital Breath into Spirit]] ( 煉氣化神 Lianqi Huashen ) -- the “Middle Pass” ( 中關 Zhongguan ) -- lea...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} The successful conclusion of [[the Refinement of Vital Breath into Spirit]] ( 煉氣化神 Lianqi Huashen ) -- the “Middle Pass” ( 中關 Zhongguan ) -- leads to the Refinement of Spirit Back to Emptiness, the “High Pass” ( 上關 Shangguan ) in the “Work of the Three Phases” ( 三步功 Sabu Gong ), which was popularly known as the “Nine Year Pass” ( 九年關 Jiunian Guan ), highlighting a period of time demanded in this phase of refinement. In practice, however, the “Nine Years” was by no means an unchangeable standard. In fact, the specific time of refinement would depend upon an alchemist’s personality, his capacity of understanding, his environment, and so on. Different with either “Refinement of Essential Matter into Vital Breath”, which highlighted “Interfering Action” ( 有爲 Youwei ) or “Refinement of Vital Breath into Spirit”, which featured a transition from “Interfering Action” to “Non-Interference” ( 無爲 Wuwei ), the “Refinement of Spirit Back to Emptiness” stood for the highest achievement in the Refinement of Inner Alchemy, which was characterized by “Non-Interference” . In Daoism, “Non-Interference” was regarded as the speechless nature of Dao, which used to be symbolized by a circular shape. Inner Alchemists used it to describe the oblivion of self-existence in refinement of Inner Alchemy, or emptiness and void of Vital Breath in human bodies. The term “Nine Year Pass” suggested a principle of return from “Posterior Heaven” to “Anterior Heaven” in the Refinement of [[Inner Alchemy]]. According to the principle, Yin and Yang form the Kan Trigram and the Li Trigram ought to form the Qian Trigram, the summit of Yang, which was represented by the number “Nine”, a symbol of high completion in Chinese culture. In Daoism, the famous Immortal [[Lu Dongbing]] was known as Chun Yangzi, namely a man of pure Yang, a name reminescent of the Refinement of Spirit Back to Emptiness, an important phase in the refinement of Inner Alchemy. [[zh:煉神還虛]] 3f113c24c487b25cc143a30e22e4d44e78102956 0 393 475 2009-09-05T06:31:35Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} As a technical word, “Refinement of Emptiness into Dao” was a symbol of the highest phase in the refinement of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹修煉 Neidan Xiuli...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} As a technical word, “Refinement of Emptiness into Dao” was a symbol of the highest phase in the refinement of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹修煉 Neidan Xiulian ), an indication of the reverse way of thinking in Daoism and a reminder of “Breaking Attachment” ( 破執 Pozhi ), a well-known concept in both Daoism and Buddhism. In general, the reverse way of thing dominated the whole process of Refinement of Inner Alchemy, a process covering the “[[Refinement of Essential Matter into Vital Breath]]” ( 煉精化氣 Lianjing Huaqi ), the “[[Refinement of Vital Breath into Spirit]]” ( 煉氣化神 Lianqi Huashen ), and the “[[Refinement of Spirit Back to Emptiness]]” ( 煉神還虛 Lianshen Huanxu ). According to Daoism, even in a phase of Emptiness, when a man was attached, he remained in control of “Interfering Action”; only by breaking the attachment in his mind and the emptiness itself, would his nature come to oneness with the Great Dao. From the Inner Alchemy Tradition founded by [[Zhong Liquan]] and [[Lü Dongbing]] in the Tang dynasty up to the Inner Alchemists in the Ming and Qing dynasties, the “Refinement of Emptiness into Dao” was strongly stressed. [[Qiu Chuji]], the Perfect Man in [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quzhen Dao ), for instance, gave profound explanations in his book [[Direct Pointers to the Great Elixir]] ( 《大丹直指》Dadan Zhizhi ); [[Li Daochun]], another famous Daoist scholar, referred to this phase as “Breaking Voidness and Emptiness” ( 打破虛空 Dapo Xukong ), which, he argued, featured obliviousness to all attachments, a spiritual state which would lead to a transcendence over both objective entities and a man’s self-consciousness. [[zh:煉虛合道]] 7740f32ecdc6f33146d91318c3eccc5c5dca07c1 0 394 476 2009-09-05T07:16:21Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} “Reversing Kan with Li ” ( 坎離顛倒 Kanli Diandao ) is a term of the science of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 Jindan ). Kan and Li are two of the basic Tri...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} “Reversing Kan with Li ” ( 坎離顛倒 Kanli Diandao ) is a term of the science of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 Jindan ). Kan and Li are two of the basic Trigram Figures ( 卦象 Guaxiang ) established by [[the Book of Changes]] ( 周易 Zhouyi ). According to the arrangement of the Post-Existent ( 後天 Houtian ) Eight Trigrams ( 八卦 Bagua ), the trigram Kan is situated in the north, a Yin direction in nature, while the trigram Li in the south, a Yang direction. However, in terms of the trigram nature established in the Book of Changes, Kan has a “boy middle” and is a Yang trigram, while Li has a “girl middle” and is a Yin trigram. It is obvious that the Yang trigram is not arranged in a Yang direction and the Yin trigram not in a Yin direction, but quite on the contrary. Besides, according to the Figure of Hexagrammatic Lines ( 爻象 Yaoxiang ), Kan, a Yang trigram, comprises more Yin Hexagrammatic Lines than Yang Hexagrammatic Lines (one Yang Hexagrammatic Line lies in the middle and two Yin Hexagrammatic Lines on its upper and lower sides), while Li, a Yin trigram, comprises more Yang Hexagrammatic Lines than Yin Hexagrammtic Lines (one Yin Hexagrammatic Line lies in the middle and two Yang Hexagrammatic Lines on its upper and lower sides). Here we also find “reversion”. Daoist [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ) borrows from the trigram figures in the Book of Changes. It regards the descending of the heart-Yin and the ascending of the kidney-Yang as the harmony of water and fire. One goes up while the other goes down until they meet. This meeting, in nature, is to “fill up Li with Kan”, i.e., to take out the Yang Hexagrammatic Line in the middle of the trigram Kan to fill up the Yin Hexagrammatic Line in the middle of the trigram Li. Hence inner elixirs come into being, which lays a foundation for the production of Golden Elixirs in the Elixir Field ( 丹田 Dantian ). [[zh:坎離顛倒]] 0eda59b23329f65d5fb88d0db29f4eafb7e12c1e 0 395 477 2009-09-05T07:21:11Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} “Centering Merits When Yin And Yang Join ” ( 合符行中 Hefu Xingzhong ) is a term of the science of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 Jindan ). This term first ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} “Centering Merits When Yin And Yang Join ” ( 合符行中 Hefu Xingzhong ) is a term of the science of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 Jindan ). This term first appeared in the [[Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]] ( 周易參同契 Zhouyi Cantongqi ). There is a phrase in the book, “centering merits when Yin And Yang join between the last day of a lunar month and the first day of the next one”. What’s important is the expression “when Yin And Yang join”, which signifies the combination of the two halves of a talisman. Then what does “centering merits” mean? Here “centering” implies the central place of earth, and the whole phrase means centralizing the inner vital breath in imitation of the fusion of the sun and the moon. It is also necessary to understand the expression “between the last day of a lunar month and the first day of the next one”. It refers to the time when Yin turns into Yang at midnight of the 30th day of the first lunar month. In the alchemical context, a day replaces a month. This expression therefore refers to the time “between the hour of Hai and the hour of Zi of a day”. The hour of Hai indicates ultimate Yin while the hour of Zi indicates the beginning of the birth of Yang. Hence the time “between the hour of Hai and the hour of Zi” is the moment of a day at which Yin changes into Yang. In the practice of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ), one should Collect Elixir Drugs ( 采藥 Caiyao ) and [[Increase Fire]] ( 進火 Jinhuo ) at this time. “Centering Merits When Yin And Yang Join” represents the doctrine of “Keeping to the Middle” ( 守中 Shouzhong ) elucidated in [[The Book of Dao and its Virtue]] ( 道德經 Daodejing ) by [[Laozi]]. [[zh:坎離顛倒]] 841487816b7a6915480393b4649ef22a29635c13 478 477 2009-09-05T07:21:41Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} “Centering Merits When Yin And Yang Join ” ( 合符行中 Hefu Xingzhong ) is a term of the science of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 Jindan ). This term first appeared in the [[Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]] ( 周易參同契 Zhouyi Cantongqi ). There is a phrase in the book, “centering merits when Yin And Yang join between the last day of a lunar month and the first day of the next one”. What’s important is the expression “when Yin And Yang join”, which signifies the combination of the two halves of a talisman. Then what does “centering merits” mean? Here “centering” implies the central place of earth, and the whole phrase means centralizing the inner vital breath in imitation of the fusion of the sun and the moon. It is also necessary to understand the expression “between the last day of a lunar month and the first day of the next one”. It refers to the time when Yin turns into Yang at midnight of the 30th day of the first lunar month. In the alchemical context, a day replaces a month. This expression therefore refers to the time “between the hour of Hai and the hour of Zi of a day”. The hour of Hai indicates ultimate Yin while the hour of Zi indicates the beginning of the birth of Yang. Hence the time “between the hour of Hai and the hour of Zi” is the moment of a day at which Yin changes into Yang. In the practice of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ), one should Collect Elixir Drugs ( 采藥 Caiyao ) and [[Increase Fire]] ( 進火 Jinhuo ) at this time. “Centering Merits When Yin And Yang Join” represents the doctrine of “Keeping to the Middle” ( 守中 Shouzhong ) elucidated in [[The Book of Dao and its Virtue]] ( 道德經 Daodejing ) by [[Laozi]]. [[zh:合符行中]] 76a494c73f32caeec74ae28a0098fd79cd4535ce 0 396 479 2009-09-05T07:46:34Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} “The Five Vital Breaths Oriented to the Origin ( 五氣朝元 Wuqi Chaoyuan )” is a term used in [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). The “Five Vital Brea...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} “The Five Vital Breaths Oriented to the Origin ( 五氣朝元 Wuqi Chaoyuan )” is a term used in [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). The “Five Vital Breaths” refer to the Vital Breaths in the five viscera, namely the heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, and spleen. For a mortal, they scatter in the locations of the [[Five Agents]] ( 五行 Wuxing ) and cannot engender integrated energy. In order to break this limitation, Daoist Inner Alchemists sought techniques of refining the Vital Breaths, and through their long-term practice and experience, advanced the theory of “the Five Vital Breaths Oriented to the Origin”. There already existed a hazy awareness of the “Five Vital Breaths” as early as in [[The Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]] ( 周易參同契 Zhouyi Cantongqi ) of the Han dynasty, which says, “earth predominates throughout the four seasons; the green, the red, the white and the black occupy one direction respectively and all share the merits of the middle palace of Wuji.” The term “Five Vital Breaths” did not appear, but here the relationship between the Five Agents was represented by the five colors. In Daoism, the five colors also symbolize the five viscera. Viewing from this angle, we can confirm that The Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes embodies cognitions of the Vital Breaths in the five viscera. However, it does not make explicit mention of “the Five Vital Breaths Oriented to the Origin”. It is the [[Transmission of Dao by Zhongli Chuan and Lü Dongbin]] ( 鍾呂傳道集 Zhonglü Chuandaoji ) that directly uses this concept. The chapter “On Being Oriented to the Origin” puts forward the idea that the way of the Vital Breaths in the five viscera being oriented to the origin varies with changes in Yin and Yang. According to this chapter, while the sun and the moon circulate, just when the primary Yang comes into being, the Vital Breaths in the five viscera are oriented to the “middle origin”, i.e., the middle Elixir Field ( 丹田 Dantian ) in the middle of breasts; just when the primary Yin comes into being, the liquids in the five viscera are oriented to the “lower origin”, the lower Elixir Field, which lies 1.3 cun below the navel. When an Inner Alchemist inspects and illuminates his body with divine gaze, guided by the Ren Vital Breath of water, the Bing Vital Breath of fire and the Geng Vital Breath of gold, the three Yang (Ren, Bing and Geng) breaths are oriented to the inner court of the “heavenly palace” (forehead), and accordingly, the mind returns to the “heavenly palace” and the five Vital Breaths are oriented to the upper origin. Daoist Inner Alchemists have offered various explanations to the theory of “The Five Vital Breaths Oriented to the Origin” ever since the end of the Tang and the Five Dynasties. Discussions lasted from the Song (Zhang Boduan) to the Jin and Yuan dynasties (Qiu Chuji and Xiao Tingzhi). Summing up a good many previous argumentations, [[Pointers on Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] ( 性命圭旨 Xingming Guizhi ) makes a systematic exposition of the theory of “The Five Vital Breaths Oriented to the Origin”, and even contains an illustration for readers’ comprehension. Starting with the problem of the origin of life, this book first points out that for a mortal, the Five Eternal Virtues (the Five Agents) scatter in different places and the five directions hold different Vital Breaths, and goes further to explain the feasibility and methods of a practitioner refining the five Vital Breaths to make them all oriented to the origin. According to the author of this book, the five viscera are originally guarded by the Five (green, red, yellow, white, black) Emperors ( 五帝 Wudi ), whose functions are represented by the Celestial Trunks ( 天干 Tiangan ), the Five Agents, numerals, and their correlation. The green emperor corresponds to the Jia-Yi three-Vital Breath of the virtue of wood; the red emperor corresponds to the Bing-Ding two-Vital Breath of the virtue of fire; the white emperor corresponds to the Geng-Xin four-Vital Breath of the virtue of gold; the black emperor corresponds to the Ren-Gui one-Vital Breath of the virtue of water; the yellow emperor corresponds to the Wu-Ji five-Vital Breath of the virtue of earth. A practitioner should assemble the dispersed Vital Breaths. The expression “collecting or combining the five, the four, the three and the two to make the one” describes the process of converging and orienting the Vital Breaths. The four-Vital Breath of the virtue of gold and the one-Vital Breath of the virtue of water make the five, the three-Vital Breath of the virtue of wood and the two-Vital Breath of the virtue of fire make the five, and the center holds its own five-Vital Breath. So the three “five” gather, the four elements harmonize, and the five Vital Breaths are oriented to the origin and assemble at the top of the head. An advanced state of Inner Alchemical cultivation is thus attained. [[zh:五氣朝元]] 552b62feab951d24cb6597031cb76f9ff02811d8 0 397 480 2009-09-05T07:53:12Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} “Rebirth from the Original Fetus and Bones ” ( 脫胎換骨 Tuotai Huangu ) is a term used in Daoist [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). It means that havi...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} “Rebirth from the Original Fetus and Bones ” ( 脫胎換骨 Tuotai Huangu ) is a term used in Daoist [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). It means that having attained the Dao through cultivation, a mortal can get rid of his mortal fetus and bones and gain a sacred fetus and bones. In Inner Alchemy, this state indicates that one obtains inner elixirs and transforms his nature. According to Daoism, the combination of the numeral three, which represents wood in the east, with the numeral two, which represents fire in the south, and the combination of the numeral four, which represents gold in the west, with the numeral one, which represents water in the north, both make the numeral five. Together with the numeral five that represents earth in the center, the three “fives” converge to the center. It is called “three families meet to produce a baby”. Hence the practitioner accomplishes his alchemical cultivation and deviates from his mortal nature. These two conditions are the prerequisite for achieving immortality. The expression “rebirth from the original fetus” was already found in the commentaries on [[The Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]] ( 周易參同契 Zhouyi Cantongqi ) in the Song dynasty. For example, Chen Xianwei says, “when one is reborn from the original fetus, his body shines as sunrays light up dust through bright windows.” The term “Rebirth from the Original Fetus and Bones” also had an influence on literature afterwards. For instance, chapter 104 in The Dream of the Red Mansion ( 紅樓夢 Hongloumeng ) says, “all those who become immortals make it either in his bodily form or by shucking off his body.” Here “shucking off his body” means the practitioner shucks off his mortal body so that his true body ascends immortality. This Daoist idiom is used in Chinese culture to signify one thing is emerges from the womb of another thing. [[zh:脫胎換骨]] b421caaf270d2f160f38cb40c03f4a1b6eeb9d63 0 398 481 2009-09-05T08:00:54Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} "Basic Cultivation"( 築基 Zhuji ) is a term of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). According to Daoism, the cultivation of Inner Alchemy is a long process an...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} "Basic Cultivation"( 築基 Zhuji ) is a term of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). According to Daoism, the cultivation of Inner Alchemy is a long process and all the steps should be taken on a good foundation. It can be compared to the building of a house. Without a solid foundation, a house would not be strong and firm. Daoist Inner Alchemists regard the Essential Matter ( 精 Jing ), the Vital Breath ( 氣 Qi ) and the Spirit ( 神 Shen ), which are called the "Three Jewels" ( 三寶 Sanbao ), as elements of the cultivation of Inner Alchemy. These three elements are complete when one is born, but are reduced with the passage of time, thus causing various diseases. "Basic Cultivation" in Inner Alchemy just aims at restoring the "Three Jewels" and curing diseases. The Elucidation of the Truth of Heavenly Immortality ( 天仙正理直論 Tianxian Zhengli Zhilun ) puts forward brilliant ideas on this subject. This book points out that the "basis" is the foundation for the cultivation of the Yang spirit, the place for pacifying the spirit and stabilizing the breath. Without this place, one will be unable to pacify his spirit, and so cultivation will be out of the question. Basic Cultivation is to foster and make up the Essential Matter and the Vital Breath. With their exuberance, the Spirit will grow full, too. To be concrete, by overcoming the interference of thoughts, the practitioner first sets the Spirit at ease in its place, makes up the Essential Matter and the Vital Breath as well as the Spirit, and only after that can he carry on other alchemical steps. [[zh:築基]] 72f4b58b5b24d11d2f16f0fdadf575cc337d8e0c 0 399 482 2009-09-05T08:09:30Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} "Self-Refinement" ( 煉己 Lianji ), a term of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ), means to banish distracting thoughts and concentrate one's attention on cult...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} "Self-Refinement" ( 煉己 Lianji ), a term of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ), means to banish distracting thoughts and concentrate one's attention on cultivation. It just refers to the cultivation of the mind and one's spiritual nature. Daoism regards Self-Refinement as a preliminary step. [[Zhang Sanfeng]], a famous Inner alchemist of the Yuan and Ming dynasties, pointed out in the Essentials of the Mysterious Dao ( 玄要篇 Xuanyao Pian ) that "the cultivation of one's spiritual nature should precede the cultivation of the Reversion Elixir ( 還丹 Huandan ), and the cultivation of the mind should precede the production of great elixirs." It shows that Daoism attaches great importance to "Self-Refinement". The mind of a mortal is easily subjected to outside enticement and attraction. In Daoism, this restless mind is called “a heart like a capering monkey and a mind like a galloping horse". The impetuousness and perturbation of the mind are regarded as a root of the harm to the human body. A practitioner of Inner Alchemy first cultivates and concentrates his own mind in order further to adjust his breath so as to empty his mind and achieve the state of holding no spirit to be concentrated. It is difficult to stabilize one’s mind. Our predecessors controlled their mind by “drooping the eyes, looking at the nose, and listening to the breath”. "Drooping eyes” means drooping one’s eyelids, "looking at one's nose"means paying attention to the tip of one’s nose, and "listening to one's breath” means listening to one breath attentively. This way of control is one of "Interfering Action" ( 有爲 Youwei ). It aims at restricting the impetuous thoughts "with other thoughts". However, one has to banish all the thoughts in the end in order to enter the active state of Inner Alchemy. [[ZH:煉己]] 1d2295a410f859e6819807e93fe94abc8a430813 0 400 483 2009-09-05T08:19:32Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} "Harmonizing the Breath" ( 調息 Tiaoxi ) is a term of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). It is a rudimental Daoist skill of Nourishing Life ( 養生 Yangshe...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} "Harmonizing the Breath" ( 調息 Tiaoxi ) is a term of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). It is a rudimental Daoist skill of Nourishing Life ( 養生 Yangsheng ). Just as its name implies, this skill is to adjust the breath. "Breath" is essentially a natural phenomenon. Human beings, like other mammals, exchange gas with the environment through breathing. Breathing has its spontaneous rhythm, but man can alter it through conscious adjustment. Daoist Inner Alchemists take the counteraction of breathing rhythm to the mind into full consideration during their cultivation. According to Daoism, human thoughts are so numerous and complicated, capricious and changeful that if not controlling them, not only one cannot obtain the inner elixir, but even his physical and mental health will be harmed. In order to control the confused state of mind, Daoist practitioners inherited the skill of breath harmonization from the pre-Qin Daoist School ( 道家 Daojia ). They attempt to harmonize the mind and the breath so as to stabilize the mind. Daoism finds there are different states of breathing. In the first stage, breathing has sound. If one concentrates one’s mind on "wind", it will disperse. Second, breathing is soundless but the nose is stuffy and "blows". If one practices the "blowing"skill, his breath will be clogged. Third, breathing is soundless and free, but it causes the body to rise and fall. If one is confined to this "visible" breathing, he will be fatigued. Fourth, breathing is soundless and free. The breath is inhaled and exhaled continuously. One breathes but seems not to be breathing. In this case the spirit and the vital breath are undivided. This is the correct "breathing phase". This way of breathing harmonizes the breath and the mind so that the true vital breath comes and goes. Inner Alchemy practitioners must master this breathing skill. [[zh:調息]] fe4b11e28d15f69abefb6402bbeee8f918ab555e 0 401 484 2009-09-05T08:33:22Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} "Obtaining the Elixir Drug " ( 得藥 Deyao ) is a term of the science of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 Jindan ). Considering its semantic meaning, "drug" original...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} "Obtaining the Elixir Drug " ( 得藥 Deyao ) is a term of the science of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 Jindan ). Considering its semantic meaning, "drug" originally refers to special materials taken from nature that are used for curing diseases. This kind of "medicine" is called the "outer drug". The "elixirs" refined from minerals, such as lead and mercury, by early Daoist practitioners are also "outer drugs". Corresponding to the "outer drug" is the "inner elixir", which refers to the substances that originally exist in the human body and can be used for self-treatment, nourishment and health improvement. The chapter "On Elixirs" in the [[Transmission of Dao by Zhongli Chuan and Lu Dongbin]] ( 鍾呂傳道集 Zhonglü Chuandaoji ) points out that the medicinal materials of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ) are found in the heart and kidneys, which everyone has but are invisible to the naked eye and perceptible only if one adjusts the spirit and nourishes the vital breath. Inner Alchemists refine the Essential Matter ( 精 Jing ) and the Vital Breath ( 氣 Qi ) in accordance with the phases of the circulation of the sun and the moon. In a certain stage, the true vital breath activates, and the practitioner has feelings like "a dragon keeping a pearl in its mouth" and the coupling of husband and wife. This is just the situation of "Obtaining the Elixir Drug". [[zh:得藥]] f5dbf2b3cfa65b69591e6d3237fd6545748e2812 0 402 485 2009-09-05T08:38:58Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} "Collecting Elixir Drugs" ( 采藥 Caiyao ) is a term of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). To "collect" is to "gather", and "elixir drugs" refer to the true ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} "Collecting Elixir Drugs" ( 采藥 Caiyao ) is a term of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). To "collect" is to "gather", and "elixir drugs" refer to the true breath activated in cultivation. This true breath is also called the "original Essential Matter" ( 精 Jing ) or the "original Vital Breath" ( 炁 Qi ) in Daoism. Therefore, to "collect elixir drugs" is to collect the "original Essential Matter" or the "original Vital Breath" indeed. Here the word "collection" is of course nothing but a metaphor. It does not mean scraping off or taking away the "original Essential Matter" or the "original Vital Breath". Instead, it indicates guiding them with the mind back to their original seat, the Elixir Field ( 丹田 Dantian ). "Collecting Elixir Drugs" includes "collecting minor elixir drugs" and "collecting major elixir drugs". The former is accomplished in the process of refining Essential Matter into Vital Breath, while the latter in the process of refining Vital Breath into Spirit ( 神 Shen ). When activating his true breath by refining the original Essential Matter, the practitioner guides the Essential Matter with the mind. This action is "collecting minor elixir drugs". When the true breath, being refined, surges, the practitioner guides it with his mind through the pass. This is called "collecting major elixir drugs". Two factors count in "Collecting Elixir Drugs". First, one must seize the right time, i.e. the moment of "one-Yang returning", the sign of the trigram Fu used to signify the production of elixir drugs. The trigram Fu comprises six hexagrammatic lines, including five Yin hexagrammatic lines above and one Yang hexagrammatic line below, which indicates that the Yang breath just comes into being. For a day, this moment refers to the Zi hour at midnight. However, we should understand that this "Zi hour" is not a strict time, but an internal feeling in the alchemical process. Hence it is also called "Flexible Zi Hour" ( 活子時 Huo Zishi ). Second, one must master the [[Fire Phases]] ( 火候 Huohou ). What is the proper fire phase has always been a secret transmitted orally from master to disciple. One cannot achieve real success in Inner Alchemy cultivation without being directed by a distinguished master. [[zh:採藥]] fe2f62fd6c513c8c584404a15acd50933418831d 0 403 486 2009-09-05T09:09:19Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} "Fire Phases"( 火候 Huohou ) is a term of the science of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 Jindan ). The theory of "Fire Phases" develops from the refining practice ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} "Fire Phases"( 火候 Huohou ) is a term of the science of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 Jindan ). The theory of "Fire Phases" develops from the refining practice of the External Alchemy Skill of Refining the Yellow and the White ( 金丹黃白術 Jindan Huangbaishu ) and refers to the skill of controlling fire, procedure, temperature changes and the like in the refining process. In accordance with the principle of the Oneness of Heaven and Man ( 天人合一 Tianren Heyi ), through their practice and experience, Daoists created the procedures of manipulating fire phases, the general guideline of which is to control the increasing and decreasing of fire phases in imitation of the alternation of the sun and the moon and that of Yin and Yang. This theory was also introduced into the practice of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). From the point of view of Inner Alchemy, "Fire Phases" are in fact a metaphor, which signify the degrees of exercising the mind and breathing. In alchemists’ eyes, the mastery of Fire Phases is so important that it can be even regarded as the decisive factor in the refinement of the Golden Elixir. There has always been a popular statement in Daoism that "it is easy to get familiar with elixir drugs, but it is difficult to get the accurate mastery of fire phases", so we must act cautiously. Inner Alchemist Liu Yiming points out in Direct Pointers on Realizing Perfection ( 悟真直指 Wuzhen Zhizhi ) that "fire" refers to the efficacy of Religious Practice ( 修持 Xiuchi ), while "phases" refer to its sequence. There are various fire phases, such as that of gentle refinement, that of strong refinement, that of initiation, that of termination, that of Reversion Elixir ( 還丹 Huandan ), that of the great elixir, that of increase and decrease, that of Nourishment in Warmth ( 溫養 Wenyang ), etc. The key to Fire Phases is mind and thoughts. "Thoughts" refer to the miscellaneous distracting ideas, while "mind" refers to one’s own "spirit" that controls breathing. Improper ideas shouldn’t come forth; if so, they will cause hot fire. One’s spirit shouldn’t be distracted; if so, they will cause cold fire. Therefore, one should find out the state of his mind and investigates the heat of fire, or symbolically speaking, imitate changes in the nature. For example, a day goes through changes between Zi, Wu, You and Mao; a year goes through the alternation of Hai and Zi. Only with knowledge of the vicissitudes of Yin and Yang can one change with the situation and make great elixirs. [[zh:火候]] eb31f5bd3bdd1cedb2de9fa94dcd4a99b8edf37b 0 404 487 2009-09-08T06:56:47Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} "To Increase Fire"( 進火 Jinhuo ) is a term of the science of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 Jindan ). Just as its name implies, "to increase fire" is to put burn...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} "To Increase Fire"( 進火 Jinhuo ) is a term of the science of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 Jindan ). Just as its name implies, "to increase fire" is to put burning substances into a stove and burn them in the course of Refining Elixirs ( 煉丹 Liandan ). Comparing this course to that of Outer Alchemy ( 外丹 Waidan ), Inner Alchemy takes the spirit’s control of the breath to be "increasing fire". That is to say, at the Zi hour of a day when the Yang breath just comes into being, the practitioner guides his inner breath with his own original spirit back to the Elixir Filed ( 丹田 Dantian ). As such control of the breath and refinement of the Essential Matter ( 精 Jing ) take place at the moment when the one-Yang is just formed, to increase fire is actually to "increase the Yang fire". According to the Secret Formulae of the Reversion Elixir and Divine Instructions on Nourishing the Infant ( 還丹秘訣養赤子神方 Huandan Mijue Yang Chizi Shenfang ), to increase fire, one should enter a chamber to start Cultivation and Refinement ( 修煉 Xiulian ) when the one-Yang comes before the Winter Solstice, and during the period of fifteen days replenish and nourish the Essential Matter and the Vital Breath lost and damaged to make them abundant. In this process he examines and illuminates himself with mind and spirit, stabilizes his breathing with the Vital Breath, and turns every breath back to its origin. These are just the steps of increasing fire. [[zh:進火]] eb243fe9d7a6122c88a164965aff1c1b2a1bbca0 0 405 488 2009-09-08T07:17:50Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} "To Reduce Fire"( 退符 tuifu ) is a term of the science of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 jindan ). "Tui Fu", namely, "to reduce fire", is a way of controlling th...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} "To Reduce Fire"( 退符 tuifu ) is a term of the science of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 jindan ). "Tui Fu", namely, "to reduce fire", is a way of controlling the [[Fire Phases]] ( 火候 huohou ) in opposition "Increasing Fire" ( 進火 jinhuo ). In the science of the Golden Elixir, "Fu" refers to the signs of the Hexagrammantic Lines ( 卦爻 guoyao ). Alchemists take the twelve Trigrams of Waxing and Waning ( 消息卦 xiaoxi gua ) (i.e., Fu, Lin, Tai, Dazhuang, Guai, Qian, Gou, Dun, Pi, Guan, Bo and Kun) in [[the Book of Changes]] ( 周易 zhouyi ) to be the indicators of changes in the Yin and Yang natures of Fire Phases. These twelve trigrams represent the principle of the increase and decrease of Yin and Yang. Among them, for the first six trigrams, Yang increases and Yin decreases; while for the last six trigrams, Yin increases and Yang decreases. Alchemists match the twelve trigrams with the twelve Terrestrial Branches ( 地支 dizhi ) to show the changes in Yin and Yang in the process of controlling Fire Phases. "To increase fire" is denoted by the first six trigrams, while "to decrease fire" is denoted by the last six trigrams; the former starts at the Zi hour, while the latter starts at the Wu hour. Yang decreases and Yin Increases after the Wu hour, so one should take care to make Yin dominate. But for Inner Alchemy, the hours of Zi and Wu are also flexible. What counts is not the fixed time, but the internal feelings of one’s own mind and spirit after the true breath activates. To understand "decreasing fire", one must pay attention to this point. [[Zh:退符]] 7fb55da3ab4a9bf8c3f0445e9f6817fa03762f30 0 406 489 2009-09-08T08:05:44Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} "To Nourish in Warmth"( 溫養 wenyang ) is a term of the science of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 jindan ). It is one of the basic links in the course of refining...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} "To Nourish in Warmth"( 溫養 wenyang ) is a term of the science of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 jindan ). It is one of the basic links in the course of refining elixirs, and is most in use especially in [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 neidan ). Here "warmth" indicates that one must keep a certain [[Fire Phase]] ( 火候 huohou ) during the refining process and must not make the fire die out, or else elixirs cannot be produced; "to nourish" indicates that while controlling the fire phases, one must take care not to make the fire too strong, and if acting overhastily, one will lose control of the fire phases. The management of the fire phases may be likened to the treatment of a young woman in her initial period of pregnancy. She needs proper nourishment, not excessive nourishment, which will cause her baby to bear inner poison and easily get ill. Daoists have always compared the Golden Elixir refinement to pregnancy and therefore handled it with great care. To take "nourishing in warmth" to be an important step in the process of controlling fire phases indicates that this step demands certain skills. These skills are in fact an art. Different stages in the course of "Nourishing in Warmth" demand different skills. While collecting outer medicine (which refers to the Essential Matter ( 精 jing ) and Vital Breath ( 氣 qi ) of Posterior Heaven ( 後天 houtian ) formed by the initial practice of refinement of the Essential Matter into the Vital Breath in Inner Alchemy) to make elixirs, slow fire should be gently used and Yin fire and Yang fire should be made equal. When the outer medicine is refined into the "elixir-embryo", further refinement if necessary. This step is called "collecting inner medicine (which refers to the original Essential Matter of Anterior Heaven ( 先天 xiantian ) in Daoism)". While collecting inner medicine and returning it to the Elixir Field ( 丹田 dantian ), one must banish emotions and desires, forget his existence and become like a fool, and harmonize the pure mind with the single breath. This is the right way of "nourishing in warmth" in the course of "collecting inner medicine". In the stage of [[Refining the Spirit Back to Emptiness]] ( 煉神還虛 lianshen huanxu ), one feels the "trance of the Yang spirit". At this moment one should especially "abandon all the thoughts" in order for the spirit to become empty again. This is another skill of "nourishing in warmth". In conclusion, the art of "nourishing in warmth" varies with the development of Refining Elixirs ( 煉丹 liandan ). [[zh:溫養]] a26b66469a2c54bd38c7ef1c76d8764a40e45a96 0 407 490 2009-09-08T08:24:29Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} "Bathing" ( 沐浴 muyu ) is a term of the science of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 jindan ). The word "bathing" originally means washing one’s hair and body, or...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} "Bathing" ( 沐浴 muyu ) is a term of the science of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 jindan ). The word "bathing" originally means washing one’s hair and body, or to use a common expression, taking a bath. The ancients had to bathe before holding a religious ritual or participating in an important activity to show their seriousness. To bathe in medicinal liquid was a traditional way of breathing in ancient times. Daoist practitioners of [[Outer Alchemy]] ( 外丹 waidan ) compare the treatment of elixir drugs to bathing. The Collection on Daoist Internal Alchemy ( 庚道集 gengdao ji ) records the way of steeping and washing red lead in medicinal liquid. The term "Bathing" was later introduced into the process of Inner Alchemy cultivation. As far as Inner Alchemy cultivation is concerned, bathing refers to the skill of mitigating the [[Fire Phases]] ( 火候 huohou ) to purify the heart and get rid of thoughts. Specifically speaking, it means to avoid restless thoughts while guiding the true Vital Breath ( 氣 qi ) and running the "River Chariot" ( 河車 heche ). Inner Alchemists hold that the six Yang Vital Breaths in the human body ascend the Du channel, reaching the acupoint of the perineum at the Zi hour and that of Jiaji at the Mao hour; and that the six Yin Vital Breaths descend through the Ren channel, reaching the Niwan palace at the Wu hour and the Yellow Court ( 黃庭 huangting ) at the You hour. Bathing should take place at the Mao and You hours. The key to the bathing of the back ascent is to rest the spirit at the acupoint of Jiaji, simply inhale and stop, without increasing or running fire; while the key to the bathing of the front descent is to rest the spirit at the Yellow Court ( the middle Elixir Field ( 丹田 dantian )), simply exhale and stop, also without increasing or running the fire. One can find symbolic indications of Bathing in Inner Alchemy masterpieces, such as On Realizing Perfection ( 悟真篇 wuzhen pian ) by Zhang Boduan and the Rootless Tree ( 無根樹 wugen shu ) by [[Zhang Sanfeng]]. Read them carefully, and you may gain a good deal of enlightment. [[zh:沐浴]] 125db30aef3d7d8711d06398ba9c772cf9bbe802 0 408 491 2009-09-08T08:36:07Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} The "Unfixed "Zi" Phase"( 活子時 huozishi ) is a term of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 neidan ). "Zi" was not only a time in ancient China, but also a symbol of...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} The "Unfixed "Zi" Phase"( 活子時 huozishi ) is a term of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 neidan ). "Zi" was not only a time in ancient China, but also a symbol of the beginning of things. The ancients matched the twelve Terrestrial Branches ( 地支 dizhi ) with the twelve Trigrams of Waxing and Waning ( 消息卦 xiaoxi gua ) in [[the Book of Changes]] ( 周易 zhouyi ) and supplemented them with the twenty-four solar terms to describe the changes throughout the year. In the calendric system of the Zhou dynasty, the Winter Solstice in the eleventh lunar month and the Zi hour matched and were signified by the Fu (return) trigram, which stands for the initial rising of the one-Yang on one hand, and the orientation of due north on the other hand. According to the principle of Oneness of Heaven and Man ( 天人合一 tianren heyi ), Daoist Inner Alchemists also use the Zi hour to indicate the initial emergence of the one-Yang. But this time is unfixed. It varies with one’s feelings. The Four-hundred-word Book of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹四百字 jindan sibai zi ) says, "the time of [[Fire Phases]] ( 火候 huohou ) is unfixed, and why must the Winter Solstice be fixed at the Zi hour?" That is to say, in Inner Alchemy cultivation, the Fire Phases cannot be fixed to a certain time, and the "Winter Solstice" in the human body (the initial emergence of the one-Yang) does not have to correspond rigidly to the "Zi" of the twelve Terrestrial Branches. It shows what "unfixed" means. Then how can one feel the "Unfixed "Zi" Phase"? Daoism believes that when the mind rests still, the body mechanism is activated spontaneously, and a stream of inner breath descends to the acupoint of perineum. In this case, a male's penis will erect, and a female will also feel comfortable and relaxed. These are indications of the "Unfixed "Zi" Phase" in body. If a practitioner has such feelings, he should collect elixirs and place them back to the Elixir Field ( 丹田 dantian ), and by refining them, transform the Essential Matter ( 精 jing ) into the Vital Breath ( 氣 qi ) according to the instructions of Inner Alchemy cultivation. [[zh:活子時]] c4c50209ee3c0ec6921c9df483941ad302b43f78 0 409 492 2009-09-08T08:48:57Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} "River Chariot" ( 河車 heche ) is a term of the science of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 jindan ). This term already existed in the Han book [[The Three Ways Uni...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} "River Chariot" ( 河車 heche ) is a term of the science of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 jindan ). This term already existed in the Han book [[The Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]] ( 周易參同契 zhouyi cantongqi ), which says, "what presides over the five metals is the river chariot in the north". It is also often found in the Yellow Emperor's Book of Formulas of the Divine Elixir of the Nine Cauldrons ( 黃帝九鼎神丹經訣 huangdi jiuding shendan jingjue ), the Classics of Drugs and Acupuncture ( 藥石爾雅 yaoshi erya ), and other books. In early Daoism, "River Chariot" is an ubiquitous expression indeed. There have always been different understandings of this term. Yin Changsheng considered "River Chariot" an alternative name of "lead", while the Handbook of Reversion Elixir Formulas ( 還丹肘後訣 huandan zhouhou jue ) took the joint refinement of lead and mercury to be River Chariot. Since the Sui and Tang dynasties, Daoism has interpreted the term from the point of view of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 neidan ). According to the elaborations in books such as the [[Transmission of Dao by Zhongli Chuan and Lu Dongbin]] ( 鍾呂傳道集 Zhonglü Chuandaoji ), the "River Chariot" has essentially two senses in Inner Alchemy. First, it refers to the "the Vital Breath ( 氣 qi ) of Perfect Oneness ( 真一 zhenyi ) of the water mansion" contained in the kidneys. The two kidneys, one on the left, the other on the right, are just like the sun and the moon in circulation or two wheels running in coordination, hence the term "River Chariot". Then why are the kidneys called "the water mansion"? This is because the kidneys are signified by "water" in terms of their property in the [[Five Agents]] ( 五行 wuxing ). Again, why is the ''River Chariot" related to the north? This is because the agent water corresponds to the north in the aspect of orientation. This also explains why The Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes mentions "north" and "River Chariot" jointly. Second, the "River Chariot" refers to the movement of the "Vital Breath of Perfect Oneness", which circulates and moves without end, just like carrying things with a chariot, hence the term "River Chariot". [[zh:河車]] b8bcac221b7a65b186385093eea586d70d5031b3 0 410 493 2009-09-08T09:02:56Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} "Mysterious Pearls"( 玄珠 xuanzhu ) is a term of the science of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 jindan ). This term was originally used in philosophy and first fou...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} "Mysterious Pearls"( 玄珠 xuanzhu ) is a term of the science of the Golden Elixir ( 金丹 jindan ). This term was originally used in philosophy and first found in the chapter "Heaven and Earth" ( 莊子 zhuangzi ) in the Book of Master Zhuang ( 黃帝 huangdi ). According to this chapter, the Yellow Emperor lost the "mysterious pearls" when traveling to the north of the Chishui River and climbing the Kunlun Mountain. Since he cherished the "mysterious pearls" very much, the Yellow Emperor had "Zhi" and "Lizhu" look for them but failed. At last, he sent Wang Xiang for it, and the latter finally found them. What on earth do the "mysterious pearls" refer to? According to Sima Biao, "mysterious pearls" are the "Dao", or the "truth of the Dao". Then why did Wang Xiang manage to get back the "mysterious pearls"? What counts is the unconsciousness of the form. "Wang Xiang" is a metaphorical name. "Xiang" indicates the form, and "Wang" is interchangeable with "no", so "Wang Xiang" means without form. The reason why one can be formless is that there is no form in his mind. If the mind is empty, the "Dao" manifests itself spontaneously. In the Book of Master Zhuang, the pursuit of "mysterious pearls" has an abstract meaning. In Daoism, however, it signifies a high level of the attainment of Dao and is related to specific methods of Nourishing Life ( 養生 yangsheng ). Daoists attach great importance to "mysterious pearls". There are many writings concerning "mysterious pearls" in the [[Daoist Canon]] ( 道藏 daozang ) , such as the [[Records of Mysterious Pearls]] ( 玄珠錄 xuanzhu lu ), the Rhythmic Formula of the Mysterious Pearls ( 玄珠歌 xuanzhu ge ), the Commentary on the Mind Mirror of the Mysterious Pearls ( 玄珠心鏡注 xuanzhu xinjing zhu ), and the Secret Instructions of the Mysterious Pearls of the Six Vital Breaths from the Fundamental Questions (of the Inner Classic of the Yellow Emperor ( 素問六氣玄珠密語 suwen liuqi xuanzhu miyu )) . Though varied in the way of expression, these books are all concerned with the "mysterious pearls" obtained by Wang Xiang related in the book of Zhuangzi. But Daoism also gives this term a sense in terms of alchemical cultivation, so that "Mysterious Pearls" becomes a metaphorical expression of the Golden Elixir. On the one hand, it designates "sulphur and mercury" in [[Outer Alchemical]] ( 外丹 waidan ) refinement; on the other hand, it is a metaphor in [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 neidan ), which refers specifically to the fusion of the "Yin breath" in the liquid of heart (as shown by the trigram Li, which comprises two outer Yang hexagrammatic lines and one Yin inner hexagrammatic line) and the "Yang breath" in the essence of kidneys (as shown by the trigram Kan, which comprises two outer Yin hexagrammatic lines and one inner Yang hexagrammatic line). [[zh:玄珠]] 1110ccd7809f8154929f127ad6ad9d093474aa8b 0 411 494 2009-09-08T09:18:44Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} "Passages and Cavities" ( 關竅 guanqiao ) are terms used in Daoist medicine and [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 neidan ). They refer to the joints and cavities thr...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} "Passages and Cavities" ( 關竅 guanqiao ) are terms used in Daoist medicine and [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 neidan ). They refer to the joints and cavities through which the inner breaths circulate. Chapter 57 "Techniques of the Vital Breath ( 氣 qi ) of Various Schools: on Gymnastics ( 導引 daoyin ) " in the [[Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel]] ( 雲笈七簽 yunji qiqian ) discusses the "flourishing Vital Breath". It says that this breath can "circulate body fluid and blood, strengthen bones and muscles, and sharpen passages and cavities". Daoists believe that the Essential Matter ( 精 jing ) can be refined into Vital Breath, and the latter in turn gets through passes. According to the theory of body channels of traditional medicine, along the Ren and Du channels, many acupuncture points are distributed as well as many passes. In Inner Alchemy cultivation, the mind guides the inner Vital Breath to get through these passes, which leads to a circulation in the whole body. Only when the three major passes, namely Weilu, Jiaji and Yuzhen are passed, can the Cosmic Orbit ( 周天 zhoutian ) skills be possibly attained. Therefore, to pass the passages and cavities is a very important step. [[zh:關竅]] cb106b8979a8d48c566337cfccd8f9d420b62b43 0 412 495 2009-09-08T09:22:19Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} "Cosmic Orbit (zhou tian)" ( 周天 zhoutian ) is a term of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 neidan ). In view of traditional philology, the word "zhou" has multiple ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} "Cosmic Orbit (zhou tian)" ( 周天 zhoutian ) is a term of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 neidan ). In view of traditional philology, the word "zhou" has multiple meanings, and an important meaning of it is "moving in cycles". This meaning originates from astronomy. Through observing astronomical phenomena, ancient people learnt many laws of the motion of celestial bodies, such as that of the celestial way, the terrestrial way, the middle way and the ecliptic. The "celestial way" refers to the way in which the sun, the moon and stars in heaven move; the "terrestrial way" refers to the law of terrestrial generation and transformation in accordance with the heavenly law; the "middle way" refers to the way in which the Yang breath of heaven and the Yin breath of earth communicate; the "ecliptic" refers to the envisaged track of the sun’s annual movement in the celestial sphere. When we observe the sun on the earth, we find that the sun does not move along a straight line, but between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer, i.e., eight degrees to the either side of the ecliptic in the celestial sphere. This zone is the "inhabiting belt" of the sun, the moon, the five stars and the twenty-eight constellations, which is generally called "zodiac". The track of the ecliptic should be understood not only spatially, but also temporally. Getting inspirations from the movement of celestial bodies and summarizing their practice of Inner Alchemy, Daoists have discovered the "Cosmic Orbit" laws of the movement of the Vital Breath in the human body. According to the trigram principles in the [[Book of Changes]] ( 周易 zhouyi ), the numeral representing the Cosmic Orbit ( 周天火候 zhoutian huohou ) is actually the numeral representing the intercourse of Yin and Yang. For the Kun trigram, taking six as the base and multiplying it by six, we get thirty-six, the perfected Yin number; and for the Qian trigram, taking nine as the base and multiplying it by six, we get fifty-four, the perfected Yang number. Six plus nine makes fifteen, the "number of the one-breath" in the context of the Fire Phases of the Cosmic Orbit in Inner Alchemy. According to the principle of "following the laws of heaven and earth", Daoist Inner Alchemists believe that the human body also has the numbers of heaven and earth, Qian and Kun. The circulation of one-breath forms the Microcosmic Orbit ( 小周天 xiaozhoutian ), and if the practitioner [[Increases Fire]] ( 進火 jinhuo ) at the proper time, and the breath moves with the passage of time to achieve 360 degrees, then the perfected number of Qian-Kun is reached and the Macrocosmic Orbit is formed. The "Fire Phases of the Cosmic Orbit" is a symbolic description; its central idea is the regularity of the movement of the Vital Breath in human body. Cultivation of Inner Alchemy must follow the laws of the movement of heaven and earth instead of acting blindly. [[zh:周天]] 6d524a776ce0b07e200c710e75d61f498225574b 0 413 496 2009-09-08T09:29:16Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} "Feminine Alchemy "( 女丹 Nüdan ) is a term of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). This expression has two senses. It both refers to the Inner Alchemy pract...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} "Feminine Alchemy "( 女丹 Nüdan ) is a term of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). This expression has two senses. It both refers to the Inner Alchemy practiced by females, and the methods of this practice. Ever since its beginnings, Daoism has pursued the principle of having an impartial attitude towards heavenly and terrestrial governing, and has held the opinion that females can also cultivate the Dao and attain immortality. Consequently, female immortals constitute a large part of Daoist hagiography. When Daoist Inner Alchemy arose, many females practiced Inner Alchemy cultivation as well and formed cultivation methods fit for females. The method of "Feminine Alchemy" cultivation is also called "feminine method", "the way of Refining the Form through Supreme Yin " ( 太陰煉形 Taiyin Lianxing ), etc. It is an advanced way of cultivation. Primordial Sovereign ( 元君 Yuanjun ) [[Sun Bu’er]], one of [[the Seven Perfect Ones of the North]] ( 北七真 Bei Qizhen ) of [[the Complete Perfection tradition]] ( 全真 Quanzhen ), wrote a book Instructions for Feminine Alchemy ( 坤訣 Kunjue ), which says the methods of "Feminine Alchemy" are the "steps leading to heaven" and the "boat that benefits mankind". It fully proves that Feminine Alchemy was regarded as important by female Daoists. Female alchemical cultivation has become a phenomenon not to be ignored since the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Selections from [[the Daoist Canon]] ( 道藏輯要 Daozang Jiyao ) collects a small series called Collected Essays on Feminine Alchemy ( 女丹合編 Nüdan Hebian ), which includes dozens of texts, such as the Book of Feminine Origin ( 坤元經 Kunyuan Jing ), Ten Feminine Alchemical Instructions of the Spiritual Fruit of the Kettle Heaven ( 壺天性果女丹十則 Hutian Xingguo Nüdan Shize )), Feminine Golden Elixir ( 女金丹 Nü Jindan, etc. They are important sources for the study of Feminine Alchemy. Though having something in common with masculine alchemical cultivation, feminine alchemical cultivation still has its own characteristics. Does Inner Alchemy have its practical value in the present age? This subject needs reexamination. [[zh:女丹]] f02cbf18fd0db6d932f124bfd5dc3a8f03b65aec 0 414 497 2009-09-09T02:47:06Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} "Cutting the Red Dragon" ( 斬赤龍 zhan chilong ) is a term of [[Feminine Alchemy]] ( 女丹 nüdan ). In the cultivation of Feminine Alchemy, menses are comp...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} "Cutting the Red Dragon" ( 斬赤龍 zhan chilong ) is a term of [[Feminine Alchemy]] ( 女丹 nüdan ). In the cultivation of Feminine Alchemy, menses are compared to the "red dragon". Physiologically speaking, a fundamental difference between females and males is that the former has menstruation. [[The Daoist Pristine Cultivation Sect]] ( 清修派 qingxiu pai ) believes that unceasing menstruation will result in failure in [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 neidan ) cultivation. Therefore, for a Feminine Alchemy practitioner, the first barrier to be passed is to stop menstruation, namely "Cutting the Red Dragon". Menses are compared to "red dragon" because it is red. Then what is the way of "Cutting the Red Dragon"? To answer this question, we must understand the mechanism and prognostics of the "red dragon". According to traditional medicine, a female's menarche occurs when she is about 14 years old. This is called the coming of "menses (tiangui)". It ceases when a female is 49. One shouldn't rashly exercise the Vital Breath ( 氣 qi ) to hold up menstruation before it ends, otherwise it would "do harm". Therefore, "Cutting the Red Dragon" must be done at a right moment, at the moment when menstruation hasn't begun while its prognostics have emerged. The prognostics are also called "monthly prognostics (yuexin)", the signs of the forthcoming menses, such as waist and legs being aching, head and eyes sore being sore, and having no appetite, etc. At this moment one can take action. Two and a half days later, when the menstruation starts, the practice must stop. Another two and a half days later, if the menses look yellowish gold against "white silk", one can activate the Vital Breath to "cut the red dragon". Then how can one activate the Vital Breath? We must first make clear the locations of the breath point. Unlike that of males, female's breath point is not below the navel (the lower Elixir Field ( 丹田 dantian )), but 1.3 cun deep under the middle point of the breasts. According to Daoist medicine, this place is regarded as the breath point because it is the origin of menses. To "cut the red dragon" one must start with its origin. The following are the specific methods: first sitting in repose with one's eyes closed in order to stabilize the mind and breathing; then concentrating the mind to the breath point, holding one's breasts in crossed hands, rubbing them first slowly and then fast, lightly and then heavily either 144 times or 360 times, and in this process slightly puffing 24 times up from the lower Elixir Field; next, still gently holding one's breasts in both hands, concentrating the spirit on them, and as time passes, the spirit and the Vital Breath will get abundant and the true Yang exuberant, menses cease spontaneously and the breasts feel filled up. The steps of Cutting the Red Dragon finished, the other procedures of female cultivation are generally identical to those of male Inner Alchemy cultivation. There are a lot of discussions on “Cutting the Red Dragon” in the Collected Essays on Feminine Alchemy ( 女丹合編 nüdan hebian ). They are secret instructions of the Pristine Cultivation Sect, and outsiders can hardly pry into the truth. So common people should never practice it blindly. [[zh:斬赤龍]] 774fcdf09331b0c863fe36f87076bad9daba7b8f 498 497 2009-09-09T02:47:51Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} "Cutting the Red Dragon" ( 斬赤龍 zhan chilong ) is a term of [[Feminine Alchemy]] ( 女丹 nüdan ). In the cultivation of Feminine Alchemy, menses are compared to the "red dragon". Physiologically speaking, a fundamental difference between females and males is that the former has menstruation. [[The Daoist Pristine Cultivation Sect]] ( 清修派 qingxiu pai ) believes that unceasing menstruation will result in failure in [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 neidan ) cultivation. Therefore, for a Feminine Alchemy practitioner, the first barrier to be passed is to stop menstruation, namely "Cutting the Red Dragon". Menses are compared to "red dragon" because it is red. Then what is the way of "Cutting the Red Dragon"? To answer this question, we must understand the mechanism and prognostics of the "red dragon". According to traditional medicine, a female's menarche occurs when she is about 14 years old. This is called the coming of "menses (tiangui)". It ceases when a female is 49. One shouldn't rashly exercise the Vital Breath ( 氣 qi ) to hold up menstruation before it ends, otherwise it would "do harm". Therefore, "Cutting the Red Dragon" must be done at a right moment, at the moment when menstruation hasn't begun while its prognostics have emerged. The prognostics are also called "monthly prognostics (yuexin)", the signs of the forthcoming menses, such as waist and legs being aching, head and eyes sore being sore, and having no appetite, etc. At this moment one can take action. Two and a half days later, when the menstruation starts, the practice must stop. Another two and a half days later, if the menses look yellowish gold against "white silk", one can activate the Vital Breath to "cut the red dragon". Then how can one activate the Vital Breath? We must first make clear the locations of the breath point. Unlike that of males, female's breath point is not below the navel (the lower Elixir Field ( 丹田 dantian )), but 1.3 cun deep under the middle point of the breasts. According to Daoist medicine, this place is regarded as the breath point because it is the origin of menses. To "cut the red dragon" one must start with its origin. The following are the specific methods: first sitting in repose with one's eyes closed in order to stabilize the mind and breathing; then concentrating the mind to the breath point, holding one's breasts in crossed hands, rubbing them first slowly and then fast, lightly and then heavily either 144 times or 360 times, and in this process slightly puffing 24 times up from the lower Elixir Field; next, still gently holding one's breasts in both hands, concentrating the spirit on them, and as time passes, the spirit and the Vital Breath will get abundant and the true Yang exuberant, menses cease spontaneously and the breasts feel filled up. The steps of Cutting the Red Dragon finished, the other procedures of female cultivation are generally identical to those of male Inner Alchemy cultivation. There are a lot of discussions on “Cutting the Red Dragon” in the Collected Essays on Feminine Alchemy ( 女丹合編 nüdan hebian ). They are secret instructions of the Pristine Cultivation Sect, and outsiders can hardly pry into the truth. So common people should never practice it blindly. [[zh:斬赤龍]] 90a8fed4e648a55ffbc72adfc13b9b60b56eb690 0 415 499 2009-09-09T02:54:36Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} "Refining the Form through the Supreme Yin"( 太陰煉形 taiyin lianxing ) is a term of Feminine Alchemy ( 女丹 nüdan ). "Yin" indicates female, and "suprem...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} "Refining the Form through the Supreme Yin"( 太陰煉形 taiyin lianxing ) is a term of Feminine Alchemy ( 女丹 nüdan ). "Yin" indicates female, and "supreme" means most lofty. "Refining the Form through the Supreme Yin" is a supremely advanced method of refining the form for females. Daoism believes that females are essentially distinguished from males in their born quality. As far as their constitution is concerned, females’ constitution is internally Yang but externally Yin, while that of males is externally Yang outside but internally Yin. In the course of cultivation, unlike males who refine the origin before refining the form, females refine first the form and then the origin. According to the Trigram Figures ( 卦象 guaxiang ) in [[the Book of Changes]] ( 周易 zhouyi ), the basic trigram corresponding to females is trigram Kan, which signifies both water and the moon. In ancient times, the moon was the general symbol of Yin things and called "the supreme Yin". Therefore, "Refining the Form through the Supreme Yin" gives directions on females’ cultivation of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 neidan ) by using the image of the moon. For its content, please refer to the entry "Feminine Alchemy". [[zh:太陰煉形]] 71f3b908b9e4a582b681b61685afe912a6f46113 0 416 500 2009-09-09T02:59:10Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Inner Alchemy}} "Body of Original Chastity" ( 元貞之體 yuanzhen zhiti ) is a term of [[Feminine Alchemy]] ( 女丹 nüdan ). "Chastity" means purity, and "original" means i...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} "Body of Original Chastity" ( 元貞之體 yuanzhen zhiti ) is a term of [[Feminine Alchemy]] ( 女丹 nüdan ). "Chastity" means purity, and "original" means initial. The whole term describes the state of a female practitioner of [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 neidan ) after "[[Cutting the Red Dragon]]" ( 斬赤龍 zhan chilong ). The reason for this description is that by cutting the "red dragon", the turbid Yin menses in a female’s body have transformed into the pure Yang Vital Breath ( 氣 qi ), which results in a series of changes in the form, most fundamentally the change in the color of menses from red to yellow and from yellow to white. This white liquid is the essence of a female of original chastity. Being refined, it can further transform into the Vital Breath. To obtain a "Body of Original Chastity" is the necessary condition for a female to continue her cultivation of Inner Alchemy. Without a change in the nature of the Vital Breath, the other steps are out of the question. Therefore, in Feminine Alchemy, the "Body of Original Chastity" is the sign of an initial art of Inner Alchemy and is of great significance. [[zh:元貞之體]] bb0a27fe8749ae2aec68c360f1de50e182d0adf1 0 417 501 2009-09-09T03:02:55Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Outer Alchemy}}' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Outer Alchemy}} e7b9bd0a137699bd99cb36fe894800533e9ab598 10 418 502 2009-09-09T03:09:38Z Admin 1 Created page with '<br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>Outer Alchemy</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Regula...' wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>Outer Alchemy</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Regulations for External Alchemy]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Cinnabar House and Cauldrons]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[The Practice of External Alchemy]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Taboos in the Use of Fire]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |Terms of Outer Alchemy |- ||align=center align="center" |[[The External Alchemy Skill of Refining the Yellow and the White]]<br>[[Six-and-One Mud]]<br>[[The Heavenly Palace of Supreme Oneness]]<br>[[Reducing and Increasing Fire]]<br>[[Poison Removal Skills]]<br>[[The Dragon-Bud Elixir Tradition]] |} 34000ab515e2a3a801a3bb2636de1e7425a7ec9d 503 502 2009-09-09T03:09:57Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>Outer Alchemy</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Regulations for External Alchemy]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Cinnabar House and Cauldrons]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[The Practice of External Alchemy]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Taboos in the Use of Fire]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |Terms of Outer Alchemy |- |align=center align="center" |[[The External Alchemy Skill of Refining the Yellow and the White]]<br>[[Six-and-One Mud]]<br>[[The Heavenly Palace of Supreme Oneness]]<br>[[Reducing and Increasing Fire]]<br>[[Poison Removal Skills]]<br>[[The Dragon-Bud Elixir Tradition]] |} 5af20ea9ba2d8fb39740cedd2eb4d477b515765b 0 419 504 2009-09-09T03:17:23Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Outer Alchemy}} "Regulations for External Alchemy" refers to all kinds of ritual services in the whole process of refining elixir, including such aspects as selecting people an...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Outer Alchemy}} "Regulations for External Alchemy" refers to all kinds of ritual services in the whole process of refining elixir, including such aspects as selecting people and locations before refining, collecting soil, making charcoal, and building altars, as well as those rites following the inauguration of elixir refining, such as Offerings for the Elixir Cauldron ( 祭爐 Jilu ), Fasts and Oaths ( 約齋盟誓 Yuezhai mengshi ), Offering Incense ( 合香 Hexiang ), Offering Rituals for the Supreme Oneness ( 醮太一法 Jiao taiyi fa ) and the Elixir Cauldron Opening Rite ( 開爐 Kailu ), etc. The Offerings for the Elixir Cauldron refer to a rite of worshiping elixir cauldrons prior to refining activities. ''According to Pollution Taboos Essential to Know in the Elixir Chamber '' ( 丹房需知 Danfang xuzhi ), sacrificial articles include things such as wines, dried meats and fresh fruits. The rite was followed by fasts and oaths, which stress that when Daoist masters teach secrets of elixir making to their students, they must swear to keep them secret because these skills are considered to be granted by heaven. If secrets are disclosed to the wrong people, punishments from heaven follow. All people involved in refining activities should therefore be cautious. They are required to take vows. Since the Spirit of Supreme Oneness ( 太一神 Taiyi shen ) was widely worshiped among alchemists, special rites were introduced for that sake. Without these rites, alchemists believed, no elixirs were attainable. On the contrary, The spirit's presence at the invitation of offerings will bring 'spirit' and 'vital breath' to elixirs and strengthen their effects. This belief reveals Daoists' respect for the Supreme Oneness. After elixirs were made, it was the time to open the cauldron. It was by no means a less important event. Many rites and taboos were involved. In general, the practitioners were to clean their bodies and fast, put on their ritual dress and star crown, and kneel, facing south with the cauldron in their hands. After the incense was burned, and their bodies cleaned, they began to pray to Daoist spirits and holy sovereigns. All these complex proceedings embodied Daoist attitudes in regard to refining elixirs. [[zh:外丹規儀]] 79486cee93d0b286834bc5860e734d863fa78b01 0 420 505 2009-09-09T03:29:50Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Outer Alchemy}} Cinnabar House and Cauldrons ( 丹房鼎器 Danfang Dingqi ) are experimental instruments Daoists use to refine the golden elixir. In order to ensure the effect...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Outer Alchemy}} Cinnabar House and Cauldrons ( 丹房鼎器 Danfang Dingqi ) are experimental instruments Daoists use to refine the golden elixir. In order to ensure the effectiveness of the refining process, outer alchemy experts designed many instruments, such as altars, stoves, kitchen ranges, cauldrons, kettles, boilers and jars, etc. In a narrow sense, Cinnabar House and Cauldrons refer to vessels for medicine, gold, and silver in outer alchemy. In a general sense, the term also refers to altars and stoves. In the alchemical process, cauldrons are especially important, for they are the containers for burning and heating. In terms of the materials, cauldrons are made of gold, silver, brass, iron, porcelain, earth, etc. In terms of shapes, bottles, kettles, pots, and basins all can function as cauldrons. Cauldrons have many other names, such as cabinets ( 匱 Kui ), divine chambers ( 神室 Shenshi ), and chaos ( 混沌 Hundun ). Their structures may appear like a column,a gourd and a crucible. In history, the most frequently used cauldrons were the upper-lower cauldrons ( 上下鼎 Shangxia Ding ), which are composed of two cauldrons: the upper one and the lower one. For example, Tao Hongjing, a famous alchemist in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, used two-layered clay kettles while Sun Simiao of Tang used two separatable basins. The manufacturing process and the sizes of upper-lower cauldrons were very strict. Generally speaking, they were 12 inches in perimeter, corresponding to the 12 months and the 12 key hexagrams, and 8 inches in length to correspond to the eight solar terms. The correspondence between cauldrons with heaven and earth embodies the ancient spirit of symbolism. Closely connected with the cauldrons are the stoves, which, as the most important heating equipment, are also called cinnabar stoves ( 丹爐 Danlu ). Cinnabar stoves are classified into Yin and Yang stoves according to their functions. Those heated with fierce fire are Yang stoves ( 陽爐 Yanglu ) and those with slow fire are Yin stoves ( 陰爐 Yinlu ). Cinnabar stoves are of many forms, such as the Jiji stove, the Weiji stove, the Eight-trigram stove ( 八卦爐 Bagua Lu ), the Hundred-hole stove ( 百眼爐 Baiyan Lu ), the Crescent-moon stove ( 偃月爐 Yanyue Lu ), the Chrysanthemum stove ( 菊花爐 Juhua Lu ), etc. The combination of stoves and cauldrons makes it possible to refine the elixir. [[zh:丹房鼎器]] b9a91da7c2a3ac03b7c51e47a6cf8fdba922960e 0 421 506 2009-09-09T03:55:15Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Outer Alchemy}} The Practice of External Alchemy refers to the skills and procedures of external alchemy. Based on hundreds of years' experiences and experiments in refining el...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Outer Alchemy}} The Practice of External Alchemy refers to the skills and procedures of external alchemy. Based on hundreds of years' experiences and experiments in refining elixir, passed on from generation to generation, a set of very practical skills evolved, which included 'Fei', 'sheng', 'Chou', 'Fu', 'Dian', 'Guan', 'Yang', 'Zhu', 'Lian', 'Duan' 'Yan', and 'Feng', etc. *'Fei' refers to the skill by which heating from a burning stove changes solid minerals in a cauldron into vapor directly, instead of into liquid as the first stage. *'Sheng' refers to transformation, which is obtained through heating solid minerals just as does 'Fei'. *'Chou' refers to the skill by which solid substances are heated to boiling points to vaporize them to some degree, and collected after they are liquefied. *'Fu' refers to specific techniques that are used to deal with some unstable substances in a bid to preserve them in reliable condition for refinement. *'Dian' means to add some additives to substances in order to change their original character. *'Guan' means to put the substances for refining into well-sealed containers, which are buried deeply into the earth in order to create a very slow chemical change without heating them. *'Yang' means to keep substances in a very mild temperature for a long period, which brings forth minor changes in their characters. *'Zhu' means to boil substances in the cauldron with water. *'Lian' means to lead some dry substances to cause chemical changes. *'Duan' means to heat substances to dry them or cause vaporization. *'Yan' means to grind substances into powder. *'Feng' means to put substances in containers or bury them in the earth. Apart from the above-mentioned skills, others have been used in refining elixirs. In accordance with these skills is the refining procedure, which consists of things like Ascending Yang Fire ( 進陽火 Jin Yanghuo ), Descending Yin Fire ( 退陰符 Tui Yinfu ), collecting medicinal substance ( 采藥 Caiyao ), refining substance, etc. Generally speaking, the fire phases of external alchemy are measured by 'cycles' ( 轉 Zhuan ), which refer to a specific number of substance changes or operational experiments in regard to external alchemy. For instance, the 'nine cycle reversion elixir' ( 九轉金丹 Jiuzhuan Jindan ) refers to nine changes in its refinement. The complexity of refining elixirs lies in the fact that a lot of patience is needed to achieve a specific 'cycle'. [[zh:外丹操作]] 5c6ea2f32e17632418473d55abd3d3c56d3bf605 0 422 507 2009-09-09T04:59:03Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Outer Alchemy}} There are taboos in regard to using fire and refining elixirs. From the ancient magicians ( 方士 Fangshi ) to the Daoists, refining elixirs was considered to ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Outer Alchemy}} There are taboos in regard to using fire and refining elixirs. From the ancient magicians ( 方士 Fangshi ) to the Daoists, refining elixirs was considered to be a serious issue, and no mistake was permitted. As a result, taboos came into being, including those related to using fire. To a big extent, they were linked to the taboos of elixir chamber. The chapter Pollution Taboos ( 禁穢 Jinhui ) in Pollution Taboos Essential to Know in the Elixir Chamber points out that females, Buddhist monks, hens, cocks and dogs were forbidden enter the elixir chamber where fire was used for refining. When fire was light, incense should be burned. When people went inside the chamber, they should put on new shoes and dresses. Acrid and pungent foods, like scallions and garlic were forbidden. When fire was light, alchemists would pray for blessings from the Emperor of the Mysterious Origin and other spirits such as holy officials or immortal sovereigns. Alchemists attached a great importance to the timing of fire. If there was a tide at midnight, firing had to be postponed. On the days Jia Shen, Jia Wu, Jia Chen, Jia Yin or Jia Zi, when spirits in charge ascended to their thrones, no fire was permitted for refining elixir, otherwise, the work was doomed to failure due to offending the spirits. In addition, refining elixir should be avoided during wind, rain and thunder. There were taboos against mournful cries and sad feelings, as well as blood and other pollutions. These taboos originated from religious belief as well as experiences, which showed how alchemists reacted to things which were thought at their time to be in coherence. [[zh:用火禁忌]] 03703cb3a246e440cf921d2c09f3c7f58192ad14 0 423 508 2009-09-10T03:16:38Z Admin 1 Created page with '"External Alchemy" refers to the refinement of 'elixirs' with minerals such as gold and stone. Mr. Chen Guofu points out that 'elixir' also refers to the cinnabar from which it w...' wikitext text/x-wiki "External Alchemy" refers to the refinement of 'elixirs' with minerals such as gold and stone. Mr. Chen Guofu points out that 'elixir' also refers to the cinnabar from which it was thought that gold could be refined. The skill of refining gold is called 'Feilian' in which 'fei' refers to transformation. The whole technical process is called External Alchemy. "Yellow and White" refers to gold and silver. In fact, the 'gold' described in some early Taoist texts was nothing but the yellow remains of burned minerals, which, in the early Taoists' eyes, were the equivalent of real gold. It was not until the Tang dynasty that they were finally distinguished by calling them 'alchemical gold'. Meanwhile, the silver used in external alchemy was called 'alchemical silver'. According to Chinese linguistic practice as well as the fact that, in alchemical practices, 'gold' is a more important substance than 'silver', the external alchemy arts were named 'Gold Transformation Arts'. ( 點金術dianjin Shu ) [[The Daoist Golden Elixir sect]] ( 金丹派jindan Pai ) used to consider 'golden elixir' as the best way to attain longevity and even immortality. In his book ''The Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity '' ( 抱樸子內篇baopuzi Neipian ), [[Ge Hong]] argued that the longer the elixir was refined, the more precious it would be, just as well-refined gold never decays even in deep soil. Logically, taking substances such as elixirs and alchemical gold, he claimed, would refine a man's body, and make him immortal. These ideas characterize the main theories upheld by the golden elixir tradition, which used to rely on natural substances, such as gold and silver, for immortality. In China, the 'external alchemy skill of refining the yellow and the white' ( 金丹黃白術jindan Huangbai Shu ) can be traced back to some stories of immortals of the period of the Warring States, as well as the Qin and Han dynasties. During Emperor Wu's reign of the Han dynasty, Li Shaojun, a famous magician, submitted to the emperor a secret of immortality which involved notions that cinnabar can be refined into gold, and that drinking cups and food containers made of gold can help a man live longer. This story provides us with proof about how 'external alchemy skill' was valued in the imperial court during the Han dynasty. Since then, it has been significantly improved by Daoism, from which emerged such figures as Ge Hong and Tao Hongjing. They appeared during the Jin, and the Southern and Northern dynasties. Historically, 'external alchemy skill' has contributed a lot to the appearance and subsequent development of chemistry and pharmacology in ancient China although, undeniably, taking elixirs can be blamed for many deaths in Chinese history as well. [[zh:金丹黃白術]] 9372067ce0f096d3bd68d23fdf23a89795513989 509 508 2009-09-10T03:17:20Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki "External Alchemy" refers to the refinement of 'elixirs' with minerals such as gold and stone. Mr. Chen Guofu points out that 'elixir' also refers to the cinnabar from which it was thought that gold could be refined. The skill of refining gold is called 'Feilian' in which 'fei' refers to transformation. The whole technical process is called External Alchemy. "Yellow and White" refers to gold and silver. In fact, the 'gold' described in some early Taoist texts was nothing but the yellow remains of burned minerals, which, in the early Taoists' eyes, were the equivalent of real gold. It was not until the Tang dynasty that they were finally distinguished by calling them 'alchemical gold'. Meanwhile, the silver used in external alchemy was called 'alchemical silver'. According to Chinese linguistic practice as well as the fact that, in alchemical practices, 'gold' is a more important substance than 'silver', the external alchemy arts were named 'Gold Transformation Arts'. ( 點金術 Dianjin Shu ) [[The Daoist Golden Elixir sect]] ( 金丹派 Jindan Pai ) used to consider 'golden elixir' as the best way to attain longevity and even immortality. In his book ''The Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity '' ( 抱樸子內篇 Baopuzi Neipian ), [[Ge Hong]] argued that the longer the elixir was refined, the more precious it would be, just as well-refined gold never decays even in deep soil. Logically, taking substances such as elixirs and alchemical gold, he claimed, would refine a man's body, and make him immortal. These ideas characterize the main theories upheld by the golden elixir tradition, which used to rely on natural substances, such as gold and silver, for immortality. In China, the 'external alchemy skill of refining the yellow and the white' ( 金丹黃白術 Jindan Huangbai Shu ) can be traced back to some stories of immortals of the period of the Warring States, as well as the Qin and Han dynasties. During Emperor Wu's reign of the Han dynasty, Li Shaojun, a famous magician, submitted to the emperor a secret of immortality which involved notions that cinnabar can be refined into gold, and that drinking cups and food containers made of gold can help a man live longer. This story provides us with proof about how 'external alchemy skill' was valued in the imperial court during the Han dynasty. Since then, it has been significantly improved by Daoism, from which emerged such figures as Ge Hong and Tao Hongjing. They appeared during the Jin, and the Southern and Northern dynasties. Historically, 'external alchemy skill' has contributed a lot to the appearance and subsequent development of chemistry and pharmacology in ancient China although, undeniably, taking elixirs can be blamed for many deaths in Chinese history as well. [[zh:金丹黃白術]] 5f1e04e8ef7f8ee695add96abeeaa4ee08c36924 510 509 2009-09-10T03:17:51Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Outer Alchemy}} "External Alchemy" refers to the refinement of 'elixirs' with minerals such as gold and stone. Mr. Chen Guofu points out that 'elixir' also refers to the cinnabar from which it was thought that gold could be refined. The skill of refining gold is called 'Feilian' in which 'fei' refers to transformation. The whole technical process is called External Alchemy. "Yellow and White" refers to gold and silver. In fact, the 'gold' described in some early Taoist texts was nothing but the yellow remains of burned minerals, which, in the early Taoists' eyes, were the equivalent of real gold. It was not until the Tang dynasty that they were finally distinguished by calling them 'alchemical gold'. Meanwhile, the silver used in external alchemy was called 'alchemical silver'. According to Chinese linguistic practice as well as the fact that, in alchemical practices, 'gold' is a more important substance than 'silver', the external alchemy arts were named 'Gold Transformation Arts'. ( 點金術 Dianjin Shu ) [[The Daoist Golden Elixir sect]] ( 金丹派 Jindan Pai ) used to consider 'golden elixir' as the best way to attain longevity and even immortality. In his book ''The Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity '' ( 抱樸子內篇 Baopuzi Neipian ), [[Ge Hong]] argued that the longer the elixir was refined, the more precious it would be, just as well-refined gold never decays even in deep soil. Logically, taking substances such as elixirs and alchemical gold, he claimed, would refine a man's body, and make him immortal. These ideas characterize the main theories upheld by the golden elixir tradition, which used to rely on natural substances, such as gold and silver, for immortality. In China, the 'external alchemy skill of refining the yellow and the white' ( 金丹黃白術 Jindan Huangbai Shu ) can be traced back to some stories of immortals of the period of the Warring States, as well as the Qin and Han dynasties. During Emperor Wu's reign of the Han dynasty, Li Shaojun, a famous magician, submitted to the emperor a secret of immortality which involved notions that cinnabar can be refined into gold, and that drinking cups and food containers made of gold can help a man live longer. This story provides us with proof about how 'external alchemy skill' was valued in the imperial court during the Han dynasty. Since then, it has been significantly improved by Daoism, from which emerged such figures as Ge Hong and Tao Hongjing. They appeared during the Jin, and the Southern and Northern dynasties. Historically, 'external alchemy skill' has contributed a lot to the appearance and subsequent development of chemistry and pharmacology in ancient China although, undeniably, taking elixirs can be blamed for many deaths in Chinese history as well. [[zh:金丹黃白術]] 2b7e5ceac123ba3915105bc2ab56834d02a8108e 0 424 511 2009-09-10T03:26:31Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Outer Alchemy}} Six-and-One Mud ( 六一泥 Liuyi Ni ), also called Divine Mud or Medical Mud, and also Divine Glue for Consolidation and Strengthening ( 固濟神膠藥泥 Guj...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Outer Alchemy}} Six-and-One Mud ( 六一泥 Liuyi Ni ), also called Divine Mud or Medical Mud, and also Divine Glue for Consolidation and Strengthening ( 固濟神膠藥泥 Guji Shen Jiao Yaonu ), is the mud used in outer alchemy to consolidate and strengthen the containers. The so-called Six-and-One comes from the numerology of ''[[Book of Changes]]''. According to the River Chart ( 河圖 Hetu ) numerology of the ''Book of Changes'' ( 《周易》 Zhouyi ), the numbers from 1 to 10 lie respectively in different directions. 1 and 6 lie in the north with 1 as the Heavenly Number ( 天數 Tianshu) and 6 as the Earthly Number ( 地數 Dishu ). The idea "The Heavenly 1 originates Water and the Earthly 6 completes it" is the explanation of matching in this type of numerology. Daoist alchemists, absorbing the numerology of the Book of Changes and holding that the outer alchemist process must correspond with the heavenly and earthly numbers, select the mud of the "6 and 1" kinds of components. According to the ''Yellow Emperor's Book of the Divine Elixir of the Nine Cauldrons'' ( 《黃帝九鼎神丹經》 Huangdi Jiuding Shendan Jing ), the composition of Six-and-One Mud is: alum, salt, alkali, oyster, steatite, etc. the manufacturing process is: first burn the former four kinds of components for 20 days, pound the latter with a pestle thirty thousand times, mix them with bitter wine of brewed for 100 days. The mud thus obtained can be used for consolidating the cinnabar containers with a thickness of 3cm to 5cm. The container consolidated with the mud is usable after only 100 days of drying under the sun. Originally used in outer alchemy, the mud was also adopted in inner alchemy. The ''Explanation of the Medicine Mirror of Master Cui in the Great Compilation of the Golden Elixir'' ( 《金丹大成集•解注崔公入藥鏡》 Jindan Dacheng Ji Jie Cuigong Ruyao Jing ) of Xiao Tingzhi in the Yuan Dynasty contains the idea of "consolidating with Six-and-One Mud". In inner alchemy, Six-and-One Mud symbolizes the consolidation of the Divine Chamber ( 神室 Shenshi ) and keeping essence and vital breath from leaking. [[zh:六一泥]] afbd529dd73aeacf6285b062f0cd9fac5f2d4eb0 0 425 512 2009-09-10T03:40:41Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Outer Alchemy}} The Heavenly Palace of Supreme Oneness ( 太一天宮 Taiyi Tiangong ), also called the Divine Chamber of Supreme Oneness ( 太一神室 Taiyi Shenshi ), is a D...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Outer Alchemy}} The Heavenly Palace of Supreme Oneness ( 太一天宮 Taiyi Tiangong ), also called the Divine Chamber of Supreme Oneness ( 太一神室 Taiyi Shenshi ), is a Daoist term of Outer Alchemy. The Supreme Oneness, originally a divinatory term, was transformed into a philosophical term just as the Supreme Ultimate ( 太極 Taiji ), meaning the universal chaos and the world's beginning. In ancient China, the Supreme Oneness also had theological meaning. As early as the Han dynasty, it has occupied the position of highest deity. The chapter "Worship of Heaven and Earth" in the ''Records of the Historian '' ( 《史記•封禪書》 Shiji Fengshan Shu ) says: the noblest among the heavenly deities is the Supreme Oneness, who has the five emperors as his assistants. The early Supreme Peace Tradition ( 太平道 Taiping Dao ) not only inherited the philosophical and theological meanings of the Supreme Oneness, but also combined them together. In accordance with the idea of the Supreme Oneness traveling through the Nine Palaces ( 九宮 Jiugong ) in Qianzaodu of the '' [[Book of Changes]] '', the Supreme Peace Tradition perfected the belief in the Middle and Yellow Supreme Oneness ( 中黃太一 Zhonghuang Taiyi ). Introducing the belief in the Middle and Yellow Supreme Oneness into alchemical practice, the golden elixir tradition proposed the conception of the Heavenly Palace of Supreme Oneness. The Heavenly Palace of Supreme Oneness actually refers to the Divine Chamber for Combining Cinnabar ( 合丹神室 Hedan Shenshi ) made of Supreme-Oneness mud asa container of medicine for processing in cauldrons. The ''[[Collection on Daoist External Alchemy]]'' ( 《庚道集》 Gengdao Ji ) records the process of placing sulphur and mercury into the Heavenly Palace of Supreme Oneness, which shows the importance of the Heavenly Palace of Supreme Oneness in the alchemical process. [[zh:太一天宮]] 80f01ffab81112aa282e903d85dd46e29588ac0f 0 426 513 2009-09-10T03:45:57Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Outer Alchemy}} Reducing and Increasing Fire ( 進退抽添 Jintui Choutian ) is a basic term of Daoist alchemy. It is a key point in mastering the fire phases. Under the elici...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Outer Alchemy}} Reducing and Increasing Fire ( 進退抽添 Jintui Choutian ) is a basic term of Daoist alchemy. It is a key point in mastering the fire phases. Under the elicitation of the moon's changes from crescent to fullness, Daoists find alchemical process as a process of transformations between Yin and Yang. Therefore, the control over the [[fire phases]] ( 火侯 Huohou ) focuses on the changes of Yin and Yang. Increasing Yang fire involves starting the fire and enhancing it. Reducing Yin fire involves weakening the fire and nourishing in warmth and ceasing refining. The fire phases also include taking out old fire and adding new fire. The reason that alchemical fire phases stress the process of increasing and reducing fires lies in the rule of the changes of Yin and Yang which are innate in the universe. The Way of alchemy is in accordance with the universal rule and thus should follow the universal rule of changes of Yin and Yang. The ''Transmission of Dao by Zhongli Chuan and Lü Dongbin'' ( 《鍾呂傳道集》 Zhonglu Chuandaoji ) says: Heaven and Earth circulate, the weather cycles between hot and cold, the sun and moon go and come. These go round and round. Alchemy is just like the sun and moon in the changes of Yin and Yang. This goes for not only outer alchemy but also for inner alchemy. In order to illustrate the alchemical fire phases, Daoism introduced the numerology of the '' [[Book of Changes]] ''. As early as the end of Han, the'' [[Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]] '' ( 《周易參同契》 Zhouyi Cantongqi ) had established the world's earliest mode of digital manipulation in expressing the fire phases with the 64 hexagramms of Book of Changes. Later alchemists greatly expanded on this aspect. [[Zhongli Chuan]] and [[Lü Dongbin]] of the end of the Tang and the Five Dynasties especially focused on the fire phases of inner alchemy. The contents about fire phases in the '' [[Transmission of Dao by Zhongli Chuan and Lü Dongbin]] '' is very significant in the development of Daoist life-nourishment theory. [[zh:進退抽添]] 3be8b4232099dbc089d8bfdd53693d43c4030d3e 0 427 514 2009-09-10T04:18:43Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Outer Alchemy}} Poison Removal Skill ( 出毒之法 Chudu Zhi Fa ) is an outer-alchemical term. The alchemical process can form fire poison (火毒 Huodu ) and gold poison ( ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Outer Alchemy}} Poison Removal Skill ( 出毒之法 Chudu Zhi Fa ) is an outer-alchemical term. The alchemical process can form fire poison (火毒 Huodu ) and gold poison ( 金毒 Jindu ), which must be removed fromn the elixir before taking it. Victims of fire poison victim suffer from tumefaction in the mouth and nose and burnt face. The more severe gold poison can paralyze and even kill the victim. Therefore, alchemists attach much importance to the removal of poison. According to Immortals on Reversion Elixir, fire poison is removed mainly in two ways. One is the medical method for removing poison. Alchemists force the fire poison out of the elixir with such medicine as 0.5 kg of Wu Chia Pee, Di Yu, Yu Gan Zi and four taels of saltpeter and liquorice. The medicines are powdered and boiled with elixir in water. The water is added in a rotated way and boiled for seven days and nights. After being taken out from the water, the medicines and elixir are put into a cold spring for a month and then in cow milk for one day. They are then boiled in a jar in hot water for 17 days. When dry, the elixir is ground and made into pills with Chinese dates. Another way is by natural dialysis. In this way, alchemists bury the refined elixir into the earth for one year, and then hang it in a well for one year, and then marinate it in water for one year, and again bury it in the earth for one year. When the elixir no longer gives out rays, alchemists make the elixir into pills with nectar and warm it in a box with fire for seven days. The fire poison is thus removed. As for the gold poison, alchemists marinate the elixir with 5 taels of Xuan Ming Fen in 3 liters of water with an expert mastery of the times of the fire phases in the nine times of reversion. The procedure is narrated in detail in the ''Reversion Elixir Formula for the Catalyzation of Yin and Yang into Purple Gold '' ( 《陰陽九轉成紫金點化還丹訣》 Yinyang Jiuzhuan Cheng Zijin Dianhua Huanda Jue ) through their Ninefold Reversion. [[zh:出毒之法]] bdab8385fe9f5a140acfe4bc1187161f81f5a3c0 0 428 515 2009-09-10T04:27:45Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Outer Alchemy}} The Dragon-Bud Elixir Tradition ( 龍芽丹道 Longya Dandao ) is a Daoist alchemical term. The Dragon Bud, also called Dragon Beard ( 龍鬚 Longxu ) and Silve...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Outer Alchemy}} The Dragon-Bud Elixir Tradition ( 龍芽丹道 Longya Dandao ) is a Daoist alchemical term. The Dragon Bud, also called Dragon Beard ( 龍鬚 Longxu ) and Silver Bud ( 銀芽 Yinya ), etc, actually means raw argentums. According to the Essential Knowledge for the Elixir Chamber ( 《丹房須知》 Danfang Xuzhi ), Dragon Buds accrue in lead mine pits and look like bamboo shoots. Legendarily owning the way of change, it is regarded as "bud of nature" ( 自然芽 Ziran Ya ) and also named "raw lead" ( 生鉛 Sheng Qian ) or "lead of nature" ( 自然鉛 Ziran Qian ). Making elixir from dragon buds and refining lead into mercury is the basic mechanism of outer alchemy. Besides, in Daoism, lead and mercury are also amplified to mean the medicine of inner alchemy. As the way of refining essence into vital breath ( 煉精化氣 Lian Jing Hua Qi ), the way of alchemy in human body thus comes into form. [[zh:龍芽丹道]] 676d346c829a4be3b289aaed5f5dd4197e8865a1 0 429 516 2009-09-13T01:50:15Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Literature}}' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} 03284e21e6a3ff9013ae40f48325c334e8f399cd 518 516 2009-09-13T02:12:20Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} Daoist literature is the general name for all kinds of literary works that propagate Daoist doctrines and reflect Daoist life. On the whole, Daoist literature can be classified into four categories, namely [[Daoist prose]], [[Daoist fiction]], [[Daoist poetry]], and [[Daoist drama]]. ==Prose== At the beginning of the founding of Daoism, Daoist leaders called on disciples to study the classics of philosophical Daoism of the pre-Qin on the one hand, and created prose in person to establish Daoist teachings and carry forward Daoist laws. Early Daoist argumentative prose is in the style of quotations in order for the devotees to comprehend easily. For example, ''Black Scarf Book of Supreme Peace '' ( 太平清領書 Taiping Qingling Shu ) is basically a piece of prose of quotations. In sharp contrast with argumentative prose, Daoist narrative prose is based on narration, and the idea of "following spontaneity" is embodied between the lines. ==Fiction== The gestation of Daoist fiction can be traced back to immortal legends of the Pre-Qin period. Ever since the Wei and Jin dynasties, Daoist fiction became more and more flourishing. Writers not only created Daoist tales of mystery and the supernatural and romance, but also paid attention to popularize them. Consequently, "huaben (printed versions of the prompt-books used by popular storytellers in Song and Yuan times) -styled" Daoist fiction that told people stories came into being. These kinds of works often systematized folk legends, improved some crucial details, and warned the people with descriptions of Daoist arts. Moreover, a great many full-length "zhanghuiti" (a type of traditional Chinese novel with each chapter headed by a couplet giving the gist of its content) novels that drew materials from Daoist life and aimed at propagating Daoist ideas, such as ''Romance of the Gods '' ( 封神演義 Fengshen Yanyi ) and ''Records of Immortal Lü's Brandishing Sword '' ( 呂仙飛劍傳 Lüxian Feijian Zhuan ) came out in Ming and Qing times. Some works systematize or further fantasize the immortal tales spread in Daoist community or among the people, and some expound Daoist beliefs in the framework of historical stories. Daoist fiction is endowed with great power of imagination and characterized by a distinctive romantic flavor. ==Poetry== This is a big category of Daoist literature as well. In Chinese history of literature, poetry holds a high and important position. In Daoist literature, the large amount of poetry is also striking. Daoist poetry mixes full feelings, rich imagination and Daoist immortal tales in dreams. It is of strong artistic inspiration. An exotic flower in the garden of literature, the form of poetry known as "Ci"--poetry written to certain tunes with strict tonal patterns and rhyme schemes, with fixed numbers of lines and words-- was also often used by Daoist scholars. According to the classified statistics of the "cipai" (i.e. names of the tunes to which ci poems are composed) listed in ''Tunes Compiled by Imperial Order '' ( 欽定詞譜 Qinding Cipu ) printed in the 54th Kangxi year of the Qing dynasty, there are at least 42 cipai originating from immortal tales or relating to Daoist activities. This fully shows that the emergence of ci was irrevocably associated to Daoism. As far as the content of ci is concerned, it is not difficult to find that profound Daoist thought underlies quite a few works, and that immortal tales and divine traces of Daoism permeate these works. For example, ''Capeline Cantos '' ( 女冠子 Nüguanzi ) composed by Wen Tingyun portrays a female Daoist. The poet reflects her charming gesture through the description of her gentle and graceful figure. Another form deserving mentioning in the scope of Daoist poetry is the "[[Daoist Lyric]]" ( 道情 Daoqing ). It is one kind of folk song of the Music Bureau and was always sung by roaming Daoists. Its words are rather popular, so it could be prevalent among the people. In history, many Daoists preached Daoist teachings and expressed their feelings by means of the "Daoist Lyric". For example, The Daoist Lyric by [[Zhang Sanfeng]] conveys his veneration of Daoism. It is endowed with moving and inspiring power. ==Traditional opera== It can neither be ignored in Daoist literature. Daoist opera originated before the Yuan dynasty, but it was at the height of splendor in the Yuan dynasty. According to the records in Register of ''Demons '' ( 錄鬼簿 Lugui Bu ) by Zhong Sicheng, at least 40 kinds of the poetic dramas of the Yuan dynasty are Daoist operas. Selections from the Yuan Drama compiled by Zang Maoxun and Supplementary Selections from the Yuan Drama compiled by Sui Shusen record 17 Daoist operas, such as Chen Tuan Lies Highly and The Yueyang Tower. They total about 1/10 of what was disseminated. In terms of subjects and ideas, Daoist operas can be classified into the following categories: propagating Dao and saving the people, transforming monsters, settling cases and warning the people, and living in seclusion and cultivating perfection Daoist literature has not only a long history but is also filled with peculiar images. It enriched the treasury of Chinese literature during its long-term spread and development. Today many works are still of high value of artistic appreciation and are worth being discovered and sorted out seriously by the academic circle. [[zh:道教文學]] ffcc176fc51885a010006c561bd2545413c3b694 10 430 517 2009-09-13T01:51:47Z Admin 1 Created page with '<br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[Daoist Literature]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |...' wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[Daoist Literature]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" | Daoist Poetry and Ci Poetry |- |[[Daoist Poetry]]<br>[[Daoist Ci Poetry]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Daoist Prose]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Daoist Fiction]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Daoist Fiction]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |Others |- |[[Pillar Couplets]] <br>[[Daoist literary Anecdotes]]<br> [[Daoist Nursery Rhymes]] |} 673d29171f13428ad81cf83a676198eafd6b51a3 528 517 2009-09-13T04:17:25Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[Daoist Literature]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" | Daoist Poetry and Ci Poetry |- |[[Daoist Poetry]]<br>[[Daoist Ci Poetry]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Daoist Prose]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Daoist Fiction]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Traditional Opera]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |Others |- |[[Pillar Couplets]] <br>[[Daoist literary Anecdotes]]<br> [[Daoist Nursery Rhymes]] |} 53c3df9877a1763e47895d7d3010de2a570a8836 0 431 519 2009-09-13T02:40:55Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Literature}} Daoist poetry refers to the poetry that reflects Daoist life, conveys ideals of immortality, or describes unworldly feelings through images of Daoist immort...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} Daoist poetry refers to the poetry that reflects Daoist life, conveys ideals of immortality, or describes unworldly feelings through images of Daoist immortals. ==Daoist poetry has a very early origin== The clue of Daoist poetry can be vaguely seen in [[''Book of Supreme Peace'']] ( 太平經 Taiping Jing ) of the Eastern Han dynasty. Volume 38 of the book records a 93-word ''Masters' Writs on Tablets'' ( 師策文 Shice Wen ), which is rhymed as the embryonic form of seven-character-per-line poems. A contemporary book, [[''The Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes'']] ( 周易參同契 Zhouyi Cantongqi ), often adopts the style of four-character-per-line and five-character-per-line poetry and Sao-styled rhapsody. Though it adopts miscellaneous styles, the feature of discussing the refinement of elixirs by means of poetry is evident. Since the Eastern Han dynasty, the Daoist community became stronger and stronger, and correspondingly, Daoist poetry increased and became more and more mature. During the Wei-Jin dynasties and the Southern and Northern Dynasties, not only poetry of alchemy and incantations spread secretly in Daoist circles, but also poetry of roaming immortals was prevalent in society. ==Poetry of alchemy refers to poetry whose subject is alchemy== Alchemy can be divided into [[outer alchemy]] and [[inner alchemy]]; hence poetry of alchemy can be so distinguished. Some poems are mainly about inner alchemy, some about outer alchemy, and some about both. For example, a 504-word ballad recorded in the first volume of ''Supreme Clarity Book of Golden Liquids and Divine Elixirs'' ( 太清金液神丹經 Taiqing Jinye Shendan Jing ) suggests the principle and functions of alchemy in the style of seven-character-per-line and through literary means of symbolism. The images are rather obscure, but the similes and symbols add to the vividness of the ballad. ==Potery about Charms== When the poetry of alchemy was secretly transmitted, Daoists also paid attention to the creation of poetic incantations. Incantations were formerly prayer words said have been revealed during the era of the Yellow Emperor. When Daoism emerged, incantations became a way for Daoists to summon spirits, dispel ghosts, cure diseases, and seek Dao, and in the Wei and Jin dynasties, incantations further developed. There are prose-styled and poetry-styled incantations, but most are the latter. The famous ones include ''Incantations of Perfect Writs'' ( 真文咒 Zhenwen Zhou ), ''Incantations of the Three August Ones'' ( 三皇咒 Sanhuang Zhou ), and ''Divine Incantations of the Pervasive Abyss'' ( 洞淵神咒 Dongyuan Shenzhou ). Poetry of incantations not only carefully imitates natural sounds and rhythms, but also manifests clear love and hatred. Simultaneously, it pays attention to the use of classical allusions and the stress of the atmosphere, and it even contains descriptions of certain scenes. == Poetry of Roaming Immortals== Besides poetry of alchemy and incantations, poetry of roaming immortals in the Wei, Jin, and the Southern and Northern Dynasties also had a hold in society. This kind of poetry is on the roaming of immortals. Its origin can be traced back to ''The Eulogies of the Chu'' ( 楚辭 Chuci ) in the period of The Three Kingdoms, such as ''Far-Off Journey'' ( 遠遊 Yuanyou ) by Qu Yuan, which does not lack descriptions of immortals' roaming and is of strong romantic flavor. Poetry of roaming immortals emerged naturally against the background of the prosperity of Daoism. Most of the poems are in the style of five characters in a line but various numbers of lines. Poetry concerning roaming immortals was first became a literary genre in the Wenxuan by Xiao Tong of the Liang dynasty. It can be classified into Daoists' poetry of roaming immortals and literati poetry of roaming immortals according to the poets' status. Both of them manifest the romantic flavor of "flying to heaven and roaming about the eight extremes," fantastic imagination, and the difference is that poetry of roaming immortals by Daoists is always a combination of the worship of Dao along with the roaming of immortals. == Tang and Song dynasties== After the Tang and Song dynasties, poetry reflecting Daoist life and seeking of immortality became increasingly prosperous. On the one hand, Daoists were enthusiastic in composing poems. For example, celebrated Daoists [[Lu Dongbin]] and Shi Jianwu expressed their view of Daoist guidelines and the belief in immortality in combination with description of famous scenic spots, and reveal the profound philosophy of Daoist doctrines through depiction of ways of cultivating the Dao. On the other hand, having been influenced by the Daoism or having observed and experienced Daoist life, many literary men created some poems of this subject. Both poets Wang Xu in the last years of the Sui and the first years of the Tang and Meng Haoran and Li Bai in the flourishing age of the Tang, both Yang Yi and Zhang Yong, representatives of the Xikun school in the Northern Song dynasty, and poet Yang Wanli of the Southern Song dynasty, wrote poems on Daoist affairs, roaming immortals and Daoism that spread in the country. Among these poets, some have ideas basically in correspondence with the Daoist ideal of immortality, and some always displayed an artistic conception of seeking Daoist immortality in their creation, though they were not piously converted to Daoism. With peculiar content and rich artistic means, Daoist poetry made an indelible contribution in the Chinese history of literature. [[zh:道詩]] 0937f0292042a594adc5d10d76b24401bbbd7ad4 0 432 520 2009-09-13T02:56:59Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Literature}} Daoist Ci--poetry written to certain tunes with strict tonal patterns and rhyme schemes, in fixed numbers of lines and words--is a literary genre that expre...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} Daoist Ci--poetry written to certain tunes with strict tonal patterns and rhyme schemes, in fixed numbers of lines and words--is a literary genre that expresses the idea of Daoist idealism of immortality and manifests the Daoist spirit. The origin of Daoist Ci can be traced back to Daoist Songs ( 玄歌 Xuange ) and Tales About Deities' Transformation ( 變文 Bianwen ). "Daoist Songs" refer to songs of "Daoism". In terms of their form, Daoist songs belong to the words sung in Daoist ballads. The authors of Daoist songs usually recount stories in the first person in order to attract audiences. For example, in Ballad of the Conversion of the Barbarians collected in volume 10 of ''[[The Book of Laozi's Conversion of the Barbarians]]'' ( 老子化胡經 Laozi Huahu Jing ), "I" represent Laozi. It describes the immortal scenery of the place where the Venerable Sovereign cultivates Dao and recounts the story of "conversion of the barbarians to Buddhism and Daoism". It has the basic characteristics of narrative poetry. The Book of Laozi's Conversion of the Barbarians also collects 18 pieces of Ci of the Venerable Sovereign's 16 Transformations. They belong to Daoist tales about deities' transformation. Tales about deities' transformation are a means of relating the transformation of deities. "Daoist tales about deities' transformation" refer to the style of relating the transformation of Daoist deities. In order to be adapted to the need of reciting and singing, this genre always adopts the form of "yunwen" (i.e. literary composition in rhyme). For example, Ci of the Venerable Sovereign's 16 Transformations is a piece of yunwen. The author arranges the plots according to the changes in orientations, and the shifting in places is based on the positions of the Eight Trigrams ( 八卦 Bagua ) in nine palaces of "change". The Eight Trigrams represent the eight directions, and two cycles of the Eight Trigrams produce 16 pieces of Ci of transformation. Apart from Daoist songs and tales about deities' transformation, "Daoist immortal tunes" are also an important part of Daoist Ci. Its emergence is closely connected with the establishment and prevalence of Daoist rituals. In order to make rituals more grand, Daoists combine hymns and songs, and thus all kinds of words sung come into being. Volume 20 of ''[[Essential Secrets of the Most High]]'' ( 無上秘要 Wushang Miyao ) collects a few immortal songs. According to the stylistic rules and layout, the book gives brief explanations to them, pointing out the source and which immortal has ever sung them. For all the songs, there are five characters in a line, but the number of lines varies. They reflect the feature of early Daoist creation----"taking poetry as ci". What matches ci of "immortal songs" is the ci of Daoist tunes. The main styles are that of pacing the void and of hymns. Ci of pacing the void is a form of Yuefu (i.e. official conservatory in the Han dynasty) literature. Essential Explanations to Yuefu Poetry ( 樂府古題要解 Yuefu Guti Yaojie ) by Wu Jing of the Tang dynasty points out that this kind of Ci relates and lauds the wonderful scene of immortal's ascending heaven. There have always been different views on the origin of Ci of pacing the void. According to the records of many classics, it should have existed in the period of The Three Kingdoms. Its singing rhythm generally accords with the positions of the nine palaces of the Eight Trigrams so that a tune of the alteration of Yin and Yang emerges. The recitation and singing of Ci of pacing the void should follow certain steps. It is required that the mind be concentrated and that recitation, signing, pacing methods, and stage properties be harmonized and unified. Having the same origin with Ci of pacing the void, Ci of hymns after the Tang and Song dynasties is also of the form of words dubbed in music. When Daoist rituals of fasts and offerings were in vogue, Daoists, literary men and even emperors and government officials composed Daoist tunes widely, so all kinds of Ci of hymns emerged. Today's ''Ritual Hymns of the Three Grottos of the Golden Register Fast'' ( 金錄齋三洞贊詠儀 Jinluzhai Sandong Zanyong Yi ) and ''[[Ritual of Jade Tunes]]'' ( 玉音法事 Yuyin Fashi ) collect quite a few hymns. In terms of the form, though keeping the process of music initiation of Ci of pacing the void, hymns have some new characteristics. The most important thing is the emergence of long and short verse. Take ''Supreme Clarity Tunes'' ( 太清樂 Taiqing Yue ) collected in the upper volume of Ritual Hymns of the Three Grottos of the Golden Register Fast for example. Many sentences serving as a foil are added to the seven-character-per-line poem. Consequently, lines of different length are formed, and the poem has a peculiar style. Owing to Daoist thought's permeation into Chinese literature, most Ci loved by literary men in history have the conception of immortality. According to ''Tunes Compiled by Imperial Order'' ( 欽定詞譜 Qinding Cipu ), Recalling Blowing Flute at the Phoenix Platform, Tune of Untying Ornaments, Gazing at the Gate to Immortality, and Presenting Immortal Tunes are all connected with Daoist immortal tales. The content of many Ci of the Song dynasty contains distinct Daoist meanings. Many great writers also created a certain number of immortal Ci. For example, Liu Yong and Huang Tingjian created some Ci of this subject. This kind of work combines immortal tales and classical allusions with the feelings of a spiritual journey. The use of puns produces a queer effect of thought-provoking mental association. [[zh:道詞]] c952f6a3d62e931f0bfda7cec8b70daf4ecd238f 0 433 521 2009-09-13T03:19:54Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Literature}} Daoist prose is a big category of Daoist literature. Its origin can be traced back to [[Laozi]] and [[Zhuangzi]]'s philosophical prose. Since most founders ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} Daoist prose is a big category of Daoist literature. Its origin can be traced back to [[Laozi]] and [[Zhuangzi]]'s philosophical prose. Since most founders of early Daoist sects were widely read in literature, it was inevitable for them to create Daoist classics in the style of prose for disciples to learn. After more than 2000 years of development, there is a splendid array of Daoist prose. Such works hold a considerable proportion in collections of Daoist books. According to the form, Daoist prose is mainly classified into three categories, namely argumentative prose, narrative prose and poetic prose. == Daoist argumentative prose== Daoist argumentative prose is a literary genre that expounds Daoist teachings. In early periods, it was mainly in the form of quotations. In this kind of prose, questions and answers from immortals, such as "Celestial Masters" ( 天師 Tianshi ) and "Perfect Men" ( 真人 Zhenren ) are used to express Daoist views of the nature, society and human life. For example, '' Black Scarf Book of Supreme Peace '' ( 太平清領書 Taiping Qingling Shu ) (i.e. [['' Book of Supreme Peace '']] ( 太平經 Taiping Jing )) is a piece of prose of this kind on the whole. The conversations in it are different from those between characters in fiction. The author of quotation-styled prose does not aim at displaying the personalities of the characters, but at illustrating the doctrines via immortal figures. Consequently, usually the questions are short while the replies are long for their sole purpose was to sermon. In order to make the sermon more logical and systematic, many writers of Daoism pay attention to the improvement of the artistic level of argumentative prose. Based on quotation-styled prose, they created "Dao-preaching-styled" prose, a kind of prose that combines logical reasoning and illustration by examples. It was initiated by renowned Daoist [[Ge Hong]] of the Eastern Jin dynasty, and became flourishing in the Tang and Song dynasties. Though emerging from quotation-styled prose, "Dao-preaching-styled" prose underwent a great evolution. As the name implies, this kind of prose is aimed at illustrating the profound philosophies of Daoism. But since the philosophies are profound, "vivid" materials are needed to make them accepted by Daoist devotees. Hence Dao-preaching-styled prose is not to confuse people by pure reasoning, but to embody the ideas in "images" and expound ideas by clarifying the "images". For example, chapter "illustrating the mystery" in '' The Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity '' ( 抱樸子內篇 Baopuzi Neipian ) first defines the properties of the "mystery", and then reveals the functions and forms of the "mystery" in different aspects, embodying the "imageless" "mystery" in the substantial existence in time and space "with image". == Daoist narrative prose== Standing shoulder to shoulder with Daoist argumentative prose is Daoist narrative prose. This kind has description as its basic feature. When visiting famous mountains, Daoists always narrate what they see and hear in combination with their own impressions of cultivating the Dao. For example, '' Journey to the Immortality Cliff '' ( 遊仙岩記 You Xianyan Ji ) by Daoist [[Bai Yuchan]] of the Southern Song dynasty begins with an account of how he, with matted hair covering his tanned face and bare footed, comes to visit Wuyi from Qiongzhou, and then it goes on to relate the plots of his visit to Gentleman Yungu and their writing poems to the hearts' content. A description of scenery is inserted. The picture of the night view of Mt. Wuyi is outlined in just a few mild words. The prose reads zestfully. There are a number of such works in collections of Daoist books. They are valuable as historical materials to the understanding of the evolutionary history of Daoist Grotto Heavens ( 洞天 Dongtian ) and Blissful Realms ( 福地 Fudi ). Moreover, they are charming and have appreciation values. == Poetic Prose== In addition to argumentative and narrative prose, poetic prose also holds a standing in Daoist literature. As everyone knows, "rhyme prose" was only a literary means in the era of the emergence of '' The Book of Odes '' ( 詩經 Shijing ). In the Warring States Period, it became a literary genre, but before that it was not prose, but poetry. In the Han dynasty, it was transformed into prose. Men of letters wrote poetic prose in a flowery style one after another. Being different from argumentative and narrative prose, Daoist poetic prose is rather parallel and rhythmic in choice of words due to its close relation with poetry. For example, '' Ode to Cyclic Elixirs in the Form of Golden Liquids '' (金液還丹賦 Jinye Huandan Fu ) by Xiao Tingzhi is of better artistic inspiration for its' means of parallel prose. Many pieces of poetic prose created by other Daoists generally have this distinguishing feature, as well. [[zh:道教散文]] 7ba2a9fa64bcdb50e10cdf1a507d62a11cb4ca2d 0 434 522 2009-09-13T03:30:51Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Literature}} Daoist fiction is a combination of the Daoist belief and fiction and an artistic expression of Daoist feelings. There are both works that directly convey Da...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} Daoist fiction is a combination of the Daoist belief and fiction and an artistic expression of Daoist feelings. There are both works that directly convey Daoist life as the subject and the idea of immortality as the guideline, and works that embody the idea of immortality and Daoist feelings in worldly life. Generally, Daoist fiction can be classified into the following four categories: Zhiguai (tales of mystery and the supernatural), romance, Huaben (colloquial stories), and Zhanghui (a type of traditional Chinese novel with each chapter headed by a couplet giving the gist of its content). == Zhiguai== Zhiguai is the category of Daoist fiction that appears the earliest: The word "Zhiguai" first appears in chapter "Unfettered Excursion"( 逍遙遊 Xiaoyao You ) in the Book of Zhuangzi. Some pieces of Zhigui fiction have tales of immortals and deeds of Daoists as their basic content; some take regions and orientations as the basic framework and relate the local specialties, valuable things and fantastic stories about them; some give a miscellaneous account of heavenly constellations and spirits, divination, marriages between immortals and mortals, or dreams, which are written in various styles. Generally speaking, this kind of fiction is written in simple words and is not too long in length. == Romance== Romance is another big category of Daoist fiction: Romance derives from Zhiguai. On the one hand, it inherits the fashion of recounting unusual things in bizarre wording of the Six Dynasties; on the other hand, it "stresses peculiarity" and fabricates legends, displaying the self-consciousness in the creation of fiction. The Tang and Song dynasties are the period when romance was at its height. A great many romances of different kinds were produced. Works reflecting Daoist life and expressing Daoist ideas hold a certain proportion. In addition, some works do not directly have unusual stories of immortals and Daoists as the subject, but have dreams, historical stories, and affairs of human life as the subject. However, the main idea of these works is imbued with a Daoist conceptualization of the world. Take, for example, '' Precious and Secret Tales '' ( 枕中記 Zhenzhong Ji ) by Shen Jiji, ''Biography of the Prefect of Nanke '' ( 南柯太守傳 Nanke Taishou Zhuan ) by Li Gongzuo, and '' Unofficial Biography of Li Linfu '' ( 李林甫外傳 Li Linfu Waizhuan ) by an anonymous person. Either being permeated with the Daoist view of life or suggesting the power of Daoist magic arts, they can be regarded as "the transition form" of Daoist romance. == Huaben== "Huaben fiction" arises in the Song and Yuan times: "Huaben" refers to the original script used by storytellers. The stories come from a variety of materials, an important part of which is immortals and ghosts. Daoist Huaben fiction refers to the category that has immortals and ghosts as the subject and Daoist belief as the guideline. For example, '' A Grotto of Demons on the Western Mountain '' ( 西山一窟鬼 Xishan Yiku Gui ) is centered on the description of spirits and ghosts and the exaggeration of the terrible atmosphere. It is a reflection of the Daoist concept of immortals and ghosts in town life. Compared with Daoist romance, Daoist Huaben-styled short stories are rather successful either in the mastery of materials or in the depiction of characters and ideas. There is often only a single line of the plots, but the stories are complete and clear. Besides, the use of scenes as a foil to the development of stories and the use of foreshadowing make the plots more complicated and dramatic. The language basically keeps the advantage of colloquialism, popular and simple and hence easy to spread. == Zhanghui== In the Ming and Qing times, the creation of Chinese fiction was all the more mainstream. On the basis of Huaben and model-Huaben fiction emerged full-length Zhanghui-styled novels. Some of them have Daoist life as the subject and Daoist idea as the gist, such as '' The Romance of the Gods '' ( 封神演義 Fengshen Yanyi ), '' Record of the Four Journeys '' ( 四遊記 Siyou Ji ), '' Comprehensive Biography of Han Xiangzi '' ( 韓湘子全傳 Han Xiangzi Quanzhuan ), '' Records of Immortal Lü's Brandishing Sword '' ( 呂仙飛劍記 Lüxian Feijian Ji ), and '' Immortal Traces in the Wild '' ( 綠野仙蹤 Lüye Xianzong ). Such works can be regarded as full-length Daoist Zhanghui-styled novels. They have the following three characteristics. First, they combine historical stories and immortality tales; second, they polish the immortality tales spread among the people; third, they are permeated with the Daoist teaching of attaining immortality through cultivation. Daoist Zhanghui fiction plays a special role in the propagation of Daoist doctrines. Being conversant with Daoist scriptures, the authors adapt, reorganize or create immortal tales and embody the reasons in concrete images so as to make the propagation of Daoist ideas more popular and easier to be accepted by people. [[zh:道教小說]] 97ca604d7a51f57fe78e47b8e7eb74a563959761 0 435 523 2009-09-13T04:04:28Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Literature}} As a form of traditional literature, they used to be seen in some scenic spots or places associated with Daoism, especially at the entrance of buildings, or...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} As a form of traditional literature, they used to be seen in some scenic spots or places associated with Daoism, especially at the entrance of buildings, or on the door of houses, reminding visitors of the mystery of traditional Chinese culture. It was said that on the last New Year's Day before the fall of his country, Meng Yong, king of the Later Shu in the Five Dynasties, composed a couplet on a pillar made of peach wood, which went as follows: "A new year is to see good signs, an auspicious festival ought to be followed by the long spring." Since then, the practice was followed. The name of Pillar Couplets came from two facts: they were normally seen on the pillars of a house, and they consisted of two antithetical sentences. 'Chinese couplets' was another name. Pillar Couplets were seen in Grotto Heavens ( 洞天 Dongtian ), Blissful Realms ( 福地 Fudi ), and other Daoist spots. In those cases, they were used to express Daoist ideas and values. That's the reason why we find stories of immortals in couplets. In the Temple of Original Sublimity ( 元妙觀 Yuanmiao Guan ) in Quanzhou city, for instance, the couplet goes as follows: "His majesty was received warmly by white deer and green ox. Rituals in his honor were attended by people in feather clothes with ivory tablets in their hands." In the couplet was the story about Laozi's visit to Han Gu Pass. In this story, the 'green ox' was mounted by Laozi, which, in the couplet, reminded of [[Book of Tao and its Virtue]] ( 《道德經》Daode Jing ), the book Laozi wrote at that spot. In Daoist stories, immortals used to appear in 'feather clothes' ( 羽衣 Yuyi ), which, in this case, became the symbol of Laozi's ascension to the heaven. The author of the couplet used 'rituals' in the second sentence to suggest the homage and respect paid to Laozi by Daoist followers and relevant Daoist services in the later periods. In most Daoist Grotto Heavens and Blissful Realms, we can easily find couplets like this. Another feature of Daoist couplets was the combination of descriptions of external nature and reflections of the human inner world. At Zhuhe Mansion on [[Mt. Qingcheng]], for example, was a couplet which went as follows: "The pine trees invite the cranes from the Three Islands, the buildings harbor clouds from the highest heaven". In this case, the couplet detailed the natural beauty of Zhuhe Mansion, the cranes flying above the pine trees and their singing echoing in the high mountains around it. The natural beauty, however, produced a frame of mind, i.e., the Daoist refinement of inner nature. In this regard, 'the three islands' referred to Penglai, Fangzhan and Yingzhou, the fairylands described in ancient Daoist mythical stories as perfect spots for cultivation. The combination of mystery from mythical and religious stories and the beauty of nature helped to create intangible beauty as well as a unique atmosphere associated with Daoist culture highlighting immortals, Grotto Heavens and Blissful Lands, which, in return, provided the visitors with a chance to experience spiritual uplift. In Daoist couplets lay not only Daoist understandings about nature and the human world, but also unique aesthetic tastes, which explained why Daoists and literati showed so much interest in composing couplets that injected humanity into Daoist culture. [[zh:道教楹聯]] 8f232a10ade24bf10fede60486d9302578335320 0 436 524 2009-09-13T04:11:54Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Literature}} In Chinese history, literary anecdotes normally referred to things associated with national regulations and rules. In the later periods, they were used to i...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} In Chinese history, literary anecdotes normally referred to things associated with national regulations and rules. In the later periods, they were used to imply records of national affairs and local hearsay. In Daoism, literary anecdotes referred to records about regulations and activities associated with Daoist sects. Daoist literary anecdotes used to cover things from organizations and rituals to cultivation as well as stories about immortals. They were recorded in numerous historical documents. Practically, however, the idioms used to highlight famous immortals and religious activities relevant to Daoist transmission, ritual and regulation and so on. Examples were '[[the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea]]' and '[[the Domestic Fowls and Animals Rise to Heave]]', which provided us with vivid pictures about historical events and figures in Daoism. Anecdotes such as '[[Rebirth from the Original Fetus and Bones]]' and 'Eighty one Salvations', on the other hand, highlighted the transmission of Daoism and magic resulting from cultivation. Daoist literary anecdotes were rooted in Daoist culture. Based on the unique style of literature and simple language, they became the mirror of Daoist belief and pursuit, which, in return, produced a stable narrative structure as well as a far-reaching impact in Chinese literature. [[zh:道教掌故]] 9ae4382c91aa05249078152827564a99954af30f 525 524 2009-09-13T04:12:33Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} In Chinese history, literary anecdotes normally referred to things associated with national regulations and rules. In the later periods, they were used to imply records of national affairs and local hearsay. In Daoism, literary anecdotes referred to records about regulations and activities associated with Daoist sects. Daoist literary anecdotes used to cover things from organizations and rituals to cultivation as well as stories about immortals. They were recorded in numerous historical documents. Practically, however, the idioms used to highlight famous immortals and religious activities relevant to Daoist transmission, ritual and regulation and so on. Examples were 'the [[Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea]]' and 'the [[Domestic Fowls and Animals Rise to Heave]]', which provided us with vivid pictures about historical events and figures in Daoism. Anecdotes such as '[[Rebirth from the Original Fetus and Bones]]' and 'Eighty one Salvations', on the other hand, highlighted the transmission of Daoism and magic resulting from cultivation. Daoist literary anecdotes were rooted in Daoist culture. Based on the unique style of literature and simple language, they became the mirror of Daoist belief and pursuit, which, in return, produced a stable narrative structure as well as a far-reaching impact in Chinese literature. [[zh:道教掌故]] bc8cd6c427155765576633439faa8db41a662ad3 527 525 2009-09-13T04:14:25Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} In Chinese history, literary anecdotes normally referred to things associated with national regulations and rules. In the later periods, they were used to imply records of national affairs and local hearsay. In Daoism, literary anecdotes referred to records about regulations and activities associated with Daoist sects. Daoist literary anecdotes used to cover things from organizations and rituals to cultivation as well as stories about immortals. They were recorded in numerous historical documents. Practically, however, the idioms used to highlight famous immortals and religious activities relevant to Daoist transmission, ritual and regulation and so on. Examples were '[[the Eight Immortals Cross the Sea]]' and '[[the Domestic Fowls and Animals Rise to Heaven]]', which provided us with vivid pictures about historical events and figures in Daoism. Anecdotes such as '[[Rebirth from the Original Fetus and Bones]]' and 'Eighty one Salvations', on the other hand, highlighted the transmission of Daoism and magic resulting from cultivation. Daoist literary anecdotes were rooted in Daoist culture. Based on the unique style of literature and simple language, they became the mirror of Daoist belief and pursuit, which, in return, produced a stable narrative structure as well as a far-reaching impact in Chinese literature. [[zh:道教掌故]] 9e0bbec2a36d24ca83d14408d1ba40713728e6b5 0 3 526 8 2009-09-13T04:12:59Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} Daoist Nursery Rhymes are ballads spread among children. They are distinctive in that they are sung without being accompanied by musical instruments. Nursery rhymes have a very early origin. According to the chapter "The 25th Year in the ''Reign of Duke Zhao" in the Spring and Autumn with Commentary by Zuo Qiuming'', nursery rhymes existed as early as in the days of King Wen and King Wu of the Zhou dynasty. Later, they were popular among the people. Nursery rhymes are either spontaneously created by children or taught by adults. There are different types of nursery rhymes, and one of them is the Daoist nursery rhyme. Daoist nursery rhymes refer to popular ballads that reflect Daoist ideological tendency and are spread among children. As for their function, they may contain prophecy. At critical moments of dynastic changes in history, Daoist prophetic nursery rhymes usually appeared in society. For example, before Yang Jian ascended the throne in the Sui dynasty, some people spread the word that he had "imperial appearance" and would become the emperor. It is recorded in the chapter "Biography of Wang Shao" in The History of the Sui Dynasty that there was a shrine for Laozi in Chenliu, where there was a withered cypress. People all said that Laozi would "transcend the mundane world". He had predicted that once branches of the cypress grew in the southeast, a saint would come into the world and Daoism would prevail. In the Sourthern Qi days, branches really grew in the lower part of the cypress and pointed up to the southeast. Three boys sang a ballad together at night, "The ancient withered tree in front of the shrine for Laozi, looks like an umbrella in the southeast, where the saintly lord goes by." As the story goes, when he went to Bozhou to take office as provincial governor, Yang Jian looked around the shrine for Laozi in person. He saw that the cypress branches formed a circle, which tallied with the boys' ballads. So he regarded himself as the "saintly lord". In the last years of the Sui dynasty, another nursery charm sang as follows: "a swan flies around Mt. Yang, where there grow peaches ("Tao") and plums ("Li"). It shuttles among the flowers and trees. Never gossip, for no one allows it." People explained that in this nursery rhyme, "Li" suggests that somebody surnamed Li would rise to be the emperor. "Tao" (peaches) signifies "Tao", which means the surname "Taotang". "Tao" is omitted and only "Tang" is left, which implies that the Tang dynasty would replace the Sui dynasty. This prophetic nursery rhyme resembles the prophecy that somebody surnamed Li would ascend the throne and promote Daoism, which was made by Qi Hui, a Daoist of the Lookout Tower Tradition (樓觀道 louguan dao) . So it was likely to have been created by a Daoist. Daoist nursery rhymes make smooth reading and are therefore easily spread. Objectively they play a special function of propagation. [[zh:道教童謠]] 6cea1aca9df9521743b3eb23ff8521207afcb48a 0 437 529 2009-09-13T04:34:43Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Literature}} There are countless ties between the emergence of Daoist operas and the spread of immortal tales in society, so the scripts all have immortals as protagonis...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} There are countless ties between the emergence of Daoist operas and the spread of immortal tales in society, so the scripts all have immortals as protagonists. The form of the Daoist opera came into being in the Song dynasty. According to chapter "moral operas" in ''Records of the Listener '' ( 夷堅志 Yijian Zhi ), in the Song dynasty, Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism all publicized their own doctrines by means of operas, which consisted of both songs and spoken parts, generally having the features of operas. In the Yuan dynasty, many men of letters were enthusiastic in the creation of Zaju (a poetic drama). Zaju has certain roles and acting procedures, and its content and style are also strictly regulated. Since it synthesized the functions of "speaking, singing and acting", common people quite appreciated it and regarded it as fashionable. According to ''Register of Demons '' ( 錄鬼簿 Lugui Bu ) by Zhong Sicheng, there were more than 400 kinds of Zaju of the Yuan dynasty. Regarding the titles of the operas recorded, about forty works that compose 10 percent of the whole have Daoist activities as subjects and immortal figures as protagonists. ''Correction of Tunes of the Taihe Era '' ( 太和正音譜 Taihe Zhengyin Pu ) by Zhu Quan of the Ming dynasty classifies Zaju of the Yuan dynasty into 12 categories. The first category "conversion to Dao by immortals" and the second category "living in seclusion and loving Daoism" are basically Daoist operas. According to ''Selections from the Yuan Dramas '' ( 元曲選 yuanqu xuan) of the Ming dynasty, ''Supplementary Selections from the Yuan Dramas '' (元曲選外編 yuanqu xuan waibian ) by Sui Shusen of today and ''Collection of the Ancient Versions of Dramas '' ( 古本戲劇叢刊 Guben Xiju Congkan ), there are still as many as 17 existent Daoist dramas of the Yuan dynasty. Besides, some works, such as ''Tale of the Peach-Blossom Girl's Marrying Duke Zhou for Her Magic Skill's Losing Efficacy '' ( 桃花女破法嫁周公 Taohuanü Pofa Jia Zhougong ), do not have immortal figures as the protagonists, but they are deeply affected by Daoist thought. Daoist cultivation aims at transcending mortality and entering the sacred. In Daoist operas of the Yuan dynasty, this pursuit is further specified. For example, Lu Dongbin, Li Tieguai and the like in the operas all have unusual abilities. They can either revive from death, or eliminate disasters, save mortals, and transform animals and plants, getting them out of the abyss of misery. In the dramatists' wording and purport, the Daoist immortals have not only superb magical arts, but also incomparable dwelling places. The works often display the wonderfulness and delightfulness of Daoist Grotto Heavens ( 洞天 Dongtian ) and Blissful Realms ( 福地 Fudi ). In order to form a contrast with the laudation of the sacred immortal realms, Daoist operas of the Yuan dynasty expose much of the tragedies in the official circle in the human world. For instance, ''Tale of a Handan Daoist's Awaking from His Golden Millet Dream '' ( 邯鄲道省悟黃梁夢 Handan Dao Xingwu Huangliangmeng ) takes Huang Gechen's life-long hustle and bustle as an example to persuade people into realizing human worries before it is too late. Though told by immortals, it actually reflects many intellectuals' discontent with the dark society at that time. After the Yuan dynasty, creation of Daoist operas increasingly developed. A few works, such as ''Walking Alone in the All-Embracing Heaven '' ( 獨步大羅天 Dubu Daluotian ) by Danqiu represent the flourishing creation of Daoist operas in the Ming dynasty. Compared to Daoist operas before the middle of the Yuan dynasty, those after the Ming dynasty tend to weaken the exposition of social contradiction. Their plots keep the previous appearance of immortal legends. Regarding their idea, the works contain evident preaching elements. When the immortal figures in the operas try to convert people to Daoism, they must fix attention on propagating the transitoriness of human life. If writers at the beginning of the Yuan dynasty creating Daoist operas had the tendency to criticize the unfair social phenomena, Daoist operas created after the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties express Daoist purport in the aspect of cultivation and practice. [[zh:道教戲曲]] e5c7714da494c0f4b37d9bd193e9339cccf1ae21 0 438 530 2009-09-13T04:42:00Z Admin 1 Created page with ''Causal Tunes' ( 散曲 Sanqu ), also known as 'Pure Tunes' ( 清曲 Qingqu ) and yuefu ( 樂府 Yuefu ), consist of Little Tunes ( 小令 Xiaoling ) and Serial Tunes ( 套曲 Ta...' wikitext text/x-wiki 'Causal Tunes' ( 散曲 Sanqu ), also known as 'Pure Tunes' ( 清曲 Qingqu ) and yuefu ( 樂府 Yuefu ), consist of Little Tunes ( 小令 Xiaoling ) and Serial Tunes ( 套曲 Taoqu ). Little Tunes refer to single tunes, which include Transitional Tunes ( 帶過曲 Daiguo Qu ), which comprise less than three tunes from a same musical unit sharing the same rhyme, and Repetitive Little Tunes ( 重頭小令 Chongtou Xiaoling ), which consist of a few Little Tunes with the same contents and structure, but having different rhymes. In contrast, Serial Tunes include three elements: the same rhyme throughout; a concluding tune; and at least two Single Tunes out of the same musical unit. Because of their considerable length, Serial Tunes are normally used to target complex themes by either narrative or lyrical skills. Casual tunes and plays share many similarities, although they are considered to be different forms of literature. Wang Shizhen, a literary critic in the Ming dynasty, referred to Casual tunes as the transformation of Ci poetry. In his opinion, the ethnic regimes of Jin and Yuan brought forth the prosperity of ethnic musical tunes in China. These featured a higher volume of sound and an unstable rhyme, which used to be considered incompatible with Ci poetry. Under this circumstance, the birth of a new tune became inevitable. It's obvious that the invasion of northern nomadic tribes had become an impetus to the birth of Casual tunes. They became popular, first among city residents, and later period among literati, who ultimately transformed them into a form of literature. 'Casual tunes' deal with many themes, among which were ideas of philosophical Daoism and religious Daoism. In works on pastoral life we find the spirit of 'Dao models after nature'. In this way, objective landscapes became the mirror of personal feelings and inner world. In ancient China, this was also known as the marriage of inner nature and outer nature. 'Casual tunes' also directly targeted human feelings. In this case, a series of metaphors were employed to express the author's admiration for immortals and their desirable life. In works on historical stories, the author used to base the personal inclination for a peaceful life on Daoist stories and anecdotes, highlighting the special taste and feeling associated with Daoism. In terms of artistic styles, 'casual tunes' featured simplicity and plainness, which were in accordance with the void and emptiness, the taste pursued by all Daoist arts. [[zh:散曲]] 53bb4c3c1c42290b635f059d820f6d832d9e9e83 531 530 2009-09-13T04:42:55Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} 'Causal Tunes' ( 散曲 Sanqu ), also known as 'Pure Tunes' ( 清曲 Qingqu ) and yuefu ( 樂府 Yuefu ), consist of Little Tunes ( 小令 Xiaoling ) and Serial Tunes ( 套曲 Taoqu ). Little Tunes refer to single tunes, which include Transitional Tunes ( 帶過曲 Daiguo Qu ), which comprise less than three tunes from a same musical unit sharing the same rhyme, and Repetitive Little Tunes ( 重頭小令 Chongtou Xiaoling ), which consist of a few Little Tunes with the same contents and structure, but having different rhymes. In contrast, Serial Tunes include three elements: the same rhyme throughout; a concluding tune; and at least two Single Tunes out of the same musical unit. Because of their considerable length, Serial Tunes are normally used to target complex themes by either narrative or lyrical skills. Casual tunes and plays share many similarities, although they are considered to be different forms of literature. Wang Shizhen, a literary critic in the Ming dynasty, referred to Casual tunes as the transformation of Ci poetry. In his opinion, the ethnic regimes of Jin and Yuan brought forth the prosperity of ethnic musical tunes in China. These featured a higher volume of sound and an unstable rhyme, which used to be considered incompatible with Ci poetry. Under this circumstance, the birth of a new tune became inevitable. It's obvious that the invasion of northern nomadic tribes had become an impetus to the birth of Casual tunes. They became popular, first among city residents, and later period among literati, who ultimately transformed them into a form of literature. 'Casual tunes' deal with many themes, among which were ideas of philosophical Daoism and religious Daoism. In works on pastoral life we find the spirit of 'Dao models after nature'. In this way, objective landscapes became the mirror of personal feelings and inner world. In ancient China, this was also known as the marriage of inner nature and outer nature. 'Casual tunes' also directly targeted human feelings. In this case, a series of metaphors were employed to express the author's admiration for immortals and their desirable life. In works on historical stories, the author used to base the personal inclination for a peaceful life on Daoist stories and anecdotes, highlighting the special taste and feeling associated with Daoism. In terms of artistic styles, 'casual tunes' featured simplicity and plainness, which were in accordance with the void and emptiness, the taste pursued by all Daoist arts. [[zh:散曲]] b819df9524d153cd8135cf6b388e56f88f2a13b0 0 439 532 2009-09-13T04:52:25Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Literature}} As an important form of Zaju, a poetic drama of the Yuan dynasty, these plays highlighted stories of Daoist cultivation and salvation, which became the evid...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} As an important form of Zaju, a poetic drama of the Yuan dynasty, these plays highlighted stories of Daoist cultivation and salvation, which became the evidence of their links to Daoism. Actually, their birth should be dated back to the Song dynasty when the ''Records of the Listeners '' ( 《夷堅志》Yijian Zhi ) by Hong Mai introduced information about and compliments on Zaju from the Three Doctrines. This is evidence that Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism had used Zaju to transmit their religious ideas before the founding of the Southern Song dynasty. The surviving titles of plays in the following Jin dynasty provide further evidence that Plays of Salvation by Immortals had come into being prior to the Yuan dynasty. According to the ''chapter Lists of Plays of the Records of Mr. Nancun's Farming Life '' ( 《南村輟耕錄院本名目》Nanchun Chuogenglu Yuanben Mingmu ), among numerous plays of the Jin dynasty, some were based on stories about immortals. ''Zhuang Zhou' s Dream '' ( 《莊周夢》Zhuangzhou Meng ), ''An Assembly at the Pond of Jade '' ( 《瑤池會》Yaochi Hui ) and ''The Peach Banquet '' ( 《蟠桃會》Pantao Hui ) were three of them. Stories of immortals were also seen on the list of 'plays from the south', among which was Lao Laizi's Colorful Dress. Unfortunately, in the case of both the plays from the Jin dynasty and the plays from the south, only some titles of plays about immortals have survived. There are no clues to details of these plays. Although its birth could be dated to an earlier period, only in the Yuan dynasty did the genre of Plays on Salvation by Immortals see its prosperity. According to the ''Record of Ghosts '' ( 《錄鬼簿》Lugui Bu ), a book written by Zhong Sicheng, there were as many as 400 plays in the Yuan dynasty. Among them, about 40 were plays on immortals. Zhan Maoxun, a scholar in the Ming dynasty, wrote the ''Collection of Plays of the Yuan Dynasty '' ( 《元曲選》Yuanqu Xian ), a book comprising 94 plays from the Yuan dynasty and 6 plays from the beginning of the Ming dynasty. In the 1960s, on the basis of documents such as a handwritten manuscript of ''Plays of the Yuan and Ming dynasties '' ( 《元明雜劇》Yuanming Zaju ), also known as the Mowang Academy version, Sui Shusen compiled ''a Collection of Additional Plays from the Yuan Dynasty '' ( 《元曲選外編》Yuanquyuan Waibian ), which consisted of 62 plays. Among them were ''Chen Tuan's Resting in the Loftiness, Pavilion Yue Yang and Ren Fengzi ''. A few of the plays were written at the end of the Yuan dynasty or at the beginning of the Ming dynasty. But most of them were dated in the early phase of the Yuan dynasty. The playwrights in the Yuan dynasty used to turn to legendary stories of Daoist immortals for narrative structures, which provided them with blueprints of a happy life in the immortals' world as well as a greater freedom to expose and criticize evils in an autocratic society. In ''Chen Tuan's Resting in Loftiness '', for instance, a court robe dyed with blood stood for the risk and hypocrisy in one's political career. In contrast, the playwright gave all praises to the Daoist style of life, which was characterized by going away from power and fame. To some extent, the plays were a mirror of intellectuals' inner world in dynastic periods. [[zh:神仙道化劇]] 02c619357c004ced2f0e013397d28303e152e6a1 0 440 533 2009-09-13T05:00:03Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Literature}} Daoist operas about legends refer to operas that have stories about immortals and Daoists as their theme and legends as their style, and are intended to rep...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} Daoist operas about legends refer to operas that have stories about immortals and Daoists as their theme and legends as their style, and are intended to represent the idea of cultivating Dao and attaining immortality. "Chuanqi (legend)", or "chuanqiwen", was originally a novelistic style, and was transformed into an operatic form in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Kong Shangren, the descendent of the 64th generation of Confucius, said, "a minor art as the legend may be, it contains all kinds of styles, such as poetry, ''fu'' (an intricate literary form combining elements of poetry and prose), ''ci'' (poetry written to certain tunes with strict tonal patterns and rhyme schemes, in fixed numbers of lines and words), ''qu'' (a type of verse for singing), and four-six prose (a type of parallel prose, ''pianwen'', characterized by a preponderance of pairs of four- and six-character sentences). It even contains drawing skills in the description of men and scenery." Here Kong Shangren was talking about "legend" in its operatic or dramatic sense. In his view, the operatic "legend" incorporates various previous forms of expression. It both inherits the intellectual tradition of "education" and "admonishment" of ''The Book of Odes'' ( 詩經 Shijing ), and uses the historical writing style of The Spring and Autumn Annals, Historian Zuo's Commentary on ''The Spring and Autumn Annals, The History of Kingdoms and The Records of the Historian''. Although the intellectual tendency of the legend has varied in terms of time, place and individual, its function of "admonishment" is always obvious. In the aspect of form, the structure of operas about legends has evolved from the southern drama of the Song and Yuan dynasties. The structure is roughly the same as that of the southern drama, but is more compact and in better order. The opera about legends is more diversified in plot and more minute in character portraying. It is a further development of the southern drama in tunes, acting and classification of roles. In the meantime, operas about legends incorporate the elements of ''zayu'' (a poetic drama) of the Yuan dynasty and also take in tunes of the northern drama, and therefore appear varied and colorful. Operas about legends are usually rather long. The longest even consist of fifty or sixty plays, and for some of them, it takes as long as two or three days to perform the whole opera. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, many literati were fond of writing operas about legends. Over 700 writers and approximately 2,000 works are recorded. Today there are still over 600 acting scripts, excerpts, or fragmented versions of operas about legends in different series of books. A large part of the extant operas of the Ming and Qing dynasties have tales about immortals or Daoists as the subject, such as ''Records of Handan'', ''The Story of Dongfang Shuo Stealing Peaches'', ''The Golden Millet Dream of Perfect Man'' ( 真人 Zhenren ) ''Lü'', ''The Legend of Immortal Fuling'', and dozens of others. Besides, though not special narrations of stories of immortals, quite a few works are mingled with such content. Whether the subject matter is marriage, history or legal cases, we can find many descriptions of immortal sights and Daoist ritual activities. In some works the plot development usually depends on the "directions" of immortals and Daoists. All these facts reveal the influence of Daoism on operas about legends. The basic content of Daoist operas about legends mainly includes: # Elaborating the great Dao, expelling evil demons, and thus admonishing people. In order to carry forward Daoist techniques, Daoism needs not only space, but also successors. Consequently, "initiating" the predestined immortals becomes an important matter of Daoist activities. This theme is represented through the dreamlike plots in works such as ''Records of Handan and Elder Wen Attained Immortality After Being Saved by Han Xiangzi''. # Depicting the ways of the world, deciding cases, and immortals' miraculous manifestations. Most operas about legends are about the ways of the world, especially marriage and love, and disputed legal cases. Although this theme "adapts" the earthly affairs of man's world, the plot development usually involves Daoist immortal tales or certain Daoist activities and hence displays Daoist ideological tendencies to some degree. For example, in the ''Dream of Lei'', the literati Wen Jingzhao dreamed of an immortal showing him the character "Lei", and afterwards both his marriage and future were related to it. Works like this are in fact representations of the foresight of immortals and the Daoist idea of "predestination" via a secular subject. The principal artistic feature of Daoist operas about legends is that it represents fate with a tone of reverie. These works usually connect the human world, heaven and the netherworld, make the protagonists experience life and death in this "three-phase space", manifest the complex relation between immortals, mortals and ghosts, and then represent the theme of "life and death" in multiple levels and take on a "weird" artistic appeal. As for the establishment of dramatic images, keeping firm to the particularities of immortals and their surroundings, the works achieve an emphatic artistic effect through comparison between two extremes. [[zh:道教傳奇戲曲]] aaf6964ba2ba63bb8376d7f4ed2c051147480fc5 0 441 534 2009-09-13T05:14:16Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Literature}} Daoist novels about the ways of the world refer to works that express Daoist ideas and feelings via the theme of life in this world. In other words, they co...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} Daoist novels about the ways of the world refer to works that express Daoist ideas and feelings via the theme of life in this world. In other words, they combine Daoist thinking with the artistic expression of Daoist feelings through fiction. The major theme of Daoist novels about the ways of the world is love between human beings and immortals. There were already such works in the Wei and Jin periods. For example, in books like ''Investigations into the Divine'' ( 搜神記 Soushenji ), Dong Yong, who was of poor origin, was appreciated and helped by a fairy; Liu Chen and Ruan Zhao who entered the earthly paradise, also enjoyed a period of romantic times of tryst with fairies. These stories of mortals in the novels best correspond with Chinese people's outlook on life. In this way the literati of the Wei, Jin and the Southern and Northern dynasties who worshiped Daoism both displayed the limitations in this world and expressed people's desire for the fairyland, and were eager to let the fairies descend to the world so as to affirm this world again. But these stories of love between human beings and immortals were generally confined to records of the supernatural and did not yet become a new form of novels. In the Tang and Song dynasties, with the popularity of the form of legends, the theme of love between human beings and immortals received more extensive representation. In novels of the Wei, Jin, and the Southern and Northern dynasties, the heroes who married fairies usually had the idea of secularization, while in the Tang dynasties, these ordinary people who had amorous adventures "were so happy as to forget home". For example, Pei Hang in the chapter "Pei Hang" in the ''Legends'', intellectual Cui in the chapter "Intellectual Cui" in the ''Unofficial History'', and Zhang Zhuo in ''Collection of Jokes in the Year Huichang'' all became immortals after their romantic love with a fairy. There seemed to be no hindrance between the immortal and mortal worlds in the literature of the Tang and Song dynasties. But the stories of love between human beings and immortals did not break through the framework of legends. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, with the appearance of colloquial stories and pseudo-colloquial stories, this theme received a relatively perfect representation. Meanwhile, works describing fairies who came to the mundane world to assist kind-hearted men emerged as the time required, and so Daoist novels about the ways of the world were set in a steady form. Take ''The Gardener Encountered a Fairy at Night'' as an example. Old man Qiu was bullied and oppressed by Master Zhang Wei, the son of a high offical. Later the fairy in charge of flowers and the flower deity helped him and punished the villain. Since then old man Qiu ate flowers everyday and finally became the flower-protecting envoy of the heavenly emperor. Apparently there is no direct description of love between humans and immortals in such stories, but deep down the stories contain sincere affection resulting from good deeds. In such affection, the amour between man and woman was sublimed into the affirmation of and reward for good deeds. Daoist novels about the ways of the world are mostly written in a refreshingly lucid style. The quality of the works does not stem from their plot, but from their moving feelings. They embody the idea of inherent human feelings and human nature initiated by the Philosophical Daoism ( 道家 Daojia ) of the pre-Qin days. [[zh:道教世情小說]] cdf6a8858decf772b2395dbd03f22c73c0e7851f 0 442 535 2009-09-13T06:03:40Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Literature}} The word "legend" originally appeared in the book Legend by Pei Xiang, a writer in the late Tang dynasty. Since the Song dynasty, scholars have taken it as ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} The word "legend" originally appeared in the book Legend by Pei Xiang, a writer in the late Tang dynasty. Since the Song dynasty, scholars have taken it as a general name for novels of the Tang. Daoist novels of legends are one type of Tang novels of legends. In ancient China, poems and writings which "elucidate orthodox thoughts", have always been regarded as orthodox literature, while novels, which are not based on classics, do not appeal to refined taste. Nevertheless, in the Tang dynasty, the number of writers of legends was on the increase, and many of them were famous historians, ancient prose writers or poets. Especially in the middle Tang, the writing of novels of legends flourished. As far as content is concerned, although they deal with a wide range of subjects, the novels of legends after the middle Tang are generally associated with Daoism and strongly supernatural. The works of legends that have Daoist thoughts as their theme, demonstrate the nature of Daoist deities, depict activities of Daoists, or compose strange plots by use of [[Daoist Magical Instruments]] ( 法器 Faqi ) can be regarded as Daoist novels of legends. For example, Wang Du's ‘’Record of an Ancient Mirror’’ ( 古鏡記 Gujing Ji ) relates that the author got an ancient mirror from scholar Hou, and passing through many places, cured sickness and exorcised with it; and that a slave girl, reflected by the ancient mirror, revealed her true features as an old fox. It displays the magical function of the ancient mirror. Obviously it aims at elaborating the idea that Daoism attaches importance to the function of magical instruments in the transmission of Dao via literature. Generally speaking, Daoist novels of legends have four main subject matters. The first is illusion, i.e., expressing Daoist thoughts through dream stories. For instance, Shen Jiji's ''Precious and Secret Tales'' ( 枕中記 Zhenzhong Ji) tells about scholar Lu's dream, in which he enjoyed high position and great wealth but eventually went to hell. Lu did not realize it was a dream until he awoke. This story publicizes the Daoist idea that glory, splendor, wealth and rank are just like a dream and cautions people against secular material desires. The second theme is about deities and Daoists. A number of novels of legends of the middle and late Tang directly depict deities and Daoists. In legend-writers' works, deities mostly have experience of cultivating Dao. Most of them were originally Daoists and later promoted to be deities after cultivation. Some examples are Luo Gongyuan, Pei Zhan and the like, depicted in the Supplementary ''Tales of Mysteries and Miracles'' ( 續玄怪錄 Xu Xuanguai Lu ) compiled by Li Fuyan and in the ''Collected Tales of the Miraculous'' ( 集異記 Jiyi Ji ) compiled by Xue Yongruo. These Daoists became deities because they were said to master one or more Daoist techniques. Of course, Daoists are not the only one to be enrolled in the pantheon. Legend-writers tell people that there are different approaches to immortality but what counts is firm belief in Daoism through the narration of the hero's life. The third is a romantic theme. A great deal of evidence shows that Daoism emphasized belief in one's feelings. A representative work is Li Chaowei's Biography of Liu Yi. It recounts the story of a scholar who had failed in the imperial examination, who encountered a dragon maid of Dongting Lake who tended sheep in wilderness. Plots about Daoist activities are inserted in the book. For example, Daoist Taiyang's preaching of ''The Book of Fire'' ( 火經 Huojing ) contains the Daoist theory that Yin and Yang interact with each other. The fourth is a historical theme. For example, Anecdotes of The Book of Documents by Li Chuo and ''The Unofficial Life History of Li Linfu'' by an anonymous author explain the Daoist idea that a just cause gains great support, while an unjust one gains little, through the description of the life history of some important historical figures of the Tang dynasty. Compared with novels about the occult of the Six Dynasties, Daoist novels of legends are a great development in terms of technique of expression. As Lu Xun analyses, the writers of novels of legends "are very meticulous about strangeness" and have self-consciousness in fiction creation, so they can make use of various kinds of techniques to depict the characters' nature. For example, they reveal the theme and represent Daoist guidelines by foreshadowing through subplots and diagram divination. [[zh:道教傳奇小說]] e66cd506633460ca3d8addad5d9b3fb810a0f7e7 0 443 536 2009-09-13T07:09:34Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Literature}} Daoist Novels about the Occult are works recording deities' unusual deeds and their influence on the basis of Daoist ideas. They belong to a genre of Chines...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} Daoist Novels about the Occult are works recording deities' unusual deeds and their influence on the basis of Daoist ideas. They belong to a genre of Chinese traditional novels about the occult and are a genre of Daoist novels. The word "occult" first appeared in the chapter "Unfettered Excursion ( 逍遙遊 Xiaoyaoyou ) " in ''The Book of Master Zhuang'' ( 莊子 Zhuangzi ), which says, "The fables of Qi are records of the occult". Later "the occult" became a general term for works that record supernatural tales about deities, immortals, demons and goblins. Historically, myths, immortal legends and geographical stories constitute the three origins of novels of the occult. Besides this, primitive Shamanism and the theory of Yin, Yang and the [[Five Agents]] ( 五行 Wuxing ) are ideological sources. For these reasons, there are countless ties between novels of the occult and Daoism of later ages. Daoist novels of the occult gradually took shape in the works of ancient times, such as ''The Book of Master Zhuang'', ''[[The Book of Mountains and Seas]]'' ( 山海經 Shanhai Jing ), and the ''Fragmented Records Found in the Tomb of Ji''. In the Han dynasty, stories of Esoteric Speculations ( 讖緯 Chenwei ) became popular and Shamanism began to prevail. Society was in an atmosphere of immortality seeking, which then turned to be the theme of novel creation. All kinds of occult tales of this theme came out one after another. The exotic countries and people and strange scenery depicted in ''The Map of the Whole Region'' ( 括地圖 Kuodi Tu ), ''The Book of Divine Miracles'' ( 神異經 Shenyi Jing ), ''The Tale of Entering the Netherworld'' ( 洞冥記 Dongming Ji ), the ''Record of the Ten Continents'' ( 十洲記 Shizhou Ji ), etc. provide source materials for the subsequent depictions of the immortal world in Daoist novels of the occult. For example, they are the chief source of the extraordinary sight of Grotto Heavens and Blissful Realms in the novels. The Chinese literature of the Wei and Jin periods had a strong mystical flavor. The Daoist spirit, which contains Laozi's and Zhuangzi's philosophy and metaphysics, became the spiritual prop of generations of literati in the Wei and Jin dynasties. They took great pains to display their ideal of seeking immortality in their works. Chapters in Zhang Hua's ''Jottings of Rarities and Miscellaneous Stories'' ( 博物志 Bowu Zhi ), Guo Pu's ''Records of Mystery'', Cao Pi's ''Biographies of the Marvellous'' ( 列異傳 Lieyi Zhuan ), and Gan Bao's ''Investigations into the Divine'' ( 搜神記 Soushen Ji ) formed the style and features of the splendid array of Daoist novels of the occult of the Wei and Jin dynasties. Due to the authors' admiration for immortals, tales of mystical spirits, exotic countries and people, Magical Arts ( 法術 Fashu ) and Divination ( 占卜 Zhanbu ) concerning immortals usually became the main content of the stories. Lu Xun's Brief History of Chinese Novels examines the novels of this period from the angles of historical background, author, creation motive, and characteristics of the works. Lu Xun believes that "China originally believed in Shamanism. In the Qin and Han dynasties, the theory of immortality was in the vogue. In late Han period, Shamanism was highly advocated, and the tradition of demons was also flourishing. At that time Hinayana Buddhism was introduced to China and started to spread. These traditions all promoted belief in demons and deities, spirits and the supernatural. Consequently, from the Jin dynasty to the Sui dynasty, there came out a great number of books about the occult. Some of them were written by literati, and some by believers. Literati differed from Buddhists or Daoists, who aimed at making their own religion more sacred through their works, but their intention was not to compose fiction. This is because it was believed at that time that both the living and the dead really existed, though in different ways, and consequently relations of supernatural affairs were as authentic as records of mundane affairs. This is a penetrating judgment. Whether considering the number or the importance of novels, Magicians ( 方士 Fangshi ) (who became Daoists afterwards) were the major authors in this period. Take novels recorded in the chapter "Biographical Records" in The History of the Han Dynasty as example. Over two thirds of them were written by Magicians. Many writers of the day had the double status of scholar and of Daoist believer. Their major aim in writing was to propagate Daoism. Guo Xian said in the preface of the Record of Communication with the Netherworld that the book is "concentrated on Daoist teachings and intended to reveal the mystery of the netherworld." Gan Bao's preface to the Investigations into the Divine says that the book is aimed at "making it clear that the occult is not false". Wang Jia's ''Supplementary Amplifications of Tales'' ( 拾遺記 Shiyi Ji ) "mainly concerns the auspicious and widely draws on immortal tales". Obviously, then, the novels about the occult of the Han, Wei, and Jin periods are rich in Daoist ideas. After the Wei and Jin dynasties, although the main form of novels was legend, novels of the occult did not disappear. Works recording supernatural Daoist affairs flourished and formed a gallery of Daoist novels about the occult. The basic characteristic of Daoist novels about the occult lies in that it expresses the ancients' profound consciousness of life by means of mystical writings. Daoism has always paid attention to life and regarded longevity as a heavenly "treasure". As a result, the wish for revival and the depiction of the existence of life's unusual energy and spirit out of the world become the important content of Daoist novels about the occult. Different from the Buddhist description of hell, these novels tend to display a lovable fairyland. Literati believing in Daoism or Daoist writers attempt to remove the boundary between life and death and transform life from one form into a more perfect form with "realistic writing". Thus, the images of immortals and Daoists became the artistic carrier of the collective subconscious of the ancient people's concern about life. [[zh:道教志怪小說]] fd5488d8161f1508a7e05e67d26fd4714c459390 0 444 537 2009-09-13T07:27:24Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Literature}} Poems on alchemy are poems about alchemical Occult Techniques ( 法門 Famen ) and activities. Alchemy was started by the Magicians ( 方士 Fangshi ) in t...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} Poems on alchemy are poems about alchemical Occult Techniques ( 法門 Famen ) and activities. Alchemy was started by the Magicians ( 方士 Fangshi ) in the pre-Qin period. According to the ''Records of the Historian'' and other ancient books, tradition has it that the original activities of the refinement of the golden elixir already existed in the days of [[the Yellow Emperor]] ( 黃帝 Huangdi ). As the story goes, the Yellow Emperor cast a Cauldron ( 鼎 Ding ) on Mt. Jingshan to refine elixirs. When the elixirs were made, a heavenly dragon came. According to the book Guicang, the wife of Houyi stole and ate an elixir, thus flying to the moon. Nothing but legends as they were, these stories show that alchemy has a long history in China. The refining activities began in the early days after the foundation of Daoism. According to legend, Celestial Master Zhang ( 天師 Tianshi ) made elixirs on Mt. Longhu in Jiangxi before he came into Shu. After he succeeded in making the elixirs, a dragon and a tiger emerged. Alchemy has been an important Daoist activity ever since the Han dynasty. Many Daoists, including both [[Wei Boyang]] and [[Hugangzi]], both [[Ge Hong]] and [[Tao Hongjing]], devoted a large part of their energies to this activity. Traditional Daoist alchemy is classified into [[External Alchemy]] ( 外丹 Waidan ) and [[nner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). External alchemy refines minerals such as mercury and cinnabar, while inner alchemy "refines" the essential vital breath in one's body in imitation of external alchemy. In the long course of this activity, Daoists constantly summed up their accumulated experiences, and wrote a lot of works on alchemy. These works are in various literary forms, such as prose and poetry. Poems on alchemy are an important part of Daoist alchemical works. They fall into shi (poetry) and ''ci'' (poetry written to certain tunes) according to types of literature. As far as a certain work is concerned, an author either uses a single type of literature or combines different types. It is also true of the style of ''shi'' or ''ci''. An author adopts the style of ''shi'', or the style of ''ci'', or both of them. The literary type of the ''Supreme Clarity Instruction of Golden Liquids and Divine Elixirs'', an early book on alchemy which is said to have been written by Perfect Sovereign ( 真君 Zhenjun ) Yin, was "qiyanshi" (a poem with seven characters to a line). The later generations elaborated it and compiled the ''Supreme Clarity Book of Golden Liquids and Divine Elixirs'' ( 太清金液神丹經 Taiqing Jinye Shendan Jing ). In the late Eastern Han dynasty, ''[[The Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]] '' ( 周易參同契 Zhouyi Cantongqi ) written by Wei Boyang explained the techniques and efficacies of alchemy in the styles of poetry, fu (an intricate literary form combining elements of poetry and prose) and prose for the purpose of expressing meaning from various aspects. After the Tang dynasty, with the gradual decline of external alchemy and the rise of inner alchemy, all kinds of poems describing the techniques and state of inner alchemy appeared one after another. The most representative one is '' [[On Realizing Perfection]] '' ( 悟真篇 Wuzhen Pian ) by Zhang Boduan. The book has qiyan lüshi (an eight-line poem with seven characters to a line and a strict tonal pattern and rhyme scheme) and ''qiyan jueju'' (a four-line poem with seven charactes to a line and a strict tonal pattern and rhyme scheme) as its main body and the ''ci "xijiangyue"'' (Moon on the Western River)" as its subsidiary part. By means of merging and combining images, it constructs a splendid world of inner alchemy and contains its perfect practice methods. Zhang Boduan's successors also composed poems on inner alchemy. For instance, ''On Returning to the Origin'' ( 還源篇 Huanyuan Pian ) by Shi Tai, ''On Rejuvenating the Body'' ( 複命篇 Fuming Pian ) and The ''Rhythmic Formula of the Elixir Essence'' ( 丹髓歌 Dansui Ge ) by Xue Shi, and ''Works by Master Cuixu'' ( 翠虛篇 Cuixu Pian ) are all influential Daoist poems on alchemy. Some men of letters and refined scholars who practiced Daoism were also fond of writing poems on inner alchemy. For example, ''Yanbo Xing'' written by Huang Shang of the Northern Song dynasty uses the symbol of a boat traveling in mist-covered water as a symbol to imply the magical function of trance, the nine-cauldron technique of inner alchemy. As a special form of literature, Daoist poems on alchemy do not express meanings directly, but indicate the alchemical principles by way of figures of speech, such as symbolism, and create an artistic atmosphere for alchemy. In a sense, the images in Daoist poems on alchemy are the symbols of alchemical techniques, which accumulate the unusual energies of the alchemical art through combination and change. Reciting them time and again can achieve the efficacy of purifying one's body and mind and thereby lead one into the world of inner alchemy. This is why many poems on alchemy need to be recited. [[zh:煉丹詩詞]] 22a1c7945bab5579dc596c1e63ab521c6367fa63 538 537 2009-09-13T07:27:54Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} Poems on alchemy are poems about alchemical Occult Techniques ( 法門 Famen ) and activities. Alchemy was started by the Magicians ( 方士 Fangshi ) in the pre-Qin period. According to the ''Records of the Historian'' and other ancient books, tradition has it that the original activities of the refinement of the golden elixir already existed in the days of [[the Yellow Emperor]] ( 黃帝 Huangdi ). As the story goes, the Yellow Emperor cast a Cauldron ( 鼎 Ding ) on Mt. Jingshan to refine elixirs. When the elixirs were made, a heavenly dragon came. According to the book Guicang, the wife of Houyi stole and ate an elixir, thus flying to the moon. Nothing but legends as they were, these stories show that alchemy has a long history in China. The refining activities began in the early days after the foundation of Daoism. According to legend, Celestial Master Zhang ( 天師 Tianshi ) made elixirs on Mt. Longhu in Jiangxi before he came into Shu. After he succeeded in making the elixirs, a dragon and a tiger emerged. Alchemy has been an important Daoist activity ever since the Han dynasty. Many Daoists, including both [[Wei Boyang]] and [[Hugangzi]], both [[Ge Hong]] and [[Tao Hongjing]], devoted a large part of their energies to this activity. Traditional Daoist alchemy is classified into [[External Alchemy]] ( 外丹 Waidan ) and [[Inner Alchemy]] ( 內丹 Neidan ). External alchemy refines minerals such as mercury and cinnabar, while inner alchemy "refines" the essential vital breath in one's body in imitation of external alchemy. In the long course of this activity, Daoists constantly summed up their accumulated experiences, and wrote a lot of works on alchemy. These works are in various literary forms, such as prose and poetry. Poems on alchemy are an important part of Daoist alchemical works. They fall into shi (poetry) and ''ci'' (poetry written to certain tunes) according to types of literature. As far as a certain work is concerned, an author either uses a single type of literature or combines different types. It is also true of the style of ''shi'' or ''ci''. An author adopts the style of ''shi'', or the style of ''ci'', or both of them. The literary type of the ''Supreme Clarity Instruction of Golden Liquids and Divine Elixirs'', an early book on alchemy which is said to have been written by Perfect Sovereign ( 真君 Zhenjun ) Yin, was "qiyanshi" (a poem with seven characters to a line). The later generations elaborated it and compiled the ''Supreme Clarity Book of Golden Liquids and Divine Elixirs'' ( 太清金液神丹經 Taiqing Jinye Shendan Jing ). In the late Eastern Han dynasty, ''[[The Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]] '' ( 周易參同契 Zhouyi Cantongqi ) written by Wei Boyang explained the techniques and efficacies of alchemy in the styles of poetry, fu (an intricate literary form combining elements of poetry and prose) and prose for the purpose of expressing meaning from various aspects. After the Tang dynasty, with the gradual decline of external alchemy and the rise of inner alchemy, all kinds of poems describing the techniques and state of inner alchemy appeared one after another. The most representative one is '' [[On Realizing Perfection]] '' ( 悟真篇 Wuzhen Pian ) by Zhang Boduan. The book has qiyan lüshi (an eight-line poem with seven characters to a line and a strict tonal pattern and rhyme scheme) and ''qiyan jueju'' (a four-line poem with seven charactes to a line and a strict tonal pattern and rhyme scheme) as its main body and the ''ci "xijiangyue"'' (Moon on the Western River)" as its subsidiary part. By means of merging and combining images, it constructs a splendid world of inner alchemy and contains its perfect practice methods. Zhang Boduan's successors also composed poems on inner alchemy. For instance, ''On Returning to the Origin'' ( 還源篇 Huanyuan Pian ) by Shi Tai, ''On Rejuvenating the Body'' ( 複命篇 Fuming Pian ) and The ''Rhythmic Formula of the Elixir Essence'' ( 丹髓歌 Dansui Ge ) by Xue Shi, and ''Works by Master Cuixu'' ( 翠虛篇 Cuixu Pian ) are all influential Daoist poems on alchemy. Some men of letters and refined scholars who practiced Daoism were also fond of writing poems on inner alchemy. For example, ''Yanbo Xing'' written by Huang Shang of the Northern Song dynasty uses the symbol of a boat traveling in mist-covered water as a symbol to imply the magical function of trance, the nine-cauldron technique of inner alchemy. As a special form of literature, Daoist poems on alchemy do not express meanings directly, but indicate the alchemical principles by way of figures of speech, such as symbolism, and create an artistic atmosphere for alchemy. In a sense, the images in Daoist poems on alchemy are the symbols of alchemical techniques, which accumulate the unusual energies of the alchemical art through combination and change. Reciting them time and again can achieve the efficacy of purifying one's body and mind and thereby lead one into the world of inner alchemy. This is why many poems on alchemy need to be recited. [[zh:煉丹詩詞]] 6580ae508662d8cfca3bc6d81cdb0a115cb9302c 0 445 539 2009-09-13T07:34:53Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Literature}} Poetry about Immortals is a type of Daoist poetry. It originally refers to poetry which sings the feelings of immortals' roam. Generally, the poems have fiv...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} Poetry about Immortals is a type of Daoist poetry. It originally refers to poetry which sings the feelings of immortals' roam. Generally, the poems have five characters to a line, and there are ten, twelve, or sixteen lines in a poem. Predecessors classified poetry about immortals in different ways: according to the author's ideological tendency, poems about people of wealth and rank are classified as orthodox ones while poems about the common people are called deviant ones; or according to form, poems about the roam of both the author and immortals are classified as archaic ones, while poems about the roam of immortals alone are called modern ones. Poetry about immortals originated from poetry and fu (an intricate literary form combining elements of poetry and prose) before the Han dynasty. There were chapters describing immortals' blissful ascent to heaven even as early as in ''The Elegies of the Chu'' ( 楚辭 Chuci ). Take the chapter ''Far-Off Journey'' ( 遠遊 Yuanyou ) as an example. It puts ancient immortal tales into the form of poetry. Through the description of the "journey", it represents a free world and expresses one's troubled thoughts. It appears in an embryonic form of poetry about immortals. In the Qin dynasty, the first emperor was fond of immortality. He "had a court academician write poems on immortals and Perfect Men ( 真人 Zhenren ), and when traveling around the world, he ordered musicians to sing and play them." The emergence of these poems reflected the vogue of the pursuit of immortality at that time. Afterwards, in the ''yuefu'' poetry of the Han dynasty, there appeared works on immortality, such as ''Ri Churu'' ("The Rising and Setting of the Sun) and ''Tianma'' ("The Heavenly Horse") in the 19 sacrificial poems, which express the ideal of enjoying a tour in space. However, it was after the Han dynasty that poetry about immortals began to be disseminated as a mature type of literature. Not only Daoists, but also scholars created poems about immortals, which became a common poetic type. Therefore, the first collection of selected literary works of our country, the ''Selected Literary Works'' compiled by Xiao Tong of the Liang dynasty, classified them as a type of literature. Liu Xie specially commented on poetry about immortals in his ''The Literary Mind and Carving of Dragons'', and Zhong Rong's Categories of Poetry gave a more detailed appraisal of the style of the works of Guo Pu and the like. After the Wei, the Jin and the Northern and Southern dynasties, although poetry about immortals was not as popular as it had been before, many people still wrote poems of this style. For example, works by Bai Juyi, Li He, etc. took on the traits of poetry about immortals. From the point of view of thought, poetry about immortals tends to express an intense aspiration to transcend mundane society; from the perspective of art, it expresses a peculiar imagination and is uses varied figures of speech, such as hyperbole, personification and symbolization, while the Daoist illusions about immortals make poetry about immortals appear more romantic. [[zh:遊仙詩]] c7f1a412111b8f90d38931cee7752b50165debb1 0 2 540 6 2009-09-13T08:20:34Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} Poetry about Charms is a type of Daoist poetry. Its characteristic lies in the poetic expressive technique and the magical function of charms. Charms had been popular before the foundation of Daoism. As words of prayer, early charms were signs or inner expressions of intense feelings. Therefore, "charms" correspond with "prayers" in meaning. At the very start "prayers" are endowed with the double function of procuring the good and banishing the evil. Praying orally for the descent of benevolent deities can procure the good, but another purpose is banishing the evil. Violent and commanding words are needed for this purpose. Hence oaths and curses became charms. For example, it is recorded in the chapter "North of the Wilderness" of [[''The Book of Mountains and Seas'']] ( 山海經 Shanhai Jing ) that when Chiyou started military operations against the Yellow Emperor, the Yellow Emperor ordered the "responding dragon" to attack the wilderness in Jizhou. The "responding dragon" stored water. Then Chiyou asked the Earl of Wind and the Master of Rain to blow and rain hard. So the Yellow Emperor asked the heavenly maiden "Ba" to descend and stop the rain and thereupon he killed Chiyou. Afterwards, because Ba couldn't return to heaven, it did not rain. Then the Yellow Emperor ordered Shujun, who was in charge of the field, to drive away Ba and pray for rain to dispel the drought. Shujun commanded: :The deity should go northward! :First clear waterways! :Dredge the trenches! This order is a charm. It sounds resolute and decisive, rhythmic and forceful. The sentence pattern is a combination of three-character and four-character verses, and the second and third sentences roughly rhyme. It can be regarded as a rudimentary poem about charms. With the frequent practice of praying and the popularity of poetry, charms gradually evolved to into a fixed rhythm anda well-balanced sentence pattern. And then four-character and five-character charms took shape. Such sentence patterns were adopted at the beginning of the foundation of Daoism. In the Wei, the Jin and the Northern and Southern dynasties, as a particular kind of Magical Arts ( 方術 Fangshu ), charms were regarded as important by Daoists. Charms inherited on the one hand, and imitated and innovated on the other hand. Along with the rapid increase of Daoist scriptures, new charms were produced in large number. It can be found from the Daoist scriptures of this period quoted in the [[''Essential Secrets of the Most High'']] ( 無上秘要 Wushang Miyao ) that charms exist in almost all the Daoist scriptures on magical arts. The ''Jade Book of the Great Grotto'' ( 大洞玉經 Dadong Yujing ) of [[the Highest Clarity sect]] ( 上清派 Shangqing Pai ) alone collects 39 charms. Although not all these charms are poems, it is certain that there are a considerable number of poems on charms. The major type of poetic charm that has been quite influential ever since the Wei and the Jin dynasties is the "Incantations of Perfect Writs ( 真文咒 Zhenwen Zhou ) ", i.e., the incantations of the ''Five Tablets in Perfect Script '' ( 五篇真文 Wupian Zhenwen ). These charms are composed in line with the five directions of East, West, South, North, and Center. In addition, the "Incantations of the Three August Ones ( 三皇 Sanhuang )" and the "Highest Clarity ( 上清 Shangqing ) Incantations" are nearly equal to the "Incantations of Perfect Writs". During the development of Daoism, different kinds of poetry on charms interacted, producing variants on the basis of the three types. In Daoist poetry about charms, the names of deities are actually the key images. Each deity has his own story. When the deities' stories are condensed into allusions by the charm producers, the artistic conception of poetry about charms is created. Meanwhile, enhancing the atmosphere is an important aspect of poetry about charms. The poems used for asking deities to kill evil demons notably convey a militant mood. For example, the poems about charms in ''The Book of Divine Incantations of the Supreme Pervasive Abyss'' ( 太上洞淵神咒經 Taishang Dongyuan Shenzhou Jing ) list various deities and weapons and depict the sight of lightning. They are just like soul-stirring descriptions of fighting. [[zh:咒語詩]] 02e8b706315d53558201dfdb3806e058a5672601 541 540 2009-09-13T08:20:56Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} Poetry about Charms is a type of Daoist poetry. Its characteristic lies in the poetic expressive technique and the magical function of charms. Charms had been popular before the foundation of Daoism. As words of prayer, early charms were signs or inner expressions of intense feelings. Therefore, "charms" correspond with "prayers" in meaning. At the very start "prayers" are endowed with the double function of procuring the good and banishing the evil. Praying orally for the descent of benevolent deities can procure the good, but another purpose is banishing the evil. Violent and commanding words are needed for this purpose. Hence oaths and curses became charms. For example, it is recorded in the chapter "North of the Wilderness" of ''[[The Book of Mountains and Seas]]'' ( 山海經 Shanhai Jing ) that when Chiyou started military operations against the Yellow Emperor, the Yellow Emperor ordered the "responding dragon" to attack the wilderness in Jizhou. The "responding dragon" stored water. Then Chiyou asked the Earl of Wind and the Master of Rain to blow and rain hard. So the Yellow Emperor asked the heavenly maiden "Ba" to descend and stop the rain and thereupon he killed Chiyou. Afterwards, because Ba couldn't return to heaven, it did not rain. Then the Yellow Emperor ordered Shujun, who was in charge of the field, to drive away Ba and pray for rain to dispel the drought. Shujun commanded: :The deity should go northward! :First clear waterways! :Dredge the trenches! This order is a charm. It sounds resolute and decisive, rhythmic and forceful. The sentence pattern is a combination of three-character and four-character verses, and the second and third sentences roughly rhyme. It can be regarded as a rudimentary poem about charms. With the frequent practice of praying and the popularity of poetry, charms gradually evolved to into a fixed rhythm anda well-balanced sentence pattern. And then four-character and five-character charms took shape. Such sentence patterns were adopted at the beginning of the foundation of Daoism. In the Wei, the Jin and the Northern and Southern dynasties, as a particular kind of Magical Arts ( 方術 Fangshu ), charms were regarded as important by Daoists. Charms inherited on the one hand, and imitated and innovated on the other hand. Along with the rapid increase of Daoist scriptures, new charms were produced in large number. It can be found from the Daoist scriptures of this period quoted in the [[''Essential Secrets of the Most High'']] ( 無上秘要 Wushang Miyao ) that charms exist in almost all the Daoist scriptures on magical arts. The ''Jade Book of the Great Grotto'' ( 大洞玉經 Dadong Yujing ) of [[the Highest Clarity sect]] ( 上清派 Shangqing Pai ) alone collects 39 charms. Although not all these charms are poems, it is certain that there are a considerable number of poems on charms. The major type of poetic charm that has been quite influential ever since the Wei and the Jin dynasties is the "Incantations of Perfect Writs ( 真文咒 Zhenwen Zhou ) ", i.e., the incantations of the ''Five Tablets in Perfect Script '' ( 五篇真文 Wupian Zhenwen ). These charms are composed in line with the five directions of East, West, South, North, and Center. In addition, the "Incantations of the Three August Ones ( 三皇 Sanhuang )" and the "Highest Clarity ( 上清 Shangqing ) Incantations" are nearly equal to the "Incantations of Perfect Writs". During the development of Daoism, different kinds of poetry on charms interacted, producing variants on the basis of the three types. In Daoist poetry about charms, the names of deities are actually the key images. Each deity has his own story. When the deities' stories are condensed into allusions by the charm producers, the artistic conception of poetry about charms is created. Meanwhile, enhancing the atmosphere is an important aspect of poetry about charms. The poems used for asking deities to kill evil demons notably convey a militant mood. For example, the poems about charms in ''The Book of Divine Incantations of the Supreme Pervasive Abyss'' ( 太上洞淵神咒經 Taishang Dongyuan Shenzhou Jing ) list various deities and weapons and depict the sight of lightning. They are just like soul-stirring descriptions of fighting. [[zh:咒語詩]] 9f9fc2e5804731109a14a835b037ffa04e265d40 0 446 542 2009-09-13T08:31:25Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Literature}} The ''Stanzas on Pacing the Void in the Grotto of Emptiness'' ( 空洞步虛章 Kongdong Buxu Zhang ) is a representative work of Daoist poetry on Pacing th...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} The ''Stanzas on Pacing the Void in the Grotto of Emptiness'' ( 空洞步虛章 Kongdong Buxu Zhang ) is a representative work of Daoist poetry on Pacing the Void ( 步虛詞 Buxu Ci ). It first appears in the ''Numinous Treasure of the Pervasive Mystery's Book on Pacing the Void on Jade Capital Mountain'' ( 洞玄靈寶玉京山步虛經 Dongxuan Lingbao Yuejing Shan Buxu Jing ) and is a record transmitted orally by Daoists of [[the Numinous Treasure sect]] ( 靈寶 Lingbao ). We can consider that it came into being before the Southern and Northern Dynasties, because the ''Essential Formulas from Various Scriptures of the Numinous Treasure on Fasting skills and Rituals'' ( 靈寶齋法齋戒威儀諸經要訣 Lingbao Zhaifa Zhaijie Weiyi Zhujing Yaojue ) of the Northern Jin dynasty describes the process of chanting the ''Stanza on Crossing Nonbeing and Revealing Emptiness'' ( 涉無披空洞章 Shewu Pi Kongdong Zhang ) while circumambulating the Self-Generated Platform of the Seven Treasures ( 七寶自然之台 Qibao Ziran Zhi Tai ). Similar records are found in the ''Numinous Treasure of the Pervasive Mystery's Book on Pacing the Void on Jade Capital Mountain'', where the stanza of pacing the void to be chanted is The ''Empty Grotto Stanza'', which is probably the ''Stanza on Crossing Nonbeing and Revealing Emptiness''. Anyway, the Initiation ''Ritual of the Supreme Numinous Treasure of Pervasive Mystery'' ( 太上洞玄靈寶授度儀 Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Shoudu Yi ) written by [[Lu Xiujing]], a Daoist adept of the Southern dynasty, uses this work on pacing the void, so obviously it is of long standing. The ''Stanzas on Pacing the Void in the Grotto of Emptiness'' is introduced by tones for pacing the void, and together with the procedure of the "Long Fasting ( 長齋 Changzhai )", explains the function of purifying oneself and corresponding with the subtle Dao. The tenth piece of the work writes, "Changzhai Hui Xuandu, Mingyu Kou Qiongzhong" (The Daoist visualizes an assembly in the Mystery Metropolis ( 玄都 Xuandu ); he beats the jade article and strikes the good bell)". What is called "zhai" (Fasting) is a way of purifying oneself and communicating with deities, and "changzhai" (Long Fasting) means that it is a practice to be sustained . The "Xuandu" (Mystery Metropolis ) is an immortal realm in Daoist legends. After self-purification and communication with deities, practitioners assemble in the Mystery Metropolis and hence reach a special psychological realm in practice. "Mingyu" refers to the beating of jade objects during the chanting of pacing the void, which makes the practitioners attain the goal of concentrating and purifying their mind. "Kou Qiongzhong" (Striking the Good Bell) refers to the effect of the body and mind achieved after the practitioners come into an atmosphere of fasting. When chanting the ''Stanzas on Pacing the Void in the Grotto of Emptiness'', the practitioners have to kowtow, burn incense, circumambulate by riding on the void, meditate, and accumulate merits. It is actually a way to concentrate the complicated, changing and speeding mind by means of certain movements, and thereby the practitioners banish distracting thoughts from their mind, relax, and achieve mental calm. It is thus evident that the ''Stanzas on Pacing the Void in the Grotto of Emptiness'' has not only the characteristics of common chanting, but also teaches the value of the study of nourishing life. [[zh:空洞步虛章]] 4212e44f4a292fc8098ce71e8a77ec5ab93ed013 0 447 543 2009-09-13T08:34:36Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Literature}} "Nüguan" (capeline or Daoist nun( 女冠 nuguan ) ) originally refers to the cap worn by female Daoist practitioners and later was used to indicate a femal...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} "Nüguan" (capeline or Daoist nun( 女冠 nuguan ) ) originally refers to the cap worn by female Daoist practitioners and later was used to indicate a female Daoist. Feminine Daoist poems are the poems composed by female Daoists. This kind of poems is also called "Daoist nun poetry". There is a great deal of evidence that females are not discriminated against in Daoism. So women were initiated into Daoism since the Han dynasty. After being converted, they usually exert themselves on learning and actively compose poems about their feelings in their cultivation of Dao. This type of poetry was especially in vogue in the Tang dynasty. According to literature, many princesses and imperial concubines of the Tang cultivated Dao, which nearly became a fashion. These females had relatively high educational level. They mingled with men of knowledge and posed as lovers of culture. Undoubtedly they greatly promoted the Daoist nuns' writing of poems on Dao. Examining the ''Complete Tang Poetry'', we may find a lot of women Daoist poets. Li Ye, Yu Xuanji, Lu Meiniang, Zhuo Yingying, Yang Jianzhen, Guo Xiuzhen all left works behind. These works either encourage people to cultivate Dao, or express their belief in Dao, or describe the fantastic state of cultivating Dao. As far as techniques of expression are concerned, feminine Daoist poems are not limited to one form. They are good at ''duizhang'' (a matching of both sound and sense in two lines, sentences, etc.) and easy to understand, or subtle and sentimental, or lucid and elegant in using allusions. They form a peculiar scene of ancient Daoist poems. [[zh:女冠詞]] df0338c75e82d6fe57ebc0f9756cc9b55787fee5 0 448 544 2009-09-13T08:40:17Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Literature}} "Yuefu" was originally the name of the Han government office in charge of music. For the convenience of singing, the yuefu department compiled poems that co...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} "Yuefu" was originally the name of the Han government office in charge of music. For the convenience of singing, the yuefu department compiled poems that could be set to music in books, and these poems were called "yuefu" by the people of the Wei, the Jin and the Six Dynasties. According to The Miscellaneous Records of Yuefu by Duan Anjie of the Tang Dynasty, yuefu poetry was always closely related to song, dance and music. Later, as a style of verse, yuefu came to include verses for singing. In addition, poems created by literati in imitation of the yuefu style also fell under this category. What is called Daoist yuefu is one kind of yuefu. In terms of the author, Daoist yuefu refers to yuefu verses selected and compiled or created by Daoist followers. The Elegant Verses from the Seat of Bliss ( 樂府雅詞 Yuefu Yaci ) compiled by the Daoist scholar Zeng Zao in the Southern Song dynasty is regarded as an early yuefu collection attributed to Daoist followers. The book comprises three volumes, and there is a two-volume of Supplementary Amplifications, which was compiled in the 16th Shaoxing year of the Song dynasty (1146). The former contains the works of 34 persons including Ouyang Xiu, and the latter contains the works of 16 persons, so there are altogether 50 composers. As a category, Daoist yuefu refers to verses that reflect the tendency of Daoist thought in the form of yuefu poetry and are used in Daoist rituals. For example, "Daogong Bomei", collected in the category of "major qu" in Zeng's Elegant Verses from the Seat of Blis, belongs to this category. In addition, the "Songs for Deities ( 神弦歌 Shenxian Ge ) " , "Poems on Pacing the Void ( 步虛詞 Buxu Ci )" , and "Songs from Above the Clouds ( 上雲樂 Shangyun Yue )" in the 12 categories of Guo Maoqian's Collected Yuefu Poems are also Daoist yuefu works. What is called the "Song for Deities" refers to verses of prayer for deities' descent, and here "xian" indicates that this verse is set to orchestral music for singing. The "Poems on Pacing the Void" are eulogies used in Daoist rituals of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ); and the "Songs from Above the Clouds" refer to the reverie poetry used in communications between the literati who believe in Daoism and fairies in the art world. The Daoist yuefu is distinctive in that it combines with the melodies of Daoist ritual music. It reflects the profound Daoist immortal world and has evident romantic features. [[zh:道教樂府]] f89620ff3199bd0a27bcca8e533b3e4232106768 0 449 545 2009-09-13T08:46:58Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Literature}} As a form of popular literature, Tales about Immortals highlighted the activities and anecdotes of immortals. In Daoism, these stories used to stress basic ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} As a form of popular literature, Tales about Immortals highlighted the activities and anecdotes of immortals. In Daoism, these stories used to stress basic Daoist ideas, activities of immortals and their social influence. In most Tales of Immortals, we find not only the characteristics of folktales, but also Daoist religious pursuits for longevity and ascension to heaven. Today, most scholars on Daoism tend to put them under the title of Daoist literature. Following the appearance of 'immortals' as an independent concept and records about their activities, the first Tales about Immortals came into being. In terms of etymology, an immortal refers to a man who spends his elderly years in the mountains. According to the definition, we can draw a conclusion that the first group of immortals must have been transformed from common people. The concept of immortals could be dated in a period prior to the birth of religious Daoism. In surviving historical documents from that time, we find stories and records about immortals and their activities. On basis of historical documents, we conclude that some Tales about Immortals, such as tales about [[the Queen Mother of the West]] ( 西王母 Xiwangmu ), [[the Yellow Emperor]] ( 黃帝 Huangdi ) or the Elder of Penglai ( 蓬萊丈人 Penglai Zhangren ), were very popular in the Epoch of Warring States and that the earliest Tales of Immortals were transformed from mythical stories. In ancient times, people had unconsciously touched, in the stories, the motif of life and death that, in the later periods, was inherited and developed consciously in Tales about Immortals. Prior to the Han dynasty, Tales about immortals comprised three types: feather people, states of longevity and teachers of human kings. In the first type, immortals became the equivalent of people with feather on their bodies, the artistic image for human ascension to heaven. In the second case, states of longevity recorded in sources like the ''[[Book of Mountains and Seas]]'' ( 《山海經》 Shanhai Jing ), reflected ancient people's anxiety about death and desire for longevity. In the third type, 'teachers of human kings' referred to immortals who came down from heaven, serving the states and the people by teaching their kings. One example was the story about Chi songzi who, as an immortal, became the teacher of kings. To some extent, the stories provided us with access to the inner world of ancient people. Tales of Immortals dated back to the Han dynasty exerted a strong influence on Daoism. Since its birth, Daoists were collecting and rewriting Tales of Immortals dating before the Qin dynasty. For example, there were two stories about celebrating longevity on their birthday by Immortal Aunt Ma and the Eight Immortals. In terms of literary analysis, 'Tales of Immortals' are different from mythical stories in that, in the first case, a man can be transformed into an immortal through cultivation whereas elements of a deity in the mythical stories were predetermined. In terms of literary style, however, they enjoyed both similarities and dissimilarities. In Daoism, biographies of immortals were considered as a parallel to historical records. In contrast, Tales of Immortals highlighted magic elements of immortals through adapting and, in some cases, expanding the original stories. As a result, the immortals in such tales were granted more talents and capacities than human beings. For instance, they lived on the essence of wind and dew instead of food. They used to transform themselves into different forms or, by manipulating magic powers from inside their bodies, exert influence and control over things in nature. According to Daoism, an immortal represented freedom from all unfavorable restraints of governments. In this sense, immortals personalized the human pursuit for freedom and equality. Since its birth, Tales of Immortals have become not only an impetus to Daoist cultivation, but also a bridge between Daoist ideas and folk literature. In the process of transmission, they produced many versions, among which were the 'fairy peach blossom', 'lady peach and plum', 'immortal lady jasmine', 'fairy of jade pistil' and 'fairy of golden toad'. The interplay of Tales of Immortals and folklore gave rise to new tales of immortals, which, in return, became an important form in Chinese literature, serving mainly Chinese people from the lower class. a151ba3714a69af81c187d814ad22a743ba4c498 0 450 546 2009-09-13T08:58:33Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Literature}} Quotations are collections of individual speech or dialogues between two or more people. Sayings of Daoists are the collected sayings about the explanation,...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} Quotations are collections of individual speech or dialogues between two or more people. Sayings of Daoists are the collected sayings about the explanation, study and propaganda of Dao by people in Daoist circles. Sayings of Daoists are classified as prose by style. As for their emergence, quotation prose was already formed in the pre-Qin days. For instance, the sayings of Confucius were recorded and compiled by his students into ''The Analects of Confucius'' ( 論語 Lunyu ), the representative work of early Chinese quotation prose. As other religious communities, Daoism has its own form of organization. In this organization, transmission takes place from masters to disciples, who probe together into Daoist doctrines, Magical Arts ( 方術 Fangshu ), talismanic skills, and rituals. In this process, either the master and disciples dialogue, or a Daoist master gives lectures on a certain problem while his disciples take notes. Thereby a good many sayings are recorded after long-term accumulation. Most chapters of an early Daoist scripture, the '' [[Book of Supreme Peace]] '' ( 太平經 Taiping Jing ), are actually in the style of quotations. In some chapters, the Perfect Man ( 真人 Zhenren ) puts questions to the deity, and in others disciples put questions to the Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ). For example, in the second part of the book, the Perfect Man and the deity have a series of dialogues about how to achieve "eternal happiness". Through explanations of different levels, the deity tells the Perfect Man that mortals live in misery and only the "I" converted to Daoism can be eternal, and that this is what "eternal happiness" means. Such conversations are the greatest feature of the Book of Supreme Peace. The formation of this feature has something to do with Shamans' activities and Magicians' ( 方士 Fangshi ) production of prophecies, because the main aim of Shamans' activities it to ask deities to descend, and when "deities" descend, they give "divine words" which the present disciples note down immediately. Besides, the Celestial Masters and Perfect Men like collating ancient books. When doing so, they usually make extracts, which also form part of the sayings. The tradition founded by the ''Book of Supreme Peace'' was inherited and developed in later Daoist activities. Ever since the Wei and Jin dynasties, Daoist sayings have been enriched gradually. Examining the repository of Daoist books, we may find quite a few scriptures titled "yulu" (sayings, quotations). There are more than ten such scriptures, such as ''The Sayings of Perfect Man Wang'', ''Hermit of Mt. Pan'' ( 盤山棲雲王真人語錄 Panshan Qiyun Wang Zhenren Yulu ), ''The Sayings of Perfect Man Bai of Haiqiong'' ( 海瓊白真人語錄 Haiqiong Bai Zhenren Yulu ), ''The Sayings of Perfect Man Jin'' ( 晉真人語錄 Jin Zhenren Yulu ), and ''Quotations of Qing An, Master of Yin Chan'' ( 清庵瑩蟾子語錄 Qing'an Yingchanzi Yulu ). There are also many other similar titles. Sayings of Daoists play a special function in the propaganda of Daoism. Usually there is no mistaking what they are aimed at. What they discuss are general problems about Daoist doctrines or contemporary pioneering theoretical problems. Many Daoist thinkers demonstrate their comprehension and reflection of Daoist philosophic theories in the form of sayings. In style, sayings of Daoists have simple sentence patterns, a plain wording, and features of spoken language. In order for receivers to understand easily, Daoist leaders tend to make use of various familiar figures of speech, such as analogy and metaphor. In order for the theories elaborated to be generalized, sayings of Daoists are concise and extract many formulae, ballads and proverbs, whereupon the ideas conveyed by the sayings are profound as well. [[zh:道門語錄]] 122cb0511513ade77547428e5b09cb1620fe7dce 0 451 547 2009-09-13T09:09:42Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Literature}} The "Daoist Lyric" ( 道情 Daoqing ) is a category of folk art forms. Its origin can be traced back to immortals songs and Daoist tunes, but it is differe...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} The "Daoist Lyric" ( 道情 Daoqing ) is a category of folk art forms. Its origin can be traced back to immortals songs and Daoist tunes, but it is different from common Daoist music after all. If the creation of Daoist music serves the purpose of worshiping and eulogizing spirits and immortals, and severs the ritual activities of fasts and offerings and becomes an integrant of the whole ritual, then the Daoist lyric is comparatively independent. Daoist lyrics must first of all have rich feeling elements, which are not ordinary worldly feelings, but feelings that transcend the worldly feelings and reflect the sublimation of the essence of "Dao". Therefore, in order to convert people with the noble feelings of "Dao", writers must strengthen the artistic effects through liveliness. This liveliness is reflected not only in content, but also in style. The acting of certain motions can make the content more specific and sensible, and at the same time, spoken parts inserted can make it easier to comprehend. Both of them lead to the shift from the music nature of Daoist lyrics to their drama nature. Consequently, in many dramas of ancient China, plots are developed often by means of Daoist lyrics. It is difficult now to ascertain the original appearance of Daoist lyrics. But some traces can be found in "boards-clapping songs " by Lan Caihe, one of [[the Eight Immortals]] ( 八仙 Baxing ) . In the Song dynasty, Daoist lyrics were not only fashionable among the people, but also welcome by the imperial court. According to volume 7 of ''Past Tales of Wulin'' ( 武林舊事 Wulin Jiushi ) by Zhou Mi, Daoist lyrics at that time were the same as Guzici (i.e. versified story sung to the accompaniment of a small drum and other instruments) in form. In the Southern Song dynasty, singing Daoist lyrics was accompanied by a percussion instrument made of bamboo, known as the Yugu, and the Jianban, a musical instrument used in Chinese opera. Therefore, Daoist lyrics are also called "Yugu". Since Daoist lyrics are terse and can be sung independently, some Daoists or literary men throughout history who believed in Daoism took delight in "illustrating Dao and expressing emotions" by means of them. [[Zhang Sanfeng]] was one of the authors of Daoist lyrics who can be affirmed today. Anthology of Zhang Sanfeng collects many Daoist lyrics, such as Ballad of Daoist Lyrics. As far as artistic means are concerned, the Daoist lyrics by Zhang Sanfeng are closely related to Ci (i.e. poetry written to certain tunes with strict tonal patterns and rhyme schemes, in fixed numbers of lines and words) of the Tang and Song dynasties, and some of them are even written according to relative Cipai (i.e. names of the tunes to which Ci poems are composed) of the Song dynasty. Zhang Sanfeng makes some changes while using Ci of the Song dynasty for reference. This manifests the unified spirit of inheritance and creation. The Daoist lyric is not only a good style for Daoists to relate techniques of cultivation of Dao and express feeling of worshiping Dao, but also spread widely among the people. Not less than several dozen types of Daoist lyrics appear in different places since the Ming and Qing dynasties, and local features are formed moreover. So there are Daoist lyrics of Wenzhou, Yiwu, Dongyang, Hongqiao, Shenchi, Linxian, etc. Local Daoist lyrics are generally all combined with local folk songs and minor tunes, or they absorb the tunes of operas, so there emerge different styles. This is also because of literary men's adoption and spread. Making a comprehensive survey of the Ming and Qing dynasties, we find that although there are not too many Daoist lyrics created by men of letters, but there are really some that are praised by the world. For example, Huixi Daoist Lyric by Xu Dachun in the late Ming dynasty has good fame in the academic circle, and Zhehu Daoist Lyric by Yuan Xuelan also evokes fine repercussion. Singing and playing artisans also benefit from the art of Daoist lyrics. For example, Pearl Tower told orally by Zhang Huinong contains the rich content of singing Daoist lyrics. The Daoist Lyric sung by the hero of the story Fang Qing expresses of his experience of his ten-year assiduous study by means of metaphors. Moreover, it contains profound Daoist teachings. For instance, "perfect merits" and "free and unfettered" reflect the glory of Daoist thought. Besides, an aesthetic "distance" is produced by means of exaggeration and the like, thus having good artistic effects. [[zh:道情]] f319688dc5a1d1b80c6f4b494a786bdbe4cf9750 0 452 548 2009-09-16T02:15:35Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Literature}} Dunhuang Daoist Literature is a special achievement in the special field of Chinese literature and a reflection of Daoist activities and thought in literatu...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Literature}} Dunhuang Daoist Literature is a special achievement in the special field of Chinese literature and a reflection of Daoist activities and thought in literature. Here the "special field" refers to the field of "Dunhuang". Because numerous ancient texts and plastic arts are kept in the Dunhuang grotto, Dunhuang studies have come into being for the study of Dunhuang culture. Dunhuang studies had concentrated on Buddhism over a long period of time. 1980's, a scholar from Sichuan, Long Hui, began to write special papers on Dunhuang Daoist literature. Since then, many other scholars have dealt with this problem in different aspects. According to the classification of these scholars, Dunhuang Daoist literary works generally take two major forms: #Colloquial stories whose subject matter is the life story of Daoists. The ''Narratives Interspersed with Poems of Ye Jingneng'' ( 葉靜能詩話 Ye Jingneng Shihua ), the only Daoist colloquial story, is collected in ''The Dunhuang Corpus of Tales About Deities' Transformation'' ( 變文 Bianwen ). There are many records of Ye Jingneng's anecdotes in the repository of Daoist texts, and Ye Jingneng is also an object of attention in some marvelous novels of the Tang and Song dynasties. The ''Narratives Interspersed with Poems of Ye Jingneng'' prevalent in Dunhuang attributes many tales of Daoists popular in the Tang to Ye Jingneng, in the styles of colloquial stories and marvelous tales. The work first tells 15 short stories about Ye Jingneng's studying the Dao on Mt. Guiji, throwing [[Talismans]] ( 符 Fu ) into a river so as to cross it, and saving Zhang Ling's wife, etc., in order to show the unusual ability of the protagonist, and its exaggerative tone reveals the miraculous function of Daoist Magical Arts ( 法術 Fashu ). This book also propagandizes Daoist social influences in virtue of the story of Emperor Ming of the Tang dynasty worshiping Daoism, and manifests Ye Jingneng's extraordinary force through the plot of Gao Lishi, who disbelieves immortal elixirs, working out a scheme to test Ye Jingneng but being exposed. Overall, the ''Narratives Interspersed with Poems of Ye Jingneng'' opens with poems and uses story-telling as its style. The humorous relation enables people to get a glimpse of the traces of the Daoist colloquial stories of the Tang dynasty. #Poetry is a major genre in Dunhuang Daoist literature. ''Poetry Concerning Daoism'' ( 涉道詩 Shedao Shi ) is a representative work. It has altogether 15 pages. Its author is Li Xiang, who is believed by some people to be a descendant of Li Yuangxiang, the ninth generation descendant of the first emperor of the Tang dynasty. Collected in the book are 28 poems, singing the praises of famous Daoist historical sites, extolling Daoist celebrities, or exchanging poems between Daoist disciples. It is said to be the earliest Daoist anthology of poetry in ''The Supplementary Anthology of Tang Poetry''. Apart from poetry anthologies, some Daoist poems are interspersed in Daoist scriptures, such as the two pieces of the ''Eulogy of the Jade Stars'' ( 玉晨頌 Yuchen Song ), and the ''Eulogy of the Mysterious Thrones of the Supreme Immortals'' ( 太上眾仙玄座頌 Taishang Zhongxian Xuanzuo Song ), etc. Some of the Dunhuang Daoist poems are written by female Daoists. For example, ''Yinyi Wushou'' ("Five Poems about Messages") is written by Yuan Yanyi, a female Daoist. "Yinyi" in the title means information or missives. The author expresses her thoughts and feelings of studying the Dao in the form of poems. Among the five poems are ''Qinzhong Chunwang'' ("Spring in Qin"), ''Ji Luoyang Jiemei '' ("A Letter to Sisters in Luoyang"), and Ganhui ("Feelings"). They both describe the beauty and fun of traveling to the imperial palace of the capital Chang'an in spring, and express the ideal and happiness of studying the Dao with her friends. Besides, the works convey the homesick feelings of the female Daoist. She places the feeling of missing her female fellow disciples on the moon. In Dunhuang, the works on Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ) and paying homage to deities also constitute part of Daoist literature. For instance, the works such as Poems for Paying Homage to the Ten Directions ( 禮十方詞 Li Shifang Ci ) and Songs Exchanged Between Immortals ( 仙人唱和歌 Xianren Changhe Ge ) either depict the lofty divine world in the tone of emptiness and quietness, or represent the extreme happiness in the immortal realm and the mysterious guidance for cultivating the Dao with the feeling of worshiping the Dao. By examining the Dunhuang literature, we may find that some Daoist texts begin with "theme poems". For example, the ''Book of the Ten Precepts'' ( 十戒經 Shijie Jing ) advises people to believe in the Dao and practice it, using the style of wuyan shi (a poem with five characters to a line), with the rhyming word that ends a line of verse in oblique tones. The author takes pains to exaggerate in order to form an artistic atmosphere for observing commandments and cultivating the Dao, thus endowing his work with a strong appeal. [[zh:敦煌道教文學]] ba73c0f936e768aec0ab875611ce3694b473233e 0 453 549 2009-09-16T02:48:03Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Music}}' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} 8460e3a92132e3afca74ea78af5a26b8ec597eea 10 454 550 2009-09-16T02:48:14Z Admin 1 Created page with '<br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[ Daoist Music]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ C...' wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[ Daoist Music]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ Classification and Form of Daoist Music]] |- |[[ Vocal Music]] <br> [[Instrumental Music]] <br> [[Types of Musical Instruments| Musical Instruments]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ Schools of Daoist Music]] |- |[[ Music of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] <br> [[Music of the Complete Perfection Tradition]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" | Compilations of Daoist Music Scores |- |[[ The Ritual of Jade Tunes]]<br>[[ The Daoist Musical Scores Composed by Imperial Order during the Great Ming Dynasty]]<br>[[ The Orthodox Rhythm of the Complete Perfection Tradition]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |Daoist Music of Different Places |- |[[Daoist Music of the White Cloud Temple, Beijing| the White Cloud Temple, Beijing]] <br> [[Daoist Music of Suzhou | Suzhou]] [[Daoist Music of Mt Longhu | Mt Longhu]]<br>[[Daoist Music of Mt Wudang | Mt Wudang]] [[Daoist Music of Mt Mao | Mt Mao]] <br> [[Daoist Music of Shanghai | Shanghai]] [[Daoist Music of Mt Lao, Shandong Province | Mt Lao]]<br>[[ Daoist Music of the Central Shanxi Plain | Shanxi Plain]] [[Daoist Music in West Sichuan | Sichuan]] <br> [[Daoist Music in the Northeast | the Northeast]] [[Daoist Music in Taiwan | Taiwan]] <br> [[Daoist Music in Hong Kong | Hong Kong]] |} <includeonly>[[Category: Daoist Music]]</includeonly> 3aed73edba5fb6b7242cd06b379831ddb741f755 551 550 2009-09-16T02:48:43Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[ Daoist Music]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ Classification and Form of Daoist Music]] |- |[[ Vocal Music]] <br> [[Instrumental Music]] <br> [[Types of Musical Instruments| Musical Instruments]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ Schools of Daoist Music]] |- |[[ Music of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] <br> [[Music of the Complete Perfection Tradition]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" | Compilations of Daoist Music Scores |- |[[ The Ritual of Jade Tunes]]<br>[[ The Daoist Musical Scores Composed by Imperial Order during the Great Ming Dynasty]]<br>[[ The Orthodox Rhythm of the Complete Perfection Tradition]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |Daoist Music of Different Places |- |[[Daoist Music of the White Cloud Temple, Beijing| The White Cloud Temple, Beijing]] <br> [[Daoist Music of Suzhou | Suzhou]] [[Daoist Music of Mt Longhu | Mt Longhu]]<br>[[Daoist Music of Mt Wudang | Mt Wudang]] [[Daoist Music of Mt Mao | Mt Mao]] <br> [[Daoist Music of Shanghai | Shanghai]] [[Daoist Music of Mt Lao, Shandong Province | Mt Lao]]<br>[[ Daoist Music of the Central Shanxi Plain | Shanxi Plain]] [[Daoist Music in West Sichuan | Sichuan]] <br> [[Daoist Music in the Northeast | The Northeast]] [[Daoist Music in Taiwan | Taiwan]] <br> [[Daoist Music in Hong Kong | Hong Kong]] |} <includeonly>[[Category: Daoist Music]]</includeonly> b40a76c9e86fe81ad076e252d879e8c86045b09a 10 454 552 551 2009-09-16T02:49:26Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[ Daoist Music]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ Classification and Form of Daoist Music]] |- |[[ Vocal Music]] <br> [[Instrumental Music]] <br> [[Types of Musical Instruments| Musical Instruments]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ Schools of Daoist Music]] |- |[[ Music of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] <br> [[Music of the Complete Perfection Tradition]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" | Compilations of Daoist Music Scores |- |[[ The Ritual of Jade Tunes]]<br>[[ The Daoist Musical Scores Composed by Imperial Order during the Great Ming Dynasty]]<br>[[ The Orthodox Rhythm of the Complete Perfection Tradition]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |Daoist Music of Different Places |- |[[Daoist Music of the White Cloud Temple, Beijing| The White Cloud Temple, Beijing]] <br> [[Daoist Music of Suzhou | Suzhou]] [[Daoist Music of Mt Longhu | Mt Longhu]]<br>[[Daoist Music of Mt Wudang | Mt Wudang]] [[Daoist Music of Mt Mao | Mt Mao]] <br> [[Daoist Music of Shanghai | Shanghai]] [[Daoist Music of Mt Lao, Shandong Province | Mt Lao]]<br>[[ Daoist Music of the Central Shanxi Plain | Shanxi Plain]] [[Daoist Music in West Sichuan | Sichuan]] <br> [[Daoist Music in the Northeast | The Northeast]] [[Daoist Music in Taiwan | Taiwan]] <br> [[Daoist Music in Hong Kong | Hong Kong]] |} <includeonly>[[Category: Daoist Music]]</includeonly> c3e7cb6cd9f358d771b35a786a30663c61ccde2c 553 552 2009-09-16T02:50:36Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[ Daoist Music]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ Classification and Form of Daoist Music]] |- |[[ Vocal Music]] <br> [[Instrumental Music]] <br> [[Types of Musical Instruments| Musical Instruments]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ Schools of Daoist Music]] |- |[[ Music of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] <br> [[Music of the Complete Perfection Tradition]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" | Compilations of Daoist Music Scores |- |[[ The Ritual of Jade Tunes]]<br>[[ The Daoist Musical Scores Composed by Imperial Order during the Great Ming Dynasty]]<br>[[ The Orthodox Rhythm of the Complete Perfection Tradition]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |Daoist Music of Different Places |- |[[Daoist Music of the White Cloud Temple, Beijing| The White Cloud Temple, Beijing]] [[Daoist Music of Suzhou | Suzhou]] [[Daoist Music of Mt Longhu | Mt Longhu]]<br>[[Daoist Music of Mt Wudang | Mt Wudang]] [[Daoist Music of Mt Mao | Mt Mao]][[Daoist Music of Shanghai | Shanghai]] <br> [[Daoist Music of Mt Lao, Shandong Province | Mt Lao]]<r>[[ Daoist Music of the Central Shanxi Plain | Shanxi Plain]] [[Daoist Music in West Sichuan | Sichuan]] <br> [[Daoist Music in the Northeast | The Northeast]] [[Daoist Music in Taiwan | Taiwan]] [[Daoist Music in Hong Kong | Hong Kong]] |} <includeonly>[[Category: Daoist Music]]</includeonly> c42e471e2bda7603993c0d5c9640fdd0fd148a64 554 553 2009-09-16T02:50:54Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[ Daoist Music]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ Classification and Form of Daoist Music]] |- |[[ Vocal Music]] <br> [[Instrumental Music]] <br> [[Types of Musical Instruments| Musical Instruments]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ Schools of Daoist Music]] |- |[[ Music of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] <br> [[Music of the Complete Perfection Tradition]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" | Compilations of Daoist Music Scores |- |[[ The Ritual of Jade Tunes]]<br>[[ The Daoist Musical Scores Composed by Imperial Order during the Great Ming Dynasty]]<br>[[ The Orthodox Rhythm of the Complete Perfection Tradition]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |Daoist Music of Different Places |- |[[Daoist Music of the White Cloud Temple, Beijing| The White Cloud Temple, Beijing]] [[Daoist Music of Suzhou | Suzhou]] [[Daoist Music of Mt Longhu | Mt Longhu]]<br>[[Daoist Music of Mt Wudang | Mt Wudang]] [[Daoist Music of Mt Mao | Mt Mao]][[Daoist Music of Shanghai | Shanghai]] <br> [[Daoist Music of Mt Lao, Shandong Province | Mt Lao]][[ Daoist Music of the Central Shanxi Plain | Shanxi Plain]] [[Daoist Music in West Sichuan | Sichuan]] <br> [[Daoist Music in the Northeast | The Northeast]] [[Daoist Music in Taiwan | Taiwan]] [[Daoist Music in Hong Kong | Hong Kong]] |} <includeonly>[[Category: Daoist Music]]</includeonly> ca84d6dfb7e7d48640ea8230cf73f058b028184f 0 453 555 549 2009-09-16T03:00:27Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} {{Daoist Music}} ==Definition== Daoist music, or Daoist Ritual Music( 道場音樂 Daochang Yinyue ), is the music used in the Daoist activities of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ). Its formation and development are closely related to the ancient cult music and the popular music of various regions, so it is religious music with Chinese characteristics and a major part of the Chinese traditional music culture. ==Origins== Daoist music originates from Shamans ( 巫 Wu ) and Invocators ( 祝 Zhu ), and inherits the tradition that "shamans make spirits descend by singing and dancing". Simultaneously, Daoism attaches importance to prayer cult, i.e. the so-called Altar Offerings ( 壇醮 Tanjiao ). It continually absorbs music from the rites held in imperial temples, as well as music from popular cults to enrich its own religious activities. Thus the Daoist music with the expression of immortalist belief as its core, was gradually formed. Almost all the ritual offerings are accompanied by music. Daoist music has become one of the traditional ways of preaching. ==Content and characteristics== Though Daoist music has the expression of immortalist belief as its main content, it did not develop independently. During the process of its development, many social aspects, especially court music and local popular music, have influenced it. Therefore, Daoist music has three major characteristics. Firstly, Daoist music is closely associated with rituals of fasts and offerings and is heavily tinged with religious characteristics. Secondly, since those worshiped are mostly heavenly spirits such as the Emperor of Heaven ( 天帝 Tiandi ), and the music is solemn and respectful, Daoist music absorbs many rhythms and tunes from the cult music of the court. Thirdly, due to the wide penetration of Daoism among the people and the mixing of Daoist music and local music in various places over a long time, to a certain extent Daoist music has features of traditional popular music and local music. [[zh:道教音樂]] 8d2879e15c867164c0d15474f7bffd73d884f9e8 556 555 2009-09-16T03:15:13Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} ==Definition== Daoist music, or Daoist Ritual Music( 道場音樂 Daochang Yinyue ), is the music used in the Daoist activities of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ). Its formation and development are closely related to the ancient cult music and the popular music of various regions, so it is religious music with Chinese characteristics and a major part of the Chinese traditional music culture. ==Origins== Daoist music originates from Shamans ( 巫 Wu ) and Invocators ( 祝 Zhu ), and inherits the tradition that "shamans make spirits descend by singing and dancing". Simultaneously, Daoism attaches importance to prayer cult, i.e. the so-called Altar Offerings ( 壇醮 Tanjiao ). It continually absorbs music from the rites held in imperial temples, as well as music from popular cults to enrich its own religious activities. Thus the Daoist music with the expression of immortalist belief as its core, was gradually formed. Almost all the ritual offerings are accompanied by music. Daoist music has become one of the traditional ways of preaching. ==Content and characteristics== Though Daoist music has the expression of immortalist belief as its main content, it did not develop independently. During the process of its development, many social aspects, especially court music and local popular music, have influenced it. Therefore, Daoist music has three major characteristics. Firstly, Daoist music is closely associated with rituals of fasts and offerings and is heavily tinged with religious characteristics. Secondly, since those worshiped are mostly heavenly spirits such as the Emperor of Heaven ( 天帝 Tiandi ), and the music is solemn and respectful, Daoist music absorbs many rhythms and tunes from the cult music of the court. Thirdly, due to the wide penetration of Daoism among the people and the mixing of Daoist music and local music in various places over a long time, to a certain extent Daoist music has features of traditional popular music and local music. [[zh:道教音樂]] d21b623664d9d8e9fd23cd1de6cc102959316772 557 556 2009-09-16T05:27:37Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} ==Definition== Daoist music, or Daoist Ritual Music( 道場音樂 Daochang Yinyue ), is the music used in the Daoist activities of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ). Its formation and development are closely related to the ancient cult music and the popular music of various regions, so it is religious music with Chinese characteristics and a major part of the Chinese traditional music culture. ==Origins== Daoist music originates from Shamans ( 巫 Wu ) and Invocators ( 祝 Zhu ), and inherits the tradition that "shamans make spirits descend by singing and dancing". Simultaneously, Daoism attaches importance to prayer cult, i.e. the so-called Altar Offerings ( 壇醮 Tanjiao ). It continually absorbs music from the rites held in imperial temples, as well as music from popular cults to enrich its own religious activities. Thus the Daoist music with the expression of immortalist belief as its core, was gradually formed. Almost all the ritual offerings are accompanied by music. Daoist music has become one of the traditional ways of preaching. ==Content and characteristics== Though Daoist music has the expression of immortalist belief as its main content, it did not develop independently. During the process of its development, many social aspects, especially court music and local popular music, have influenced it. Therefore, Daoist music has three major characteristics. Firstly, Daoist music is closely associated with rituals of fasts and offerings and is heavily tinged with religious characteristics. Secondly, since those worshiped are mostly heavenly spirits such as the Emperor of Heaven ( 天帝 Tiandi ), and the music is solemn and respectful, Daoist music absorbs many rhythms and tunes from the cult music of the court. Thirdly, due to the wide penetration of Daoism among the people and the mixing of Daoist music and local music in various places over a long time, to a certain extent Daoist music has features of traditional popular music and local music. ==General Outline of Daoist Music== As part of Daoist culture, Daoist music has been flourishing and developing hand in hand with Daoism and Daoist culture. During its lengthy evolution, Daoist music reflects its cultural characteristics in the following three aspects: first, it retains the features of ancient Chinese music. Ever since its formation, Daoist music has been supported and patronized by the imperial authority, restricted by Daoist systems and rules, and has hardly been affected by social upheavals, which has enabled it to develop independently and continuously. In the meantime, Daoist music is transmitted orally and personally through generations and inherited in secret, especially for [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ). Consequently, it has kept the ancient traditional music alive till nowadays. Second, Daoist music has a close relationship with national music and folk music. The history of its evolution is a history of enriching itself through unceasingly absorbing and mixing the elements of national music and folk music. Daoist music is a kind of religious music that bears the traits of Chinese local music. For example, the same tune in the same ritual and an actor's rendering of the tunes in various places bear the qualities of local music, especially of local operas and folk songs; the same scripture in the same ritual appears different when set to music with local tunes of various places. Third, Daoist music interacts and inter-assimilates with Buddhist music. The mutual influence and assimilation between Buddhism and Taoism over hundreds of years has resulted in common elements in the ritual music of the two religions. Thus the likeness between Daoist and Buddhist music is evident in the Daoist music of rituals such as the Recitation of Holy Scriptures ( 誦經 Songjing ) and Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ). The meaning, principles and character of Daoist music conform to Daoist doctrines, rules and thought. The functions of Daoist music, in its religious aspect, consists in spreading doctrines and purifying people, while in its practical aspect, consists in respecting the gods and entertaining men. Daoist music has come into being out of reverence for Daoist gods, faith in Daoist doctrines and advocacy of Daoist rules, so it usually pursues grave and solemn tastes and a style in accordance with Daoist thoughts, so as to harmonize with the specific atmosphere of religious rituals. Corresponding with the fixed procedure of Daoist rituals-----"inviting gods, paying homage to gods, rewarding gods" -- in Daoist music, there are odes eulogizing the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ) and other gods, music representing the floating and flying of gods being summoned, solemn and mighty tunes signifying exorcism, and songs of joy in the clouds describing the wonderful fairyland. The reverence of gods can be regarded as the core principle of Daoist music. But on the other hand, Daoist rituals not only serve all sorts of divinities, but also cater to the common people. Therefore, Daoist music has the function of amusement as well. For instance, some tunes known as "Yin tones" and "Lively Tunes ( 耍曲 Shuaqu )" are played or sung for the ordinary people in the Ritual Space ( 道場 Daochang ) in order to inspire the participants' feelings of religious aestheticism and arouse their interest in participating in the ritual. Daoist music also has local features. Some of the performers of Daoist music are Daoist priests who live in the temples or those who live among the common people; therefore, ritual music absorbs the elements, materials, patterns, structures and acting habits of local folk music. Meanwhile, since the audience of Daoist music includes the local Daoist priests and people, in order to make the music better accepted and arouse the people's consciousness of participation, the Daoist music of different places usually assimilates local music. [[zh:道教音樂]] 9cb6544c31c31f79df040f343ddcb4e517dca228 0 455 558 2009-09-16T08:07:12Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Music}} Daoist music can be categorized into the music of [[the Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] ( 正一道 Zhengyi Dao ) and the music of [[the Complete Perfection Traditi...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} Daoist music can be categorized into the music of [[the Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] ( 正一道 Zhengyi Dao ) and the music of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ). In terms of history, Daoist music can be traced back to shamanistic dance and music, and in terms of its geographic distribution, it is related to the spread of Daoism and is found everywhere in the whole country. Today, viewed in a macroscopic angle, the spread of Daoist music within China was initially established with the distinction of the two major systems of the Complete Perfection and Orthodox Oneness, and the respective styles of the two systems were perhaps formed with the formation of different Daoist sects in the Song and Yuan Dynasties. The confrontation of the regime of the Southern Song Dynasty with that of the Jin and Yuan dynasties between the south and the north resulted in the division of Daoist sects. As to what is stated above, generally speaking, Daoism in the south mainly consists of [[the Talismans and Registers Sects]] ( 符籙派 Fulu Pai ), which were unified into the Orthodox Oneness sect dominated by the lineage of [[the Celestial Masters Tradition]] ( 天師道 Tianshi Dao ), while the Daoist sects in the north included [[the Supreme Oneness Doctrine]] ( 太一教 Taiyi Jiao ), the Doctrine of the Perfect Dao ( 真大道 Zhenda Dao ), and the Complete Perfection Tradition. Among these sects, the Complete Perfection Tradition founded by Wang Chongyang in the Dading year of the Jin Dynasty is the most flourishing one. After the unification of the Yuan Dynasty, it spread to the south of the Yangtze River and was soon found in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hubei and Fujian. Thereafter, as the representative of the refining and nourishing sects, the Complete Perfection Tradition developed into a sect as important as the Orthodox Oneness Tradition of talismans and registers. Owing to the different systems of the Complete Perfection Tradition and the Orthodox Oneness Tradition, the Daoist music of the two sects took shape accordingly and differences in style emerged. Influenced by the thought of the Integration of the Three Doctrines ( 三教合一 Sanjiao Heyi ) of Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism, the ritual music of the Complete Perfection of Daoism was developed by borrowing some forms from Buddhism. The establishment of the temple system and the perfection of the music for scriptural recitation marked the initial formation of the Daoist music of the Complete Perfection. Inheriting the Daoist music of the Tang and Song dynasties, the music of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition tended to be more integrated and regular. The ''Numinous Treasure Golden Book of Instructions on Aid and Salvation'' ( 靈寶領教濟度金書 Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu ) compiled in the early Yuan Dynasty is not only an encyclopedia of rituals, but also an important scripture on Daoist ritual music. The thriving poetic drama of the Yuan Dynasty and the southern drama interacted with and kept in close relation with Daoist music. This not only constituted a characteristic of the development of Daoist music in the Yuan Dynasty, but also created a condition for Daoist music to be folk-oriented and popular in the Ming and Qing dynasties. [[zh:道教音樂流派]] 18cb56094db2c8de0fe4f890197d4b810b1d7c21 0 282 559 348 2009-09-16T08:07:47Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}}It has not yet been confirmed when the music of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ) was formed, but its standardized and unified music did not come into being until [[Wang Chongyang]] founded the tradition. Before the formation of the tradition, its music probably had the same origin with that of other Daoist schools. It was influenced by shamanistic music and dance at first, evolved through different historical periods later, was gradually put in order and took shape, and finally, owing to the division of Daoist schools, became the music that bears the distinctive features of the Complete Perfection Tradition. The music of the Complete Perfection Tradition is mainly used in the rituals of Religious Practice( 修持 Xiuchi ), celebrations, and prayers. The music in religious practice is the music for Morning Altar Scriptures( 早壇功課經 Zaotan Gongke Jing ) and Evening Altar Scriptures( 晚壇功課經 Wantan Gongke Jing ); the music in celebrations is mainly used in the celebrations of the birth of immortals and patriarchs; the music for prayers is mostly used in the rituals of praying for sun or rain, saving the dead souls and relieving the people, such as "feeding the hungry Ghosts" and "presenting memorials to patriarchs". The principal form of the music is vocal music, and instrumental music mainly comprised of percussion music is also used. The daily morning and evening recitation of scriptures is entirely vocal chanting, with the accompaniment of small Magical Instruments( 法器 Faqi ) such as bells, drums, Wood Blocks( 木魚 Muyu ), pans, cymbals and Inverted Bells( 磬 Qing ), and some temples add a little accompaniment with orchestral instruments. The music in the rituals of celebrating and praying is focused on vocal music, with a comparatively large-scale religious dance at times, and to match this spectacle, big magical instruments such as bells, the ''dabo'', the ''danao'' (big cymbals) and some wind instruments are employed for accompaniment. During the rituals, some relatively independent tunes are inserted, such as the "cymbal tunes" and all kinds of short "Lively Tunes ( 耍曲 Shuaqu )" played in some temples. The vocal music forms of the Complete Perfection Tradition include the solo, or unison, given by the High Priest ( 高功 Gaogong ) and the Chief Cantor ( 都講 Dujiang ). Instrumental music is mainly played in the form of an instrumental ensemble; solo and ''chongzou'' (an ensemble of two or more instrumentalists, each playing one part) are seldom seen. The most outstanding characteristics of the music of the Complete Perfection Tradition are its integrity and relative stability. The transmission and inheritance of the music of the Complete Perfection Tradition have always been rigorous and standardized. The current music in the tradition has the ''[[Orthodox Tones of the Complete Perfection]]'' ( 全真正韻 Quanzhen Zhengyun ), or "The Ten-Direction Tone " ( 十方韻 Shifang Yun ) generally called by Daoist priests, as its model, and all the temples should strictly keep to this model. The tones are all transmitted orally by masters in secret, so the music remains highly unified in form. As far as the music of all the major temples of the Complete Perfection Tradition are concerned, the "Ten Direction Tones" chanted in various places are largely identical but with minor differences either in the style or in certain melodies and rhythms. Daoism has the phrase "rigid Complete Perfection", which means that the music of the Complete Perfection Tradition cannot be changed willfully and therefore forms its intrinsic features of integrity and relative stability. The music has scarcely been recorded through the generations, and the materials on it in written forms are fairly few. The most intact collection of music of the Complete Perfection Tradition available now is the Orthodox Tones of the Complete Perfection collected in the ''Reprinted Selections from the Daoist Canon'' ( 重刊道藏輯要 Chongkan Daozang Jiyao ), which was published by the Temple of the Two Immortals in Chengdu in the late Qing dynasty. [[zh:全真道音樂]] 0ef7347c847fb1640b5c8af6247acaf320f17f23 561 559 2009-09-16T08:08:05Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} It has not yet been confirmed when the music of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ) was formed, but its standardized and unified music did not come into being until [[Wang Chongyang]] founded the tradition. Before the formation of the tradition, its music probably had the same origin with that of other Daoist schools. It was influenced by shamanistic music and dance at first, evolved through different historical periods later, was gradually put in order and took shape, and finally, owing to the division of Daoist schools, became the music that bears the distinctive features of the Complete Perfection Tradition. The music of the Complete Perfection Tradition is mainly used in the rituals of Religious Practice( 修持 Xiuchi ), celebrations, and prayers. The music in religious practice is the music for Morning Altar Scriptures( 早壇功課經 Zaotan Gongke Jing ) and Evening Altar Scriptures( 晚壇功課經 Wantan Gongke Jing ); the music in celebrations is mainly used in the celebrations of the birth of immortals and patriarchs; the music for prayers is mostly used in the rituals of praying for sun or rain, saving the dead souls and relieving the people, such as "feeding the hungry Ghosts" and "presenting memorials to patriarchs". The principal form of the music is vocal music, and instrumental music mainly comprised of percussion music is also used. The daily morning and evening recitation of scriptures is entirely vocal chanting, with the accompaniment of small Magical Instruments( 法器 Faqi ) such as bells, drums, Wood Blocks( 木魚 Muyu ), pans, cymbals and Inverted Bells( 磬 Qing ), and some temples add a little accompaniment with orchestral instruments. The music in the rituals of celebrating and praying is focused on vocal music, with a comparatively large-scale religious dance at times, and to match this spectacle, big magical instruments such as bells, the ''dabo'', the ''danao'' (big cymbals) and some wind instruments are employed for accompaniment. During the rituals, some relatively independent tunes are inserted, such as the "cymbal tunes" and all kinds of short "Lively Tunes ( 耍曲 Shuaqu )" played in some temples. The vocal music forms of the Complete Perfection Tradition include the solo, or unison, given by the High Priest ( 高功 Gaogong ) and the Chief Cantor ( 都講 Dujiang ). Instrumental music is mainly played in the form of an instrumental ensemble; solo and ''chongzou'' (an ensemble of two or more instrumentalists, each playing one part) are seldom seen. The most outstanding characteristics of the music of the Complete Perfection Tradition are its integrity and relative stability. The transmission and inheritance of the music of the Complete Perfection Tradition have always been rigorous and standardized. The current music in the tradition has the ''[[Orthodox Tones of the Complete Perfection]]'' ( 全真正韻 Quanzhen Zhengyun ), or "The Ten-Direction Tone " ( 十方韻 Shifang Yun ) generally called by Daoist priests, as its model, and all the temples should strictly keep to this model. The tones are all transmitted orally by masters in secret, so the music remains highly unified in form. As far as the music of all the major temples of the Complete Perfection Tradition are concerned, the "Ten Direction Tones" chanted in various places are largely identical but with minor differences either in the style or in certain melodies and rhythms. Daoism has the phrase "rigid Complete Perfection", which means that the music of the Complete Perfection Tradition cannot be changed willfully and therefore forms its intrinsic features of integrity and relative stability. The music has scarcely been recorded through the generations, and the materials on it in written forms are fairly few. The most intact collection of music of the Complete Perfection Tradition available now is the Orthodox Tones of the Complete Perfection collected in the ''Reprinted Selections from the Daoist Canon'' ( 重刊道藏輯要 Chongkan Daozang Jiyao ), which was published by the Temple of the Two Immortals in Chengdu in the late Qing dynasty. [[zh:全真道音樂]] d49c033f2daa44e7a0ac1c020cb9e82d6593d7bd 562 561 2009-09-16T08:08:26Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} It has not yet been confirmed when the music of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ) was formed, but its standardized and unified music did not come into being until [[Wang Chongyang]] founded the tradition. Before the formation of the tradition, its music probably had the same origin with that of other Daoist schools. It was influenced by shamanistic music and dance at first, evolved through different historical periods later, was gradually put in order and took shape, and finally, owing to the division of Daoist schools, became the music that bears the distinctive features of the Complete Perfection Tradition. The music of the Complete Perfection Tradition is mainly used in the rituals of Religious Practice( 修持 Xiuchi ), celebrations, and prayers. The music in religious practice is the music for Morning Altar Scriptures( 早壇功課經 Zaotan Gongke Jing ) and Evening Altar Scriptures( 晚壇功課經 Wantan Gongke Jing ); the music in celebrations is mainly used in the celebrations of the birth of immortals and patriarchs; the music for prayers is mostly used in the rituals of praying for sun or rain, saving the dead souls and relieving the people, such as "feeding the hungry Ghosts" and "presenting memorials to patriarchs". The principal form of the music is vocal music, and instrumental music mainly comprised of percussion music is also used. The daily morning and evening recitation of scriptures is entirely vocal chanting, with the accompaniment of small Magical Instruments( 法器 Faqi ) such as bells, drums, Wood Blocks( 木魚 Muyu ), pans, cymbals and Inverted Bells( 磬 Qing ), and some temples add a little accompaniment with orchestral instruments. The music in the rituals of celebrating and praying is focused on vocal music, with a comparatively large-scale religious dance at times, and to match this spectacle, big magical instruments such as bells, the ''dabo'', the ''danao'' (big cymbals) and some wind instruments are employed for accompaniment. During the rituals, some relatively independent tunes are inserted, such as the "cymbal tunes" and all kinds of short "Lively Tunes ( 耍曲 Shuaqu )" played in some temples. The vocal music forms of the Complete Perfection Tradition include the solo, or unison, given by the High Priest ( 高功 Gaogong ) and the Chief Cantor ( 都講 Dujiang ). Instrumental music is mainly played in the form of an instrumental ensemble; solo and ''chongzou'' (an ensemble of two or more instrumentalists, each playing one part) are seldom seen. The most outstanding characteristics of the music of the Complete Perfection Tradition are its integrity and relative stability. The transmission and inheritance of the music of the Complete Perfection Tradition have always been rigorous and standardized. The current music in the tradition has the ''[[Orthodox Tones of the Complete Perfection]]'' ( 全真正韻 Quanzhen Zhengyun ), or "The Ten-Direction Tone " ( 十方韻 Shifang Yun ) generally called by Daoist priests, as its model, and all the temples should strictly keep to this model. The tones are all transmitted orally by masters in secret, so the music remains highly unified in form. As far as the music of all the major temples of the Complete Perfection Tradition are concerned, the "Ten Direction Tones" chanted in various places are largely identical but with minor differences either in the style or in certain melodies and rhythms. Daoism has the phrase "rigid Complete Perfection", which means that the music of the Complete Perfection Tradition cannot be changed willfully and therefore forms its intrinsic features of integrity and relative stability. The music has scarcely been recorded through the generations, and the materials on it in written forms are fairly few. The most intact collection of music of the Complete Perfection Tradition available now is the Orthodox Tones of the Complete Perfection collected in the ''Reprinted Selections from the Daoist Canon'' ( 重刊道藏輯要 Chongkan Daozang Jiyao ), which was published by the Temple of the Two Immortals in Chengdu in the late Qing dynasty. [[zh:全真道音樂]] d3fa2bf9f2af4580b14bcd0ea9190b8fc04d6699 0 281 560 347 2009-09-16T08:07:56Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} The early Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ) ritual of [[the Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] ( 正一道 Zhengyi Dao ) was easy to perform, and its Taoist music was also relatively simple. During the Six Dynasties, the ''Commandments of the New Ordinances from the Clouds'' ( 雲中音誦新科之戒 Yunzhong Yinsong Xinke Zhijie ) compiled by Kou Qianzhi of the Northern Wei Dynasty was an early written record of the music of the Orthodox Oneness Traditions. Later, during the Song Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties, Lu Xiujing compiled the rituals and the Taoist music of this tradition began to take shape. It was then updated and reformed through different dynasties and gradually became perfect. After the Yuan Dynasty, the two major Daoist sects, the Orthodox Oneness Tradition and the Complete Perfection Tradition, were formed. The north was dominated by the Complete Perfection Tradition, while the Orthodox Oneness Tradition dominated Daoism in the south. Therefore, the Daoist music of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition spread in the south, especially in the south of the River. The Daoist music of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition was mostly used in rituals such as constructing the altar, presenting offerings, burning incense, ascending the altar, drawing talismans, reciting spells, activating the incense burner, inviting deities, welcoming the deities, reciting scriptures, and intoning. Different sorts of Daoist tunes were combined in series according to the different ritual procedures. The combination of music changes with changes in rituals. The musical forms adopted by the Orthodox Oneness Tradition consist of solo (usually performed by the High Priest ( 高功 Gaogong ) and Chief Cantor( 都講 Dujiang ) ), unison, music accompanied by drumbeats, wind and percussion music, instrumental ensemble, etc. Instrumental music is usually performed at the beginning and at the end of the ritual, during the short interludes between verses, and applied for the occasions of the evolutions of the formation. Furthermore, in the course of a ritual, the music can be played either while seated or while walking to meet the different needs of the various religious ritual actions such as presenting incense, pacing the Big Dipper, circling the altar, and paying homage by the High Priest who presides over the ritual. Vocal music is the major part of the ritual music of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition, the principal forms of which include the "eulogy "( 頌 Song ), the "ode "( 贊 Zan ), "pacing the void "( 步虛 Buxu ), and the "hymn "( 偈 Ji ). Local flavour is the most evident feature of the music of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition, in that although the Daoist music of many temples tends to be identical in its general style, the tones and tune-polishing of different places appear different in their local characteristics. For example, the eulogies, odes and hymns of the Daoist music of Suzhou are the same as those of Shanghai temples in their titles and words, but the style of the tunes is different. Even for the same hymn, Suzhou Daoist music bears strong features of local folk songs (the Wu tune). The same scripture used in the same ritual is usually set to local tunes. For instance, tones such as "pacing the void" and "Hanging Rhythm " ( 吊挂 Diaogua ) are almost totally different in different places. As the saying goes, "Of ten tunes, nine are different within three ''lis''". Besides its local aspect, folk features are also typical of the music of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition. For example, most of the Daoist music in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas adopts the folk music of "''jiangnan sizhu''" and "''shufan luogu''". Many Daoist tunes are formed by assimilating traditional folk music. In the Orthodox Oneness Tradition, apart form the Daoist priests who live in temples, there are also some Daoist priests who live at home. The latter preach and practise Daoism among the people over a long period of time, and hence keep in long-term touch with folk arts. This strengthens the local and popular features of the Daoist music of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition. There is no unified rule for the musical instruments used. Except for the fact that the Magical Instruments ( 法器 Faqi ) such as bells, drums and inverted bells are generally the same, most of the other musical instruments have their local features. For example, the musical instruments used by the Orthodox Oneness Tradition in Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang are mainly the flute, the ''xianzi'' (a three-stringed plucked instrument), the drum, cymbals, the ''sheng'' (a reed pipe wind instrument), the ''xiao'' (a vertical bamboo flute), the ancient violin, the ''shuangqing'', the ''yunluo'', the ''daluo'', the ''xiaoluo'' (gongs), big and small horns, and the ''erhu'' (a two-stringed bowed instrument), etc., while those used in the northern places such as Shanxi, Shanxi, and Henan are mainly wind instruments, the horn, the ''sheng'' and the flute. The most intact music books kept of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition are ''The Sublime Heavenly Music'' ( 鈞天妙樂 Juntian Miaoyue ) (divided into three books), ''Rules for Ancient Tones'' ( 古韻成規 Guyun Chenggui ), and ''The Elegant Tones of the Rainbow Dress'' ( 霓裳雅韻 Nichang Yayun ), which, based on the Daoist scores collected in Wuding Temple, were sorted out and compiled by Cao Xisheng, a Daoist priest of the Mysterious Sublimity Temple ( 玄妙觀 Xuanmiao Guan ) , in the fourth Jiaqing year of the Qing Dynasty (1799). The three books of music scores are recorded in ''gongchepu'' (a traditional Chinese musical notation) and called "Cao music scores" in Daoism. [[zh:正一道音樂]] 67465f3a99bad70da7364e5c8904d6c6992efd2a 0 456 563 2009-09-16T08:19:53Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Music}} ==Brief introduction== The ''Ritual of Jade Tunes'' ( 玉音法事 Yuyin Fashi ) is the earliest collection of Daoist [[vocal music]] scores that is still preser...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} ==Brief introduction== The ''Ritual of Jade Tunes'' ( 玉音法事 Yuyin Fashi ) is the earliest collection of Daoist [[vocal music]] scores that is still preserved. It was presumably published in the Zhenghe Era of the Northern Song dynasty. ==Content and form== The book consists of volumes one, two and three. The first and second volumes contain odes and their music score, and the third volume contains odes and fasting and offering rituals. The music of the odes in the first and second volumes of the Ritual of Jade Tunes is recorded in a very peculiar form of music score, which is neither the "jianzi" music score of ancient musical instruments, nor the "gongchi" music score of pi-pa, but a curved music score in zigzags. This music score is also called the bending music score or "Music Score Pacing the Void" ( 步虛譜 Buxu Pu ). It is an ancient kind of Chinese music score that is long standing, well established and far-reaching, and the course of its formation and development is closely related to Daoist music. Its beginnings can be traced back at least to the Han dynasty, when the name 'bending vocal' was listed in the names of songs and poems of twenty-eight schools recorded in the "Treatise on Literature" of the ''History of the Han Dynast''y ( 《漢書． 藝文志》 Hanshu Yiwen Zhi ). The ''Ritual of Jade Tunes'' contains altogether fifty pieces of Daoist music. Now it is included in Book 333 of '' [[the Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]] '' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). Because it was published ages after its composition, and the music scores are obscure and profound, even today no-one can understand the music scores in the Ritual of Jade Tunes, a Heavenly Book ( 天書 Tianshu ) still awaiting interpretation. . [[zh:玉音法事]] bd637a0852ff744008f85fe9cbaf6a72d9c2b4b5 0 457 564 2009-09-16T08:29:17Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Music}} ==Brief introduction== ''Daoist Musical Scores Composed by Imperial Order During the Great Ming Dynasty'' ( 大明御制玄教樂章 Daming Yuzhi Xuanjiao Yuezha...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} ==Brief introduction== ''Daoist Musical Scores Composed by Imperial Order During the Great Ming Dynasty'' ( 大明御制玄教樂章 Daming Yuzhi Xuanjiao Yuezhang ) is a compilation of Daoist scriptural rhythms attributed to Zhu Li, the Yongle emperor of the Ming dynasty. The whole piece of music is comprised of three movements and contains altogether fourteen pieces of Daoist music. In the movement, the composition of the verses, the form and style of the tunes, and the way of singing and recitation all apply the elegant music for court cults. This piece of music can be taken to be the movement for court cults with Daoist characteristics. ==Content and form== ''Daoist Musical Scores Composed by Imperial Order During the Great Ming Dynasty'' is composed of: #The first movement, i.e. the movement in praise of eternal jubilance at the offering altar, including Meeting the Phoenix Carriage (receiving spirits, offering sacrifices, opening the way, receiving the master, offering wine, and sending off sages), ''Jubilance under Heaven'' (short interlude between verses), ''Records of Sages and Men of Virtue'' (short interlude between verses), and ''Song of the Blue Sky''; #The second movement, i.e. the movement of the Highest Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven ( 玄天上帝 Xuantian Shangdi ), including ''Meeting Immortal Guests'' (eight pieces), ''Rising Step by Step'', and ''Joy of Drunken Immortals''; #The third movement, i.e. the movement of the Perfect Sovereign of Great Kindness and Numinous Relief ( 洪恩靈濟真君hong'en Lingji Zhenjun ), including ''Meeting Immortal Guests'' (eight pieces). The tunes such as ''Meeting Immortal Guests and Jubilance under Heaven'' were popular ones at that time. The music and verses match each other in the first two movements. The tunes are recorded in the ''gongchi'' music score to the left of the verses, with one word to one sound, and no measure recorded. The first movement mainly eulogizes the eternally jubilant times of peace and prosperity, an abundant harvest of all food crops, the numinous might and beneficent happiness, and the prosperous state and peaceful people. The second movement extols the Highest Emperor of Mysterious Heaven. The third movement calls on the subjects to be devoted to their posts, to be loyal to the sovereign and love the people by extolling the Perfect Sovereign of Numinous Relief. ''Daoist Musical'' Scores Composed by ''Imperial Order During the Great Ming Dynasty'' is another precious Daoist music material with verses and tunes, that was recorded following the '' [[Ritual of Jade Tunes]] '' ( 玉音法事 Yuyin Fashi ). [[zh:大明御製玄教樂章]] 644ec1c40d01c89d0dce48e3e5f7380b7b1db2c8 0 458 565 2009-09-16T08:50:40Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Music}} ==Brief Introduction== The Orthodox Rhythm of the Complete Perfection Tradition ( 全真正韻 Quanzhen Zhengyun ) is a collection of the music scores of the scr...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} ==Brief Introduction== The Orthodox Rhythm of the Complete Perfection Tradition ( 全真正韻 Quanzhen Zhengyun ) is a collection of the music scores of the scriptural rhythm commonly used by [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ) which are not included in [[the Daoist Canon]] ( 道藏 Daozang ). The complete name of the book should be ''Orthodox Rhythm of the Complete Perfection Tradition'' from ''[[the Selections from the Daoist Canon]] '' ( 道藏輯要 Daozang Jiyao ). It is a volume of ''the Selections from the Daoist Canon'' compiled by Peng Dingqiu, a ''jinshi'' (successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) in the reign of Kangxi of the Qing dynasty. Most of those collected by some Daoist temples and priests at present are mainly the ''Orthodox Rhythm of the Complete Perfection Tradition'' from ''the Selections from the Daoist Canon'' reprinted by He Longxiang and Peng Hanran at the Temple of Two Immortals ( 二仙庵 Erxian An ) in Chengdu. ==Content and form== This collection of music scores includes altogether fifty-six scriptural rhythms frequently used by the Complete Perfection tradition during and before that period. In addition to the scriptures recorded in the rhythms, the music score of "dangqing" is also enclosed. That is to say, the onomatopoeic characters of the performance by [[Magical Instruments]] ( 法器 Faqi ), such as "[[clank]]" (chengzi), "qing" ([[cymbals]]) and "yu" ([[Wood Block]] ( 木魚 Muyu )) are written down beside the scriptures, and the signals of "measures" are marked with circles. The tunes are not marked in this kind of music score. But "dangqing" is not only used to mark beats to control the length and pace of the rhythms, but has also evolved into a method of teaching Daoist music inside Daoism. Without records of the tunes of the scriptural rhythm, this collections of music scores cannot be recited and sung directly according to the score without personal transmission by the teachers of scriptural rhythm. ==Present situation== In October 1990, [[Min Zhiting]], the Daoist Priest of the Jade Stream ( 玉溪道人 Yuxi Daoren ), asked two scholars, Wang Zhongwen and Liu Hong, to record on tape more than fifty Orthodox Rhythms of the Complete Perfection Tradition handed down and fifteen scriptural rhythms frequently used by the Complete Perfection tradition, which had been sorted out and collated by himself. Later, after the recording of the music scores and editing by the Daoist music section of the Wuhan Conservatory of Music, the ''Collected Orthodox Rhythms of the Complete Perfection Tradition'' ( 全真正韻譜輯 Quanzhen Zhengyun Puji ), which had been handed down by the Daoist master Min Zhiting and recorded in simple musical notations, was published by the China Literature Union Press in Beijing in 1991. [[zh:全真正韻]] 561ee63a95c20fa7275de342429e9a2edd0486c8 0 459 566 2009-09-16T09:02:16Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Music}} ==Brief introduction== The Rhythms ( 韻腔 Yunqiang) adopted by the Daoist music of the White Cloud Temple ( 白雲觀 Baiyun Guan) in Beijing belong to the '' ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} ==Brief introduction== The Rhythms ( 韻腔 Yunqiang) adopted by the Daoist music of the White Cloud Temple ( 白雲觀 Baiyun Guan) in Beijing belong to the '' [[Orthodox Rhythm of the Complete Perfection Tradition]] '' ( 全真正韻 Quanzhen Zhengyun), namely the "Rhythm of Ten Directions ( 十方韻 Shifang Yun) " (the ''Orthodox Rhythm of the Complete Perfection Tradition'' is also called the "Rhythm of Ten Directions" inside Daoist circles; it is so called because the rhythm is in common use among the Temples of the Ten Directions ( 十方叢林 Shifang Conglin)). In recent years, Huang Xinyang, the present Supervisor ( 監院 Jianyuan) of the White Cloud Temple, has brought from Wenzhou, Zhejiang some scriptural rhythms, which, under the instructions of Daoist priests of different sects in the temple, especially Min Zhiting, the Daoist Priest of the Jade Stream, have become regular ritual music for the Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao) of the Complete Perfection rhythm. ==Content and form== The Daoist music of the White Cloud Temple in Beijing is classified into two kinds: one is the scriptural rhythm music sung and recited by the Daoist priests in various Rituals ( 法事 Fashi), another is the instrumental music used as the accompaniment for the scriptural rhythms. In terms of style, this music is similar to the "Rhythm of Ten Directions" which is in common use among the Temples of the Ten Directions of the Complete Perfection tradition in the whole country. ==The Beijing rhythm== An elder Daoist priest states that the White Cloud Temple in Beijing had been using the "Rhythm of Ten Directions" before the Qing Dynasty. In the last years of the Qing dynasty, in order to make the travelling Daoist priests stay in the temple permanently, Abbot ( 方丈 Fangzhang) Meng Yongcai once changed the "Rhythm of Ten Directions" into a local rhythm----the "Beijing Rhythm", which had been in use until 1947 when the temple was closed down. Since then, the aged Daoist priests who mastered the "Beijing Rhythm" have ascended to immortality or traveled elsewhere, and today no one is able to sing and recite the rhythm in the White Could Temple. [[zh:北京白雲觀道樂]] 73ac88fc6d1781577221321d7a5d9dd916cf8b96 0 460 567 2009-09-16T09:17:59Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Music}} ==Brief introduction== The Daoist Music of Suzhou has long enjoyed a good reputation and has enriched itself and developed through the dynasties. It absorbs the ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} ==Brief introduction== The Daoist Music of Suzhou has long enjoyed a good reputation and has enriched itself and developed through the dynasties. It absorbs the essence of traditional folk music, especially kunqu opera, and that of the folk music of the south of the Yangtze River, such as music, folk songs and ditties, and mixes the movements of scriptural rhythms of Daoist music with folk music to form a kind of religious music with both the aroma of Daoist music and characteristics of folk music. ==Content, form, and features== According to the elder Daoist priest of the Mysterious Sublimity Temple( 玄妙觀 Xuanmiao Guan ), all Daoist music of the temple is handed down by masters who are quite strict with their disciples. Moreover, most of them begin learning and practising diligently from their childhood, so each of them has learned to play several kinds of instruments and achieved a rather high level. In the fourth year of Jiaqing of the Qing dynasty (1799), Cao Xisheng, a Daoist priest of Suzhou, compiled three collections of Daoist music scores, i.e. Sublime Heavenly Music ( 鈞天妙樂 Juntian Miaoyue ), Established Ancient Rhythms ( 古韻成規 Guyun Chenggui ), and Elegant Rhythms of Colorful Costumes ( 霓裳雅韻 Nichang Yayun ). They are the precious materials of the Daoist music of Suzhou. The Daoist sect practised at present in Suzhou is [[the Orthodox Oneness sect]] ( 正一派 Zhengyi Pai ) (i.e. the Celestial Masters tradition ( 天師道 Tianshi Dao )), and the Daoist priests of this sect are divided into a civil group and a martial group. The Daoist priesthood of Suzhou is celebrated for the civil group, which is famous for its genius for Daoist music. The main feature of the Daoist music of Suzhou is that the performance of various kinds of instrumental music is skillful. For example, the performance of the major and minor flute music, the slow, middle-speed and quick drum solo, and the ensemble of wind and percussion instruments that is called "Brahmanic Tunes ( 梵音 Fanyin ) ", all display the rich and distinct features of the Daoist music of Suzhou. [[zh:蘇州道教音樂]] 6d677f147c4cc5cb8c048bba7040d4d671e5c46a 0 461 568 2009-09-16T09:26:51Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Music}} ==Brief introduction== Mt Longhu is regarded as the earliest birthplace of Daoism and as the Ancestral Court ( 族庭 Zuting ) of [[the Orthodox Oneness sect]] (...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} ==Brief introduction== Mt Longhu is regarded as the earliest birthplace of Daoism and as the Ancestral Court ( 族庭 Zuting ) of [[the Orthodox Oneness sect]] ( 正一派 Zhengyi Pai ) of Daoism, and enjoys an extraordinary standing among Daoist temples. There have been few systematic documentary records of the [[Daoist music]] of [[Mt Longhu]] through the dynasties, and the systematic study of it only began in the middle 1990s. ==Content, form, and features== The Daoist music of Mt Longhu can be classified into scriptural rhythms and tunes ( 曲牌 Qupai ). The scriptural rhythms are subdivided into the Yiyang Tune ( 弋陽腔 Yiyang Qiang ) and the Highest Clarity Tune ( 上清腔 Shangqing Qiang ) in terms of the structure and content of the music. The Yiyang Tune is based on the dialects and folk songs of the district of Yiyang in Jiangxi. Its tunes and the singing and recitation of the scriptural rhythms has outstanding local features and folk style. It is a general pattern of identical tunes with different verses, in which the same basic tune is applied to different scriptures. This kind of tune is spread mostly among the Daoist priests who are Yiyang natives or natives of contiguous regions, and is used mainly in the village Enclosures of the Dao ( 道場 Daochang ). The Highest Clarity Tune, the major tune of Daoist music in the Celestial Masters' Mansion ( 天師府 Tianshi Fu ), is somewhat different from the "Yiyang Tune" in its style. Its tune often takes the note "Yu" as its mode, and its music form has the characteristics of the folk tunes of the south of the Yangtze River. The music of Tunes is not abundant in quantity, but it can be used flexibly and is quite changeable, and has a strong significant function. [[zh:龍虎山道教音樂]] c6f3565a49a9aa569b079b883cff3d0fdd2d6b6c 0 462 569 2009-09-17T01:57:59Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Music}} ==Brief introduction== The rhythm mainly used in the [[Daoist music]] of [[Mt. Wudang]] is the "[[Orthodox Rhythm of the Complete Perfection Tradition]]" ( 全...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} ==Brief introduction== The rhythm mainly used in the [[Daoist music]] of [[Mt. Wudang]] is the "[[Orthodox Rhythm of the Complete Perfection Tradition]]" ( 全真正韻 quanzhen zhengyun ), i.e. the "Rhythm of Ten Directions ( 十方韻 shifang yun ) ". Simultaneously, influenced by local culture and its own historical inheritance, the Daoist music of Mt Wudang has evolved some local characteristics and has a fairly strong individuality, thus composing a Daoist music system with both the generality manifested in the style features of the "Rhythm of Ten Directions", and the individuality of local characteristics. In addition, many Daoist sects have been established on or exerted influence on Mt Wudang from ancient times till now, and the Complete Perfection sect and [[the Orthodox Oneness sect]] ( 正一派 hengyi pai ) are both settled on the mountain at present, so the Daoist music of Mt Wudang incorporates various kinds of styles and forms the unique "Rhythm of Wudang Mountain ( 武當韻 wudang yun ) ". ==Content, form and features== The Daoist music of Mt Wudang is classified into "rhythm" (the part of vocal music) and "tune" (the part of instrumental music), and "rhythm" is subdivided into "Yin rhythm" and "Yang rhythm" while "tune" is subdivided into the "formal tune" and the "informal tune" according to different situations and audiences. The "Yang rhythm" and "formal tune" are often performed in worship halls; they are the music frequently used in the activities inside the temples. The "Yin rhythm" and "informal tune" are mostly performed outside the worship halls. The "Yin rhythm" is mainly applied to the rituals for the salvation of the dead, while the "informal tune" is mainly used in entertainment performances. [[zh:武當山道教音樂]] 9fce27f479fd80ff0171e3f55059b251283757c5 0 463 570 2009-09-17T02:10:23Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Music}} ==Brief introduction== The Daoist music of Mt Mao and Fasts and Offerings (齋醮 Zhaijiao ) activities thrived during the Sui and Tang dynasties, and were favor...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} ==Brief introduction== The Daoist music of Mt Mao and Fasts and Offerings (齋醮 Zhaijiao ) activities thrived during the Sui and Tang dynasties, and were favored by the court during the Song and Yuan dynasties, so there is rich literary and historical literature on them. In the ''Records of Mt Mao'' (茅山志 Maoshan Zhi ) in the [[Daoist Canon]] (道藏 Daozang ) published during the Zhengtong era of the Ming dynasty, and in the ''Collected Records of Mt Mao'' (茅山志合編 Maoshan Zhi Hebian ) published during the Jiajing era, there are fairly detailed records on the ritual offerings held by imperial order on Mt Mao, the order of the festivals and the music of these rituals, and even the [[Magical Instruments]] (法器 Faqi ) and musical instruments used in the offerings, the singing and instrumental performance staff, and the like. ==Characteristics== There are a good many Daoist temples on Mt Mao, and the most famous of them are "The Three Palaces and Five Temples (三宮五觀 Sangong Wuguan ) ". The three palaces refers to the Nine Heavens Palace (九霄宮 Jiuxiao Gong ), the Primordial Talismans Palace (元符宮 Yuanfu Gong ), and the Palace for the Worship of Happiness (崇禧宮 Chongxi Gong ), while the five temples refer to the Virtuous Blessing Temple (德佑觀 Deyou Guan ), the Benevolent Blessing Temple (仁佑觀 Renyou Guan ), the Jade Morning Temple (玉晨觀 Yuchen Guan ), the White Cloud Temple (白雲觀 Baiyun Guan ), and the Heavenly Origin Temple (乾元觀 Qianyuan Guan ). The "three palaces" hand down [[the Orthodox Oneness tradition]] (正一道 Zhengyi Dao ), and the "five temples" learn from and transmit [[the Complete Perfection sect]] (全真派 Quanzhen Pai ). So the Mt Mao tradition (茅山道教 Maoshan Daojiao ) has characteristics of both the Orthodox Oneness sect and the Complete Perfection sect. Since the 1950s, the Daoist priests of the Three Palaces and Five Temples of Mt Mao have been unified and have discarded sectarian bias. Since then, all the temples and palaces are generally referred to as the Daoist Temples of Mt Mao (茅山道院 Maoshan Daoyuan ). Having been devastated by wars and the Cultural Revolution, the present Mt Mao tradition has not yet been restored to its former prosperity. Owing to the coexistence of the Orthodox Oneness sect and the Complete Perfection sect both in history and at present, the Daoist music of Mt Mao has both the Orthodox Oneness style and the Complete Perfection style, and besides, it has the characteristics of Mt Mao itself. [[zh:茅山道教音樂]] 00a83444d4a76a7c80bef85fff743994e4daa108 0 464 571 2009-09-17T02:12:08Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Music}} ==Brief introduction== The Daoist music of Shanghai has gradually developed and perfected itself with the introduction of Daoist rituals. Since Mt Mao, Mt Longhu...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} ==Brief introduction== The Daoist music of Shanghai has gradually developed and perfected itself with the introduction of Daoist rituals. Since Mt Mao, Mt Longhu and so on have influenced Daoism in Shanghai, we can discover the relation between the Daoist music of Shanghai still being sung and played, and that of the south of Suzhou and Mt Longhu in Jiangxi. Since the recent century, social life in Shanghai has greatly changed. While adjusting itself to the social changes, Daoism in Shanghai, from its rituals to its music, has attached more and more importance to being loved by the people. Therefore, the Daoist music of Shanghai has formed a closer relation with folk music, especially the traditional stringed and woodwind music of the south of the Yangtze River, and has evolved into Daoist music with Shanghai style and discriminating features. ==Characteristics== When singing and reciting the scriptural rhythms, different lines are combined with the tune accompaniment, in order to make the levels of singing clearly distinguished and let the singer get enough breath. The tune of the first sentence is always different from that of the subsequent repeated chant, and sometimes the first sentence is started with a negative tune and then gradually turns into the main tune, so as to cause changes in the tunes and the nature of tunes. As for the accompanying instruments, the bent flute and bells and drums are used as primary instruments, and moreover, the playing of stringed and plucked instruments is stressed to make the music sound more elegant and full. [[zh:上海道教音樂]] 8064f5cead048c77c26d00ae331944c67cf0c3f9 0 465 572 2009-09-17T02:17:31Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Music}} ==Brief introduction== The Daoist priests of Mt Lao say that there were already Daoist priests and temples on Mt Lao as early as the Western Han dynasty, and wit...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} ==Brief introduction== The Daoist priests of Mt Lao say that there were already Daoist priests and temples on Mt Lao as early as the Western Han dynasty, and with them scriptures and scriptural rhythm music came into being. The Daoist music of Mt Lao is practised in over 120 temples, and it is geographically classified into the "Inner Mountain Tradition"( 內山派 Neishan Pai ) and "Out-of-the Mountain Tradition" ( 山外派 Shanwai Pai ). According to the nature of Daoist music, since Mt Lao belongs to [[the Complete Perfection sect]] ( 全真 Quanzhen ), the Daoist music of Mt Lao has the [[Orthodox Rhythm of the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真正韻 Quanzhen Zhengyu ) as its core. But in the meanwhile, it is closely related to the dialects and local music of the district of Shandong. Therefore, the Daoist music of Mt Lao not only has the general features of the "Rhythm of Ten Directions" which is in common use all over the country, but it is also famous in Daoist circles for its "Mt Lao Rhythm" with local characteristics. ==The Mt Lao Rhythm and its features== The Mt Lao Rhythm generally consists of Rhythms ( 韻腔 Yunqiang ) and Tunes ( 曲牌 Qupai ). Since the Mt Lao Rhythm still has the musical features of the "Rhythm of Ten Directions" as a whole, the "Mt Lao Rhythms" named after "Mt Lao", such as the "Mt Lao Hanging Rhythm" ( 嶗山吊掛 Laoshan Diaogua ) and the "Mt Lao Rhythm of Pacing the Void" ( 嶗山步虛 Laoshan Buxu ), manifest quite distinct local characteristics. Although most of the scriptural rhythms are not named after "Mt Lao", they are full of the strong local taste of Shandong. [[zh:山東嶗山道樂]] 5a3cebfe5b230f6f892998160b82cdb7407b7a45 0 466 573 2009-09-17T02:37:04Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Music}} ==Content and form== Shanxi, or the Central Shanxi Plain of northwestern China, is the birthplace of Daoism where it burgeons and prospers. The Daoist music of S...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} ==Content and form== Shanxi, or the Central Shanxi Plain of northwestern China, is the birthplace of Daoism where it burgeons and prospers. The Daoist music of Shanxi is composed of vocal music and instrumental music. But now at the Lookout Tower Platform ( 樓觀台 Louguan Tai ), the Eight Immortals Temple ( 八仙宮 Baxian Gong ), and the temples on Mt Hua, there is no [[instrumental music]], but [[vocal music]] with accompaniment by [[Magical Instruments]] ( 法器 Faqi ). ==Vocal music== Vocal music refers to the singing and recitation of scriptural rhythms. The temples mentioned above have continued to use the "[[Orthodox Rhythm of the Complete Perfection Tradition]]" ( 全真正韻 Quanzhen Zhengyun ), which is in common use among the Temples of The Ten Directions ( 十方叢林 Shifang Conglin ) of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ). There is no difference between the music of these temples, which are almost completely identical in terms of the manner of singing and recitation and the tunes. The temples are in close contact with each other. If some temple lacks hands when holding great rituals, some other temple will send Daoist friends to assist it. So the temples look like a big family. Owing to such contact among the temples, they become more stable and retain their unity. ==Instrumental music== Instrumental music has as its chief representative the Daoist music of the White Cloud Mountain of Jia County, in the northern part of Shanxi. Its major form is the ensemble of Chinese wind and percussion instruments. The instruments include sheng (a reed pipe wind instrument), the wind instrument, the sea flute (a small horn), the small drum, the small cheng, the big gong, and so on. The wind instrument and the sea flute are the major musical instruments. The music played includes "Up the Southern Slope", "Lady Liuqing", "Red for Ten Thousand Years", "The Intellectuals", "The Tune of Getting in the River", "Nezha's Order", "The Eight Old Boards", "One and a Half Sentences", "The Buddha of a Thousand Sounds", etc. [[zh:三秦道教音樂]] 82eac77e5a761c2774455e1ec092084052633262 0 467 574 2009-09-17T02:39:06Z Admin 1 Redirected page to [[The Orthodox Rhythm of the Complete Perfection Tradition]] wikitext text/x-wiki #REDIRECT [[The Orthodox Rhythm of the Complete Perfection Tradition]] a4e88020b078bd0ffa881793b1496b0dfcb343de 0 468 575 2009-09-17T02:48:50Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Music}} ==A brief account== Sichuan, which is located in the Southwest of China, is the place where [[Zhang Ling]], the founder of Daoism, founded Daoism and preached Da...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} ==A brief account== Sichuan, which is located in the Southwest of China, is the place where [[Zhang Ling]], the founder of Daoism, founded Daoism and preached Dao. [[The Complete Perfection tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ) of Sichuan and that of the North belong are found in the different geographic locations of South and North respectively. However, in the system of Daoist music, the music of the Complete Perfection tradition of Sichuan and that of the Complete Perfection tradition of the North can be traced to the same origin. ==Content and form== The Daoist music of Sichuan can be classified into Fixed Altar Music ( 靜壇音樂 Jingtan Yinyue ) and Mobile Altar Music ( 動壇音樂 Dongtan Yinyue ) according to its school of style, or into [[vocal music]] and [[instrumental music]] according to its form and content. Fixed Altar Music music refers to the music played at Daoist temples by the Daoist priests of the Complete Perfection tradition. This kind of music has a strong religious flavor and an elegant and solemn tune. Mobile Altar Music refers to music played at places where married Daoist lay priests of different sects perform popular Daoist rites. This kind of music has an obvious popular color and a strong worldly flavor, and is closely connected with local music. According to the strong and weak quality of the scriptural tunes, vocal music can be classified into the forms of rhyme melody, chant melody, recitation melody, and the like. Instrumental music is classified into thread music and loud music. Thread music, which is called "soft music", refers to music played cooperatively by a band composed of the major instruments of bamboo flute, or pan and cymbals, and those auxiliary instruments producing soft sounds of small volume. Loud music refers to the music played cooperatively by major instruments such as the horn, the gong and the like, the auxiliary instruments producing strong sounds of high volume at popular Daoist altars. The forms of instrumental music adopted at popular Daoist altars are mainly applied to the popular rituals at altars and are taken to be the music for starting, performing, and ending altar rituals of different kinds of sacred rites. This type of music is similar to most of the types of tunes used on the stage in Sichuan opera or in folk sedans. [[zh:四川道教音樂]] 35ed261f7a3ab1817485b3fa91edf65d9d202f7f 0 469 576 2009-09-17T02:57:55Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Music}} ==Content and form== The Daoist music of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ) of the Northeast consists of vocal music and instrument...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} ==Content and form== The Daoist music of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ) of the Northeast consists of vocal music and instrumental music. Practically speaking, [[vocal music]] is the major form while instrumental music is the auxiliary form. The scriptural rhyme adopted in vocal music is "the new rhythm of the northeast", which is called the Northeastern Rhythm ( 東北韻 Dongbei Yun ) within Daoism. ==The Northeastern Rhyme== The Northeastern Rhythm came into existence in modern times. Daoist priests say that over a hundred years ago lived the two Kan brothers, who were formerly actors of traditional operas. As they were unsuccessful, they went to the Temple of Infinity ( 無量觀 Wuliang Guan ) on Mt Qian to grow their hair long and become Daoist priests. They devoted the energies of their lifetime to the creation of the Northeastern Rhythm. Before the creation of the Northeastern Rhythm, what was spread in Daoism in the northeastern area was mainly the Mt Lao rhyme which came from Shandong. After its emergence, however, the Northeastern Rhyme soon spread in Daoism in the northeastern area. Today all the [[Daoist music]] used in temples of the Complete Perfection tradition in the northeastern area contains the Northeastern Rhythm". ==Classifications and features== The Northeastern Rhythm can be classified in two ways. The first is to classify it into "Yang rhythm" and "Yin rhythm" according to the content of scriptures and the occasions of its use. Yang rhythm is also called the Divine Rhythm ( 神韻 Shenyun ), whose scriptures sing praises of the wonderland in the heavenly palace and divinities' merits and magic powers. It is used for the worship before altars in the [[Morning and Evening Rites]] ( 早晚功課 Zaowan Gongke), commemorations ( 紀念 Jinian ), Auspicious Rituals ( 吉祥道場 Jixiang Daochang ), and Water and Land Rituals ( 水陸道場 Shuilu Daochang ). Yin rhythm is also called Spirit Rhythm ( 鬼韻 Guiyun ), whose scriptures cover the salvation of souls and the wish for the souls to ascend to heaven. It is used in Water and Land Rituals and in Rites for Pardoning Orphans ( 赦孤 Shegu ). The second type of classification is to categorize it into five major kinds of rhythm: the minor rhythm, the running horse rhythm, the penitence rhythm and the scriptural recitation rhythm, according to the features of the scriptural rhythm. No music score of the scriptural rhythms and tunes of the Northeastern Rhyme has been handed down through the ages. It is passed on from masters to disciples by word of mouth and mind-to-mind instruction, in coordination with which the Northeastern Rhythm hands down the score of a coordination of musical instruments and scriptures. The score is written in vertical lines. The characters on the left are the words of the scriptural rhymes, and the three lines on the right are the score for the playing of the musical instruments including drums, Penitence Bells, Inverted Bells ( 懺鐘 Chanzhong ) and so on. [[zh:東北道教音樂]] 0a4be1ab7cbc6c77ccb66fa5e78365faf648eea2 0 470 577 2009-09-17T03:00:30Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Music}} ==A brief account== According to geography, Daoism in Taiwan can be classified into the Southern sect and the Northern sect, or sub-categorized into the Daoism o...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} ==A brief account== According to geography, Daoism in Taiwan can be classified into the Southern sect and the Northern sect, or sub-categorized into the Daoism of central Taiwan, of the South, and of the North. Although the Southern and Northern sects both belong to [[the Orthodox Oneness sect of the Celestial Masters Tradition]], none of their rites are identical, and the music in the rites is even vastly different in style. Daoist melodies in the Centre and South have feminine exquisiteness, and importance is attached to rising and falling in the way of singing and recitations. That is to say, between two musical notes of song, a special vibration in the throat is often applied to produce a distinctive pleasing quality. In comparison, Daoist melodies in the north have vigorous beauty, but the full tune in singing and recitation is adopted, a way of singing which is identical with that of common folk songs. ==Origins, development and features of the Daoist music of Central and Southern Taiwan== The origins of the Daoist music of Central and Southern Taiwan can be categorized into four systems: "music inherent to Daoism", "southern wind music", "northern wind music", and "other folk music". "Music inherent to Daoism" means that the scriptural rhymes and movements have their own intrinsic features and are seldom linked to other forms of folk music. "Southern wind music" refers to the ancient music of the central plains preserved in the area of Quanzhou, Fujian. The tunes of southern wind music have been absorbed into the Ritual Offerings and Meritorious Rites in the south, and Daoist priests often call them 'the Southern Tunes'. "Northern wind music" refers to the folk music that is popular among the former natives of Zhangzhou in Taiwan. The Northern wind music integrated into Daoist music mainly comes from gong and drum music of the northern wind, which is commonly called "paizi". "Other folk music" refers to other folk music played occasionally by Daoist priests, such as the music of carts and drums of alleys (which is called "the music score of military drums" by folk enterprises) and "Guangdong music" of Taiwan (which was spread into Taiwan before 1949) and so on. ==Origins, development and features of the Daoist music of Northern Taiwan== The Daoist music of Northern Taiwan is classified into "music inherent to Daoism", "northern wind music" and "other folk music". "Music inherent to Daoism" refers to Daoist music having the intrinsic features of the Daoist music of the north. "Northern wind music" is approximately identical with that of Central and Southern Taiwan, but it is more widely applied. "Other folk music" is used in the rites and rituals of Daoism in the north. It is different from the Daoist music in the middle part and the south, in that most of the folk music absorbed by Daoist music in the North consists of ordinary folk instrumental tunes (such as "the flying partridge" and the like), the music of carts and drums of alleys, and the tunes of "youth with distracting thoughts" (i.e., a Taiwan folk song with a strong quality of being narrative), which are more often used. All Daoist music, be it in the Centre, South or North, is roughly identical in terms of the way of singing. [[zh:台灣道教音樂]] 315fe08c68f8fd3b477f056493ed5ec260bf57f7 0 471 578 2009-09-17T03:12:01Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Music}} ==A brief account== Daoism has a relatively short history in Hong Kong. In the beginning years of the 1930s, organized Daoist temples of [[the Complete Perfectio...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} ==A brief account== Daoism has a relatively short history in Hong Kong. In the beginning years of the 1930s, organized Daoist temples of [[the Complete Perfection tradition]] ( 全真派 Quanzhen Pai ), exemplified by the [[Fung Ying Seen Koon]] ( 蓬瀛仙館 Pengyin Xian Guan ), were set up one by one in Hong Kong. From then on, Daoism began to spread in society within the borders of the whole Hong Kong. ==Origins and Development== The music used in the temples of the Complete Perfection tradition of Hong Kong was originally spread into Hong Kong via the Triple Origin Temple of Guangzhou ( 三元宮 Sanyuan Gong ), from the Temple of Emptiness ( 沖虛觀 Chongxu Guan ) on [[Mt. Luofu]] in Guangdong. In the course of its spread, several elder senior Daoist priests who lived in Hong Kong successively played important roles. These senior Daoist priests were Hou Baoyuan, Zhou Daozhi, Liang Dehua (Chengde), Mai Bingji, and Deng Jiuyi. Due to direct transmission and inheritance, and the fact that those who originally taught scriptural confession rituals were mainly senior Daoist priests, the scriptural rhymes and music used today in different temples of Hong Kong are basically alike except for slight differences in some respects. After being spread from Guangzhou, the Daoist music of Hong Kong was influenced by diffusion and inheritance over the decades by Hong Kong's regional cultures such as Guangdong music, Guangdong opera and Guangdong tunes, and other religious music such as that of Confucianism and Buddhism. Daoist music with Hong Kong local characteristics has already come into existence. ==Content and form== Hong Kong's Daoist music can be classified into scriptural rhythms and instrumental music in terms of the music form. The music of scriptural rhythms is the principal part of Hong Kong's Daoist music. It adheres to the content of scriptures and permeates through the whole process of all kinds of rites. Scriptural rhythms are sung and recited by the full-time Daoist priests in temples (who are habitually called "Masters of Scriptures ( 經生 Jingsheng )"). The instrumental music has its peculiarity in Hong Kong's Daoist music. The accompaniment following the tune, inserting musical instruments into the singing and recitation of scriptural rhythms, is the main part of instrumental music. In addition, instrumental music also includes the beating of drums and cymbals before ascending the altar during rituals performed by Daoist believers, and the playing of music tunes with flutes and horns during pauses during rituals when the Daoist believers perform Magic Skills ( 法術 Fashu ) without singing or recitating of scriptural rhythms. The musicians in charge of the instrumental performances are habitually called "Masters of Ritual Offerings ( 醮師 Jiaoshi ) ". They are professional musicians rather than Daoist temple priests. [[zh:香港道教音樂]] bb6b312f26498a6439582162ff465f5d86e6824b 0 472 579 2009-09-17T04:43:23Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Music}} == Musical Instruments== The early musical instruments used in Daoist rituals comprised percussion Magical Instruments ( 法器 Faqi ), such as [[bells]], [[Inve...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} == Musical Instruments== The early musical instruments used in Daoist rituals comprised percussion Magical Instruments ( 法器 Faqi ), such as [[bells]], [[Inverted Bells]] ( 磬 Qing ), and drums, and to which were later added wind instruments, stringed instruments and plucked instruments. The musical instruments used by [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ) are differentiated from those used by [[the Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] ( 正一道 Zhengyi Dao ). The former mainly uses wind instruments and magical instruments, with a few stringed instruments and plucked instruments as subsidiaries, while the latter has always attached importance to Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ) music and uses a wide and complete range of musical instruments, including the flute, the horn, the ''sheng'' (a reed pipe wind instrument), the ''erhu'' (a two-stringed bowed instrument), the ''pipa'' (a plucked string instrument), the dulcimer, the ''sanxian'' (a three-stringed plucked instrument), etc. == Magical Instruments== Magical Instruments( 法器 Faqi ) are symbolic implements that manifest magic power during Daoist rituals. Ordinarily the magical instruments of temples are displayed on the shelves of the Ritual Altars ( 法壇 Fatan ). There are two categories of magical instruments in common use: #Implements used for invoking immortals, paying homage to patriarchs, and exorcising evil agents, such as the [[Audience Tablet]] ( 朝簡 Chaojian ), the [[S-Shaped Ornamental Object]] ( 如意 Ruyi ), the [[Jade Document]] ( 玉冊 Yuce ), the [[jade seal]], the [[precious sword]], the [[Commandment Flag]] ( 令旗 Lingqi ), the [[Commandment Arrow]] ( 令箭 Lingjian ), the [[Commandment Plaque]] ( 敕令牌 Chiling Pai ), [[Tianpeng's Ruler]] ( 天蓬尺 Tianpeng Chi ), and the Plaque for Protecting the Altar ( 鎮壇木 Zhentanmu ); #All sorts of magical percussion instruments, including most the ''danao'', ''xiaonao'', ''dacha'', ''xiaocha'' (big and small cymbals), pans, hand bells, big and small [[Wood Blocks]] ( 木魚 Muyu ), big and small drums, big iron Inverted Bells , and big and small copper inverted bells ( 磬 Qing ). The [[Ritual Implements]] ( 法器 Faqi ) used in Daoist ritual music are mainly magical percussion instruments. [[zh:道教音樂樂器]] 8eb61d27f100b0d21ed77f0b8bad3f5178f4fb82 0 473 580 2009-09-19T03:55:10Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Definition== In a broad sense, Daoist Health Cultivation includes Daoist views of life, theories of [[Immortality]], and techniques to achieve Immortality. In a narrow sense, D...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Definition== In a broad sense, Daoist Health Cultivation includes Daoist views of life, theories of [[Immortality]], and techniques to achieve Immortality. In a narrow sense, Daoist Health Cultivation aims at a harmonious state of body and mind, long life, and enjoyment of one's allotted span through respecting taboos, dietetics, breathing and martial arts, etc. The term Daoist Health Cultivation generally refers to health cultivation in a narrow sense. ==Theoretical Basis== Daoist Health Cultivation bases its theory on Daoist cosmology. Everything in the world is a transmutation of the Dao. Only by abiding by the laws of the Dao and being one with the myriad beings in the world, and by living a natural life, can one attain an ideal state of health. ==Essential Contents== The Collection on Nourishing Life ( 養生集 Yangsheng Ji ) says: " The most important things in Nourishing Life are the following: #Stint spirit; #Cherish Vital Breath; #Nourish the body; # Gymnastics; #Speech; #Eating; #Sexual life; #Following customs; #Medicine; #Taboos. " In addition, inner alchemy, Breathing Arts and martial arts are also important methods. ==Main classics== #'' [[The Book of Supreme Peace]] '' proposes a concept of longevity based on stressing Essential Matter, cherishing Vital Breath and honouring the Spirit. #'' [[Xiang'er's Commentary on Laozi]] '' emphasizes the principle of frequently generating one's own life, regarding pacifying one's spirit as most important. #'' [[The Book of the Yellow Court]] '' suggests visualization as the main therapeutic method. #The ''Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'' advocates nourishing one's blood and Vital Breath as the chief methods. #'' [[The Extracts on Nourishing Spiritual Nature and Prolonging Bodily Life]] '' expounds on the principle of " twelve less and twelve more". #[[Sun Simiao]]'s ''Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold'', his Additions to the ''Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold'' and his ''Inscription on Visualizing Spirits and Refining Vital Breath'' discuss medicine, hygiene and inner cultivation, stating that " Once the breath is nourished, one will never get sick", and that" those who are good at health cultivation must know how to nourish their breath. Nourishing one's breath can eliminate all diseases." [[zh:道教養生學]] 675e6281af2779c9875011d6467fe469497cdfda 581 580 2009-09-19T04:26:18Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki ==Definition== In a broad sense, Daoist Health Cultivation includes Daoist views of life, theories of [[Immortality]], and techniques to achieve Immortality. In a narrow sense, Daoist Health Cultivation aims at a harmonious state of body and mind, long life, and enjoyment of one's allotted span through respecting taboos, dietetics, breathing and martial arts, etc. The term Daoist Health Cultivation generally refers to health cultivation in a narrow sense. ==Theoretical Basis== Daoist Health Cultivation bases its theory on Daoist cosmology. Everything in the world is a transmutation of the Dao. Only by abiding by the laws of the Dao and being one with the myriad beings in the world, and by living a natural life, can one attain an ideal state of health. ==Essential Contents== The Collection on Nourishing Life ( 養生集 Yangsheng Ji ) says: " The most important things in Nourishing Life are the following: #Stint spirit; #Cherish Vital Breath; #Nourish the body; # Gymnastics; #Speech; #Eating; #Sexual life; #Following customs; #Medicine; #Taboos. " In addition, inner alchemy, Breathing Arts and martial arts are also important methods. ==Main classics== #'' [[The Book of Supreme Peace]] '' proposes a concept of longevity based on stressing Essential Matter, cherishing Vital Breath and honouring the Spirit. #'' [[Xiang'er's Commentary on Laozi]] '' emphasizes the principle of frequently generating one's own life, regarding pacifying one's spirit as most important. #'' [[The Book of the Yellow Court]] '' suggests visualization as the main therapeutic method. #The ''Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'' advocates nourishing one's blood and Vital Breath as the chief methods. #'' [[The Extracts on Nourishing Spiritual Nature and Prolonging Bodily Life]] '' expounds on the principle of " twelve less and twelve more". #[[Sun Simiao]]'s ''Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold'', his Additions to the ''Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold'' and his ''Inscription on Visualizing Spirits and Refining Vital Breath'' discuss medicine, hygiene and inner cultivation, stating that " Once the breath is nourished, one will never get sick", and that" those who are good at health cultivation must know how to nourish their breath. Nourishing one's breath can eliminate all diseases." [[zh:道教養生學]] 606c14a75cbb9084f30b9a0b77261cc71c4a63e2 0 474 582 2009-09-19T05:04:29Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Origins== Daoist alchemy is the predecessor of modern chemistry. Daoist alchemists attempted to use natural minerals and plants to produce a drug of immortality by chemical pro...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Origins== Daoist alchemy is the predecessor of modern chemistry. Daoist alchemists attempted to use natural minerals and plants to produce a drug of immortality by chemical processing. They thought that they could achieve immortality by taking such drugs. Although they never realized their purpose, their observations, chemical experiments, achievements, and their instruments, equipment and methods laid a foundation for the birth of modern chemistry. So Daoist alchemy can also be called Daoist chemistry. ==Development== Daoist alchemy originated in [[the Daoist Elixir Cauldron sect]]. Li Shaojun of the Western Han dynasty refined gold with cinnabar. Liu An, the king of Huainan, once recruited magicians to refine elixirs. He himself also engaged in the practise. When organized Daoism was founded in the Eastern Han dynasty, Daoist alchemy was enriched. During the Jin and Southern and Northern dynasties, Daoist alchemy became mature in its smelting and fire techniques, as well as in theory and practice. Daoist alchemy entered a period of great prosperity in the Tang dynasty. The gentry class was engrossed with divine elixirs and golden potions in its pursuit of longevity. The Tang emperor Taizong was one of them. Daoist alchemy in the Song lacked creativity. It was lengthy and tedious, and purposely shrouded itself in mystery, so people took it as hoax used to gain fame by deceiving the public. Daoist alchemy showed signs of decline. Daoist alchemy received some attention in the Ming Dynasty, when several emperors died because of ingesting elixirs. As Daoist alchemy could not secure longevity but benefited the corrupt and promiscuous, it finally gave way to Inner Alchemy. [[zh:道教的化學]] 16700684aa5ad4ae21651464dd98e8a7df022292 583 582 2009-09-19T05:05:22Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki ==Origins== Daoist alchemy is the predecessor of modern chemistry. Daoist alchemists attempted to use natural minerals and plants to produce a drug of immortality by chemical processing. They thought that they could achieve immortality by taking such drugs. Although they never realized their purpose, their observations, chemical experiments, achievements, and their instruments, equipment and methods laid a foundation for the birth of modern chemistry. So Daoist alchemy can also be called Daoist chemistry. ==Development== Daoist alchemy originated in the [[Daoist Elixir Cauldron sect]]. Li Shaojun of the Western Han dynasty refined gold with cinnabar. Liu An, the king of Huainan, once recruited magicians to refine elixirs. He himself also engaged in the practise. When organized Daoism was founded in the Eastern Han dynasty, Daoist alchemy was enriched. During the Jin and Southern and Northern dynasties, Daoist alchemy became mature in its smelting and fire techniques, as well as in theory and practice. Daoist alchemy entered a period of great prosperity in the Tang dynasty. The gentry class was engrossed with divine elixirs and golden potions in its pursuit of longevity. The Tang emperor Taizong was one of them. Daoist alchemy in the Song lacked creativity. It was lengthy and tedious, and purposely shrouded itself in mystery, so people took it as hoax used to gain fame by deceiving the public. Daoist alchemy showed signs of decline. Daoist alchemy received some attention in the Ming Dynasty, when several emperors died because of ingesting elixirs. As Daoist alchemy could not secure longevity but benefited the corrupt and promiscuous, it finally gave way to [[Inner Alchemy]]. ==Theoretical basis== Alchemists thought that if they ingested a substance which would not burn in fire, would not rot in water and would not decay in earth, they could acquire the same properties as that substance. So their bones would become strong, and they would achieve bodily longevity. " Becoming strong by taking outer substances" is the theoretical basis of Daoist alchemy. [[zh:道教的化學]] f556d005eb248aada4f5ee07da3a2bd5a3890b99 0 475 584 2009-09-19T05:29:04Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Cosmology== Daoism has made a tremendous contribution to the development of ancient astronomy and has deepened man's understanding and mastery of the outside world. Daoism hold...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Cosmology== Daoism has made a tremendous contribution to the development of ancient astronomy and has deepened man's understanding and mastery of the outside world. Daoism holds that the universe is created from emptiness. For example, ''The Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Opening of the Heavens'' ( 太上老君開天經 Taishang Laojun Kaitian Jing ) says that the evolutionary process of the universe is made up of many phases, such as "great origin", "chaotic origin", "supreme beginning", "supreme start", "supreme simplicity", "chaos", "nine palaces", and "original sovereign" (see p. 618, Vol. 34, [[''The Daoist Canon'']] ( 道藏 Daozang )). Although such a theory is still within the religious intellectual system, it initiates man's understanding of the universe and gestates the sprout of science of the universe. Daoists came to know gradually that the universe has gone through an evolutionary process of growing from small to large. [[Ge Hong]] adopts the view that "Pangu created the world" mentioned in ''Three-Five Calendar '' ( 三五曆記 Sanwu Liji ) by Xu Zheng of The Three Kingdoms, holding that "before the formation of heaven, earth, the sun and the moon, the universe was in the shape of an egg; chaotic, black and yellow," and that the heaven and earth were not created until Perfect Man Pangu roamed in the universe and created the sun and the moon (see ''Records of Immortals of the Original Beginning and the Highest Perfection '' ( 元始上真衆仙記 Yuanshi Shangzhen Zhongxian Ji ), p. 23, vol. 3, in The Daoist Canon). Daoist Theories of the universe developed continuously afterwards. Daoism explains the structure of the universe with the theory of integral heaven, holding that heaven is a ball-shaped shell wrapping the earth, which floats in the ball of heaven in the shape of a board, while the sun, the moon, and stars are attached to the ball of heaven, and that the buoyant force of the "tie of the vital breath" enables heaven and earth not to fall. The famous Daoist Hao Datong of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ) was an expert at calendrics and arithmetic, while Zhao Youqin conducted large-scale research in astronomical physics. The latter studied solar and lunar eclipses and did optical experiments. Some of his experiments and discoveries recorded in his ''New Book on the Changing Astronomical Phenomena'' ( 革象新書 Gexiang Xinshu ) were revolutionary in the history of world astronomy. ==Astrology== Daoism holds that constellations in heaven are the abodes of spirits. Also due to the Daoist belief in the theory of correspondence between heaven and man, ancient Daoists devoted a great deal of energy to observing the stars and drawing star charts. The 28 constellations in heaven that signify energy nodes and orientations have caught people's attention ever since the emergence of Daoism. Daoism holds that worship of the Big Dipper could eliminate disasters and get rid of diseases, prolong the life span and achieve longevity. Therefore, in The Daoist Canon, there are a number of Daoist scriptures about prayer to [[the Big Dipper]] or concerning the Dipper constellation, and numerous scriptures are illustrated with the star chart of the Big Dipper. Many of the ancient Chinese astronomers and astrologists were Daoists or persons influenced by Daoism, such as Li Chunfeng, Yuan Tiangang, and so on. ==Calendar== Based on the observation and research of the laws of heaven, earth, and the universe, Daoism establishes "calendar of 24 energy nodes" which bears important influence on subsequent Chinese calendars (For details, see p. 438, vol. 28, ''The Daoist Canon''). In The Daoist Canon, there is also a Daoist calendar named "calendar of 28 constellations", a "solar calendar" which is different from that of the government. It prescribes that one year has 12 months and each month has 30 days, and divided a year in half, the first half starting with the Kui constellation and the second with the Jiao constellation. This calendar has major influence on the "calendar of 12 vital breaths" formulated by Shen Kuo. ==Timers== The characteristics of Daoist cultivation methods determine that Daoists need exact timing when cultivating [[inner alchemy]] and [[outer alchemy]]. As a result, many Daoists delve into timing techniques so that they make much valuable contribution in this field. One of the early Daoist devotees' major suggestions accepted during the reign of Emperor Aidi of the Han dynasty is that the 100 degree-gradation, which is the gradation standard of the timing instrument "louke", is changed into 120 degree-graduation (see "Biography of Li Xun" in History of the Han). The Daoist Li Lan of the Northern Wei dynasty invented "chenglou" (steelyard timer). After being improved in the Song dynasty, it had been used by the government till the Northern Song dynasty. Tao Hongjing, a famous Daoist of the Southern Dynasties, once designed "natural louke". His reason was, "flowing water can be made into natural louke. Then the twelve hours circulate, and people do not have to wait and watch." (p. 735, vol. 22, '' The Daoist Canon ''.) Daoists of the Complete Perfection Tradition even invented some handy timing instruments that are "ingenious, delicate, and simple"(see p.137, vol. 32. ''The Daoist Canon''). [[zh:道教的天學]] 24047a2563210b95a07fa559a968bd7e9cb85dde 0 476 585 2009-09-19T05:54:04Z Admin 1 Created page with ''Dao' ( 道 Dao ), also called the 'Great Dao' ( 大道 Dadao ), is the core of Daoist faith. The name 'Daoism' comes from the word 'Dao'. Dao and related concepts permeate all D...' wikitext text/x-wiki 'Dao' ( 道 Dao ), also called the 'Great Dao' ( 大道 Dadao ), is the core of Daoist faith. The name 'Daoism' comes from the word 'Dao'. Dao and related concepts permeate all Daoist doctrines as well as Daoism's religious practise, organizational structure, rituals, and so on. [[zh:大道]] 7f612825532ef5281ead18a70599d7b7bf873dc8 588 585 2009-09-19T07:43:05Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Daoist Beliefs }} 'Dao' ( 道 Dao ), also called the 'Great Dao' ( 大道 Dadao ), is the core of Daoist faith. The name 'Daoism' comes from the word 'Dao'. Dao and related concepts permeate all Daoist doctrines as well as Daoism's religious practise, organizational structure, rituals, and so on. [[zh:大道]] fe65bbb893a1bcd948312276d53389c088c96b12 0 477 586 2009-09-19T07:42:14Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Daoist Beliefs }}' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Daoist Beliefs }} cb4b785013725175351143ebe4bccdd9227961c5 589 586 2009-09-19T08:19:35Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Daoist Beliefs }} Daoism is an ancient religion with rich and mature contents. It has a very systematic system of Doctrines and Teachings ( 教理教義 Jiaoli Jiaoyi ), corresponding to the theology of the West. These include faith in Dao and the concomitant Cosmogony and theories on the origin of the creation of all beings and transformations; faith in Immortals ( 神仙 Shenxian ); ideals of human society; advocacy of human values, and so on. Each of the latter has several interrelated aspects, forming a complete system. Owing to historical differences, to different trends in Daoism at different times, and to different sects, different Daoist theorists and leaders have had divergences of opinion stemming from their different understanding of their faith. However, with regards to the aforementioned basic aspects of Daoist faith, all Daoists are in basic agreement. In the following presentation of Daoist creeds, we will limit ourselves to commonly shared teachings while, when necessary, presenting some unique perspectives. [[Zh:道教信仰]] a4f207c3521e201b8798c4ab9dc49b6e0713e026 10 478 587 2009-09-19T07:42:43Z Admin 1 Created page with '<br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[Daoist Beliefs]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[T...' wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[Daoist Beliefs]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[The Great Dao]] |- |[[Original Meaning of Dao]]<br>[[Laozi's Creative Use of The Concept of Dao]]<br>[[The Main Meaning of the Concept of Dao]]<br>[[The Principal Functions of Dao]]<br>[[Virtue]]<br>[[The Significance of Virtue]]<br>[[Expression of the Unity of Dao and Virtue]]<br>[[Becoming an Immortal by Attaining]]<br>[[Dao is ruled by Spontaneity]]<br>[[The Significance of Spontaneity]]<br>[[Observing the Way of Heaven and Following its Motions]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Cosmogony]] |- |[[ Cosmogony]]<br>[[ The Creation of the World]]<br>[[ Formation of the Daoist Theory of Universal Evolution]]<br>[[ The Process of Cosmogony]]<br>[[ The Thirty-six Heavens]]<br>[[ The Netherworld]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate]] |- |[[ Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate]]<br>[[ Vital Breath ]]<br>[[ The Infinite and the Supreme Ultimate]]<br>[[ The Infinite]]<br>[[ The Supreme Ultimate and the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate]]<br>[[ Yin-Yang and the Five Agents]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Social Ideals]] |- |[[Social Ideals]]<br>[[ The Ideal of Supreme Peace]]<br>[[ Purity, Tranquility and Non-interference]]<br>[[ Salvation of Humanity]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ Philosophy of Life]] |- |[[ Understanding Dao and Establishing Virtue]]<br>[[ Education by Daoist Enlightenment]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ Ethical Education and Practise]] |- |[[ Ethical Education and Practise]]<br>[[ Accumulation of Hidden Merits]]<br>[[ The Secret Meaning of Karma]]<br>[[ Norms for Doing Good Works]]<br>[[ Methods of Doing Good Works]] |} f21dc44cd3770bed77e93d1c02a243c80160f0f6 593 587 2009-09-20T01:41:01Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[Daoist Beliefs]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[The Great Dao]] |- |[[Original Meaning of Dao]]<br>[[Laozi's Creative Use of The Concept of Dao]]<br>[[The Main Meaning of the Concept of Dao]]<br>[[The Major Functions of Dao]]<br>[[Virtue]]<br>[[The Significance of Virtue]]<br>[[Expression of the Unity of Dao and Virtue]]<br>[[Becoming an Immortal by Attaining]]<br>[[Dao is ruled by Spontaneity]]<br>[[The Significance of Spontaneity]]<br>[[Observing the Way of Heaven and Following its Motions]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Cosmogony]] |- |[[ Cosmogony]]<br>[[ The Creation of the World]]<br>[[ Formation of the Daoist Theory of Universal Evolution]]<br>[[ The Process of Cosmogony]]<br>[[ The Thirty-six Heavens]]<br>[[ The Netherworld]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate]] |- |[[ Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate]]<br>[[ Vital Breath ]]<br>[[ The Infinite and the Supreme Ultimate]]<br>[[ The Infinite]]<br>[[ The Supreme Ultimate and the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate]]<br>[[ Yin-Yang and the Five Agents]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Social Ideals]] |- |[[Social Ideals]]<br>[[ The Ideal of Supreme Peace]]<br>[[ Purity, Tranquility and Non-interference]]<br>[[ Salvation of Humanity]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ Philosophy of Life]] |- |[[ Understanding Dao and Establishing Virtue]]<br>[[ Education by Daoist Enlightenment]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ Ethical Education and Practise]] |- |[[ Ethical Education and Practise]]<br>[[ Accumulation of Hidden Merits]]<br>[[ The Secret Meaning of Karma]]<br>[[ Norms for Doing Good Works]]<br>[[ Methods of Doing Good Works]] |} 9f77555b4abad5f667f0d34cebb919d8a7fbd707 0 479 590 2009-09-19T08:22:56Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Daoist Beliefs }} 'Dao' is a concept which appeared very early on; however, initially it was not a philosophical notion. ==Originally, 'Dao' Referred to the Way Tread by Peop...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Daoist Beliefs }} 'Dao' is a concept which appeared very early on; however, initially it was not a philosophical notion. ==Originally, 'Dao' Referred to the Way Tread by People== The ancient dictionary ''Explanations to the Chinese Characters '' ( 說文解字 Shuowen Jiezi ) defines Dao as the way or raod along which one walks. There are many kinds of roads, such as branching roads and roads going in all directions, but only roads leading in a single, definite direction can be called 'Dao'. This original meaning was then extended to include the notions of 'rule' or 'law'. For example, the movement of the heavens follows regular laws, and is thus called the 'Dao (Way) of Heaven' ( 天道 Tiandao ). During the Spring and Autumns era, there was the saying 'The Way of Heaven is bright, and as regular as the Sun and Moon'. This meant that the movement of the heavens was very clear and could be observed through the movement of the Sun and Moon. Thus the ancient notion of the Way of Heaven acquired the abstract significance of 'law'. The term 'Dao of Heaven' gradually became a rich concept, until it lost its original meaning and came to designate natural laws and principles. [[zh:道的初義]] b20fb98ec45297723434506741645320f8f43a7a 0 480 591 2009-09-19T08:28:22Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Daoist Beliefs }} Deep elaboration of the concept of Dao began with [[Laozi]] ( 老子 Laozi ). Laozi made Dao ( 道 Dao ) into the core of his philosophical system; hence, hi...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Daoist Beliefs }} Deep elaboration of the concept of Dao began with [[Laozi]] ( 老子 Laozi ). Laozi made Dao ( 道 Dao ) into the core of his philosophical system; hence, his school came to be known as the 'Daoist School' ( 道家 Daojia ). ==The Laozi was the first book to elaborate on the concept of 'Dao'== Laozi, whose surname was Li and whose name was Er, lived during the Spring and Autumns period. He left to posterity a book of approx. 5000 characters, divided into two chapters, which people called the 'Laozi', meaning Venerable Master. After the Tang dynasty, it was called the ''Perfect Book of Dao and its Virtue'' ( 道德真經 Daode Zhenjing ). In this book, Dao is considered as the origin of the world, and hence is regarded as the highest final category. Laozi considered Dao to be an undifferentiated whole which existed prior to the creation of Heaven and Earth: "it is made of undifferentiated substance, and was born before Heaven and Earth". From it are derived Heaven, Earth and all beings. Laozi gave a complete description of the different attributes of Dao. His thought was later greatly elaborated by his successors. From the pre-Qin era onwards, Daoist philosophers engaged in a great many reflections and discussions on Laozi's ideas: over one thousand commentaries were written on the Laozi alone, while even more works were written based on his ideas. Hence, expositions of Dao are rich and varied. [[zh:老子對道的創造性運用]] 00e6f6132363c637f767dd1d7e7777a9d05f2a2a 0 481 592 2009-09-19T09:17:03Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Daoist Beliefs }} ==The Meaning of Dao== Firstly, Dao is the eternally existing Origin of the world: it knows no limits in space or time. According to Laozi, it is an undiffer...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Daoist Beliefs }} ==The Meaning of Dao== Firstly, Dao is the eternally existing Origin of the world: it knows no limits in space or time. According to Laozi, it is an undifferentiated whole which precedes the existence of Heaven and Earth. It is empty, silent and formless; it grows independently and is inexhaustible; and eternally revolves without ever stopping. It is the Source of all beings. In the ''Laozi'' ( 老子 Laozi ) it is said: "There was something undifferentiated and all-embracing, Which existed before Heaven and Earth. Soundless and formless, it depends on nothing external And stays inexhaustible. It operates with a circular motion And remains inextinguishable. It may be considered the mother of all things under heaven" (''Laozi'', Chapt. 25; trans. Wang Keping: ''The Classic of the Dao: A New Investigatin'', Beijing: Foreign Language Press, 1998, p.230 ). It is so ancient, and so fundamentally different from all other beings, that it does not have a name, and cannot be described in ordinary language. However, in order to describe it, we cannot but give it a name, so it is called 'Dao' ( 道 Dao ), or also 'Great' ( 大 Da ). Another Daoist theorist, Zhuang Zhou, also said in the chapter "The Great Patriarch" of the ''Book of Master Zhuang'' ( 莊子 Zhuangzi ), that "Dao is a reality that can be trusted even though it has neither behaviour nor form; it can be transmitted from heart to heart, but not by words; it can be obtained but not seen. It is its own root, and existed prior to Heaven and Earth. It created the Spirits and Divinities, and gave birth to Heaven and Earth. It is higher than the Supreme Ultimate yet is not high; it is under than the Six Directions ( 六極 Liuji ) yet is not deep; it precedes all creation yet is not old; it is farther than the remotest antiquity yet is not distant". The above makes clear that Dao is the origin of all existence; it is both the first and last of all beings, and knows no limits in time. ==Dao is omnipresent:== The above also touches on space: according to Zhuangzi, Dao is also beyond limitations of space. The ancient concept of the Six Directions ( 六合 Liuhe ) includes the four cardinal directions as well as above and below - in fact encompassing all space. That Dao is 'Under the Six Directions' means that Dao is great beyond all limitations of space. Even earlier, Laozi had said that Dao permeates our surroundings, so that it is impossible to say if it is to our left or to our right. Dao is a continuous and unbroken existence: should you wish to greet it, you would not see its head; should you wish to follow it, you would not find its tail. In a nutshell, Dao is omnipresent, and is not limited to any defined physical space. ==The substance of Dao is Non-Being== Dao is Non-Being ( 無 Wu ), an existence which follows no laws. Dao's transcendent and unlimited nature sets it apart from all beings possessing form, matter and a specific place in space-time. All concrete beings follow specific laws. Dao, on the other hand, is formless, and is not bound by any concrete laws. It is pure Emptiness ( 虛 Xu ) and Non-Being. The first chapter of the Laozi states that Dao is nameless, and is the Ancestor of Heaven and Earth. This implies that Dao is nameless. The Laozi also states that *"You look at it but cannot see it; *It is called the imageless. *You listen to it but cannot hear it, *It is called the soundless. *You touch it but cannot find it, *It is called the formless. *These three cannot be further inquired into, *For they are the inseparable One. *The One is not bright when it is up, *And not dark when it is down. *Infinite and indistinct, it cannot be named, *Thus reverting to a state of non-thingness. *This is called shape without a shape, *Or image without image. *It is also called the Vague and the Elusive." (''Laozi'', chapt. 14: trans. Wang Keping 1998: p.225 ) It is thus clear that Dao is formless and imageless, and cannot be attained by human sense organs. According to Laozi, all creatures emerge from 'Being' ( 有 You ), but 'Being' emerges from 'Non-Being'. This Non-Being refers to Dao. Other Daoist scriptures also often use the terms 'Non-Being', 'Emptiness' and so on to designate Dao. In sum, Dao is nameless, formless, and substanceless; it is Non-Being and Emptiness. This is the substance of Dao. ==Avatars of Dao== The avatars of Dao are the Lordly Spirits and Deities ( 尊神 Zunshen ): Dao is Emptiness and Non-Being, but it also has a divine nature. In a state of dispersion, it is formless and imageless [[Vital Breath]] ( 氣 Qi ), but when these are concentrated, they become Deities. In Daoism, Laozi is one such Deity. According to the Tablet of the Venerable Master's Holy Mother ( 老子 Laozi Shengmu Bei ) of the Eastern Han dynasty, "Laozi is Dao". [[The Mighty Commonwealth of Orthodox Oneness tradition]] ( 正一盟威道 Zhengyi Mengwei Dao ) founded by [[Zhang Daoling ]]also clearly states that Dao is Oneness, which is dispersed as Vital Breath and reunited as [[the Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ). The term 'Supreme Venerable Sovereign' is a respectful title given to Laozi in Daoism. There are three higher deities in Daoism: the Sovereign of the Heavenly Treasure ( 天寶君 tianbaojun ), also called [[the Primeval Lord of Heaven]] ( 元始天尊 Yuanshi tianzun ); the Sovereign of the Numinous Treasure ( 靈寶君 Lingbaojun ), also called [[the Supreme Sovereign of the Great Dao]] ( 太上大道君 Taishang Dadaojun ); and the Sovereign of the Divine Treasure ( 神寶君 Shenbaojun ), also called [[the Supreme Venerable Sovereign]]. All are avatars of Dao, that is to say, all are emanations of the Vital Breath of Oneness ( 一氣 Yiqi ). The Birth of the Deities of the Nine Heavens ( 九天生神章經 Jiutian Shengshen Zhangjing ) describes the emergence of these three deities as follows: the Sovereign of the Heavenly Treasure is the Lordly Spirit of the Great Grotto ( 大洞尊神 Dadong Zunshen ), whose Original Vital Breath ( 祖氣 Zuqi ) is the Elder of the Heavenly Treasure ( 天寶丈人 Tianbao Zhangren ). This Elder ( 丈人 Zhangren ) is the Nine Thousand Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nine Billion Lofty Vital Breaths of the Supreme Jade Void of the Grotto of Chaos ( 混洞太無元高上玉虛之氣九萬九千九百九十億萬氣 Hundong Taiwuyuan Gaoshang Yuxu zhi Qi Jiuwan Jiuqian Jiubai Jiushi Yi Wan Qi ), which collected themselves into the Sovereign of the Heavenly Treasure in the first year of the Dragon Han ( 龍漢 Longhan ) Kalpa (universal cycle extending from the origination of Heaven and Earth till their destruction). The Sovereign of the Numinous Treasure is the Lordly Spirit of Pervasive Mystery ( 洞玄尊神 Dongxuan Zunshen ), whose Original Vital Breath is the Elder of the Numinous Treasure ( 靈寶丈人 Lingbao Zhangren ). This Elder is the Nine Thousand Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nine Billion Mysterious Vital Breaths of the Supreme Purple Void of the Crimson Chaos ( 赤混太無元玄上紫虛氣九萬九千九百九十億萬氣 Chihun Taiwuyuan Gaoshang Zixu zhi Qi Jiuwan Jiuqian Jiubai Jiushi Yi Wan Qi ), which transmuted themselves into the the Sovereign of the Numinous Treasure at the beginning of the Dragon Han Kalpa. The Sovereign of the Divine Treasure is the Lordly Spirit of Pervasive Spirit ( 洞神尊神 Dongshen Zunshen ), whose Original Vital Breath is the Elder of the Divine Treasure ( 神寶丈人 Shenbao Zhangren ). This Elder is the Nine Thousand Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nine Billion Vital Breaths of the Most High Pristine Void of Quiet Obscurity in Communion with the Origin ( 冥寂玄通元無上清虛之氣九萬九千九百九十億萬氣 Mingjixuan Tongyuan Wushang Qingxu zhi Qi Jiuwan Jiuqian Jiubai Jiushi Yi Wan Qi ), which became the Sovereign of the Divine Treasure during the Crimson Light ( 赤明 Chiming ) Kalpa. ==After attaining Dao, Man can become a deity== Dao can transmute itself into deities, while Man can Cultivate Dao ( 修道 Xiudao ) and Attain Dao ( 得道 Dedao ): hence, man can also become a deity. Deities which originated as people are called [[Immortals]] ( 仙 Xian ). All people can Cultivate Dao, and can therefore all potentially become Immortals. In this way, the Daoist pantheon is open and limitless. [[zh:道的主要內涵]] 4df8b35a71095712a1254e3b8d141fca2642464e 0 482 594 2009-09-20T02:20:13Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The Principal Functions of Dao == Though Dao is Emptiness ( 虛 Xu ) and Non-Being ( 無 Wu ), it is the origin of the world and is the generator of all movement and evolution ...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Principal Functions of Dao == Though Dao is Emptiness ( 虛 Xu ) and Non-Being ( 無 Wu ), it is the origin of the world and is the generator of all movement and evolution in the universe. ==The Creative Function of the Great Dao == The Laozi says: the Dao, though nameless, is the origin of Heaven and Earth; it also has a name, and is the mother of all beings. ("Non-Being is the Origin of Heaven and Earth; Being ( 有 You ) is the mother of the myriad things." ( Trans. Based on Wang Keping: ''The Classic of the Dao: A New Investigation'', Beijing, 1998: p.220 )) It also says that these two (the nameless and the named) are actually the same thing, but when manifested have different names. Together, they can be called the 'Mysterious' ( 玄 Xuan ), which is mystery upon mystery, and the gate to all changes. ("These two have the same source but different names, They both may be called mysterious and profound. The mysterious mystery Is the doorway to all subtleties" ( Trans. Based on Wang Keping 1998: 220 )). ''[[The Sublime Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Teachings on Eternal Purity and Tranquility]]'' ( 太上老君說常清靜妙經 Taishang Laojun Shuochang Qingjng Miaojing ) thus says that the Great Dao is formless, and gives birth to Heaven and Earth. ==The Dao does not interfere ( 無為 Wuwei ), but is not inactive ( 無不為 Wu Buwei ) == The creative function of Dao does not express itself by sending down specific orders. It does not interfere, but lets each being follow its won nature and spontaneously grow and develop, from Non-Being to Being and from Being to Non-Being. This is called 'Non-Interference' ( 無為 Wuwei ). All beings have an end, and their functions may only express themselves through action. But for this reason, their functions are always limited, and cannot be maintained indefinitely. Laozi said that the great wind cannot blow over the whole sky, and the rain cannot fall the whole night. The actions of Heaven and Earth cannot be maintained forever, much less those of people. The Great Dao is different: it lets the myriad beings to be born and develop, while remaining in a state of Non-Interference - it can never be exhausted. For this reason, Laozi said: Dao does not interfere, but is not inactive. The Great Dao gives birth to all, but never takes possession of them; it accomplishes everything, but claims no credit for itself. Those who study and practise Dao should also follow the Great Dao, and seek after Purity and Tranquility ( 清靜 Qingjing ), and Non-Interference. ==The law of motion of Dao is movement toward the opposite == Laozi's conception of Dao is rich in dialectical thinking. He considered that Dao is in a process of constant cyclical motion, always following the law of return to the opposite. Concepts such as Being and Non-Being, high and low, long and short, before and after are all relative and mutually generating. Fortune and misfortune depend on each other, each always turning into its opposite. Who can master the turning point of these transformations? Why is Dao never in a normal state? Normality will become abnormality, the good shall turn to evil. These deep thoughts were not only inherited by successive generations of later Daoists, but also had a deep influence on the entire body of Chinese philosophy. On the foundation of [[Laozi]]'s thought, later Daoist scholars developed concepts such as 'the Dao of Heaven is Return from the Ultimate' ( 極而反，天之道也 Ji Er fan, Tian Zhi Dao ye ), which has become a famous maxim regarding the Chinese approach to reality. Related to this, Daoism considers that softness can defeat hardness. Laozi said that softness is an expression of Dao. For example, water is the softest thing under Heaven, but when it attacks hard objects, none can resist it in the end. Therefore the softest thing in the world can circulate freely amidst the hardest things. Self-effacement and softness are the basic principles of Daoist methodology and approach to people and things; they also count among Daoism's unique characteristics. [[zh:道的主要功能]] 61af1d55fcbf3b20eab347bfd338a6a581b589b7 595 594 2009-09-20T02:21:22Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} ==The Principal Functions of Dao == Though Dao is Emptiness ( 虛 Xu ) and Non-Being ( 無 Wu ), it is the origin of the world and is the generator of all movement and evolution in the universe. ==The Creative Function of the Great Dao == The Laozi says: the Dao, though nameless, is the origin of Heaven and Earth; it also has a name, and is the mother of all beings. ("Non-Being is the Origin of Heaven and Earth; Being ( 有 You ) is the mother of the myriad things." ( Trans. Based on Wang Keping: ''The Classic of the Dao: A New Investigation'', Beijing, 1998: p.220 )) It also says that these two (the nameless and the named) are actually the same thing, but when manifested have different names. Together, they can be called the 'Mysterious' ( 玄 Xuan ), which is mystery upon mystery, and the gate to all changes. ("These two have the same source but different names, They both may be called mysterious and profound. The mysterious mystery Is the doorway to all subtleties" ( Trans. Based on Wang Keping 1998: 220 )). ''[[The Sublime Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Teachings on Eternal Purity and Tranquility]]'' ( 太上老君說常清靜妙經 Taishang Laojun Shuochang Qingjng Miaojing ) thus says that the Great Dao is formless, and gives birth to Heaven and Earth. ==The Dao does not interfere ( 無為 Wuwei ), but is not inactive ( 無不為 Wu Buwei ) == The creative function of Dao does not express itself by sending down specific orders. It does not interfere, but lets each being follow its won nature and spontaneously grow and develop, from Non-Being to Being and from Being to Non-Being. This is called 'Non-Interference' ( 無為 Wuwei ). All beings have an end, and their functions may only express themselves through action. But for this reason, their functions are always limited, and cannot be maintained indefinitely. Laozi said that the great wind cannot blow over the whole sky, and the rain cannot fall the whole night. The actions of Heaven and Earth cannot be maintained forever, much less those of people. The Great Dao is different: it lets the myriad beings to be born and develop, while remaining in a state of Non-Interference - it can never be exhausted. For this reason, Laozi said: Dao does not interfere, but is not inactive. The Great Dao gives birth to all, but never takes possession of them; it accomplishes everything, but claims no credit for itself. Those who study and practise Dao should also follow the Great Dao, and seek after Purity and Tranquility ( 清靜 Qingjing ), and Non-Interference. ==The law of motion of Dao is movement toward the opposite == Laozi's conception of Dao is rich in dialectical thinking. He considered that Dao is in a process of constant cyclical motion, always following the law of return to the opposite. Concepts such as Being and Non-Being, high and low, long and short, before and after are all relative and mutually generating. Fortune and misfortune depend on each other, each always turning into its opposite. Who can master the turning point of these transformations? Why is Dao never in a normal state? Normality will become abnormality, the good shall turn to evil. These deep thoughts were not only inherited by successive generations of later Daoists, but also had a deep influence on the entire body of Chinese philosophy. On the foundation of [[Laozi]]'s thought, later Daoist scholars developed concepts such as 'the Dao of Heaven is Return from the Ultimate' ( 極而反，天之道也 Ji Er fan, Tian Zhi Dao ye ), which has become a famous maxim regarding the Chinese approach to reality. Related to this, Daoism considers that softness can defeat hardness. Laozi said that softness is an expression of Dao. For example, water is the softest thing under Heaven, but when it attacks hard objects, none can resist it in the end. Therefore the softest thing in the world can circulate freely amidst the hardest things. Self-effacement and softness are the basic principles of Daoist methodology and approach to people and things; they also count among Daoism's unique characteristics. [[zh:道的主要功能]] e76c0db10394f7709da85ef0e79776613af1636e 0 483 596 2009-09-20T02:23:35Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} Virtue and Dao are complementary concepts. 'Virtue' ( 德 De ) is the reflection of Dao in each being; it is the expression of Dao in each concrete thing. [[...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} Virtue and Dao are complementary concepts. 'Virtue' ( 德 De ) is the reflection of Dao in each being; it is the expression of Dao in each concrete thing. [[zh:德]] b3d7fc91a0f24718be1c55f0e15368693020f962 0 484 597 2009-09-20T02:31:49Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} The Daoist concept of 'Virtue'1 is rich in meaning. Generally speaking, Virtue and Dao are reciprocal concepts. In the fifty-first chapter of the Laozi, it is ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} The Daoist concept of 'Virtue'1 is rich in meaning. Generally speaking, Virtue and Dao are reciprocal concepts. In the fifty-first chapter of the Laozi, it is said that "Dao begets all things, and Virtue fosters them." Dao is the fundamental origin of all beings, while Virtue is the reflection of Dao in all beings. Dao is formless and imageless; Virtue, as the manifestation of Dao in all concrete things, is also formless. Therefore Daoists often refer to Dao and Virtue as a single concept, and consider them to be absolutely void and still, and the ultimate abstruse Ancestor of all beings. ==Virtue is the attainment of Dao== As the reflection of Dao in all beings, Virtue can be said to be each concrete being's attainment of Dao. In the '' [[Pivotal Meaning of the Daoist Doctrine]] '' ( 道教義樞 Daojiao Yishu ) by Meng Anpai of the Tang dynasty, it is said that Virtue is attainment, and is the opposite of loss of Dao. For this reason, Virtue and the sometimes-used concept of 'Dao-Nature' ( 道性 Daoxing ) are identical. Dao is omnipresent and all creatures have Dao-Nature. In the '' [[Book of Master Zhuang]] '' ( 莊子 Zhuangzi ), it is said that Dao is 'omnipresent', and can be found in mole crickets and ants, in bricks and tiles, in stools and urine. Whether it be the most spiritual of men or the most debased of things, everything has Dao. In the '' [[Book of Western Ascension]] '' ( 西升經 Xishengjing ), it is said that "Dao is not only in me; all beings have it". This Dao-Nature reflected by all beings is Virtue. ==Virtue is the effect of Dao== Virtue is the reflection of Dao, and Dao is the root of Virtue. From this perspective, we can say that the effect of Dao on the nurturing and ordering of all beings is played out through Virtue. Dao is Emptiness ( 虛 Xu ) and governs Non-Being ( 無 Wu ), while Virtue exists in all concrete things and governs Being ( 有 You ). Of course, we are here not separating Dao and Virtue into two separate things, but merely reflecting on different situations and functions. Fundamentally speaking, Virtue and Dao are but two aspects of a single category. Hence, the first scroll of the ''Pivotal Meaning of the Daoist Doctrine'' quotes Master Xuanqing as saying that "Dao and Virtue are two significances of a single reality. They are one but not one, two but not two." Looking at their functions and effects, they are different and thus two, but as different expressions of the same reality, they are not two. In the same way, they are both one, but owing to their different functions, they are not one. [[zh:德的主要含義]] f980da036e9d71a4cb103237d68d06ad2c460c3c 598 597 2009-09-20T02:33:00Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} The Daoist concept of 'Virtue' is rich in meaning. Generally speaking, Virtue and Dao are reciprocal concepts. In the fifty-first chapter of the Laozi, it is said that "Dao begets all things, and Virtue fosters them." Dao is the fundamental origin of all beings, while Virtue is the reflection of Dao in all beings. Dao is formless and imageless; Virtue, as the manifestation of Dao in all concrete things, is also formless. Therefore Daoists often refer to Dao and Virtue as a single concept, and consider them to be absolutely void and still, and the ultimate abstruse Ancestor of all beings. ==Virtue is the attainment of Dao== As the reflection of Dao in all beings, Virtue can be said to be each concrete being's attainment of Dao. In the '' [[Pivotal Meaning of the Daoist Doctrine]] '' ( 道教義樞 Daojiao Yishu ) by Meng Anpai of the Tang dynasty, it is said that Virtue is attainment, and is the opposite of loss of Dao. For this reason, Virtue and the sometimes-used concept of 'Dao-Nature' ( 道性 Daoxing ) are identical. Dao is omnipresent and all creatures have Dao-Nature. In the '' [[Book of Master Zhuang]] '' ( 莊子 Zhuangzi ), it is said that Dao is 'omnipresent', and can be found in mole crickets and ants, in bricks and tiles, in stools and urine. Whether it be the most spiritual of men or the most debased of things, everything has Dao. In the '' [[Book of Western Ascension]] '' ( 西升經 Xishengjing ), it is said that "Dao is not only in me; all beings have it". This Dao-Nature reflected by all beings is Virtue. ==Virtue is the effect of Dao== Virtue is the reflection of Dao, and Dao is the root of Virtue. From this perspective, we can say that the effect of Dao on the nurturing and ordering of all beings is played out through Virtue. Dao is Emptiness ( 虛 Xu ) and governs Non-Being ( 無 Wu ), while Virtue exists in all concrete things and governs Being ( 有 You ). Of course, we are here not separating Dao and Virtue into two separate things, but merely reflecting on different situations and functions. Fundamentally speaking, Virtue and Dao are but two aspects of a single category. Hence, the first scroll of the ''Pivotal Meaning of the Daoist Doctrine'' quotes Master Xuanqing as saying that "Dao and Virtue are two significances of a single reality. They are one but not one, two but not two." Looking at their functions and effects, they are different and thus two, but as different expressions of the same reality, they are not two. In the same way, they are both one, but owing to their different functions, they are not one. [[zh:德的主要含義]] b30519957e4a5b38d2d1b22b89c710a7bbd09c72 0 485 599 2009-09-20T02:53:35Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} Since Virtue ( 德 De ) is the reflection of Dao ( 道 Dao ), therefore, in seeking Dao, one must seek harmony with Virtue, so that one's thoughts, words and d...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} Since Virtue ( 德 De ) is the reflection of Dao ( 道 Dao ), therefore, in seeking Dao, one must seek harmony with Virtue, so that one's thoughts, words and deeds are all in conformity with Virtue. ==Dao is expressed as my Virtue== Dao is in all beings; and, as far as people are concerned, Virtue is the Dao in oneself. Therefore, Wei Zong of the Song dynasty wrote in the ''Imperial Commentary to the Book of Western Ascension'' ( 御注西升經序 Yuzhu Xishengjing Xu ) that "no being does not have Dao; in myself, Dao is expressed as my Virtue. All men possess the Virtue of Dao." One's Virtue can only be realized and developed through one's own efforts; hence, one must Cultivate Virtue ( 修德 Xiudao ) in order to unite with Dao. The presence or absence of Virtue depends on unity with Dao. The Laozi ( 老子 Laozi ) says that "the expression of the Great Virtue can be achieved only by conformity with Dao". Cultivating Dao ( 修道 Xiudao ) and Cultivating Virtue are thus one and the same thing. Another important scripture, the ''Book of Spontaneity'' ( 自然經 Ziranjing ), says that "to attain Virtue is to obtain ''Dao-Fruit'' ( 道果 Daoguo ) ". He who incessantly Cultivates Virtue and unites with Dao, initially becomes a virtuous man; after steady progress, he attains to perfection and becomes a Perfect Man ( 真人 Zhenren ), what is commonly called a 'Lofty Immortal' ( 高仙 Gaoxian ). ==The man of superior Virtue is not conscious of his Virtue== The Laozi states that "The man of superior Virtue is not conscious of his Virtue, And in this way he really possesses Virtue. The man of inferior Virtue never loses sight of his Virtue, and in this way he has no true Virtue." Although this statement seems contradictory, actually, it is not. Those who have a high level of cultivation of Virtue always act spontaneously in a natural state of Dao. They are not attached to Virtue but conform to it spontaneously. But those who are of a low level are always mindful of Virtue and attached to it; consequently, they always seek the outer forms of Virtue and miss its true significance. In capter 51 of the ''Laozi'', it is said that: "all beings venerate Dao and honour Virtue. As for the veneration of Dao and the honouring of Virtue, It is not out of obedience to any orders; It comes spontaneously." ( Trans. Based on Wang Keping, ''The Classic of the Dao: A New Investigation'', Beijing: Foreign Language Press, 1998: p.242 ) The nature of Dao and Virtue is such that in seeking Virtue, one must be spontaneous and not force oneself, nor should one be attached; one cannot merely conform to outward forms, much less flaunt oneself and self-righteously consider oneself to have Virtue. ==Indifference to fame or gain== Since all men inherently possess Virtue, then all men should be virtuous. Why is that not the case? In the course of their life in this world, people are subject to many external stimuli, and their minds come to pursue external glory and splendor. Distracted by fame and wealth, they distance themselves from Virtue. Therefore, [[Laozi]] counsels men to eliminate selfish desires, attain one's inner nature, and embrace one's spontaneous Dao. This requires indifference to fame or gain, and to refrain from seeking shelter in material desires. If the mind is free of preconceived ideas, free of pressure, free of confused desires, magnanimous and big-hearted, empty, still and unsullied, then it will be in natural harmony with Dao, and will manifest true Virtue. ==Virtue is an inner state== Virtue exists in all beings, but it is formless and imageless; it cannot be sought after through forms. It is internal. Harmony with Virtue cannot be found through external forms, but must be sought after internally. The Perfect Man of Nanhua ( 南華真人 Nanhua Zhenre ) (Zhuangzi) described many individuals who, though ugly in appearance, were rich in Virtue. Some of them were even lacking arms or legs, and yet, unexpectedly, were revered by the people. The Perfect Man of Nanhua pointed out that as long as one excels in Virtue, people will ignore one's physical infirmities. A highly virtuous person does not flaunt himself; the more he is like this, the more people will be attracted to him. His Virtue will gradually guide and elevate the masses, and purify their customs and habits. Virtuous people do not display their emotions, much less are they tied down by sensual passions. The Perfect Man of Nanhua said: "When I speak of detachment, I mean that one must not harm oneself with positive or negative emotions; one should follow spontaneity without adding to it." This is very different from the attitudes of common people. The ''[[Book of Western Ascension]]'' ( 西升經 Xishengjing ) criticizes those "common people who crave to protect their lives through passion and covetousness", who fill themselves with desire and lust after external things. Such people, the more they distance themselves from Dao, the more they turn their backs on Virtue. Therefore, accomplished Daoists do not care for fame, fortune or sensual pleasure; they devote themselves to "clean their spirit till it is white as snow, and discard vulgar habits". They purify their inner world and clear out all sorts of outer disturbances. ==Accumulate Merits and Establish Virtue== To clear out vulgar attachments during the process of Cultivating Virtue, does not imply that one should ignore society and the sufferings of the people. On the contrary, Daoists do not pursue personal fame and fortune, but care for the collective good of all people, and advocate universal salvation. Daoists must therefore accumulate merits ( 積功 Jigong ) and establish Virtue ( 立德 Lide ). Merit ( 功 Gong ) and Virtue are actually the same thing. By accumulating Merits one can accumulate Virtue. To tirelessly establish merit is the first stage of Cultivating Virtue. A Daoist saying exhorts one to 'Perform three thousand virtuous deeds and eight hundred meritorious acts'. This shows the importance of demonstrating Meritorious Conduct ( 功行 Gongxing ) among the people. This type of deed performed for society and for the people, is called 'Merit' ( 功德 Gongde ). Daoists do not seek reward for establishing merit among the people, and do not seek to be known for their good deeds; they consider that the Spirits in Heaven and Earth will naturally know. This type of merit is called 'Hidden Virtue' ( 陰德 Yinde ) or 'Hidden Merit' ( 陰功 Yiggong ). Daoism advocates to Broadly [[Accululation of Hidden Merits]] ( 廣積陰功 Guangji Yingong ). [[zh:體道合德]] cf211f42bc6faba2f0d5187b76e00a60308e9657 0 486 600 2009-09-20T03:07:06Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} Dao is the cause of its own existence; its principle is Spontaneity ( 自然 Ziran ). To Cultivate Dao ( 修道 Xiudao ), one must follow Spontaneity. To be ru...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} Dao is the cause of its own existence; its principle is Spontaneity ( 自然 Ziran ). To Cultivate Dao ( 修道 Xiudao ), one must follow Spontaneity. To be ruled by Spontaneity is one of the major characteristics and symbols of Daoism. How should we understand the notion of 'Dao is ruled by Spontaneity' ( 道法自然 Daofa Ziran )? [[zh:道法自然]] 1bcd84c8eab721c3a363595234b4819c77af4f5b 0 487 601 2009-09-20T03:25:39Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} ==Spontaneity is an attribute of Dao== The ''[[Laozi]]'' ( 老子 Laozi ) says that 'Man follows Earth, Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows Dao, Dao follows S...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} ==Spontaneity is an attribute of Dao== The ''[[Laozi]]'' ( 老子 Laozi ) says that 'Man follows Earth, Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows Dao, Dao follows Spontaneity". Dao is the ultimate existence; no other existence is above it or precedes it. Therefore, it does not follow anything but itself. Though Dao is its own ruler, this does not mean that it intentionally rules other things, but that it respects the natural development of all beings and of the world. According to Heshang Gong's Han dynasty interpretation of 'Dao follows Spontaneity', "the nature of Dao is Spontaneity ( 自然 Ziran ); it is ruled by nothing." ==Opposition between Man and Spontaneity== All beings have their own nature, which is spontaneous. Here, the term 'Spontaneous' is equivalent to the commonly used term 'Natural' ( 天然 Tianran ). The Perfect Man of Nanhua ( 南華真人 Nanhua Zhenren ) considered that cows and horses originally lived in a state of natural spontaneity, but that when men forced them to wear harnesses, they infringed on the spontaneity of the cows and horses. Man also originally had his own nature, but has been reined in by fame and locked up by fortune, to the point where he has lost his natural spontaneity. ==Spontaneity and Non-Interference are identical== Daoism advocates Purity ( 清 Qing ), Tranquility ( 靜 Jing ), and Non-Interference ( 無為 Wuwei ). Dao does not interfere and does not give orders, but spontaneously generates the myriad beings. To achieve Non-Interference and to unite with Dao is to achieve a state of Spontaneity. Chapter 17 of the Laozi states: *"The best kind of rulers are those whose *existence *Is merely known by the people below them. *The next-best are those who are loved and praised. *The nest-best are those who are feared. *The next-best are those who are despised. *If trust in others is not sufficient, *It will be unrequited. *(The best rulers) are cautious, *And seldom issue orders. *When tasks are accomplished and affairs completed, *The common people will say, *"We simply follow the way of spontaneity" ( Trans. Wang Keping: ''The Classic of the Dao. A New Investigation''. Beijing, 1998: Foreign Languages Press. ). That is to say, let the common people and the myriad beings be born, grow, develop and change according to their own nature. Let the rulers not interfere, and let the ruled follow their nature. [[zh:道法自然]] 5fcd437c582ebd59f57719694aea8d0a36b51a6b 0 487 602 601 2009-09-20T03:26:00Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} ==Spontaneity is an attribute of Dao== The ''[[Laozi]]'' ( 老子 Laozi ) says that 'Man follows Earth, Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows Dao, Dao follows Spontaneity". Dao is the ultimate existence; no other existence is above it or precedes it. Therefore, it does not follow anything but itself. Though Dao is its own ruler, this does not mean that it intentionally rules other things, but that it respects the natural development of all beings and of the world. According to Heshang Gong's Han dynasty interpretation of 'Dao follows Spontaneity', "the nature of Dao is Spontaneity ( 自然 Ziran ); it is ruled by nothing." ==Opposition between Man and Spontaneity== All beings have their own nature, which is spontaneous. Here, the term 'Spontaneous' is equivalent to the commonly used term 'Natural' ( 天然 Tianran ). The Perfect Man of Nanhua ( 南華真人 Nanhua Zhenren ) considered that cows and horses originally lived in a state of natural spontaneity, but that when men forced them to wear harnesses, they infringed on the spontaneity of the cows and horses. Man also originally had his own nature, but has been reined in by fame and locked up by fortune, to the point where he has lost his natural spontaneity. ==Spontaneity and Non-Interference are identical== Daoism advocates Purity ( 清 Qing ), Tranquility ( 靜 Jing ), and Non-Interference ( 無為 Wuwei ). Dao does not interfere and does not give orders, but spontaneously generates the myriad beings. To achieve Non-Interference and to unite with Dao is to achieve a state of Spontaneity. Chapter 17 of the Laozi states: *"The best kind of rulers are those whose *existence *Is merely known by the people below them. *The next-best are those who are loved and praised. *The nest-best are those who are feared. *The next-best are those who are despised. *If trust in others is not sufficient, *It will be unrequited. *(The best rulers) are cautious, *And seldom issue orders. *When tasks are accomplished and affairs completed, *The common people will say, *"We simply follow the way of spontaneity" ( Trans. Wang Keping: ''The Classic of the Dao. A New Investigation''. Beijing, 1998: Foreign Languages Press. ). That is to say, let the common people and the myriad beings be born, grow, develop and change according to their own nature. Let the rulers not interfere, and let the ruled follow their nature. [[zh:自然的內涵]] 91847f439e3cd25006964a702fae27e1e61c0571 0 488 603 2009-09-20T04:14:49Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} The concept of 《Dao Follows Spontaneity ( 道法自然 Daofa Ziran )》 and the principle of Non-Interference ( 無為 Wuwei ) do not imply that one should r...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} The concept of 《Dao Follows Spontaneity ( 道法自然 Daofa Ziran )》 and the principle of Non-Interference ( 無為 Wuwei ) do not imply that one should remain inactive, but rather that we should avoid excessive human interference. It does not oppose action in conformity with the Great Dao ( 大道 Dadao ) nor actively Practising ( 行道 Xingdao ) and Cultivating Dao ( 修道 Xiudao ). The first sentence of the chapter 《Kaizong Mingyi》 of the [[Book of Secret Correspondences]] ( 陰符經 Yinfujing ) opens with the sentence 《Observe the Way (Dao) of Heaven and Follow its Motions》. The so-called 'Way of Heaven' ( 天道 Tiandao ) refers to the basic laws of the entire universe. To 'observe' means to investigate and experience. The purpose of knowing the Way of Heaven is to grasp its laws in order to apply them. This means on the one hand to control external objects and improve oneself, and also to be able to follow the movements of Heaven. This is the basic theoretical foundation of all different Daoist Magical Arts ( 方術 Fangshu ) of Cultivating Immortality ( 修仙 Xiuxian ). On this basis, Daoist adepts actively attempt to apply the principles of the Great Dao and to experiment with different methods to improve oneself (cultivate an Immortal Body ( 仙體 Xianti ) or prolong one's life) and control external objects and spirits (often by dispatching Spirits ( 鬼神 Guishen ) to effect changes in the myriad beings). These pursuits have left a rich heritage in the history of Chinese technology, hygienics ( Nourishing Life ( 養生 Yangsheng ), medicine and pharmacology, much of which has significance as contributions to world civilization. This active pursuit of the Great Dao in order to control external objects also established the unique characteristic of Daoism as rich in practical Daoist Arts ( 道術 Daoshu ). Of course, the foundation of Observing the Way of Heaven and Following its Motions is based on Dao and Spontaneity. Any action which does not conform to natural Spontaneity, any form of forced human intervention which goes against natural laws, has no chance of success and can only said to be reckless and wild. [[zh:觀天之道，執天之行]] c618a0661bc585f92edd1a3b77ffd398bf9dab55 0 489 604 2009-09-20T04:18:07Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} The cosmos generated and controlled by Dao undergoes an endless process of development and evolution. From a Daoist perspective, the universe in which we prese...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} The cosmos generated and controlled by Dao undergoes an endless process of development and evolution. From a Daoist perspective, the universe in which we presently live has not existed eternally and will not continue to exist forever. Heaven and Earth are born and growing, and the cosmos is evolving. The structure of the cosmos is multilayered: it does not exist homogeneously on a single level. [[zh:宇宙論]] 4e4790be9e62728e4e52dcb9f2ba0924a3743437 0 490 605 2009-09-20T04:20:29Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} 'THe Creation of the World refers to the process of the formation of Heaven and Earth out of Chaos. Many religions have such a theory of the The Creation of th...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} 'THe Creation of the World refers to the process of the formation of Heaven and Earth out of Chaos. Many religions have such a theory of the The Creation of the World, but Daoism has its own unique views on this question. The Daoist theory of Cosmogony is essentially a theory. [[zh:開天闢地]] 7d0ad0ee402753d48bd71145eea1dc3db8be711a 0 491 606 2009-09-20T05:05:30Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} ==Fundamental Difference Between the Daoist Theory of Universal Evolution and the Christian Concept of the Creation by God== The question of whether the univer...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} ==Fundamental Difference Between the Daoist Theory of Universal Evolution and the Christian Concept of the Creation by God== The question of whether the universe has always existed as it does now is a most interesting, but also most perplexing one. Countless are those who, over the past thousands of years, have deeply pondered over this question and formulated what they considered to be the best answer, some going so far as to elaborate wonderful theories on the subject. Nonetheless, until today no consensus has emerged. Contemporary opinion tends to consider that the universe had a beginning, and that this beginning was a stage in the evolution of the universe -- looking at the universe as a whole, it has neither an absolute beginning nor an absolute end. Daoist Cosmogony has proposed a similar view of the universe for the past two thousand years. This theory of universal evolution is radically different from the Christian theory of the Creation of the universe by God. Daoism considers that universal evolution follows its own laws and is not the product of divine creation. Rather, it is the product of Spontaneous ( 自然 Ziran ) evolution under the control of [[the Great Dao]] ( 大道 Dadao ). The highest divinity of Daoism, [[the Primeval Lord of Heaven]] ( 原始天尊 Yuanshi Tianzun ), emerged during the evolutionary process, which he helps to push forward according to the circumstances. On the other hand, Christianity considers that God created the world out of absolute nothingness. ==Initial speculations on the origin of the universe== Early on, [[Laozi]] had reflected on the origin of the universe. He considered that Heaven and Earth have not existed indefinitely. Dao preceded the formation of Heaven and Earth. The process of the generation of Heaven and Earth by Dao is resumed in the following formula: 《Dao generates One, One generates Two, Two generates Three, Three generates the Myriad Beings》 In other words, Dao generated the primeval unified whole, which divided into two opposing forces, whose interpenetration generated all beings. The two forces referred to by Laozi as the 'Two' are commonly considered to be designate Heaven and Earth. Later on, other Daoist theorists further reflected on the origin of the world and formulated systematic theories. These were discussed in the scripture ''The Source of Dao'' ( 道原 Daoyuan ), which points out that before the formation of Heaven and Earth, there was nothing but limitless dark space, in which nothing existed. There was only Essential Vital Breath ( 精氣 Jingqi ) and Vital Breath of Spirit ( 神氣 Shenqi ) circulating everywhere. These Essential and Spiritual Vital Breaths refer to different functions of Dao, which formed the world and the myriad beings. ==The complete description of the origin of the universe began in the Wei and Jin dynasties == [[Ge Hong]], the famous accomplished Daoist and reputed astronomer of the Jin dynasty, made an important contribution to Daoist Cosmogony. In his ''Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'' ( 抱朴子內篇 Baopuzi Neipian ), he considered the concept of 'Mystery' ( 玄 Xuan ), and its effect on the formation of Heaven and Earth. In his later years as a hermit on Mt. Luohu, he wrote the important work The ''Book of Pillow Secrets'' ( 枕中書 Zhenzhongshu ) in which he discussed the 'most sublime root' and pointed out that before the formation of the world, the original chaos was like an egg, inside which was Perfect Man Pangu who called himself the King of Primeval Heaven ( 原始天王 Yuanshi Tianwang ). As the universal egg grew larger in its initial stages, he grew larger inside it. At the formation of the world, the light elements rose upwards to form Heaven and the heavy elements descended to form Earth, while the King of Primordial Heaven resided on Jade Capital Mountain ( 玉京山 Yujingshan ) in the centre of Heaven. Later on, other spirits, men and animals were formed. Ge Hong's theory was later developed into a systematic Cosmogony. At about the same time, [[the Highest Clarity sect]] ( 上清派 Shangqing Pai ) also reflected on the question of the origin and structure of the universe. Around the end of the Eastern Jin, the grandson of Ge Hong's brother, Ge Caofu, wrote a large number of scriptures, amongst which the '' [[Numinous Treasure's Lofty and Sublime Book of the Limitless Salvation of Mankind]] '' ( 靈寶無量上品度人妙經 Lingbao Wuliang Shangpin Duren Miaojing ) and other writings fully described the process of the formation of the world. Subsequently, the ''Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Opening of the Heavens'' ( 太上老君開天經 Taishang Laojun Kaitian Jing ) appeared, which also discussed the question of the creation of Heaven and Earth. [[zh:道教宇宙演化論的形成]] fdca970ee7b01d71c1782eb5f44ea04fd55456d8 10 478 607 593 2009-09-20T05:16:56Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[Daoist Beliefs]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[The Great Dao]] |- |[[Original Meaning of Dao]]<br>[[Laozi's Creative Use of The Concept of Dao]]<br>[[The Main Meaning of the Concept of Dao]]<br>[[The Major Functions of Dao]]<br>[[Virtue]]<br>[[The Significance of Virtue]]<br>[[Expression of the Unity of Dao and Virtue]]<br>[[Becoming an Immortal by Attaining]]<br>[[Dao is ruled by Spontaneity]]<br>[[The Significance of Spontaneity]]<br>[[Observing the Way of Heaven and Following its Motions]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Cosmogony]] |- |[[ Cosmogony]]<br>[[ The Creation of the World]]<br>[[ Formation of the Daoist Theory of Universal Evolution]]<br>[[ The Process of The Creation of the World]]<br>[[ The Thirty-six Heavens]]<br>[[ The Netherworld]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate]] |- |[[ Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate]]<br>[[ Vital Breath ]]<br>[[ The Infinite and the Supreme Ultimate]]<br>[[ The Infinite]]<br>[[ The Supreme Ultimate and the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate]]<br>[[ Yin-Yang and the Five Agents]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[Social Ideals]] |- |[[Social Ideals]]<br>[[ The Ideal of Supreme Peace]]<br>[[ Purity, Tranquility and Non-interference]]<br>[[ Salvation of Humanity]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ Philosophy of Life]] |- |[[ Understanding Dao and Establishing Virtue]]<br>[[ Education by Daoist Enlightenment]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ Ethical Education and Practise]] |- |[[ Ethical Education and Practise]]<br>[[ Accumulation of Hidden Merits]]<br>[[ The Secret Meaning of Karma]]<br>[[ Norms for Doing Good Works]]<br>[[ Methods of Doing Good Works]] |} 429ca6a71c92be0a2890d13f2e36708d703fcced 0 492 608 2009-09-20T05:18:18Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} ==Universal Cycles, or Kalpas ( 劫 Jie ) == The notion of Universal Cycles is an important concept in Daoist Cosmogony. A single universal Cycle is said to la...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} ==Universal Cycles, or Kalpas ( 劫 Jie ) == The notion of Universal Cycles is an important concept in Daoist Cosmogony. A single universal Cycle is said to last from Cosmogony till its destruction. The concept of Universal Cycles originated in India. The universe is an endless process of repeating Cycles; each Cycle has a beginning and an end. After the end of a Cycle, the universe falls into darkness and everything in the universe is destroyed. Only the most accomplished of the Immortals ( 神仙 Shenxian ) are able to survive the end-of-cycle apocalypse. At that point, a new Cycle will begin. Major universal Cycles are themselves made up of minor cyles. The major universal Cycles are named 'Dragon Han' ( 龍漢 Longhan ), 'Extended Well-Being' ( 延康 Yankang ), 'Crimson Light' ( 赤明 Chiming ), etc. ; these Cycles have followed each other in succession since aeons ago. We cannot know how many Cycles there have been in the past. ==The Appearing of the Crimson Light== After the end of a Cycle, the universe plunges into a period of darkness, in which the mighty Diamond Wind ( 金剛風 Jingangfeng ) blows through a world of chaos, a space of infinite emptiness and absolute darkness in which no light, no form, no image is to be found. Even the Vital Breaths of Dao ( 道氣 Daoqi ) are shrouded in complete darkness. It is then time for the new birth and growth of nature, and the new cycle of Crimson Light will begin. The stage is set for the new life of the universe. This is called "The Appearing of the Crimson Light". The space-time in which we presently live is part of the cycle of Crimson Light. ==The Root of the World: The Crimson and Jade Characters== At this point, the Vital Breaths of Dao gather together, and an octagonal Book suddenly appears out of the void. Each character in the Book is about 12 feet long, with rays of light streaming forth from the eight corners of the Book. When these rays are seen by [[the Primeval Lord of Heaven]] ( 元始天尊 Yuanshi Tianzun ), He knows the time has come to inaugurate a new Cycle. At this point, He places the Jade Characters into the Forges of Heaven, until they begin to emit crimson rays of light. Thus they are called the Crimson Characters. The Crimson and Jade Characters ( 赤書玉字 Chishu Yuzi ) are the source of the Heavens, and are called the 'Original Matrix' ( 元綱 Yuangang ). The Crimson Characters are in fact the Root of the world. Thus the '' [[Book of Salvation]] '' ( 度人經 Durenjing ) says: "The Crimson Characters of the Grotto of Chaos ( 混洞 Hundong ) are the Word of Essential Truth arising from the Absolute Void. At the very beginning of the Cycle, it forms the Cosmos and makes the Sun, the Moon and the Stars send forth their light. It is the origin of the Heavens. It has no ancestor; its essence is of Dao." ==The Emergence of the Thirty-Two Heavens ( 三十二天 Sanshier Tian ) out of the Original Matrix== The Heavenly Matrix formed out of the Crimson Book of Jade Characters, is called the Original Matrix. It weaves itself in all directions, forming thirty-two heavens. The World is hence created, and a new Cycle has begun. Taking note, the Primeval Lord of Heaven opens the Perfect Script of the Five Divine Tablets ( 五篇神書真文 Wupian Shenshu Zhenwen ), leading to the formation of the various spirits. At the same time, the Lord exercises His power to ensure the long life of the heavens of the new Cycle. Thirty-two heavens are thus created and maintained; if we add the Three Pristine Heavens ( 三清 Sanqing ), there are a total of thirty-five Vital Breaths of Dao. These Energies are derived from the Vital Breath of the Highest Origin ( 上元之氣 Shangyuan Zhi Qi ). ==Salvation by the inauguration of a new Cycle== At the beginning of each Cycle, the Primeval Lord of Heaven reveals Scriptures and teaches the Way, disseminating scriptures on Dao, saving all the people under heaven. Individuals who, owing to spiritual affinity, attain salvation, may join the ranks of the Immortals. These are able to survive the apocalypse at the end of the Cycle, and enjoy eternal life. The Scriptures revealed from within a Sacred Pearl by the Primeval Lord of Heaven at the beginning of the Cycle, are the most mysterious of all Dao Scriptures. [[zh:天地開闢的過程]] 05925490a831708f245da0de507ed03501b62069 0 493 609 2009-09-20T05:33:30Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} ==The Skies are Divided into Ten Directions== The Thirty-Two Heavens arising out of the Original Matrix ( 元綱 Yuangang ) are located in the four cardinal di...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} ==The Skies are Divided into Ten Directions== The Thirty-Two Heavens arising out of the Original Matrix ( 元綱 Yuangang ) are located in the four cardinal directions, with eight heavens per cardinal direction. To these four directions can further be added Northeast, Southeast, Southwest and Northwest, as well as above and below. In addition to these Thirty-Two Heavens, there are also four other Heavens. All of these Heavens are distributed among the Eight Directions mentioned above, as well as above and below, for a total of ten directions. ==Names of the Thirty-Six Heavens== We have mentioned that the Original Matrix gave birth to Thirty-Two Heavens. These Heavens are subject to calamities and universal cycles (kalpas); they therefore undergo birth and death. The other four Heavens are not subject to kalpas: they include the Three Pristine Heavens, and the Great Overarching Heaven. In total, there are Thirty-Six Heavens ( 三十六天 Sanshiliu ). Their names are: The Thirty-Two Heavens: The Taihuang Huangceng Heaven, Taiming Yuwan Heaven, Qingming Hetong Heaven, Xuantai Pingyu Heaven, Yuanming Wenju Heaven, Shangming Qiyao Moyi Heaven, Xuwu Yueheng Heaven, Taiji Mengyi Heaven: the above-mentioned constitute the Eight Heavens of the East. The Ciming Heyang Heaven, Xuanming Gonghua Heaven, Yaoming Zhongpiao Heaven, Zhuluo Huangjia Heaven, Xuming Tangliao Heaven, Guanming Duanjing Heaven, Xuanming Gongqing Heaven, and Taihuan Jiyao Heaven are the Eight Heavens of the South. The Yuanzai Kongshen Heaven, Tai'an Wangya Heaven, Xianding Jifeng Heaven, Sihuang Xiaomang Heaven, Taiji Weng Chongfu Rong Heaven, Wusi Jiangyou Heaven, Shangshe Ruanle Heaven, and Wuji Fangshi Heaven are the Eight Heavens of the West. The Haoting Xiaodu Heaven, Yuantong Yuandong Heaven, Taiwen Hanchong Miaocheng Heaven, Taisu Xiule Jingshang Heaven, Taisu Wushang Changrong Heaven, Taishi Yulong Tengsheng Heaven, Longbian Fandu Heaven, and Taiji Pingyu Jiayi Heaven are the Eight Heavens of the North. The Heavens of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清天 Sanqing Tian ): the Heaven of Supreme Clarity ( 太清天 Taiqing Tian ); the Heaven of Highest Clarity ( 上清天 Shangqing Tian ); the Heaven of Jade Clarity ( 玉清天 Yuqing Tian ). ==The Great Overarching Heaven== Thirty-five of the Thirty-Six Heavens are part of the Great Overarching Heaven( 大羅天 Daluo Tian ). The Great Overarching Heaven is infinite, while other heavens are all finite. It is the highest heaven, transcends all the other heavens, and has no limits. In space, the universe is infinite. ==The Three Worlds and outside== The Thirty-Six Heavens are divided into different worlds. The Three Worlds( 三界 Sanjie ) are the World of Desire ( 欲界 Yujie ), the World of Form ( 色界 Sejie ), and the World of Formlessness ( 無色界 Wusejie ). Altogether 28 heavens are included in the Three Worlds. They are subject to kalpas; those who are born in or enter these heavens do not escape from reincarnation and karma. Outside of the Three Worlds are a further eight heavens. Those who Cultivate Dao and leap out of the Three Worlds can escape from kalpas, karma, and reincarnation. ==The Three Worlds are the World of Desire, the World of Form, and the World of Formlessness== The World of Desire contains six Heavens, from the Taihuang Huangceng Heaven to the Qiyao Moyi Heaven. In this world, there is visible form and desire, men and women have intercourse, and give birth to descendants. The World of Form includes eight Heavens, from the Xuwu Yueheng Heaven to the Wuji Tanshi Heaven. In this world there is form but no desire; there is no sexual intercourse and people are directly born out of Vital Breath. The World of Formlessness is made up of four Heavens, from the Haoting Xiaodu Heaven to the Xiule Zhishang Heaven. In this world there is neither desire nor form; common people cannot see the people in this world, who can be seen only by Perfect Men ( 真人 Zhenren ). ==Outside of the Three Worlds, the heavens can be divided into several levels inluding the Four Pure Heavens, the Three Pristine Heavens and the Great Overarching Heaven== The Four Pure Heavens ( 四梵天 Sifantian ) are also called the Four Heavens of the Seed People ( 種民 Zhongmin ), from the Taixu Wushang Changrong Heaven to the Taiji Pingyu Jiayi Heaven. They are called the Four Heavens of the Seed People because those who enter this realm have already escaped from the cycle of reincarnations; at the time of a kalpa, they do not die but become the seeds of the people of the next kalpa. The Three Prisitne Heavens are also called the Three Pristine Realms ( 三清境 Sanqing Jing ), and are governed by [[the Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 元始天尊 Yuanshi Tianzun ). The Great Overarching Heaven is above all other Heavens and englobes the entire universe. It is infinite, and contains the Jade Capital Mountain ( 玉京山 Yujing Shan ) where [[the Primeval Lord of Heaven]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ) resides. Outside of the Three Worlds, evberything is pure Vital Breath of Dao. All is formless and invisible; it is the abode of the Immortals ( 神仙 Shenxian ). When they unite together they become forms; when they disperse they become Vital Breath; self-dependent, they wander about unfettered. In the Great Overarching Heaven, all is Pure Vital Breath ( 道氣 Daoqi ). The Highest level of Cultivation of Immortality is the level of the Golden Immortality ( 金仙 Jinxian ) of the Great Overarching Heaven. [[zh:三十六天]] 1124aa1bf9a95fcd98e73abc1f0e23b7bafe23c1 0 494 610 2009-09-20T05:49:20Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} ==The Underworlds == Daoism divides the world into nine levels, which are called the Nine Realms ( 九壘 Jiulei ). Each Realm can further de divided into four...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} ==The Underworlds == Daoism divides the world into nine levels, which are called the Nine Realms ( 九壘 Jiulei ). Each Realm can further de divided into four Realms, for a total of Thirty-Six Realms. Each Realm is governed by an Emperor of the Soil ( 土黃 Tuhuang ). The names of the Nine Realms are as follows: #Realm of Colourful Brilliance ( 色潤地 Serundi ); #Realm of Diamond Brilliance ( 剛色地 Gangsedi ); #Realm of Paraffin Brilliance ( 石肢色澤地 Shizhise Zedi ); #Realm of Humid Brilliance ( 潤澤地 Run Zedi ); #Realm of Golden Millet Brilliance ( 金粟澤地 Jinsu Zedi ); #Realm of Diamond and Iron Brilliance ( 金剛鐵澤地 Jinggangtie Zedi ); #Realm of Water Brilliance ( 水制澤地 Shuizhi Zedi ); #Realm of Great Wind Brilliance ( 大風澤地 Dafeng Zedi ); #Colourless Diamond-Link Realm of the Pervasive Abyss ( 洞淵無色剛維地 Dongyuan Wuse Gangwei Di ). The underworld is dark and obscure. The netherworld cannot be entered by common people, but the soul of the dead must inevitably go there, unless it has become an Immortal. The Chinese call the place wher the sould of the dead go 'Supreme Yin' ( 太陰 Taiyin ). The underworld is governed by the Five Kings of Hell ( 五嶽 Wuyu ), especially by the Spirit of the Eastern Hell of [[Mt. Tai]] ( 東嶽泰山之神 Dongyu Taishan Zhi Shen ). It is also said that the netherworld is governed by [[the Great Emperor of Fengdu]] ( 酆都大帝 Fengdu Dadi ). The netherworld is the location of hell, where the souls of sinners are locked up, as well as ghosts and goblins. [[zh:幽冥世界]] 6f3b1ff03b4ee7e123358b71fdb9cf837c6fbae1 0 495 611 2009-09-20T06:15:56Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} Dao is the generator and controller of all movement; its generative function is applied in a Non-Interfering ( 無為 Wuwei ) fashion of non-action without ina...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} Dao is the generator and controller of all movement; its generative function is applied in a Non-Interfering ( 無為 Wuwei ) fashion of non-action without inaction. The universe is always evolving under the control of Dao, and everything in the world is endlessly changing. What is the internal mechanism of these changes? In order to answer this question, we muct discuss some important concepts including [[Vital Breath]] ( 氣 Qi ), [[Infinity]] ( 無極 Wuji ), the Supreme Ultimate ( 太極 Taiji ), Yin-Yang ( 陰陽 Yinyang ), the [[Five Agents]] ( 五行 Wuxing ), and so on. [[zh:太極與陰陽]] 18fc956fac25b7dba9acf8cb9e9f0affac2bab0b 0 496 612 2009-09-21T05:14:41Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Belief}} In the Daoist theoretical system, the term 'Infinite' ( 無極 Wuji ) is often used to designate Dao and the term 'Supreme Ultimate' ( 太極 Taiji ) is often u...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Belief}} In the Daoist theoretical system, the term 'Infinite' ( 無極 Wuji ) is often used to designate Dao and the term 'Supreme Ultimate' ( 太極 Taiji ) is often used to designate the state of primordial chaos preceding the formation of Heaven and Earth and the separation of Yin and Yang. The concepts of Infinity and of the Supreme Ultimate are the fruits of deep reflection by Daoists on the laws of motion of the world, and are an important Daoist method for the observation of the world. The profound meaning of the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate ( 太極圖 Taijitu ) has especially led many people to sigh in wonderment and to study it thoroughly. [[zh:無極與太極]] 5adc839d46bc9902f0c2eddde4748bb33bac6d2b 613 612 2009-09-21T05:15:00Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} In the Daoist theoretical system, the term 'Infinite' ( 無極 Wuji ) is often used to designate Dao and the term 'Supreme Ultimate' ( 太極 Taiji ) is often used to designate the state of primordial chaos preceding the formation of Heaven and Earth and the separation of Yin and Yang. The concepts of Infinity and of the Supreme Ultimate are the fruits of deep reflection by Daoists on the laws of motion of the world, and are an important Daoist method for the observation of the world. The profound meaning of the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate ( 太極圖 Taijitu ) has especially led many people to sigh in wonderment and to study it thoroughly. [[zh:無極與太極]] 0368738e1c9ff6f6a0a735f784e57e511d6c6f57 0 497 614 2009-09-21T05:35:24Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Belief}} =='The Infinite is Dao, a state more primordial and ultimate than the Supreme Ultimate== The Infinite( 無極 Wuji ) is the conception [[Laozi]] uses to denote ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Belief}} =='The Infinite is Dao, a state more primordial and ultimate than the Supreme Ultimate== The Infinite( 無極 Wuji ) is the conception [[Laozi]] uses to denote the ultimate of Dao. Chapter 28 of the ''Laozi'' says: "He who knows the white but keeps to the black becomes the model of the world. Being the model of the world, he rests in constant virtue, and he returns to the Infinite". So the original meaning of the Infinite is Dao, the infiniteness of Dao. Daoists after Laozi have all used the term 'the Infinite' to denote this meaning, with only slight differences in emphasis. In the section 'Unfettered Excursion', Zhuangzi says, "beyond the Infinite it is still the Infinite". By this he means that the world is infinite and beyond infinite it is still infinite. The Laozi Zhangju by He Shanggong of the Han Dynasty explains "returning to the Infinite" as longevity. According to Daoism, longevity can only be attained through uniting with Dao. Therefore, it is the same to define the Infinite as Dao or as longevity. Being infinite, Dao existed before Heaven and Earth, has existed for infinite time, and will exist forever. Being infinite space, Dao is not confined to any concrete realm. So "the Infinite" is used to denote Dao. When used in the perspective of universal evolution, the Infinite, in contrast with the Supreme Ultimate ( 太極 Taiji ), often means the period when Heaven and Earth were not formed. This period is older and more ultimate than the chaos from which Heaven and Earth directly originated. This period is Dao. Therefore, the Infinite is the origin of the Supreme Ultimate. Daoists all pursue union with Dao. The concrete method of doing so is to return to the original and ultimate state. This is the so-called "Returning to the Infinite" ( 復歸無極 Fugui Wuji ). ==Between the Infinite and the formation of Heaven and Earth, there are five stages, which are called the "Five Supremes"== The Five Supremes ( 五太 Wutai ) refer to the Supreme Change ( 太易 Taiyi ), the Supreme Origin ( 太初 Taichu ), the Supreme Beginning ( 太始 Taishi ), the Supreme Simplicity ( 太素 Taisu ), and the Supreme Ultimate. They are the five successive stages before Heaven and Earth evolve out of Dao. The 'Supreme Change is the state before [[Vital Breath]] ( 氣 Qi ) appears. (The Explanations of Sexagram qian in Auguries Of I Ching and dthe Liezi both say that "the Supreme Change is the state when Vital Breath is not seen.) Daoist theories about Magic Techniques in the Song dynasty also attached great importance to this stage. The ''General Discussion of All Daoist Skills'' ( 道法 Daofa ) by Zhang Shanyuan, in Vol. 67 of the ''Great Collection of Daoist Skills'' ( 《萬法會宗》 Wanfa Huizong ), says: "The Supreme Change is the primordial infinite void before Yin and Yang divide. At this stage, it is lightless, formless and nameless. Silent and formless, it is called the Supreme Change. The Supreme Change is the origin of deities and the state when Vital Breath has not appeared. The stage after the Supreme Change is the Supreme Origin. Liezi said that the Supreme Origin is the stage when Vital Breath has just appeared. Zhang Shanyuan held that the Supreme Origin is the stage when Vital Breath appears and form has not appeared through the changes of Yin and Yang. The Supreme Origin is the stage when Vital Breath originates, but form has not come into being. After the Supreme Origin is the Supreme Beginning. The Supreme Beginning refers to the beginning of form. However, form here is not visible form, but the state before Heaven and Earth formed. The Explanations of Sexagram qian in Auguries of I Ching defines it as follows: 'the Supreme Beginning is the beginning of form". Zhang Shanyuan says:"The Supreme Beginning is the intercourse of Yin and Yang. The One came into being through the intercourse of Yin and Yang. Form is born through the One. Though there is form, substance is still non-existent. The Supreme Beginning is the stage when form has originated but substance is still non-existent. After the Supreme Beginning is the Supreme Simplicity. Liezi defines the Supreme Simplicity as the beginning of substance. Zhang Shanyuan held that the Supreme Simplicity changes and form comes into being. Substance comes into being after form, but has not attained body. Supreme Simplicity is the beginning of substance without body. After the four stages of Supreme Change, Supreme Origin, Supreme Beginning and Supreme Simplicity, Vital Breath, form and substance all exist but are not divided yet. A state of chaos is thus formed, which is called Chaos ( 混沌 Hudun ) by Liezi and Supreme Ultimate in other Daoist texts. Zhang Shanyuan held that Chaos is the body of Dao. Its movement and stillness generate the intercourse and changes of Yin and Yang. The [[Five Agents]] ( 五行 Wuxing ) and all beings are thus born. This Chaos is called the Supreme Ultimate. It is from the stage of Supreme Ultimate that Heaven and Earth begin to form. The conceptions of the 'Five Supremes' are an exploration and generalization of the states before Heaven and Earth formed. They are important both to Daoist philosophy and to the theories of Daoist Magical Arts. [[zh:無極]] 69a33e1e1551543f85407fdbeb269b9cae08b119 615 614 2009-09-21T05:35:55Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} =='The Infinite is Dao, a state more primordial and ultimate than the Supreme Ultimate== The Infinite( 無極 Wuji ) is the conception [[Laozi]] uses to denote the ultimate of Dao. Chapter 28 of the ''Laozi'' says: "He who knows the white but keeps to the black becomes the model of the world. Being the model of the world, he rests in constant virtue, and he returns to the Infinite". So the original meaning of the Infinite is Dao, the infiniteness of Dao. Daoists after Laozi have all used the term 'the Infinite' to denote this meaning, with only slight differences in emphasis. In the section 'Unfettered Excursion', Zhuangzi says, "beyond the Infinite it is still the Infinite". By this he means that the world is infinite and beyond infinite it is still infinite. The Laozi Zhangju by He Shanggong of the Han Dynasty explains "returning to the Infinite" as longevity. According to Daoism, longevity can only be attained through uniting with Dao. Therefore, it is the same to define the Infinite as Dao or as longevity. Being infinite, Dao existed before Heaven and Earth, has existed for infinite time, and will exist forever. Being infinite space, Dao is not confined to any concrete realm. So "the Infinite" is used to denote Dao. When used in the perspective of universal evolution, the Infinite, in contrast with the Supreme Ultimate ( 太極 Taiji ), often means the period when Heaven and Earth were not formed. This period is older and more ultimate than the chaos from which Heaven and Earth directly originated. This period is Dao. Therefore, the Infinite is the origin of the Supreme Ultimate. Daoists all pursue union with Dao. The concrete method of doing so is to return to the original and ultimate state. This is the so-called "Returning to the Infinite" ( 復歸無極 Fugui Wuji ). ==Between the Infinite and the formation of Heaven and Earth, there are five stages, which are called the "Five Supremes"== The Five Supremes ( 五太 Wutai ) refer to the Supreme Change ( 太易 Taiyi ), the Supreme Origin ( 太初 Taichu ), the Supreme Beginning ( 太始 Taishi ), the Supreme Simplicity ( 太素 Taisu ), and the Supreme Ultimate. They are the five successive stages before Heaven and Earth evolve out of Dao. The 'Supreme Change is the state before [[Vital Breath]] ( 氣 Qi ) appears. (The Explanations of Sexagram qian in Auguries Of I Ching and dthe Liezi both say that "the Supreme Change is the state when Vital Breath is not seen.) Daoist theories about Magic Techniques in the Song dynasty also attached great importance to this stage. The ''General Discussion of All Daoist Skills'' ( 道法 Daofa ) by Zhang Shanyuan, in Vol. 67 of the ''Great Collection of Daoist Skills'' ( 《萬法會宗》 Wanfa Huizong ), says: "The Supreme Change is the primordial infinite void before Yin and Yang divide. At this stage, it is lightless, formless and nameless. Silent and formless, it is called the Supreme Change. The Supreme Change is the origin of deities and the state when Vital Breath has not appeared. The stage after the Supreme Change is the Supreme Origin. Liezi said that the Supreme Origin is the stage when Vital Breath has just appeared. Zhang Shanyuan held that the Supreme Origin is the stage when Vital Breath appears and form has not appeared through the changes of Yin and Yang. The Supreme Origin is the stage when Vital Breath originates, but form has not come into being. After the Supreme Origin is the Supreme Beginning. The Supreme Beginning refers to the beginning of form. However, form here is not visible form, but the state before Heaven and Earth formed. The Explanations of Sexagram qian in Auguries of I Ching defines it as follows: 'the Supreme Beginning is the beginning of form". Zhang Shanyuan says:"The Supreme Beginning is the intercourse of Yin and Yang. The One came into being through the intercourse of Yin and Yang. Form is born through the One. Though there is form, substance is still non-existent. The Supreme Beginning is the stage when form has originated but substance is still non-existent. After the Supreme Beginning is the Supreme Simplicity. Liezi defines the Supreme Simplicity as the beginning of substance. Zhang Shanyuan held that the Supreme Simplicity changes and form comes into being. Substance comes into being after form, but has not attained body. Supreme Simplicity is the beginning of substance without body. After the four stages of Supreme Change, Supreme Origin, Supreme Beginning and Supreme Simplicity, Vital Breath, form and substance all exist but are not divided yet. A state of chaos is thus formed, which is called Chaos ( 混沌 Hudun ) by Liezi and Supreme Ultimate in other Daoist texts. Zhang Shanyuan held that Chaos is the body of Dao. Its movement and stillness generate the intercourse and changes of Yin and Yang. The [[Five Agents]] ( 五行 Wuxing ) and all beings are thus born. This Chaos is called the Supreme Ultimate. It is from the stage of Supreme Ultimate that Heaven and Earth begin to form. The conceptions of the 'Five Supremes' are an exploration and generalization of the states before Heaven and Earth formed. They are important both to Daoist philosophy and to the theories of Daoist Magical Arts. [[zh:無極]] 2eeb82e75ad2feee7f8e1a171bb51084c71327f2 0 498 616 2009-09-21T05:38:53Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} Daoism has its own ideals for society. These include the expectation for a society of supreme peace and equality as well as a tolerant and simple administratio...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} Daoism has its own ideals for society. These include the expectation for a society of supreme peace and equality as well as a tolerant and simple administration system, which is to guarantee the realization of Tranquility and Non-Interference, and encourage salvation of people and society. [[zh:社會理想]] 5fb74cacb80b6325c392096c46d4176f433054ea 0 499 617 2009-09-21T05:53:40Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} Daoism longs for Supreme Peace. The '' [[Book of Supreme Peace]] '' ( 太平經 Taiping Jing ), one of the earliest Daoist scriptures, was named after and is ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} Daoism longs for Supreme Peace. The '' [[Book of Supreme Peace]] '' ( 太平經 Taiping Jing ), one of the earliest Daoist scriptures, was named after and is based on the concept of Supreme Peace. Although the society of Supreme Peace is by no means an exclusively Daoist idea, Daoism has its own understanding of the concept. ==The Basis of Supreme Peace Lies in the Spread of the Great Dao== Although everyone longs for a society of Supreme Peace, such a society very rarely appears. The reason? [[The Great Dao]] isn't widespread among the people, and society is not in accordance with the Dao of Heaven -- sometimes, it is even against it. Because Dao is in accordance with nature, a stable society with harmonious relations between its members must be based on alignment with the Great Dao. This means that all things must be done in agreement with their natural laws. [[Laozi]] said that if a king keeps to the Great Dao, all people will come to him. Coming to him and living together in peace, the people will enjoy security and stability. That is to say, acting against Dao is the basic reason for troubles and quarrels, as well as riots occuring in the world. If all people aimed at according themselves with and cultivating Dao, they would learn to be harmonious with each other. There would be neither conflicts nor wars. The attitude of the ruler or leader is the crucial factor determining whether there will be agreement with Dao. Even in the Eastern Han dynasty, the leaders of [[the Mighty Commonwealth of Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] said in ''Xianger's Commentary on Laozi'': only after a king, assisted by his loyal officials, devotes himself to cultivation and promotion of Dao, will a society of Supreme Peace emerge. When Dao is widespread and its virtue prosperous, a society of Supreme Peace will come into being. In general, if a king is wise and able to piously promote Dao, the country under his control will witness a period of prosperity. Conversely, if he abuses his power and takes rash actions which are against Dao, he will bring about a chaotic society, even a ruined country. The specific meaning of Dao and Virtue lies in serious probing and personal insight, instead of subjective statements or fabrications. Dao exists everywhere. But when times and conditions change, Dao, accordingly, takes different forms. Basically, Dao is simple and colorless, which is Simplicity ( 樸 Pu ), as Laozi said. When Simplicity is divided, the Great Dao becomes widespread, and heaven, earth and human beings come into being. Then a society emerges. In order to run a society well, all kinds of regulations are established. Accordingly, the Great Simplicity of Dao is gone and absorbed by the myriad beings. When a man seeks for external things, he is going away from the Great Dao, which is also a process of going away from his inner nature, or Virtue. But neither decomposed societies nor the decomposed Inner Natures of human beings meet the needs of Supreme Peace. So the prerequisite of a society of Supreme Peace lies in regaining original simplicity and perfection, a process of returning to man simple nature, which is predetermined by the Great Dao. Accordingly, a society of Supreme Peace is a world in which the Great Dao is widespread. The realization of Supreme Peace is a process of returning to a man's original Inner Nature, a process of perfecting a man Inner Nature and a process of enhancing the moral level of society. ==Human Relationships in a Society of Supreme Peace== In alignment with a perfected inner nature and a simple atmosphere, a society of Supreme Peace is characterized by equality and fraternal love among its inhabitants. The concept of equality originates in the idea that the Great Dao gives birth to all human beings equally. Daoist scholars think, in terms of the attributes of Dao, that the myriad beings are equal and without difference. On the basis of the equal attributes of Dao, human beings share a common source. So notions of difference, discrimination and confrontation are unreasonable. So-called equality means a man's concern for others -- in another word, the mutual love among people in a society, which, in the Book of Salvation, is specified as the ten 'no' s': no murdering, no injuring, no envying, no hating, no indulging in promiscuity, no stealing, no indulging in greed, no indulging in corrupt desires, no abominating, no suspecting others. In addition to all these, a man should not say lies nor use bad words. On the basis of that, people are to love each other without discrimination, and treat others as their family members. If all people follow the ten 'no', the ideal of Equal Love comes true. That means the realization of the Daoist ideal, which is characterized by a stable country, a rich life and a society of Supreme Peace. In fact, it represents a social ideal, which has encouraged Daoists in different historical periods to work hard for its realization. ==Ceasing Hostility and Warfare== No war happens in a society of Supreme Peace. War brings about terrible disasters. Vicious wars result in brutal killings as well as terrible devastation over social culture, from which people suffer tremendously. That's why Daoism is always against wars, especially the vicious ones. Laozi said: A war is a bad omen. People dislike it. So a man embracing Dao by no means starts a war. He also said that after troops sweep by, farming lands are changed into wastelands, on which only weeds grow. War is always followed by devastation. So a man embracing Dao by no means shows his power through warfare. A sage doesn't rely on war, unless he has no choice. He prefers a calm solution to a war. It's not a good thing to take delight in winning a war, which means to take delight in killing. A man taking delight in killing never rules a country for long. Generally speaking, Daoism is against war. Only when a country imposes a war upon us, is it reasonable to fight back. Between the Jin and Yuan dynasties, when [[Qiu Chuji]], the leader of [[the Complete Perfection Doctrine]], met Genghis Khan, the Mongol conqueror, he used to advise him to stop killing and to protect people. In that period, the Mongols had started to rise in the northern wilderness. They didn't have a systematic structure of society yet. They used to rely on brutal wars as their only method for solving disputes. Under these circumstances, patriarch Qiu indeed risked himself when suggesting to the king to stop killing. Patriarch Qiu told the king: the Dao of Heaven likes producing and hates killing. Stopping killing and saving lives is to satisfy heaven. Satisfying heaven is to bring about blessings from heaven. Modern times have witnessed great progress in arms manufacturing, as well as two world wars in half a century, and endless regional and local wars. Currently, wars are producing more serious consequences than before. When the Second World War broke out, the Daoist community held a large-scale ritual to reprimand the devastating war and appeal for restoration of peace, expressing its concern for the security of the country as well as its people. So objection to war and love for peace is Daoism's consistent principle. ==Equality== Daoism considers that all people are sons of the Great Dao. So they are born equal. This is characterized by ideas of equality and equalization in social distribution. The idea of equalization has been included in the ideal of Supreme Peace. Here, equalization doesn't mean absolute equality without differences. Instead, it refers to an ideal in which everyone is provided with proper chances to make a living and become rich. In this society, the big gap between the rich and poor doesn't exist. Laozi said, the natural rule is to act as an archer who lowers the bow when it is too high, and raises it when it is too low. That is to say, a natural rule is to take unnecessary wealth away from the rich to finance the poor. In contrast with that, the artificial rule is to take away the necessities from the poor to make the rich even richer, which Laozi considered to be diametrically against the Dao of Heaven. In this regards, Daoism is always opposed to a big gap between the rich and the poor. According to the Book of Supreme Peace, as a common belonging of heaven, earth and human beings, the wealth of the world should be shared by all people. If the rich refuse to finance the poor with their wealth, they are not kind-hearted people. The book also says that Heaven gave birth to all people and enabled everyone to make a living by laboring. So Daoism is opposed to taking wealth by force. In line with its opposition to the economic polarization of society, Daoism is also opposed to excessive exploitation by governments. Laozi thought that excessive farm taxes and excise taxes resulted in famine. He considered as robbers the nobles who wore striped clothing and sharp swords at their waists. Similar ideas also emerged in Daoist texts of later periods. During the Five Dynasties, Tan Qiao, a famous Daoist scholar, thought that the exploitation by rulers, especially by kings, was the major reason for peasants' poverty. He stated that food was the most important thing for peasants. But one tenth of it was taken away by kings, and another tenth was taken away by officials, and another tenth by soldiers and lower ranking officials, and for military expenses, etc. In the end, peasants who grew silkworms wore nothing but coarse clothing and peasants who harvested crops ate nothing but wild fruits and acorns. Tan Qiao even considered that excessive exploitation was the main reason for robbery. So the ruling class was to blame for it, instead of robbers themselves. On that basis, Daoism hopes to found a government free from corruption, a government which is to treat its people generously, instead of fishing by emptying the water of a pond. ==The Unity between Heaven and Man== Environmental Protection: A society of Supreme Peace is not only embodied in human relations, but also in the relation between human beings and nature. Everyone knows that society is linked to nature in one way or another, and that a man cannot live without his natural environment. Nature is the basic factor for human beings' existence. So a harmonious relation between human beings and nature is one of the prerequisite conditions for social stability and prosperity. On the basis of the idea that Heaven, Earth and Man commonly originated from the Vital Breath of Dao, Daoism always stresses the importance of harmony between human beings and nature, as well as the protection of nature. Daoism is always opposed to the violation of natural laws. It denies that human beings are to conquer nature, or wage a war against nature. On the contrary, many Daoist books advocate a harmonious relation between human beings and nature. The ''Perfect Book of Nanhua'' ( 南華真經 Nanhua Zhenjing ) states: I share a common origin with Heaven and Earth, and I am equivalent to the myriad beings. That is to say, basically, that there is no distinction between Heaven and human beings, and that Man and the myriad beings share a common origin. So Daoism normally prefers natural laws to social laws. The chapter 'Hoofs of a Horse" states that when social conventions and customs remained simple and unadorned, people were undisturbed and calm. They paid attention to their daily life and were hardly disturbed by external matters. So there was no route in the mountain, and no boat nor bridge on river. The myriad beings lived in harmony. No conflict existed. Many animals rambled in dense grass and trees. Human beings never hurt animals. The animals had no fear of human beings. Human beings and animals enjoyed playing together. Even the birds' nests were available for viewers. When human beings lived peacefully and equally together with the animals, and enjoyed nature in harmony with the myriad beings, how could you find the distinction between a gentleman and a mean person? This was a perfect world where the atmosphere of original simplicity remained unchanged. The Book of Supreme Peace even put forward a new idea about wealth, based on the myriad beings' right to live. Here, wealth referred to the diversified existence of the myriad beings. In this regard, during the reign of the Highest Emperor ( 上皇 Shanghuang ), the myriad beings were created. That was an era of wealth. In contrast, poverty was manifested by a small number of species. When the number of species of things and beings decreased, an era of poverty began. When both heaven and earth suffer from such poverty, human beings will undoubtedly be in poor condition. This notion suggests that wealth is manifested by the natural state of the environment, instead of by human exploitation of environmental resources. It attaches a great importance to environmental protection and biodiversity. That why Daoists have always preferred to live and hold activities in environmentally healthy locations. In today's world, there is an increasing threat against the environment, the basis of human beings' existence. Therefore, Daoist ideas of environmental protection are of great significance. [[zh:太平的理念]] 51cdf0465620223b2aee78742638d6bd8c6e7691 618 617 2009-09-21T05:54:03Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} Daoism longs for Supreme Peace. '' [[The Book of Supreme Peace]] '' ( 太平經 Taiping Jing ), one of the earliest Daoist scriptures, was named after and is based on the concept of Supreme Peace. Although the society of Supreme Peace is by no means an exclusively Daoist idea, Daoism has its own understanding of the concept. ==The Basis of Supreme Peace Lies in the Spread of the Great Dao== Although everyone longs for a society of Supreme Peace, such a society very rarely appears. The reason? [[The Great Dao]] isn't widespread among the people, and society is not in accordance with the Dao of Heaven -- sometimes, it is even against it. Because Dao is in accordance with nature, a stable society with harmonious relations between its members must be based on alignment with the Great Dao. This means that all things must be done in agreement with their natural laws. [[Laozi]] said that if a king keeps to the Great Dao, all people will come to him. Coming to him and living together in peace, the people will enjoy security and stability. That is to say, acting against Dao is the basic reason for troubles and quarrels, as well as riots occuring in the world. If all people aimed at according themselves with and cultivating Dao, they would learn to be harmonious with each other. There would be neither conflicts nor wars. The attitude of the ruler or leader is the crucial factor determining whether there will be agreement with Dao. Even in the Eastern Han dynasty, the leaders of [[the Mighty Commonwealth of Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] said in ''Xianger's Commentary on Laozi'': only after a king, assisted by his loyal officials, devotes himself to cultivation and promotion of Dao, will a society of Supreme Peace emerge. When Dao is widespread and its virtue prosperous, a society of Supreme Peace will come into being. In general, if a king is wise and able to piously promote Dao, the country under his control will witness a period of prosperity. Conversely, if he abuses his power and takes rash actions which are against Dao, he will bring about a chaotic society, even a ruined country. The specific meaning of Dao and Virtue lies in serious probing and personal insight, instead of subjective statements or fabrications. Dao exists everywhere. But when times and conditions change, Dao, accordingly, takes different forms. Basically, Dao is simple and colorless, which is Simplicity ( 樸 Pu ), as Laozi said. When Simplicity is divided, the Great Dao becomes widespread, and heaven, earth and human beings come into being. Then a society emerges. In order to run a society well, all kinds of regulations are established. Accordingly, the Great Simplicity of Dao is gone and absorbed by the myriad beings. When a man seeks for external things, he is going away from the Great Dao, which is also a process of going away from his inner nature, or Virtue. But neither decomposed societies nor the decomposed Inner Natures of human beings meet the needs of Supreme Peace. So the prerequisite of a society of Supreme Peace lies in regaining original simplicity and perfection, a process of returning to man simple nature, which is predetermined by the Great Dao. Accordingly, a society of Supreme Peace is a world in which the Great Dao is widespread. The realization of Supreme Peace is a process of returning to a man's original Inner Nature, a process of perfecting a man Inner Nature and a process of enhancing the moral level of society. ==Human Relationships in a Society of Supreme Peace== In alignment with a perfected inner nature and a simple atmosphere, a society of Supreme Peace is characterized by equality and fraternal love among its inhabitants. The concept of equality originates in the idea that the Great Dao gives birth to all human beings equally. Daoist scholars think, in terms of the attributes of Dao, that the myriad beings are equal and without difference. On the basis of the equal attributes of Dao, human beings share a common source. So notions of difference, discrimination and confrontation are unreasonable. So-called equality means a man's concern for others -- in another word, the mutual love among people in a society, which, in the Book of Salvation, is specified as the ten 'no' s': no murdering, no injuring, no envying, no hating, no indulging in promiscuity, no stealing, no indulging in greed, no indulging in corrupt desires, no abominating, no suspecting others. In addition to all these, a man should not say lies nor use bad words. On the basis of that, people are to love each other without discrimination, and treat others as their family members. If all people follow the ten 'no', the ideal of Equal Love comes true. That means the realization of the Daoist ideal, which is characterized by a stable country, a rich life and a society of Supreme Peace. In fact, it represents a social ideal, which has encouraged Daoists in different historical periods to work hard for its realization. ==Ceasing Hostility and Warfare== No war happens in a society of Supreme Peace. War brings about terrible disasters. Vicious wars result in brutal killings as well as terrible devastation over social culture, from which people suffer tremendously. That's why Daoism is always against wars, especially the vicious ones. Laozi said: A war is a bad omen. People dislike it. So a man embracing Dao by no means starts a war. He also said that after troops sweep by, farming lands are changed into wastelands, on which only weeds grow. War is always followed by devastation. So a man embracing Dao by no means shows his power through warfare. A sage doesn't rely on war, unless he has no choice. He prefers a calm solution to a war. It's not a good thing to take delight in winning a war, which means to take delight in killing. A man taking delight in killing never rules a country for long. Generally speaking, Daoism is against war. Only when a country imposes a war upon us, is it reasonable to fight back. Between the Jin and Yuan dynasties, when [[Qiu Chuji]], the leader of [[the Complete Perfection Doctrine]], met Genghis Khan, the Mongol conqueror, he used to advise him to stop killing and to protect people. In that period, the Mongols had started to rise in the northern wilderness. They didn't have a systematic structure of society yet. They used to rely on brutal wars as their only method for solving disputes. Under these circumstances, patriarch Qiu indeed risked himself when suggesting to the king to stop killing. Patriarch Qiu told the king: the Dao of Heaven likes producing and hates killing. Stopping killing and saving lives is to satisfy heaven. Satisfying heaven is to bring about blessings from heaven. Modern times have witnessed great progress in arms manufacturing, as well as two world wars in half a century, and endless regional and local wars. Currently, wars are producing more serious consequences than before. When the Second World War broke out, the Daoist community held a large-scale ritual to reprimand the devastating war and appeal for restoration of peace, expressing its concern for the security of the country as well as its people. So objection to war and love for peace is Daoism's consistent principle. ==Equality== Daoism considers that all people are sons of the Great Dao. So they are born equal. This is characterized by ideas of equality and equalization in social distribution. The idea of equalization has been included in the ideal of Supreme Peace. Here, equalization doesn't mean absolute equality without differences. Instead, it refers to an ideal in which everyone is provided with proper chances to make a living and become rich. In this society, the big gap between the rich and poor doesn't exist. Laozi said, the natural rule is to act as an archer who lowers the bow when it is too high, and raises it when it is too low. That is to say, a natural rule is to take unnecessary wealth away from the rich to finance the poor. In contrast with that, the artificial rule is to take away the necessities from the poor to make the rich even richer, which Laozi considered to be diametrically against the Dao of Heaven. In this regards, Daoism is always opposed to a big gap between the rich and the poor. According to the Book of Supreme Peace, as a common belonging of heaven, earth and human beings, the wealth of the world should be shared by all people. If the rich refuse to finance the poor with their wealth, they are not kind-hearted people. The book also says that Heaven gave birth to all people and enabled everyone to make a living by laboring. So Daoism is opposed to taking wealth by force. In line with its opposition to the economic polarization of society, Daoism is also opposed to excessive exploitation by governments. Laozi thought that excessive farm taxes and excise taxes resulted in famine. He considered as robbers the nobles who wore striped clothing and sharp swords at their waists. Similar ideas also emerged in Daoist texts of later periods. During the Five Dynasties, Tan Qiao, a famous Daoist scholar, thought that the exploitation by rulers, especially by kings, was the major reason for peasants' poverty. He stated that food was the most important thing for peasants. But one tenth of it was taken away by kings, and another tenth was taken away by officials, and another tenth by soldiers and lower ranking officials, and for military expenses, etc. In the end, peasants who grew silkworms wore nothing but coarse clothing and peasants who harvested crops ate nothing but wild fruits and acorns. Tan Qiao even considered that excessive exploitation was the main reason for robbery. So the ruling class was to blame for it, instead of robbers themselves. On that basis, Daoism hopes to found a government free from corruption, a government which is to treat its people generously, instead of fishing by emptying the water of a pond. ==The Unity between Heaven and Man== Environmental Protection: A society of Supreme Peace is not only embodied in human relations, but also in the relation between human beings and nature. Everyone knows that society is linked to nature in one way or another, and that a man cannot live without his natural environment. Nature is the basic factor for human beings' existence. So a harmonious relation between human beings and nature is one of the prerequisite conditions for social stability and prosperity. On the basis of the idea that Heaven, Earth and Man commonly originated from the Vital Breath of Dao, Daoism always stresses the importance of harmony between human beings and nature, as well as the protection of nature. Daoism is always opposed to the violation of natural laws. It denies that human beings are to conquer nature, or wage a war against nature. On the contrary, many Daoist books advocate a harmonious relation between human beings and nature. The ''Perfect Book of Nanhua'' ( 南華真經 Nanhua Zhenjing ) states: I share a common origin with Heaven and Earth, and I am equivalent to the myriad beings. That is to say, basically, that there is no distinction between Heaven and human beings, and that Man and the myriad beings share a common origin. So Daoism normally prefers natural laws to social laws. The chapter 'Hoofs of a Horse" states that when social conventions and customs remained simple and unadorned, people were undisturbed and calm. They paid attention to their daily life and were hardly disturbed by external matters. So there was no route in the mountain, and no boat nor bridge on river. The myriad beings lived in harmony. No conflict existed. Many animals rambled in dense grass and trees. Human beings never hurt animals. The animals had no fear of human beings. Human beings and animals enjoyed playing together. Even the birds' nests were available for viewers. When human beings lived peacefully and equally together with the animals, and enjoyed nature in harmony with the myriad beings, how could you find the distinction between a gentleman and a mean person? This was a perfect world where the atmosphere of original simplicity remained unchanged. The Book of Supreme Peace even put forward a new idea about wealth, based on the myriad beings' right to live. Here, wealth referred to the diversified existence of the myriad beings. In this regard, during the reign of the Highest Emperor ( 上皇 Shanghuang ), the myriad beings were created. That was an era of wealth. In contrast, poverty was manifested by a small number of species. When the number of species of things and beings decreased, an era of poverty began. When both heaven and earth suffer from such poverty, human beings will undoubtedly be in poor condition. This notion suggests that wealth is manifested by the natural state of the environment, instead of by human exploitation of environmental resources. It attaches a great importance to environmental protection and biodiversity. That why Daoists have always preferred to live and hold activities in environmentally healthy locations. In today's world, there is an increasing threat against the environment, the basis of human beings' existence. Therefore, Daoist ideas of environmental protection are of great significance. [[zh:太平的理念]] 8a9d611a30d23ecd75f09f848af244c1090afaa4 0 500 619 2009-09-21T06:03:09Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} In alignment with its ideal of Supreme Peace, Daoism's ideas of society and administration are characterized by its emphasis on Purity and Tranquility ( 清靜...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} In alignment with its ideal of Supreme Peace, Daoism's ideas of society and administration are characterized by its emphasis on Purity and Tranquility ( 清靜 Qingjing ) and Non-Interference ( 無為 Wuwei ). ==Purity and Tranquility, the Basic Rule of the World== In the book of Laozi, the concept of Purity and Tranquility was stressed for the first time. [[Laozi]] considered that Tranquility is more powerful than unrest, because it is the abode of Dao. Although the myriad beings come and go in complicated manners, they will eventually return to original Purity and Tranquility. This process is called returning to the origin, a state of eternity. A Sage is a man who understands this. Conversely, ignoring it or acting rashly will result in terrible consequences. So Laozi suggests that a man should keep to deep Tranquility and, on that basis, observe the repeated movements of the myriad beings. In fact, Laozi implies that Purity and Tranquility is the essence of Dao as well as the reliable way to understand the movements of the Great Dao. As a result, human beings must keep to inner emptiness and tranquility in order to align themselves with the Great Dao. A man who understands Dao actually possesses the essentials for cultivating his body as well as governing a state. Accordingly, he is qualified to lead his people. So Laozi said: Purity and Tranquility is the basic rule of the world. Because Tranquility is in alignment with Dao, Daoism suggests that a man should understand Dao and abide by the principle of Tranquility. That is to say, human beings are to follow the basic rule of heaven, earth and nature by pursuing a state of Tranquility, and go away from unrest. ==Non-Desire Leads to Purity and Tranquility== How does a man attain to Tranquility? Laozi thinks the answer is to purge one's mind of desires and ambitions. On that basis, the leaders of [[the Mighty Commonwealth of Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] stated that Dao is beyond all sensual desires and fond of Tranquility, a characteristic which eternalized heaven and earth. Because Tranquility is always linked to Non-Desire ( 無欲 Wuyu ), '' [[the Sublime Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Teachings on Eternal Purity and Tranquility]] '' ( 太上老君說常清靜妙經 Taishang Laojun Shuochang Qingjing Miaojing ) stresses that a state of Purity and Tranquility should be based on shunning all sensual desires. It says that a man's original spirit inclines to purity, but his heart disturbs it; a man's inner nature inclines to tranquility, but his sensual desires mislead it. So if a man can get rid of his sensual desires, his inner nature will remain undisturbed. When a man's inner nature is in tranquility, his original spirit will be pure and bright. The concept of Sensual Desire includes many things, but is normally embodied in the six desires related to a man's five sensory organs (eye, ear, nose, tongue and body) as well as the desire produced by his consciousness. A man, misled by temptations from outside, is likely to produce evil passions, which Daoism summarizes as the Three Poisons ( 三毒 Sandu ). They include the Poison of Negative Spirit, which does harm to a man's Spiritual Nature, the Poison of Negative Essential Matter, which does harm to a man's Bodily Life, and the Poison of Negative Vital Breath, which does harm to a man's internal organs. Another version of the Three Poisons also refers to three Evil Spirits ( 三屍 Sanshi ), who inhabit a man's body. The upper one induces a man to indulge in extravagance; the middle one induces a man to indulge in greed and good food; the lower one induces a man to indulge in lust and jealousy. In general, both the Three Poisons and the Three Evil Spirits represent evil desires in a man's consciousness. Because evil desires distract a man from thinking and behaving properly, they have to be removed. The Purity and Tranquility mentioned in the ''Book of Purity and Tranquility'' ( 清靜經 Qingjing Jing ) is directed at Daoist practitioners. So it includes very strict ethical demands. In general, however, the idea of Purity and Tranquility includes some basic requirements for leaders in a society and government. In Chinese history, many rulers used to satisfy their personal ambitions at the cost of the peoples' peaceful life, which in turn resulted in uncontrollable turbulence. That's a good lesson worth remembering. After the first Qin emperor united China, there was an Esoteric Speculation circulating in the country, which said: Hu will end the Qin regime. Because the ethnic nationalities were also called Hu, the emperor enrolled many inhabitants and soldiers to construct the Great Wall and protect the empire's borders. He also directed half a million people to construct a grand grave for himself. In addition, in order to get medicine for immortality, he led inspections around the coastal areas where he thought medicine for immortality was most likely to be found. All these things wasted a lot of money, which in turn made the people even poorer. At last, people in the Qin dynasty could not afford any more. They started to revolt just after the emperor's death. This story was very instructive to the rulers of the Han dynasty. Because of that, in the early period of the Han dynasty, the rulers started to use new a policy which embodied Daoism's ideas of Tranquility and Non-Interference. That policy was a big success. ==Definition of Non-Interference== In line with its idea of Purity and Tranquility, Daoism advocates Non-Interference, which refers to conformity to nature in administration and to the objective laws of human behaviour: it does not mean doing nothing. Laozi used to speak highly of the value of Non-Interference. He considered that Dao achieves everything by Non-Interference. So a sage achieves all by Non-Interference, and transmits his teachings by non-speech. In his mind, Non-Interference implies less interference with peoples' lives and with the existence of the myriad beings. Man has been granted a simple nature, and all social activities follow their own natural law. Non-Interference (or less interference, when absolute non-interference is unavoidable), would lead things in their original direction. In this way, society and nature would be in good order, and no conflict would take place. So Laozi said: If I do things by Non-Interference, people will follow me naturally; If I incline to Tranquility, people will be led in the proper direction; If I interfere with nothing, people will become rich; If I have no sensual desire, people will become simple and sincere. [[zh:清淨無為]] 72167c260a2a6b6e85573ee833aee365d908f525 0 501 620 2009-09-21T06:10:47Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} As far as Daoism is concerned, the idea of Tranquility and Non-Interference by no means conflicts with its concern with social affairs and peoples' life. On th...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} As far as Daoism is concerned, the idea of Tranquility and Non-Interference by no means conflicts with its concern with social affairs and peoples' life. On the contrary, Daoism always encourages the salvation of society as well as people, and calls for contribution to social stability and prosperity, as well as to peoples' happy life. ==Contribution to Society and Retirement after Achievements== Daoism is always concerned with social stability. Both the ideal of society described by Laozi and the concept of Supreme Peace advocated by '' [[the Book of Supreme Peace]] '' include solutions to the eradication of social drawbacks. When necessary, the Daoist community has also put into effect its demands for the eradication of social drawbacks, as did the Supreme Peace Tradition and [[the Mighty Commonwealth of Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] in the Han dynasty. After the Wei and Jin dynasties, the social situation changed a lot. Daoist sects seldom involved themselves in political struggles in society. But Daoists still contributed their ideas and activities to society. One instance was Patriarch [[Qiu Chuji]]'s visit to Genghis Khan, the Mongol conqueror, at the Grand Snow Mountain. Qiu was cultivating Dao and teaching his disciples in Shandong province while Genghis Khan and his army were sweeping across the West. After stationing his troops at the Grand Snow Mountain, located in Afghanistan, the conqueror sent his envoy to patriarch Qiu, conveying his hope to meet the Patriarch. Although a long distant road and chaotic wars made the journey incredibly arduous, in order to persuade the king to bury his hatchets and work for peace, Qiu, at an age of almost eighty, risked his life by going west. They started the arduous journey in 1120, and reached the conqueror's lodging in March, 1122. The conqueror immediately met with patriarch Qiu. During his talk, Qiu suggested that the conqueror give up brutality and violence. According to the chapter 'Biographies of Sakyamuni and Laozi' in the History of the Yuan Dynasty, the Great Emperor was sweeping West and fierce battles took place every day. Qiu Chuji told him: The man who hates killing is to come to throne. When consulted about administration, Qiu said: All policies should be based on respect of heaven and love of people. His answer satisfied the conqueror. On his way home, patriarch Qiu helped the people with the conqueror decree and tablet of command. During that period, the Yuan troops were trampling over central China. The situation in Hebei and Henan was especially devastating. Many people were captured. They could die at any moment. After Qiu Chuji came back to Yan (Beijing city), he ordered his disciples, with official certificates in hand, to enroll the captured who would soon become slaves. By this way, he saved tens of thousands of people. In contrast with those people who pursued nothing but reputation and wealth, Daoist believers, abiding by Laozi's instruction, normally retired after achieving successes. They often chose to live as hermits instead of claiming credit for themselves and becoming arrogant after their great achievements. ==Protection of National Culture== China is an ancient country with a several thousand-year history of civilization. For a long time, China's culture took the world lead. In its history, China was invaded many times by foreign forces. But in the end, those nationalities were either driven out or assimilated by Chinese civilization, becoming members of the Chinese multi-national family. Whenever foreign invasions endangered Chinese culture, the Daoist community always considered the preservation and revival of China's advanced culture as its duty. In the Northern Wei dynasty, when [[Kou Qianzhi]] introduced [[the Great Dao]] to emperor Taiwu and recognized him as Perfect Sovereign of Supreme Peace, he was in fact injecting some advanced content into a backward culture. In the middle of the Northern and Southern Song dynasties when northern China was controlled by the ethnic Jurchen regime, [[Wang Chongyang]] founded [[the Complete Perfection Doctrine]], Xiao Baozheng created [[the Supreme Oneness Doctrine]], and Liu Deren founded the Perfect Doctrine of the Great Dao. In this way, they tried to learn from the Han dynasty regulations and repeat the glory of the previous dynasties. Their real aim was to preserve Chinese culture. That's why the Han people of Central China were willing to follow them and considered Daoism as their spiritual shelter. In Taiwan, during the Japanese occupation, a Japanization policy was introduced to erase the Chinese national spirit. In that period, statues of Daoist deities were destroyed. But as soon as the Japanese were driven out, Daoist temples were rebuilt in a short time. Strong feelings for national civilization and awareness of the preservation of national culture were clearly shown. In modern times, there are Chinese living throughout the world. Daoism and Daoist activities are seen in almost every Chinese community. In fact, Daoism has become an important form for conveying Chinese culture. ==Salvation Is the Greatest Merit== According to the ''Book of Salvation'' ( 度人經 Duren Jing), Dao values life and salvation. As a religion, Daoism also values life. Its religious doctrines attach a great importance to salvation. [[Ge Hong]] considered salvation as Daoism's greatest merit. In his ''Preface to the Essential Prescriptions for Emergencies Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold'' ( 備急千金要方序 Beiji Qianjin Yaofang Xu ), a man's life is more valuable than a thousand pieces of gold. When a physician cures the sick with his prescriptions, his merit is more valuable than a thousand pieces of gold. So he gave the title ''Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Pieces of Gold'' to his medical book. That also explains why many Daoists devote themselves to medical skills, the study of material medica, and give free or very cheap treatments to patients. This tradition can be found even today. Daoist temples often establish clinics and hospitals where Daoists with medical talents provide medical services to patients. ==Erasing One's Evil Desires by Enlightenment of Mind== An important content of Daoist salvation is to enhance the function of Daoist enlightenment, and spread Daoist doctrines to society and Daoist culture to ordinary peoples' daily life. In different times, Daoist scholars used to point out that Daoism's basic principle lays in the enlightenment of one's mind and in the removal of one's desires. While helping people solve their difficulties in daily life, [[Lu Dongbin]], the Imperial Sovereign Who Protects Benevolence, used to enlighten people by releasing them from the burden of secular ideas. In ''Patriarch Lu's Precious Repentance of the Infinite'' ( 呂祖無極寶懺 Luzu Wuji Baochan), which is popular in Hong Kong, Patriarch Lu criticizes many bad ideas and behaviour popularly found in human beings, and suggests people to eliminate all bad things to usher in a good future. When preaching Dao to the public, Wang Changyue, the famous Qing dynasy Daoist of the Dragon Gate sect of Complete Perfection, enumerated twenty good types of behavior, which included salvation. He also considered self-salvation as a prerequisite for universal salvation. Only after a man gets rid of his sensual desires and understands the Great Dao throughly, does he realize his ideal of universal salvation. That is, on basis of his strict self-discipline, a savior can influence people with his great personality, leading them ahead. In addition, Daoism also holds a variety of religious activities to serve people. Daoist Fasts and Offerings, for instance, normally serve as a bridge between spirits and human beings as well as between Ying and Yang, bringing forth a happy life. [[zh:濟世度人]] b113d7b4439696fd0e0d51428e01e0bb20bb4579 0 502 621 2009-09-21T06:11:54Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} Daoism has its own philosophy of life. This ideal mixes the fine aspirations and inclinations of Chinese values, human virtue, and casting off the outside yoke...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} Daoism has its own philosophy of life. This ideal mixes the fine aspirations and inclinations of Chinese values, human virtue, and casting off the outside yoke to secure personal freedom. It is a fairly complete system, and mainly consists of understanding Dao, establishing virtues, striving for freedom and being unfettered, and so on. In order to help people realize this philosophy of life, Daoism strives to promote education by Daoist teachings, in the hope that more people may get to know the essence of Daoism and enjoy Daoist culture, a traditional culture source which is both ancient and always fresh. [[zh:人生理想]] 0b0cf9d7abe51786a387fbd73a2263778751123c 0 503 622 2009-09-21T06:56:10Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} Daoism aims at studying Dao, conforming to it and obtaining it. The life expected by Daoism is one rich in morality. Therefore, life is basically directed towa...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} Daoism aims at studying Dao, conforming to it and obtaining it. The life expected by Daoism is one rich in morality. Therefore, life is basically directed towards understanding Dao and establishing virtues. ==Dao can be received but not taught== Dao has no shape or image, and cannot be grasped directly by the senses. Those who have obtained Dao can tell you their feelings, but cannot give it to you; you can empty your mind to hail its arrival, but you cannot get it from others. This characteristic of Dao can be described as being able to be received but not taught. Therefore, understanding, studying and obtaining Dao are determined not by others, but by oneself. Some people always expect to find an eminent master who will transmit secret formulas to them, and then obtain Dao at once. But as a matter of fact, the study of Dao depends on one's own comprehension. The instructions from eminent masters can only point out the approximate direction at most and show the way a bit when one has questions, but it depends on oneself whether one will be enlightened or not. Daoism has always attached importance to seeking instructions from eminent masters. If not instructed by masters, a person's course may end up very roundabout, as he will grope all by himself. Certain profound and subtle methods in cultivating Dao especially require instruction. However, the instructions cannot replace one's own study and practice. Only if a person comprehends and cultivates Dao by himself, can he obtain Dao for himself. ==Discard attachments in order to understand Dao== There exists the problem of how to start, since a person must study and understand Dao by himself. Study in its general sense means the gradual accumulation of knowledge, and the knowledge becomes richer and richer over time, and one's wisdom reaches higher and higher levels after accumulation over a long period of time. But from what can one proceed in studying Dao, since Dao has no form or image and can be received but not taught? Dao is an integral whole which has neither bound nor handle, nor can it be divided, so surely it is impossible to study and grasp it from its parts or sides, and even impossible to enter the profundity of Dao at all. Therefore, the way to understand Dao is quite different, even entirely different from the usual way of seeking knowledge. Laozi says, "To study requires to increase day by day, while to understand Dao requires to discard every day. One should discard again and again, until he reaches the state of Non-Interference. In this state, one may get everything done." What should one discard? As a matter of fact, to discard means to decrease the interference of common sense. Common sense refers to knowledge about concrete things. Yet Dao is different from any concrete thing. However, people are used to beginning the process of understanding Dao in the same way as they would pursue knowledge about concrete things. They always try to start with some image or some terminology or concept to analyze and comprehend Dao. They do not understand that Dao cannot be grasped with names or language, neither can it be analyzed logically. Laozi says plainly that 'the Dao that can be described is not the Eternal Dao; the name that can be named is not the Eternal Name. The Dao being pursued in Daoism is the great Dao that is eternal and transcends all concrete things and laws. It goes without saying that this great Dao is omnipresent, and it originally exists in human bodies.' The problem is that ordinarily people are used to seeking after external knowledge, and conceal the nature of Dao they originally possess. Hence they cannot find out the direction of Dao. A person can clarify the embodiment of Dao only if he reduces his pursuit of trivial knowledge, and especially gives up the habit (which is formed during the period of seeking ordinary knowledge) of stressing memorization of terminology, concepts, and concrete principles. In brief, it is necessary to empty the mind to study and understand Dao. Emptiness houses Dao, so Dao gradually comes to live in an empty mind. One can awake to the true essence of the great Dao only if he understands it in calmness. ==Don't confine yourself to existence or non-existence, and reach the extremely mysterious and abstruse state== Dao is empty, and one should empty, calm, enlighten and purify his mind in order to understand Dao. But emptiness and calmness are absolutely confined to the lifeless empty state. Common people are accustomed to the experience of daily life. Once they mention non-existence, they think that means having nothing. Once they talk about keeping to Dao, they think that means keeping firmly to emptiness. When Daoist believers talk about existence and non-existence, they regard them in an interrelated and dialectical way. This requires people to attain a higher goal and surpass the distinction between existence and non-existence. The first chapter of Laozi says, "One should have no desire to observe the sublimity of Dao, and one holds desire to observe its limit. These two things have the same origin but different names, and both of them mean mystery. The mystery of mysteries is the door to various kinds of sublimity." This means people can comprehend the mystery and sublimity of Dao only if they have no desire in their heart. If they are desirous to observe Dao, they will only create boundaries to Dao. Being with and without desire originate from the same source but have different names. Both of them are mysteries, or different aspects of mystery. Cheng Xuanying gave an explanation to this: 'mystery means profundity, and also means detachment. Both the two states of mind of being with and without desire, and the ways of observing subtlety and that of observing sublimity originate from the same great Dao. They have the same source but different names. But in spite of their different names, they originate from the same Dao, namely profundity. The profound mystery is summed up as non-attachment to principles. One should be attached neither to existence, nor to non-existence. Non-attachement to either of them is therefore called mystery." Dao is abstruse, firstly because it is confined neither to existence nor to non-existence. So those trying to comprehend Dao must follow their own nature and try to comprehend it in a way confined neither to existence nor to non-existence. But it is not sufficient to be merely detached from existence and non-existence. One should further emphasize the mystery of mysteries, namely the Twofold Mystery ( 重玄 Chongxuan ), and further get rid of one's attachment to 'Non-attachment'. Cheng Xuanying says that people with desire are attached to existence, while people without desire are attached to non-existence. So we use mystery to make him get rid of the two-fold attachment. Fearing that those who study Dao will be attached to the "mystery", we now put forward a further mystery to get rid of this latter problem. In this way, people are not only not attached, but also not attached to non-attachment. This means to get rid of the rid, so we say the mystery of mysteries". We say one has a correct understanding of Dao only when he reaches the extreme mysterious and abstruse state. ==Be soft and don't strive:== Dao is mild in nature. Laozi says, "softness is the function of Dao". Of course those who practice Dao must comply with the natural law of the great Dao, keep to mildness, never compete for first place nor seek priority over others. Volume 89 of '' [[the Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel]] '' ( 雲笈七籤 Yunji Qiqian ) says that [[the Supreme Venerable Sovereign[[ ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ) has said that the law of nature is to benefit rather than harm all things, and that the norm of sages is to act naturally rather than compete. Laozi requires people to be kind like water. The perfect goodness is like water. Water is good at benefiting all things instead of contending with them. It dwells in low places where no one would like to stay, hence it comes close to Dao. This forms a sharp contrast to some people who are eager to compete for the first place and are fond of seeking fame and gain, and place personal interests above all other things. ==One should observe nine norms when studying Dao== The study and cultivation of Dao does not merely aim at understanding the general idea of Dao. What is more important is to practice what Dao advocates. This requires people to observe some basic norms. '' The Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel'' puts forward nine principles that must be observed. ===Firstly, keep to harmony=== Everything under heaven connotes Yin and Yang. The vital breaths of Yin and Yang keep acting upon each other, and thus things keep unifying themselves. Sages ( 聖人 Shengren ) follow the laws of Heaven and Earth. They are not confined to common customs or common people. "It is most important to keep to harmony". ===Secondly, keep to the spirit=== This means to guard one's spirit and prevent it from chasing external things and getting exhausted. ===Thirdly, keep to the Vital Breath=== Blood and the Vital Breath ( 氣 Qi ) are the essence of human beings. Filled with the Vital Breath, human beings won't be invaded by calamities or harmful breath. When one is tied down by desires, his spirit will be exhausted and his inner Vital Breath will consequently be insufficient. He who cultivates Dao must purify his heart, reduce his desires and protect and nourish his Original Vital Breath ( 元氣 Yuanqi ). ===Fourthly, keep to benevolence==== Fearless of the threat of death, righteous people can be moved by benevolence, but cannot be compelled by force. Those who cultivate Dao regard the human world as unimportant, so they are not tied up; regarding all things as trivial, they will not be perplexed; regarding life and death equally, they are fearless; indifferent to changes, they are wise and won't be dazzled. They are more able to keep to benevolence than common righteous people are. ===Fifthly, keep to simplicity=== One should get rid of filth and worries, and understand the way of balance and harmony in Nourishing one's Life ( 養生 Yangsheng ). As for food, it's sufficient to allay one's hunger, and as for clothing, it's adequate to cover the body and keep out the cold. One should never be greedy. Simplicity can certainly be achieved if one doesn't exercise his wits too much. ===Sixthly, keep to constancy=== It is inevitable that people become powerful, lowly, poor or rich, but those who have secured Dao will not change their original intention no matter how their conditions change. ===Seventhly, keep to pureness=== One should have his mind as pure as water, and have no greedy or filthy ideas, and shouldn't indulge in his desires. ===Eighthly, keep to fullness=== The sun and moon will begin to wane when they reach the full. One shouldn't attempt to be perfect, but should never be self-satisfied. He must increase his virtues every day, and not dare to be violent. ===Ninthly, keep to gentleness=== Only being gentle can conform to the way of simplicity. To be specific, one should have no happiness, anger, joy or bitterness, regard all things as mysteriously identical, and make no distinction between right and wrong, harmonize and soften his Vital Breath, and balance his body so as to drift along with Dao. ==Nine difficulties in the study of Dao== To study Dao is not easy, but to understand and keep to Dao is even more difficult. Laozi said that when hearing of Dao, the best scholars assiduously practice it; the average scholars half remember and half forget it; and the worst scholars burst into laughter about it. If the worst scholars do not laugh about it, it is not the true Dao. Dao is different from common knowledge, so to know Dao is easy while to believe in it is difficult; to believe in Dao is easy while to practice it is difficult; to practice Dao is easy while to secure it is difficult; to secure Dao is easy while to keep to it is difficult. To keep to Dao and not to lose it should be what Daoist priests seek after. There are nine difficulties in keeping to Dao. The first difficulty is the burden of life, the second is the obstruction of elders and betters, the third is entanglement with wife and children, the fourth is anxiety about fame and gain, the fifth is unexpected calamities, the sixth is the restraint of the blind teacher (the teacher who is blind to logic), the seventh is incorrect views, the eighth is weak will, and the ninth is wasting time. There may be hope of success only if one eliminates the interference of these nine difficulties and withstands trials. ==Passing through #The barriers== The nine difficulties are just the main obstructions. In fact, the road-blocking tiger-obstacles in the way of studying Dao are far more numerous than those difficulties. The eminent Daoist priest Liu Yiming of the Dragon Gate sect of the Qing dynasty called these obstacles the 'barriers'. He wrote the '' Book of Passing Through Barriers'' ( 通關文 Tongguan Wen ), which specially analyzes each barrier and points out the correct way to pass them. He listed as many as 50 barriers. They are: #The barrier of intelligence #The barrier of disputation #The barrier of non-persistence #The barrier of disbelief #The barrier of illusion #The barrier of bookishness #The barrier of lack of definite views #The barrier of life and death #The barrier of willfulness #The barrier of physical body #The barrier of lust #The barrier of delusion #The barrier of karma #The barrier of hidden evil #The barrier of attachment to appearances #The barrier of complacency #The barrier of wealth and gain #The barrier of the female elixir #The barrier of coldness and hotness #The barrier of destitution #The barrier of craft #The barrier of flaunting #The barrier of the stove fire #The barrier of the fear of hardship #The barrier of excessive drinking #The barrier of disrespect #The barrier of glory and rank #The barrier of decline in aspiration #The barrier of fear of difficulty #The barrier of disgrace #The barrier of deep love #The barrier of loftiness #The barrier of quick results #The barrier of suspicion #The barrier of carelessness #The barrier of heavy debt #The barrier of waste of time #The barrier of emptiness #The barrier of nothingness #The barrier of arrogance #The barrier of false understanding #The barrier of pretence #The barrier of envy #The barrier of giving oneself up #The barrier of irritability #The barrier of anger and hatred #The barrier of laziness #The barrier of cowardice #The barrier of others and oneself #The barrier of adversity Some of these barriers are characteristic of inner alchemy, but most of them will be encountered in the general process of studying and cultivating Dao. Liu Yiming held that passing these barriers can enable those who study Dao to be healthy good persons, ascend to a higher level from a low one, reach the distant from the near, and not until then can they get instructions from eminent teachers and then gradually begin to hear of the great Dao. ==The accumulation of merits is the foundation== To eliminate various barriers is but the prerequisite for the study of Dao, and to withstand the trials of the nine difficulties represents a strong Daoist aspiration. Only thus can one be assured that one will not give up halfway. To study Dao actively should be founded on merits. [[Ge Hong]], the 'master Who Embraces Simplicity' ( 抱朴子 Baopuzi ) of the Jin dynasty, said that according to the middle section of the '' Book of the Jade Lock'' ( 玉鈐經 Yuqian Jing ), to establish merits is the most important thing, and the second important thing is to eliminate demerits. Those who cultivate Dao take it to be their biggest merit to deliver people from danger and disaster, to protect people from calamities, and to cure people of their illness so as to make it impossible to die for nothing. It is important for those who want to be immortals to take loyalty, filial piety, harmony, obedience, benevolence and fidelity as their essential qualities. If they merely search for Daoist magic Skills blindly but neglect the practice of virtues, they will never be able to secure longevity. All the other Daoist believers of successive generations also held this view, which is identical to the view of urging others to do good works and doing good works oneself. To study and practice Dao, one should learn all sorts of Skills ( 方術 Fangshu ), such as Refining the Vital Breath ( 煉氣 Lianqi ), dietetics ( 服食 Fushi ), Gymnastics ( 導引 Daoyin ) and so on. Inner Alchemy was also highly valued after the Song dynasty. But no matter what method is used, to accumulate merits is always the foundation. At ordinary times, a person should cultivate and examine himself constantly, restrain his body and mind, and consolidate his foundation of virtues. Only by doing this can one make consistent progress in his understanding of Dao and establishment of virtues. ==Self-dependence and unfetteredness== Philosophical Daoism ( 道家 Daojia ) advocates the freedom that transcends all the external trammels of fame, gain, and status, reveals one's own nature, and shows highly one's personality. The Perfect Man of the Southern Flower ( 南華真人 Nanhua Zhenren ) calls it the Unfettered Excursion ( 逍遙遊 Xiaoyao You ), which is customarily known as Unfetteredness. He holds that small knowledge is not to be compared with the great, and that a finch can never understand the giant Peng bird that flies as high as 90,000 li. Owing to the limitations of their circumstances and outlook, it is always difficult for ordinary people to shake off the yoke of different restraints. Those who have obtained Dao know that there is still infinity beyond infinity, compared to which the time and space of personal life are so small. So people may be able to shoulder the duties of their office. Their conduct may conform to the customs of the district, and their virtue may satisfy the sovereign so that he enjoys the trust of the country. Thus they preen themselves like little sparrows. A person of noble character follows the laws of nature to ride on the transformation of Breaths, and thus makes an excursion into the infinite. Then what has he to depend on? Therefore it is said that the Perfect Man ( 至人 Zhiren ) has no "self", the Divine Man ( 神人 Shenren ) has no achievement, and the Sage has no Name. It is quite hard to achieve the three "no"s mentioned above. Owing to the limitations of their outlook, ordinary people always regard fame, power, high position and great wealth as their goals, so they are swayed by considerations of loss and gain, always tied up, and often worried and not free. Those who have obtained Dao lead a simple life without worldly desires, regard position and health as fleeting clouds, never seek fame or gain, and never preoccupy themselves with worldly affairs. Hence their spirit can communicate with the divinities of Heaven and Earth and does not depend on outside matters. So naturally they can shake off the yoke of human nature and attain an unfettered and self-dependent plane. ==Attain Dao through gradual cultivation== To attain Dao is the final pursuit for those who try to understand Dao and accumulate merits. The process of obtaining Dao is one of accumulating merits gradually and reaching a higher spiritual state. Some people hold that those with a high power of understanding can suddenly realize the supreme great Dao. But there are seldom such people. The so-called sudden realization by common people refers to the sudden attainment of enlightenment and realization of truth after the pursuit, exploration and comprehension over the years, so it should be grounded on gradual cultivation. Sima Chengzhen of the Tang dynasty wrote '' The Heavenly Hermit'' ( 天隱子 Tianyinzi ) to advocate gradual practice, and he divided the cultivation of Dao into seven stages in his '' Discourse On Sitting in Oblivion'' ( 坐忘論 Zuowang Lun ). #The first stage is faith: one should firmly believe that he can attain Dao through Sitting in Oblivion. #The second stage is the elimination of preoccupations: this means to break free from the bonds of this world and not to be tied up by worldly affairs. Break free from the old bonds of worldly affairs, and don't form new bonds. #The third stage is restraint of the mind: the mind is the master of the body and the commander of one hundred spirits, and the key to Sitting in Oblivion is to restrain the mind and transcend this world. #The fourth stage is the simplification of affairs: it means to handle affairs leisurely, and to deal with matters without being tied up. One should know that life and death are a matter of destiny and shouldn't seek what is not destined. One should discern what is proper and shouldn't undertake what is improper. One should distinguish matters and compare their significance, "get rid of those unimportant to life and discard those unnecessary for life". As for high or low position, honor and rank, one should never take them into consideration. #The fifth stage is perfect perception. One should perceive good or bad luck, fortune or misfortune prior to their occurrence, know the branch through perception of the root, and reduce action every day. Not until his body gradually becomes quiet and his mind leisurely, can he perceive sublimity. #The sixth stage is supreme concentration: this means one should manage to "have no intention to concentrate and all concentration is achieved", that is to say, the mind is not fixed on quietness and concentration, but quietness and concentration arise incessantly and everywhere. When one looks like a withered tree and one's heart is like dead ashes; when one is not startled by a thunderbolt strong enough to split a mountains; when one is fearless in the face of a bayonet charge; when one regards fame and gain as transient and look upon life and death as ulcers----when one has attained this stage, one is not far from obtaining Dao. #The seventh stage is attainment of Dao: as for one who has secured Dao, "his body is one with Dao, so he is always alive; his mind is one with Dao, so he has a good command of all the skills". Therefore, for him there is neither life nor death, and he won't be harmed when going through water and fire. He determines both life and death, and he can easily come in and go out of life and death. These seven stages mentioned by Sima are actually the Cultivation and Refining methods of Visualization ( 存思 Cunsi ) and Sitting in Oblivion of [[the Highest Clarity sect]] ( 上清派 Shangqing Pai ). The concrete steps of other Refining methods may not be the same, but they are alike in essence and differ only in details. The gradual practice of Dao, the restraint of the mind and of listening, purification and calmness of the mind and spirit, and the like are of instructive significance for every person who studies and cultivates Dao. [[zh:明道立德]] e33cca6516faabcdb2e7fd1035574aadd303b3c3 0 504 623 2009-09-21T07:04:26Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} One should choose and foster his own Daoist ideal of life, but at the same time, the Daoist ideal of life should be publicized and spread by men of insight. ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} One should choose and foster his own Daoist ideal of life, but at the same time, the Daoist ideal of life should be publicized and spread by men of insight. ==The popularization of Daoist knowledge== Daoism is both an ancient religion and a religion that develops with time and keeps its vitality. It is necessary to let people understand Daoism in order for them to study and apply its true essence. In ancient times, the Daoist function of enlightenment was revealed and Daoist doctrines were popularized mainly through the spread of scriptures, the explanations of those who had attained Dao citing their own experience, and different religious activities. In modern times, Daoism begins to make use of the public news media to probe into the essential meanings, expound the mysterious and profound doctrines, and popularize relevant knowledge. The establishment of the Daoist Culture Information Centre is the latest attempt. In addition, by carrying out education, contemporary Daoist circles serve society on one hand, and on the other hand objectively enable people to contact Daoism from childhood and gain some elementary knowledge of Daoism. ==The spread of the spirit of philosophical Daoism== The spirit of philosophical Daoism embodies the splendid cultural spirit of the Chinese nation. Contemporary men of insight have attached great importance to the application of it to the economy, politics, and society. Daoist culture is a broad system, an inexhaustible treasure house of wisdom, and a significant resource for the construction of modern culture. For instance, Daoist ideas of environmental protection are of significant value. Contemporary people suffering enough from environmental pollution should keenly feel pain about the evil consequences of the excessive manipulation of the environment and the plunder of environmental resources. Meanwhile, they will certainly feel that the Daoist idea of environmental protection and the establishment of a harmonious relation with the environment is kind and beneficial. Daoism does not regard environmental protection merely as a specific social measure, but takes it to be an attitude toward life and as a world outlook. This is where it is more brilliant than common people, and this point itself is sufficient to demonstrate the greatness and profundity of Daoist wisdom. Therefore, it is the responsibility of every person in Daoist circles to exploit this resource. Since modern times, many scholars, specialists and Daoists have been devoted to the development, research and application of Daoist culture and have made many achievements. This information center is willing to introduce this precious wealth to more friends and let everybody enjoy the use of Daoist cultural resources together, in order to make Daoist culture a reference and instruction for contemporary people to foster a correct ideal in life and make it benefit mankind. [[zh:道化教育]] a24a2e7bce0d5834b37462c1bf1e52ef8d5fab96 0 505 624 2009-09-21T07:09:12Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} Daoism considers ethical education and practise as its fundamental task. On the one hand, Daoism tries to publicize its theory and doctrine in society, leading...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} Daoism considers ethical education and practise as its fundamental task. On the one hand, Daoism tries to publicize its theory and doctrine in society, leading people to be good in the hope of creating an ethical society. This is Daoism's ethical education. On the other hand, Daoism encourages ethical practice, which is to lead human beings to good behavior. Ethical practice aims at accomplishing one's duties and accumulating merits, which is to bring forth one spiritual release, instead of seeking to win compliments. Keeping good behavior secret is to accumulate Hidden Merits ( 陰功 Yingong ), a basic ethical principle for Daoists. [[zh:勸善行善]] b9c15dbddf53c0fc70b8e6f525dce1f262337660 0 506 625 2009-09-21T07:22:43Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} Daoism advocates the accumulation of Hidden Merits ( 陰功 Yingong ). According to the '' [[Tablet of Supreme Correspondence]] '' ( 太上感應篇 Taishang G...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} Daoism advocates the accumulation of Hidden Merits ( 陰功 Yingong ). According to the '' [[Tablet of Supreme Correspondence]] '' ( 太上感應篇 Taishang Ganying Pian ), one should "accumulate merits and be benevolent". Correspondingly, Daoism opposes self-indulgence in doing all kinds of improper or even mean deeds. Some people are very much afraid that others do not know they have done a wee bit of good deeds, whereas they will secretly do something bad once nobody is looking, for they think they can escape notice so as not to be punished. Daoism has a completely different attitude toward this, because no good or evil deeds can evade the principle of retribution, and although the hidden merits and evils may not be known to mortals, they must be known to spirits in Heaven and on Earth. The Tablet of Supreme Correspondence says, "fortunes, whether good or bad, fall on people according to their own deeds and behaviors. Retribution for evil doings and reward for good works are like the shadows following a person." It means that spirits supervise everyone's thoughts, words, and actions. ==Good and Evil Doings are under the Supervision of Spirits== The reward for good deeds and retribution for evil doings depends on the human heart. The heart and corresponding behaviour are under the supervision of spirits. This supervision has its system. The Tablet of Supreme Correspondence says, "there are spirits specially responsible for punishment, who decide on people's life spans according to their their evil acts. Those whose life span is decreased will be impoverished and exhausted, undergo repeated sufferings, encounter disgust, and be followed with penalties and disasters, and auspicious occasions will keep clear of them while the star of calamities will bring them calamities. Death will befall those who are completely deprived of their life span." This statement from the Tablet of Supreme Correspondence is taken from [[Ge Hong]], who borrowed it from another source in turn. That proves that it is consistently held in Daoism that spirits supervise the people and give award or retribution according to their good or evil doings. As for the exact titles of Spirits, they are not as important. As for the deprivation of one's life span, a short span is three days according to the section "Subtle Guidelines ( 微旨 Weizhi ) " in the ''Inner Chapter of'' '' [[the Master Who Embraces Simplicity]] '' ( 抱朴子內篇 Baopuzi Neipian ). So the deprivation of one short span due to sins means the deprivation of three days' life. Greater than a short span is a long span, which is equal to 300 days. A long span will be taken away for big faults, and that means a decrease of 300 days' life. The so-called good and evil doings, merits and faults not only refer to one's words and actions, but also refer to the thoughts in one's mind. Ge Hong says that those who have evil thoughts but do no evil deeds will be deprived of short spans and those who have done something so evil as to harm people will be deprived of long spans. If the short and long spans taken away exceed one's life span, the misfortune will be passed on to one's descendants after one's death. '' [[The Book of Changes]] '' ( 周易 Zhouyi ) says, "the family which has accumulated good works is sure to enjoy even more blessings, while the family which has accumulated evil will certainly suffer extra disasters." ==The Range of Hidden Merits== Since people's every word, action, and even idea is under the supervision of spirits, there is no way to deceive the spirits in Heaven and on Earth. Hidden evils can deceive humans but not spirits. People should warn themselves anytime and anywhere to avoid bad doings and evil actions and to do good and kind deeds. Thus there is a wide range of Hidden Merits, which are not limited to any special fields. Daoist moralistic storybooks call on people to "make things convenient for others all the time and accumulate Hidden Merits everywhere". There is no limit to Hidden Merits, since they should be done in all matters, and so of course there is no limit to the occasions when people should warn themselves against misdoing. Ge Hong says that there are several hundred deeds that decrease one's life span, and they cannot be explained concretely one by one. These several hundred deeds include only the greater ones. In fact, in the extensive fields of social life, interpersonal communication, and the handling of the relation between human and nature, exist innumerable instances where Hidden Merits may be damaged or accumulated. [[zh:廣積陰功]] d4c38bff6732b0ff55aed989bf551c0c3a52268b 0 507 626 2009-09-21T07:41:27Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} Daoism advocates doing good works. It does not regard good works merely as alms to others and sacrifice by oneself. On the contrary, it holds that the result o...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} Daoism advocates doing good works. It does not regard good works merely as alms to others and sacrifice by oneself. On the contrary, it holds that the result of good works benefits not only others but also oneself, for these good works contain the perfection of one's own personality, and while benefiting others, they create conditions for the perfection of one's own cultivation. Thus doing good works is an active process. ==Correspondence between cause and effect== In Daoist teachings, the relation between cause and effect refers to the relation between one's words, actions and thoughts and the influence and effect caused by them on oneself. One's words, actions, and thoughts are the cause, and the influence they exert on oneself is the result. Cause means reason and effect means result, referring particularly to the retribution brought about by the cause. Cause and effect, or words, actions, thoughts and retribution are closely related. Cause is the root and reason that gives rise to the effect, while the effect is the retribution for the cause. One's words, actions and thoughts will always cause certain effects and produce certain retribution and reward. It is impossible not to receive retribution after the cause has been created. As the saying goes, good will be rewarded with good, and evil with evil; if the reward is not forthcoming, it is because the time has not yet come; when the time comes, one will get one's due reward. In Daoism, karma is classified into two kinds: karma outside this world and worldly karma. The cause of the karma outside this world is Wisdom and its effect is Detachment. Here the effect is called a Dao Fruit ( 道果 daoguo ). The cause of worldly karma is good and evil, and the effect is sorrow and joy. Sins will certainly receive retribution and bear the fruit of sorrow, while good will be rewarded with good and bear the fruit of joy. What is generally discussed is worldly karma, but those practicing Dao should take both kinds of karma into consideration. In the human world, one should never forget the reward of good and retribution of evil, and do more good works and accumulate more merits in order to free oneself from sorrow and obtain joy. On this basis, one should go further to cultivate great Wisdom, acquire great merits and obtain great Dao Fruits. ==Karma Depends on the Person== Karma is inevitable. For each person, certain causes bring about corresponding effects. Each person determines it by himself. Everyone should bear responsibility for his own conduct, and should never shirk it. The person who sins will certainly receive retribution of evil, while the person with good works will be rewarded with good, and it is impossible for someone else to undertake it instead. One kind of retribution is that in this world, and if it is too late, there is still the retribution in the nether world or in the Fengdu Hell. What each person does and what cause he plants is all determined by his own choice. In this sense, the cause lies in the mind. So the section "The Meaning of Karma" ( 因果義 yinguo yi ) in the '' [[Pivotal Meaning of the Daoist Doctrine]] '' ( 道教義樞 daojiao yishu ) quotes scriptures of the Numinous Treasure ( 靈寶 lingbao ), saying, "reward for good and retribution for evil just arise from the mind." Simultaneously, the Chinese attach importance to the clan, and personal honor and disgrace are closely attached to the destiny of the clan. The Commentary of the Book of Changes ( 易傳 yizhuan ) says that clans that accumulate good will certainly leave surplus jubilation for the later generations, while clans that accumulate evil will certainly leave surplus sufferings for the later generations. In the '' [[Book of Supreme Peace]]'' ( 太平經 taiping jing ) this is called Inherited Burden ( 承負 chengfu ), which refers to surplus jubilance and sufferings, especially sufferings, accumulated through generations. Descendants can turn calamities into happiness only if they immediately abandon evil and do good, convert themselves to [[the Great Dao]] ( 大道 dadao ), and get rid of "the old Vital Breath ( 氣 qi ) " and the evil Vital Breath accumulated over a long period of time. The idea of Karma is the ideological basis for carrying out conversion by good teachings and encouragement and practice of good in Daoism. [[zh:因果秘義]] f6a4719135c53f0d3ebf9572628fc141d86f8bab 0 508 627 2009-09-21T07:49:40Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} It is necessary to make it explicit what is good and what is evil to encourage people to do good. ==Being kind to everything and considerate to others is ess...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} It is necessary to make it explicit what is good and what is evil to encourage people to do good. ==Being kind to everything and considerate to others is essential== The ''Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity '' ( 抱朴子內篇 Baopuzi Neipian ) says that there is no Daoist commandment that does not say that in order to Attain Loyality ( 展生 Changsheng ), one must accumulate merits, be kind to everything, be considerate to others, be benevolent even to insects, like to see others be fortunate, sympathize with other's sufferings, help those in need or danger, provide relief to those in poverty, never harm the people, never instigate disasters with words, regard others' gains as one's own gains, regard others' faults as one's own faults, never look upon oneself as honorable, never praise oneself, never envy those superior to oneself, neither fawn on others nor secretly scheme against them. Only in this way can a person be counted as virtuous and be blessed by Heaven, succeed in what he is engaged in, and have a chance of Attaining Immortality ( 成仙 Chengxian ). Among these principles, the most important one is to "be kind to everything, be considerate to others". It is the foundation of care and sympathy. To be considerate to others is to put oneself on someone else's position, i.e., not to force on others what one does not desire for oneself, and wish others to get what one regards as pleasant. That is to say, one should follow Confucius's words, "do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire", and "when one wants to satisfy his desire, he should also let others satisfy such desires; when one has a desire, he should also let others have such desire". ==Do good works even if they are trivial matters== To do good works is to accumulate merits no matter whether they are major or minor; to do bad deeds is to injure hidden merits no matter whether they are big or small. Daoist books always instruct as follows: don't commit evil deeds just because they are small, and don't avoid doing good deeds just because they are small. Small as good and evil are, they are increased when accumulated. Moreover, when one wants to be good, he should not do good just in some occasions while in others avoiding doing good or even doing evil. Both doing good and doing evil gradually become habits, and one's virtue can be perfected only through long-lasting cultivation. To do or not to do petty things will directly influence the cultivation of virtues. ==Concrete and detailed rules for doing good should be worked out== Both good and evil deeds are concrete, so it is necessary to collate and stipulate concrete norms so as to make them regulations understood by anyone at first sight and in accordance with which one can behave themself. These norms should firstly include enthusiasm for public welfare. For example, building bridges and roads, burying the remains of the nameless dead, and providing relief to widows and their children, are all stipulated in Daoist moralistic storybooks. Secondly, professional ethics are advocated. For example, the norms require merchants not to give short weights, exhort the farmers not to kill farm cattle, and teach intellectuals to respect and cherish wastepaper with characters written on it. Due to the various environments and fields of activities of various professions, the moral norms concerned are bound to have differences. The relevant moral commandments are laid down so that people know they should observe something even when making a living. Thirdly, these rules enable people to start from around themselves, and have chances of doing good works and accumulating merits anytime and everywhere. The Book of Hidden Virtues exhorts the people to light night lamps to facilitate walking at night, build boats to help people across rivers, and even cut brambles and remove tiles and stones in the way. These just reflect the idea that one should do good works no matter whether they are great or trivial, and there is the chance of doing good everywhere around oneself. Only in this way can people start from around themselves and gradually form the habit of doing good. ==The criteria of good and evil change with time== People can conform to criteria of good and evil only if the criteria are fixed. But these criteria cannot be immutable forever. Daoism believes in Dao. The great Dao is prevalent and exists forever while times change and are diverse. Changing in line with time and changes is the consistent stand of philosophical Daoism. There are several kinds of changes. In one condition, the concept of good still exists but its concrete denotation has changed. Take loyalty as an example, which has been a great good deed. In ancient times, the whole world was taken to be one family, so loyalty to the sovereign was identical with love of one's country. But Mengzi already stated clearly that the people are honorable and the state comes second, while the sovereign is not important. In democratic ages, the connotation of loyalty is mainly to be loyal to the people and the country. Another example is that it has always been regarded as a fault (in commercial activities) to purchase with big dippers and sell with small dippers. Nowadays, although steelyard dippers are not definitely the only thing used in measurement in modern commerce, the principle of honesty will never be out of date. The norms against giving short weights extend to the principles of honesty and fairness in all commercial activities. In another condition, some social activities and social relations did not exist in ancient times and emerged only in later ages, hence newly corresponding norms are established. For example, in ancient times the bad habit of taking drugs was not prevalent, but today, rules are laid down that forbid taking, hiding and trafficking in narcotics and inducing others to take drugs, and the violation of these rules is considered to be a major evil. On the contrary, it is one of the good doings to help others to give up taking drugs. Therefore, to do good and to encourage others to do good does not have to be confined to the specific few words and sentences in books. Instead, one should grasp their original meanings and act according to circumstances. [[zh:行善準則]] ff8afb693aea05d8b6a7e8b84f51ccb3a3a9db2e 0 509 628 2009-09-21T08:15:36Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Beliefs}} ==Man is at the centre of doing good and abandoning evil== It is possible for one not to do good works although one knows what is good. Knowledge and practice ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Beliefs}} ==Man is at the centre of doing good and abandoning evil== It is possible for one not to do good works although one knows what is good. Knowledge and practice can be either united or divided. We say a person has real knowledge and actual practice and is really virtuous only if he both knows what is good and practices it. So what is called Accumulation of Hidden Merits in Daoism is a continuous process of practice. The cultivation of virtues depends chiefly on practice. To gradually understand the true essence of the norms of doing good works, and become a morally noble person through Accumulation of Hidden Merits by putting moral norms into practice requires that: ===Firstly, one should often exhort and examine oneself=== One can only cultivate one's virtues all by oneself, and no one else can take one's place. It is determined by one's own consciousness whether to cultivate virtues or not. One cannot cultivate virtues if one is not conscious and depends on the earnest exhortations of others. Even if he cultivates virtues occasionally, he cannot persevere and cannot avoid giving up halfway when encountering difficulties and obstacles. The Daoist priests of successive generations are respected for their great aspiration, firm belief in Dao, and sustained observance of commandments. The eminent Daoist priest Sima Chengzhen of the Tang dynasty enjoys high prestige and was of noble character. The emperor appointed him to high official positions, but regarding wealth and rank as floating clouds, he firmly declined and returned to the mountain. Another Daoist priest, Lu Cangyong, had formerly lived in seclusion to cultivate Dao. Having made a name for himself, he came out to be an official by imperial order. When he saw Chengzhen going back to the mountain, he pointed to [[Mt. Zhongnan]] near the capital, and said, "here is a nice place. Why go so far as Mt Tiantai?" [[Sima Chengzhen]] answered tauntingly, "It is nothing but a shortcut to high office in my eyes." Later generations have summarized the proverb "the shortcut of Mt Zhongnan" to ridicule the actions of having no firm will and expecting to take a shortcut and get good. Lu Cangyong left a butt and lesson for he gave up halfway. Cultivation of virtues must stand the test of time, as well as outside disturbance and enticement. What counts is that one must often warn and exhort oneself to do good works, evade evil right after seeing it, and right every wrong immediately. ===Secondly, one should reduce one's selfish ideas and desires=== We have mentioned that Lu Cangyong did not keep to Dao till the end. This is because he had selfish ideas and the motive of pursuing high position and great wealth. Maybe he was not like this at the very beginning, but once he became famous, he changed his original intention. All the good deeds mentioned previously require one to give without compensation. If one does good works with selfish motives, one is only able to do so temporarily, but can never persist. Laozi's saying "To reduce selfish ideas and desires" is the principal guideline for the Accumulation of Hidden Merits. If a person always proceeds from the consideration of himself and regards himself as the center, he will not be kind to human beings and all things, and he will even be apathetic to the sufferings of his compatriots, so how can he talk about helping others in an emergency? How will he engage himself in philanthropy for humans, especially for the impoverished? To take oneself as the center of consideration in modern society is always manifested in the pursuit of material benefits for one's own ease and comfort. When one is entangled with material desires for a long time, one cannot realize one's errors and mend one's ways, and one goes farther and farther away from simple virtues. Therefore, to reduce desires seems especially important for modern people. ===Thirdly, one should find a specific way to help with the cultivation of moral character=== This method quantifies both merits and demerits so that everyone can judge from his own conduct whether he has more merits or more demerits, and can correct his errors when he becomes aware of them. After repeated practice, researches and improvement, the successive generations of lofty Daoist masters have composed a variety of [[Ledgers of Merits and Demerits]] ( 功過格 Gongguoge ). They include the use of quantification and provide people with effective means of cultivation the moral character. ==Methods of Ledgers of Merits and Demerits== The Ledger of Merits and Demerits of the Immortal Sovereign of Supreme Subtlety ( 太微帝君功過格 Taiwei Dijun Gonguoge ) introduces the following method. Everyone who receives and observes the method should place a writing brush, an inkstone and a register at the bedside, write down the months and dates, and make two lines of merits and demerits under the date. At bedtime, one should register all the merits and demerits one has earned in the whole day, recording good works under the merit heading while recording evil under the demerit heading. Each deed is attributed a specific number of points acording to a detailed table of rules. At the end of each month, one should calculate the merits and demerits, subtracting demerits from merits or converting demerits into merits. The number of merits and demerits would become obvious after the subtraction and conversion. One should make an overall estimate so as to know one's crime and good fortune by oneself, and not to have to ask about one's good or bad luck. ==The Ledger of Merits and Demerits should have concrete detailed rules in order to be easy to practice. For example== To give 100 cash to widowers, widows, orphans, the childless or the poor is one merit, and to give a string of 1,000 cash is ten merits. Accumulation of one cash's alms to 100 cash is one merit. The merit is calculated by cash for rice, wheat, money and silks. The merit of paying off the debt of the impoverished by giving them alms is calculated in the same way. To give drink or food to the hungry or thirsty is one merit. To provide a warm room for those freezing to live in for a night is one merit. To save the lives of animals who are able to repay human beings (i.e. domestic animals such as camels, mules, cattle, horses, donkeys and the like) is ten merits, to save the lives of animals unable to repay human beings (i.e. wild birds and beasts) is eight merits, and to save the lives of worms, ants, moths, aquatic organisms, etc. is one merit. ==The quantification of merits is very concrete, so is that of demerits== Not to relieve the poor people is one demerit, and to humiliate one person is three demerits. To steal others' property or to instigate others to steal 100 cash is one demerit, and to steal a string of 1,000 cash is ten demerits. Not to stop someone from stealing when witnessing it is one demerit. To help with stealing is five demerits. To illegitimately obtain someone else's property worth 100 cash is one demerit, and a string of 1,000 cash is ten demerits. The demerit is doubled if one plots to murder others to get their property. What is actually contained in each ledger of merit and demerit is quite concrete, and there are many items in the ledger. But here just some examples are presented. By comparing the number of merits and demerits according to specific items, one can decide how one has done on earth. Simultaneously, one can decide whether one has made progress in one's moral cultivation through comparison month by month and year by year. ==To use the Ledger of Merit and Demerit is still based on one's own initiative== The Ledger of Merit and Demerit provides one with methods to help with the cultivation, but the correct use of it is still determined by oneself. If a person records every merit and conceals every demerit, not only does the Ledger of Merit and Demerit perform no practical function, but also he deceives others, himself and the heaven, and earns double demerits. ==Daoist priests should observe Daoist commandments, and they should set higher moral demands on themselves than on lay believers== Daoist priests are professional clergymen of Daoism, or persons who renounce their family of their own accord in order to seek immortality and obtain religious liberation. Devoted to Daoism and subject to strict demands, they are closer to [[Immortality]] ( 神仙shenxian ) than common people, and apart from their own Cultivation and Refinement ( 修煉 Xiulian ), they should also give instructions to lay believers. Therefore they must have fairly high qualities, including at the moral level. Among the Daoist priests themselves, it is through the observance of Daoist commandments that they control their behaviour and apply moral standards. The Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ) of the 43rd generation Zhang Yuchu emphasized repeatedly that observance of commandments concerning behaviour is the leading requirement for those practicing the laws ( See the [[Ten Daoist Commandments]] ( 道門十規 Daomen Shigui )). Daoist priests have to observe commandments of different degrees of strictness according to their Daoist rank. The higher the Daoist rank is, the stricter the commandments are. For example, for the Daoist priest of [[the Complete Perfection sect]] ( 全真 Quanzhen ), there are from several dozens to 300 various commandments during the stages of Primary Perfection ( 初真 Chuzhen ) (the second stage of Acceptance of Commandments ( 受戒 Shoujie )). In Daoist scriptures, the commandments are the basis of an important classification, and every group of commandments consists of five to several hundred commandments. Moreover, a number of specific regulations are complied to in each temple according to Daoist commandments and local concrete conditions. Commandments and regulations are the restraint and instruction of Daoist priests' words, actions and ideas. They prescribe the essential orientation of the moral cultivation of Daoist priests. [[zh:修善方法]] 5828380637ad7f14ca042c67979cb33360a51c3f 0 510 629 2009-09-21T09:00:12Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Music}} Traditionally, Daoist music is classified into vocal music sung or recited by the human voice and instrumental music performed with musical instruments and Magi...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} Traditionally, Daoist music is classified into vocal music sung or recited by the human voice and instrumental music performed with musical instruments and Magical Instruments (法器) . Daoism has its own habitual appellations for the above two forms, namely "yun", "yunqing", or "yunzi" (tone) for vocal music and "qupai" or "paizi" (tune) for instrumental music. Further, according to different occasions and recipients, "Tones for Chanting (韻腔)" are classified into "Yin Tones(陰韻)" and "Yang Tones(陽韻)", and "tunes" are classified into "Solemn Tunes(正曲)" and "Lively Tunes(耍曲)". ==Yin Tone and Yang Tone== The Yin Tone refers to the Tone for Chanting used in rituals performed at the outer altar. They are mostly chanted in rituals held outdoors or at the home of fasting clients, such as "relieving the people" and "Feeding the Hungry Ghosts(放施食（放焰口）) ". Its major audiences include believers and ordinary people watching the rituals. The Yang Tone is the Tone for Chanting used in sacrificial rituals performed at the inner altar. It is generally chanted in the halls of temples, and its major recipients are practical Daoist priests, heavenly and earthly spirits, and divinities of all the realms. ==Solemn Tunes and Lively Tunes== Solemn Tunes are instrumental music played by musical instruments or Magical Instruments . They are usually played when circling the altar in the course of the Ritual of Praying for Luck and Peace Performed at the Inner Altar (祈福齋醮科儀) and the Ritual of Saving the Souls of the Dead Performed at the Outer Altar (薦亡齋醮科儀) . Lively Tunes are formed and evolved by assimilating folk music. They are mainly used for the rituals held for the common people and played before opening the altar and after closing the altar. They have a strong entertaining nature. [[zh:道教音樂分類與形式]] 2626419f6b1ef69f1b03fbbddca162f79198b82f 634 629 2009-09-21T09:41:13Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} Traditionally, Daoist music is classified into vocal music sung or recited by the human voice and instrumental music performed with musical instruments and Magical Instruments (法器) . Daoism has its own habitual appellations for the above two forms, namely "yun", "yunqing", or "yunzi" (tone) for vocal music and "qupai" or "paizi" (tune) for instrumental music. Further, according to different occasions and recipients, "Tones for Chanting (韻腔)" are classified into "Yin Tones(陰韻)" and "Yang Tones(陽韻)", and "tunes" are classified into "Solemn Tunes(正曲)" and "Lively Tunes(耍曲)". ==Vocal Music== ===The Tones for Chanting=== The tones for chanting take the forms of solo and unison, and have the styles of "Eulogy (頌 song)", "Ode (贊 zan)", "Pacing the Void (步虛 buxu)" and "Hymn (偈 ji)". When the styles are used singly, the tone is a four-line song in a brief coupled structure or representing the introduction, elucidation, transition and summing up. If a tone is set with several passages of different scriptures, a more complicated large-scale tune can be structured. The tone can be combined in various ways with Chanting the Holy Scriptures (誦經 songjing) with and without accompaniment and Steps of Yu (禹步 yubu), and according to the requirement of ritual affairs, connect all sorts of Daoist tunes of eulogy, ode, pacing the void and hymn to form a vocal music method that changes from time to again, yet remains much the same. ===Yin Tone and Yang Tone=== The Yin Tone refers to the Tone for Chanting used in rituals performed at the outer altar. They are mostly chanted in rituals held outdoors or at the home of fasting clients, such as "relieving the people" and "Feeding the Hungry Ghosts(放施食（放焰口）) ". Its major audiences include believers and ordinary people watching the rituals. The Yang Tone is the Tone for Chanting used in sacrificial rituals performed at the inner altar. It is generally chanted in the halls of temples, and its major recipients are practical Daoist priests, heavenly and earthly spirits, and divinities of all the realms. ==Instrumental Music== ===Musical Instruments=== As for the musical instruments used in instrumental music, they vary among different temples and schools. Those used by the Orthodox Oneness Tradition (正一道 zhengyi dao) are rich and complete in kinds, including the wind instruments, stringed instruments, plucked instruments and percussion instruments, and the playing skill is fairly superb. The Complete Perfection Tradition (全真道 quanzhen dao) mainly uses percussion instruments (magical instruments) and some temples use a few orchestral music instruments as well. The music is played in a rather simplistic way. It is mainly used for heightening the atmosphere of the Ritual Space (道場 daochang) and accompanying the recitation of scriptures. ===Solemn Tunes and Lively Tunes=== Solemn Tunes are instrumental music played by musical instruments or Magical Instruments . They are usually played when circling the altar in the course of the Ritual of Praying for Luck and Peace Performed at the Inner Altar (祈福齋醮科儀) and the Ritual of Saving the Souls of the Dead Performed at the Outer Altar (薦亡齋醮科儀) . Lively Tunes are formed and evolved by assimilating folk music. They are mainly used for the rituals held for the common people and played before opening the altar and after closing the altar. They have a strong entertaining nature. [[zh:道教音樂分類與形式]] 6376002d166efad45f4d449e7fd7e903f6abe279 10 454 630 554 2009-09-21T09:01:02Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[ Daoist Music]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ Classification and Forms of Daoist Music]] |- |[[ Vocal Music]] <br> [[Instrumental Music]] <br> [[Types of Musical Instruments| Musical Instruments]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |[[ Schools of Daoist Music]] |- |[[ Music of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] <br> [[Music of the Complete Perfection Tradition]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" | Compilations of Daoist Music Scores |- |[[ The Ritual of Jade Tunes]]<br>[[ The Daoist Musical Scores Composed by Imperial Order during the Great Ming Dynasty]]<br>[[ The Orthodox Rhythm of the Complete Perfection Tradition]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" align="center" |Daoist Music of Different Places |- |[[Daoist Music of the White Cloud Temple, Beijing| The White Cloud Temple, Beijing]] [[Daoist Music of Suzhou | Suzhou]] [[Daoist Music of Mt Longhu | Mt Longhu]]<br>[[Daoist Music of Mt Wudang | Mt Wudang]] [[Daoist Music of Mt Mao | Mt Mao]][[Daoist Music of Shanghai | Shanghai]] <br> [[Daoist Music of Mt Lao, Shandong Province | Mt Lao]][[ Daoist Music of the Central Shanxi Plain | Shanxi Plain]] [[Daoist Music in West Sichuan | Sichuan]] <br> [[Daoist Music in the Northeast | The Northeast]] [[Daoist Music in Taiwan | Taiwan]] [[Daoist Music in Hong Kong | Hong Kong]] |} <includeonly>[[Category: Daoist Music]]</includeonly> d837858729c3eae8fc48b8c9ee9197d5507530f6 0 511 631 2009-09-21T09:23:09Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Music}} Instrumental music refers to the Daoist tunes played with musical instruments or Magical Instruments (法器 faqi). The tunes are mainly used in memorial ritual...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} Instrumental music refers to the Daoist tunes played with musical instruments or Magical Instruments (法器 faqi). The tunes are mainly used in memorial rituals and Fasts and Offerings (齋醮 zhaijiao) rituals. In these two categories of rituals, the Daoist Ritual Masters (法師 fashi) use Occult Techniques (法門 famen) including not only scripture recitation and intoning all kinds of Tones for Chanting (韻腔 yunqiang), but also drawing talismans, muttering incantations, walking Steps of Yu (禹步 yubu), and Making Finger Gestures (掐訣 qiajue). The tunes of instrumental music are thus played to coordinate with the different ritual actions the Daoist Masters perform, such as riding the clouds and mounting the mist, summoning wind and rain, Pacing the Big Dipper (踏罡步斗 tagang budou), and vanquishing goblins and demons. ==Music Tune Names of Musical Instruments== According to the occasions in different sectors of rituals where they are played, the tunes played by various musical instruments in Daoist music can be classified into the following forms: first is the playing of instrumental music tunes, which are mostly used before the ritual of Fasts and Offerings1 to attract the people to the fasts and extend the impetus; second, the playing of interlude music. The second form consists of two cases ----- playing the interlude music during the interval between two Tones for Chanting while chanting the scriptures, and playing it to mark the transformation of procedures in rituals. Some of the tunes are especially used for Daoist music, such as the Mubenjing, Baihefei and Lugangdiao, while some others such as Xiaokaimen and Jiangjunling can also be found in some traditional operas, folk art forms and local music. However, once these popular tunes become part of Daoist music, combine with the sound of bells, drums, and other Magical Instruments3 and reverberate inside and outside the temples, they become unworldly and free from vulgarity and present a distinct appeal of sublime immortal music. ==Classification of Instrumental Music == The instrumental music is classified into Solemn Tunes (正曲 zhengqu), Lively Tunes (耍曲 shuaqu) and Tunes for Ritual Implements (法器牌子 faqi paizi). ===Solemn Tunes=== Solemn Tunes are instrumental music played by musical instruments or Magical Instruments . They are usually played when circling the altar in the course of the Ritual of Praying for Luck and Peace Performed at the Inner Altar (祈福齋醮科儀) and the Ritual of Saving the Souls of the Dead Performed at the Outer Altar (薦亡齋醮科儀) . ===Lively Tunes=== Lively Tunes are formed and evolved by assimilating folk music. They are mainly used for the rituals held for the common people and played before opening the altar and after closing the altar. They have a strong entertaining nature. ===Tunes for Ritual Implements=== Though not large in number, Tunes for Ritual Implements play a very important role in Daoist music. When singing Tones for Chanting, the accompanying instruments such as silk strings or pipes can sometimes be omitted, but Magical Instruments are indispensable. The ritual implement tunes are classified into Tunes for Cymbals (鐃鑔牌子 naocha paizi) and Tunes for Pans (鐺鑔牌子 chengcha paizi). The magical instruments for playing the tunes for cymbals include the danao, xiaonao, dacha (big or small cymbals), big and small Wood Blocks (木魚 muyu), big and small drums, and big and small Inverted Bells (磬 qing); those for playing tunes for pans include small cymbals, pans, hand bells as well as big and small wood blocks, big and small drums, and big and small inverted bells. The tunes for cymbals are usually played alone to mark the change or the connection of different ritual procedures, and are also used as introductory music, coda or intermezzo in the singing or playing of all kinds of tones for chanting and instrumental music tunes. The tunes for pans, on the other hand, are often used as an accompaniment for tones for chanting or instrumental music tunes, playing the function of beating the time and setting off the religious atmosphere. [[zh:器樂]] d7b567f48dab96f545928d95144c19ad095228d8 0 512 632 2009-09-21T09:32:32Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Daoist Music}} Vocal music is a musical form in which the Daoist priests chant or recite the Tones for Chanting (經韻 jingyun) . According to the different musical forms of ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} Vocal music is a musical form in which the Daoist priests chant or recite the Tones for Chanting (經韻 jingyun) . According to the different musical forms of the tones and the ways of chanting and recitation, they can be divided into "Singing (詠唱式 yongchang shi) ", "Intoning (念唱式 nianchang shi) ", "Chanting (吟唱式 yinchang shi) ", and "Reciting (朗誦式 langsong shi)". ==Singing= = Singing is a way of reciting Tones for Chanting that has strong singing qualities. It has exquisite, mellifluous, lyric characteristics. The tones for chanting employing this method of performance are the largest in number and the most melodious. A variety of "Tones (韻 yun)" (e.g., Pure and Clear Tone (澄清韻 chengqing yun) , Dark Hell Tone (幽冥韻 youming yun) , Lamentation Tone (悲嘆韻 beitan yun) ), "Odes (贊 zan)" (e.g., Major Ode, Minor Ode, Zhongtang Zan Tune (中堂贊 zhongtang zan)), "Preludes (引 yin)" (e.g., Ghost Prelude (幽魂引 youhun yin), Plum Blossom Prelude (梅花引 meihua yin), Minor Prelude on Salvation from Misery (小救苦引 xiao jiuku yin), Major Prelude on Salvation from Misery (大救苦引 da jiuku yin)), and "Hymns (偈 ji)" (e.g., Major Hymn (大偈子 dajizi), Minor Hymn (小偈子 xiaojizi), Hymn on Suffering from War (刀兵偈子 daobing jizi)), as well as Pacing the Void (步虛 buxu) and Hanging Rhythm (吊挂 diaogua), are intoned with this method. Intoning is usually accompanied by Magical Instruments (法器faqi) and musical instruments such as the sheng (a reed pipe wind instrument), the flute, the xiao (a vertical bamboo flute), and plucked or stringed instruments. ==Intoning== The vocal music form of Hymning1 is a form between reciting and singing. Its music does not have apparent ups and downs; its tones are steady and regular; its melody is brief, its structure is a formulized and regular couple of lines. This sort of singing is usually used in the "Precious Declaration (寶誥 baogao) ", the deities' and immortals' declarations of commandments recited in the daily Morning and Evening Rites (早晚功課 zaowan gongke) of the Daoist priests. The form of this kind of singing is determined by the features of the tone structure and the melody of the tones for precious declaration, i.e., a simple melody, no inserted characters or words, no lengthened tones, and a regular structure of coupled sentences. ==Chanting== "Chanting " is a kind of vocal music that is formed specially for reciting incantations. Its Tones for Chanting do not have a distinct melody and proceed within a rather narrow register in line with a five-tone scale with a tone similar to that of voices, one tone for one word. The end tone at the end of a sentence tends to be normal. Chanting can be further classified into the "metered" category and the "unmetered" category. A couple of lines are repeated indefinitely throughout the recitation of incantations. Some Daoist priests call this form of tones for chanting the "Stick Beating Tone (棒棒經 bangbang jing) ". ==Reciting== "Reciting " is a kind of vocal music that mingles spoken parts in the singing. It is a kind of Tone for Chanting that is slightly dramatized according to the natural voice. Its melody is essentially focused on a few notes. Generally, after the singing of one or several tones for chanting, a metrical recitation of scriptures or incantations is inserted, followed by another singing of tones for chanting. [[zh:聲樂]] d931c83b04126f486efe91344e980ea4303e417d 633 632 2009-09-21T09:33:14Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Daoist Music}} Vocal music is a musical form in which the Daoist priests chant or recite the Tones for Chanting (經韻 jingyun) . According to the different musical forms of the tones and the ways of chanting and recitation, they can be divided into "Singing (詠唱式 yongchang shi) ", "Intoning (念唱式 nianchang shi) ", "Chanting (吟唱式 yinchang shi) ", and "Reciting (朗誦式 langsong shi)". ==Singing== Singing is a way of reciting Tones for Chanting that has strong singing qualities. It has exquisite, mellifluous, lyric characteristics. The tones for chanting employing this method of performance are the largest in number and the most melodious. A variety of "Tones (韻 yun)" (e.g., Pure and Clear Tone (澄清韻 chengqing yun) , Dark Hell Tone (幽冥韻 youming yun) , Lamentation Tone (悲嘆韻 beitan yun) ), "Odes (贊 zan)" (e.g., Major Ode, Minor Ode, Zhongtang Zan Tune (中堂贊 zhongtang zan)), "Preludes (引 yin)" (e.g., Ghost Prelude (幽魂引 youhun yin), Plum Blossom Prelude (梅花引 meihua yin), Minor Prelude on Salvation from Misery (小救苦引 xiao jiuku yin), Major Prelude on Salvation from Misery (大救苦引 da jiuku yin)), and "Hymns (偈 ji)" (e.g., Major Hymn (大偈子 dajizi), Minor Hymn (小偈子 xiaojizi), Hymn on Suffering from War (刀兵偈子 daobing jizi)), as well as Pacing the Void (步虛 buxu) and Hanging Rhythm (吊挂 diaogua), are intoned with this method. Intoning is usually accompanied by Magical Instruments (法器faqi) and musical instruments such as the sheng (a reed pipe wind instrument), the flute, the xiao (a vertical bamboo flute), and plucked or stringed instruments. ==Intoning== The vocal music form of Hymning1 is a form between reciting and singing. Its music does not have apparent ups and downs; its tones are steady and regular; its melody is brief, its structure is a formulized and regular couple of lines. This sort of singing is usually used in the "Precious Declaration (寶誥 baogao) ", the deities' and immortals' declarations of commandments recited in the daily Morning and Evening Rites (早晚功課 zaowan gongke) of the Daoist priests. The form of this kind of singing is determined by the features of the tone structure and the melody of the tones for precious declaration, i.e., a simple melody, no inserted characters or words, no lengthened tones, and a regular structure of coupled sentences. ==Chanting== "Chanting " is a kind of vocal music that is formed specially for reciting incantations. Its Tones for Chanting do not have a distinct melody and proceed within a rather narrow register in line with a five-tone scale with a tone similar to that of voices, one tone for one word. The end tone at the end of a sentence tends to be normal. Chanting can be further classified into the "metered" category and the "unmetered" category. A couple of lines are repeated indefinitely throughout the recitation of incantations. Some Daoist priests call this form of tones for chanting the "Stick Beating Tone (棒棒經 bangbang jing) ". ==Reciting== "Reciting " is a kind of vocal music that mingles spoken parts in the singing. It is a kind of Tone for Chanting that is slightly dramatized according to the natural voice. Its melody is essentially focused on a few notes. Generally, after the singing of one or several tones for chanting, a metrical recitation of scriptures or incantations is inserted, followed by another singing of tones for chanting. [[zh:聲樂]] 545db03b447ba0a6433e8056f335592be5905df3 0 513 635 2009-09-27T02:17:02Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Primeval Lord of Heaven== As one of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ), the Primeval Lord of Heaven ( 元始天尊 Yuan Sh...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Primeval Lord of Heaven== As one of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ), the Primeval Lord of Heaven ( 元始天尊 Yuan Shi Tian Zun ) is one of the highest divinities of Daoism. He was born from the [[Vital Breath]] ( 氣 Qi ) of Spontaneity ( 自然 Ziran ) in the Anterior Supreme Non-Being ( 太無之先 Tai Wu Zhi Xian ). Initially, he was called the Primeval King of Heaven ( 元始天王 Yuan Shi Tian Wang ). ''The Book of Pillow Secrets'' ( 枕中書 Zhen Zhong Shu ) by [[Ge Hong]] of the Eastern Jin dynasty says: "In the great chaos before Yin and Yang divided, no form existed. Without Heaven and Earth, and the sun and moon, it was like a choatic and blackist-yellow ( 玄黃 Xuan Huang ) egg. But already, Perfect Man Pangu, as the essence of the universe, called himself the Primeval King of Heaven and existed freely there. After creating Heaven and Earth by dividing them, the Primeval King of Heaven discarded his body and traveled with his brilliant spirit throught the heavens. Seeing the Holy Maiden of Supreme Origin ( 聖女太元 Sheng Nu Tai Yuan ) and loving her purity, he transformed into blue light and entered her mouth. Carried by the Holy Maiden for twelve years, he was born out of her back. Whether moving on still, speaking or silent, he was always surrounded by colorful clouds. Because in his former life he was Pangu and the Primeval King of Heave, he was called the Primeval Lord of Heaven. ''The Comprehensive Mirro of the Perfect Immortals Who Embodied the Dao'' ( 歷世真仙體道通鍳 Lishi Zhenxian Tidao Tongji ) explained his name as follows: "(the character) Yuan means origin; (the character) Shi means the beginning. The Original Vital Breath ( 元氣 Yuanqi ), transforming into the man who created the world, becomes Pangu; transforming into the patriarch who rules Heaven, he becomes the Primeval Lord of Heaven. ==Living in the highest abode of Heaven== [[The Chart of the ranks of the Perfect Souls]] ( 真靈位業圖 Zhenling Weiye Tu ) by [[Tao Hongjing]], an imminent Daoist of the Qi and Liang dynasties, says that the place where the spirits dwell is the Triple Origin Palace of Jade Clarity ( 玉清三元宮 Yu Qing San Yuan Gong ). The Primeval Lord of Heaven lives in the middle position of the upper first rank, i.e., in the Jade Clarity Realm ( 玉清境 Yu Qing Jing ). Living higher than the other thirty-five heavens, the Primeval Lord of Heaven occupies the highest position in Heaven. In the Jade Clarity Realm, there are pavilions of purple clouds and mansions of green clouds. All the immortals duly go to the Jade Clarity Realm to pay respect to the Primeval Lord of Heaven. ==Salvation with the Secret Dao== The History of the Sui dynasty says the Primeval Lord of Heaven exists eternally. Every time Heaven and Earth come into being, he inaugurates the new kalpa and saves people by teaching them the secret Dao." All those he saves are upper-ranked immortals, such as [[the Supreme Venerable sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Tai Shang Lao Jun ), the Supreme Elder ( 太上丈人 Tai Shang Zhang Ren ), the Imperial Man of Inborn Perfection ( 天真皇人 Tian Zhen Huang Ren ), and the Heavenly Emperors of the Five Directions ( 五方天帝 Wufang Tiandi ) as well as the Immortal Officials. ( 仙官 Xianguan ) " ==Worship== In most Daoist temples, there is a Hall of the Three Pristine Ones, where the middle position is occupied by the sculpture of the Primeval Lord of Heaven with a Pearl of Original Chaos ( 混元珠 Hun Yuan Zhu ) in his hand. In large-scale Daoist rituals, the names or the sculptures of the Three Pristine Ones are also worshiped, with the Primeval Lord of Heaven in the middle position. The holy birthday of the Primeval Lord of Heaven is the first days of the Lunar Year, but some folk people also worship him on the inter solstice. 396fa50ef14ce3fe2728139270c28dd32e5fad63 636 635 2009-09-27T02:17:34Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Primeval Lord of Heaven== As one of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ), the Primeval Lord of Heaven ( 元始天尊 Yuan Shi Tian Zun ) is one of the highest divinities of Daoism. He was born from the [[Vital Breath]] ( 氣 Qi ) of Spontaneity ( 自然 Ziran ) in the Anterior Supreme Non-Being ( 太無之先 Tai Wu Zhi Xian ). Initially, he was called the Primeval King of Heaven ( 元始天王 Yuan Shi Tian Wang ). ''The Book of Pillow Secrets'' ( 枕中書 Zhen Zhong Shu ) by [[Ge Hong]] of the Eastern Jin dynasty says: "In the great chaos before Yin and Yang divided, no form existed. Without Heaven and Earth, and the sun and moon, it was like a choatic and blackist-yellow ( 玄黃 Xuan Huang ) egg. But already, Perfect Man Pangu, as the essence of the universe, called himself the Primeval King of Heaven and existed freely there. After creating Heaven and Earth by dividing them, the Primeval King of Heaven discarded his body and traveled with his brilliant spirit throught the heavens. Seeing the Holy Maiden of Supreme Origin ( 聖女太元 Sheng Nu Tai Yuan ) and loving her purity, he transformed into blue light and entered her mouth. Carried by the Holy Maiden for twelve years, he was born out of her back. Whether moving on still, speaking or silent, he was always surrounded by colorful clouds. Because in his former life he was Pangu and the Primeval King of Heave, he was called the Primeval Lord of Heaven. ''The Comprehensive Mirro of the Perfect Immortals Who Embodied the Dao'' ( 歷世真仙體道通鍳 Lishi Zhenxian Tidao Tongji ) explained his name as follows: "(the character) Yuan means origin; (the character) Shi means the beginning. The Original Vital Breath ( 元氣 Yuanqi ), transforming into the man who created the world, becomes Pangu; transforming into the patriarch who rules Heaven, he becomes the Primeval Lord of Heaven. ==Living in the highest abode of Heaven== [[The Chart of the ranks of the Perfect Souls]] ( 真靈位業圖 Zhenling Weiye Tu ) by [[Tao Hongjing]], an imminent Daoist of the Qi and Liang dynasties, says that the place where the spirits dwell is the Triple Origin Palace of Jade Clarity ( 玉清三元宮 Yu Qing San Yuan Gong ). The Primeval Lord of Heaven lives in the middle position of the upper first rank, i.e., in the Jade Clarity Realm ( 玉清境 Yu Qing Jing ). Living higher than the other thirty-five heavens, the Primeval Lord of Heaven occupies the highest position in Heaven. In the Jade Clarity Realm, there are pavilions of purple clouds and mansions of green clouds. All the immortals duly go to the Jade Clarity Realm to pay respect to the Primeval Lord of Heaven. ==Salvation with the Secret Dao== The History of the Sui dynasty says the Primeval Lord of Heaven exists eternally. Every time Heaven and Earth come into being, he inaugurates the new kalpa and saves people by teaching them the secret Dao." All those he saves are upper-ranked immortals, such as [[the Supreme Venerable sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Tai Shang Lao Jun ), the Supreme Elder ( 太上丈人 Tai Shang Zhang Ren ), the Imperial Man of Inborn Perfection ( 天真皇人 Tian Zhen Huang Ren ), and the Heavenly Emperors of the Five Directions ( 五方天帝 Wufang Tiandi ) as well as the Immortal Officials. ( 仙官 Xianguan ) " ==Worship== In most Daoist temples, there is a Hall of the Three Pristine Ones, where the middle position is occupied by the sculpture of the Primeval Lord of Heaven with a Pearl of Original Chaos ( 混元珠 Hun Yuan Zhu ) in his hand. In large-scale Daoist rituals, the names or the sculptures of the Three Pristine Ones are also worshiped, with the Primeval Lord of Heaven in the middle position. The holy birthday of the Primeval Lord of Heaven is the first days of the Lunar Year, but some folk people also worship him on the inter solstice. [[zh:元始天尊]] 930bff6017d5d9d1a5a5e1277f6110bc354d4bd1 10 514 637 2009-09-27T02:17:51Z Admin 1 Created page with '<br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>Immortals and Immortalism</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |The Heavenl...' wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>Immortals and Immortalism</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |The Heavenly Lords |- |align=center align="center" |[[The Primeval Lord of Heaven]] <br> [[The Heavenly Lord of the Numinous Treasure]]<br> [[The Heavenly Lord of Dao and its Virtue]] <br> [[The Great Jade Emperor]]<br> [[The Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery]] <br> [[The Three Great Emperor-Officials]]<br> [[The Four Heavenly Ministers]] <br> [[The Emperors of the Soil]]<br>[[The Queen Mother of the West]] <br> [[The Thunder Patriarch]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |The Stellar Sovereigns |- |align=center align="center" |[[The Great Perfect Warrior Emperor ]] <br> [[Imperial Sovereign Wenchang]] <br> [[Imperial Sovereign Wenchang]] <br>[[The Four Numinous Animals and Twenty-Eight Constellations]]<br> [[The Big Dipper]] <br> [[The Sixty Daily Spirits of the Celestial Trunks and Earthly Branches]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Spirits of Mountains, Rivers, Seas and Thunder |- |align=center align="center" |[[The Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East]] <br> [[The Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud]]<br> [[The Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud]] <br> [[The Father of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning]]<br> [[The Father of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning]] <br> [[The Master of Rain]] <br> [[The Earl of Wind]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Spirits of the Soil and Local Protector Spirits |- |align=center align="center" |[[The City God]] <br> [[The Door Spirits]] <br>[[The Earth Spirit]] <br> [[The Kitchen Spirit]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Spirits of Wealth and Longevity |- |align=center align="center" |[[The Spirit of Wealth]] <br>[[The Stars of Luck, Wealth and Longevity]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Guardians of Hell |- |align=center align="center" |[[The Great Emperor of Fengdu ]] <br> [[The Yamas of the Ten Halls]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Perfect Men and Immortals |- |align=center align="center" |[[Guanyin (Avalokitesvara)]] <br> [[The Eight Immortals]] <br> [[The Motherly Matriarch]] <br>[[Emperor Guan]] <br> [[Patriarch Lü]] [[Numinous Official Wang]] <br>[[The Water-Margin Lady]] <br> [[The Three Mao Perfect Sovereign Brothers ]]<br>[[The Great Life-Protecting Emperor ]] <br> [[The Saintly Founder-King of Zhang]] <br> [[The King of the Three Mountains]] |} 4f8e27faad1388362e581495025129a8822b9186 650 637 2009-10-11T02:38:23Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>Immortals and Immortalism</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |The Heavenly Lords |- |align=center align="center" |[[The Primeval Lord of Heaven]] <br> [[The Heavenly Lord of the Numinous Treasure]]<br> [[The Heavenly Lord of Dao and its Virtue]] <br> [[The Great Jade Emperor]]<br> [[The Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery]] <br> [[The Three Great Emperor-Officials]]<br> [[The Four Heavenly Ministers]] <br> [[The Emperors of the Soil]]<br>[[The Queen Mother of the West]] <br> [[The Thunder Patriarch]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |The Stellar Sovereigns |- |align=center align="center" |[[The Great Perfect Warrior Emperor ]] <br> [[Imperial Sovereign Wenchang]] <br> [[The Stellar Sovereign of the Five Planets and Seven Stars]] <br>[[The Four Numinous Animals and Twenty-Eight Constellations]]<br> [[The Big Dipper]] <br> [[The Sixty Daily Spirits of the Celestial Trunks and Earthly Branches]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Spirits of Mountains, Rivers, Seas and Thunder |- |align=center align="center" |[[The Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East]] <br> [[The Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud]]<br> [[The Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud]] <br> [[The Father of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning]]<br> [[The Father of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning]] <br> [[The Master of Rain]] <br> [[The Earl of Wind]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Spirits of the Soil and Local Protector Spirits |- |align=center align="center" |[[The City God]] <br> [[The Door Spirits]] <br>[[The Earth Spirit]] <br> [[The Kitchen Spirit]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Spirits of Wealth and Longevity |- |align=center align="center" |[[The Spirit of Wealth]] <br>[[The Stars of Luck, Wealth and Longevity]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Guardians of Hell |- |align=center align="center" |[[The Great Emperor of Fengdu ]] <br> [[The Yamas of the Ten Halls]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Perfect Men and Immortals |- |align=center align="center" |[[Guanyin (Avalokitesvara)]] <br> [[The Eight Immortals]] <br> [[The Motherly Matriarch]] <br>[[Emperor Guan]] <br> [[Patriarch Lü]] [[Numinous Official Wang]] <br>[[The Water-Margin Lady]] <br> [[The Three Mao Perfect Sovereign Brothers ]]<br>[[The Great Life-Protecting Emperor ]] <br> [[The Saintly Founder-King of Zhang]] <br> [[The King of the Three Mountains]] |} 9ae4adf547a032937b193a3ca1dbc5434abfae28 0 515 638 2009-09-27T03:00:14Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Heavenly Lord of the Numinous Treasure== The Heavenly Lord of the Numinous Treasure ( 靈寶天尊 Lingbao Tianzun ) is one of the...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Heavenly Lord of the Numinous Treasure== The Heavenly Lord of the Numinous Treasure ( 靈寶天尊 Lingbao Tianzun ) is one of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ), the highest divinities of Daoism. Formerly, he was called the 'Lofty Saint of Highest Clarity, Supreme Jade Emperor and Sovereign of the Great Dao' ( 上清高聖太上玉皇大道君 Shang Qing Gao Sheng Tai Shang Yu Huang Da Dao Jun ). In '' [[the Chart of the Ranks of the Perfect Souls]] '' , he was in the middle position of the second rank, second only to [[the Primeval Lord of Heaven]] ( 元始天尊 Yuanshi Tianzun ), who is in the middle of the first rank. He was called the 'Supreme Sovereign of the Great Dao' ( 太上太道君 Taishang Dadaojun ) in the Tang Dynasty, until the Song Dynasty when he was called 'Heavenly Lord of the Numinous Treasure' ( 靈寶天尊 Lingbao tianzun ) or 'Sovereign of the Numinous Treasure' ( 靈寶君 Lingbao Jun ). According to the ''Great Grotto Book of Pervasive Perfection'' ( 《洞真大洞經》 Dong Zhen Da Dong Jing ) cited in '' [[Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel]] '' ( 《雲笈七籤》 Yun Ji Qi Qian ),"the essence of vital breath of the jade morning and purple clouds of best auspices, which were brilliant like jade and glorious like gold, combined with the Original Spirit and dwelt in the mother's womb, and were transformed into a man." This was the Heavenly Lord of the Numinous Treasure. According to the ''Brief Account of the Numinous Treasure'' ( 《靈寶略記》 Lingbao Lueji ), the Supreme Sovereign of the Great Dao dwelt in the womb of Hongshi in Nunayu Country in the west, and meditated in the jade womb mansion for 3700 years. Then he was born at the side of Danxuan Hill, Mt. Fuluo, and was named Qidu and nicknamed Shangkaiyuan. When grown up, he was awakened to Dao and perfection and, wishing to be enlightened, he sat under a dead mulberry tree and meditated. After 100 days, the Primeval Lord of Heaven descended and taught him ten subtle scriptures of the Great Vehicle Law of the Numinous Treasure." ==Administering and Assisting the High Immortals== The Lofty Saint of Highest Clarity, Supreme Jade Emperor and Sovereign of the Great Dao, was an assistant of the Primeval Lord of Heaven. Since receiving the scriptures and laws, he lived in the Highest Clarity Realm ( 上清境 Shangqing Jing ), the second highest position among the 36 heavens. As the ruler of the Sun Palace of Stamen Pearls ( 蕊珠日闕 Reizhu Rique ), he governs the Seven Purple Chambers of Light ( 七映紫房 Qiying Zifang ) which are guarded by Golden Lads and Jade Maidens, each numbering 300,000. For him, the ten thousand Spirits pay respect, the Five Virtes hold talismans, the higher perfected ones attend the morning rites, and the heavenly emperors hold charts. ==Salvation by the Numinous Treasure== According to the ''Pervasive Mystery's Book of Original Deeds'' ( 《洞玄本行經》 Dong Xuan Ben Xing Jing ), the Heavenly Lord of the Numinous Treasure saves people by using the Laws of the Numinous Treasure. During the 9900 billion eons from original creation to the first year of the Crimson Light Cycle ( 赤明元年 Chiming Yuannian ), the people he saved are as numerous as grains of sand and dust. Whenever an inquisitive man with affinities raises questions, the Heavenly Lord of the Numinous Treasure teaches kindly and generously. He has 36 transformations and 72 apparitions, and can correspond immediately to the wishes of the people in tens of thousands of places. ==Worship in Temples== In the Halls of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清殿 Sanqing Dian ) of Daoist temples, the Heavenly Lord of the Numinous Treasure always appears to the left of the Primeval Lord of Heaven, with an [[S-Shaped Ornamental Object]] ( 如意 Ruyi ) in his hand. In large-scale Daoist rituals, the Heavenly Lord of the Numinous Treasure also appears to the left of the Primeval Lord of Heaven. The divine birthday of the Heavenly Lord of the Numinous Treasure is the summer solstice, in the middle of the fifth lunar month. The Heavenly Lord of the Numinous Treasure is the major divinity of folk worship ritual during the summer solstice. [[zh:靈寶天尊]] 6550391f73aab61962c59e3e9f780c8a6e81d57b 0 516 639 2009-09-27T04:14:34Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Heavenly Lord of Dao and its Virtue== The Heavenly Lord of Dao and its Virtue ( 道德天尊 Daode Tianzun ) is one the Three Pris...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Heavenly Lord of Dao and its Virtue== The Heavenly Lord of Dao and its Virtue ( 道德天尊 Daode Tianzun ) is one the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ), the highest divinities of Daoism. He is [[Laozi]], and has also been called the Supreme Venerable Sovereign ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ) since the Northern Wei Dynasty. According to the biographies of Laozi collected by [[Ge Hong]] in the [[Biographies of the Immortals]] ( 神仙傳 Shenxian Zhuan ), Laozi is said to have been born before Heaven and Earth, after 72 years' stay in his mother's womb. He was born under a plum tree with the ability to speak, and took his surname "Li" after the tree. According to the Inscription in Honor of Laozi ( 老子鉻 Laozi Ming ) written by Bian Shao, prime Minister of Chen, in the eighth year of the Yanxi Era of the Eastern Han dynasty, Laozi "came out of the Vital Breath of Chaos, and is as eternal as the three lights of the Sun, Moon and Stars." "As the incarnation of Dao, he shelters and saves people." [[The Chart of the Ranks of the Perfected Souls]] ( 真靈位業圖 Zhenling Weiye Tu ) places the Supreme Venerable Sovereign of Supreme Clarity in the middle of the fourth rank, in the Supreme Ultimate Palace ( 太極宮 Taiji Gong ) of the Supreme Clarity Realm ( 太清境 Taiqing Jing ), which is the 34th and third highest of the 36 heavens. The chapter 'Buddhist and Daoist Records' in the History of the Wei Dynasty says that the Supreme Venerable Sovereign "dwells above in the Jade Capital ( 玉京 Yujing ), as the ancestor of the divine kings, and dwells below in the Purple Subtlety ( 紫微 Ziwei ), as the Lord of the flying Immortals." The royal family of the Tang dynasty, taking Laozi as its ancestor, worshipped him and honored him with many noble titles. Emperor Gao honored him as "Supreme Emperor of the Mysterious Origin"; Emperor Xuan honored him as "Great Sage Ancestor and Great Heavenly Emperor of the Mysterious Origin of the Golden Palace of the Great Lofty Dao" ( 大聖祖高上大道金闕玄元天皇大帝 Da Shengzu Gaoshang Dadao Jinque Xuanyuan Tianhuang Dadi ). ==Avatar of Dao == [[The Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel]] ( 雲笈七籤 Yunji Qiqian ) says, "Laozi is the Venerable Sovereign and avatar of Dao. He is the Ancestor of Original [[Vital Breath]] ( 元氣 Yuanqi ) and the Root of Heaven and Earth. Coming out of Spontaneity ( 自然 Ziran ), the subtle origin of the great Dao is born from non-birth, precedes the unprecedented, is formed from the Empty Grotto ( 空洞 Kongdong ), and creates and nourishes Heaven and Earth. He is called the highest true perfect Dao, numinous and subtle beyond name. Therefore he says: "Born before the formless, originated before supreme origin, fully grown at the supreme beginning, I travel at the origin of Supreme Simplicity ( 太素 Taisu ). Going inside and out of emptiness, I enter and leave the obscure mystery. I watched chaos before its division, witnessed Yin and Yang before their separation, pace the wilderness of the universe, and experience the creation of all things. So the Venerable Sovereign is the original Vital Breath of perfect Dao and creator of Spontaneity." ==The Teacher of Sages == Since the union of Fuxi with Shen Nong, the Supreme Venerable Sovereign has repeatedly incarnated himself in the world. He was the Master of the Mysterious Middle ( 玄中法師 Xuanzhong Fashi ) in the time of the Upper Three August Ones, Imperial Sovereign of the Golden Palace in the time of Lower Three August Ones, Yuhuazi in the time of Fuxi, and Nine-Soul Laozi in the time of Shen Nong. He was Guangshouzi in the time of Zhurong, Guangchengzi in the time of the Yellow Emperor, and Chijingzi in the time of Zhuanxu. He was Lutuzi in the time of Emperor Ku, Wuchengzi in the time of Yao, and Yinshouzi in the time of Shun. He was Zhenxingzi in the time of Yu of the Xia Dynasty, Xizezi in the time of Tang of the Yin Dynasty, and Master Wenyi in the time of King Wen. He is the teacher of generations of sages. ==Worship in Temples== In the Halls of the Three Pristine Ones of Daoist temples, the Supreme Venerable Sovereign always appears to the right of [[the Primeval Lord of Heaven]] ( 元始天尊 Yuanshi Tianzhun ), as a white-haired and white-bearded elder man with a feather fan in his hand. In large-scale Daoist rituals, the Supreme Venerable Sovereign also appears to the right of the Primeval Lord of Heaven. The holy birthday of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign or Heavenly Lord of Dao and Its Virtue, is the 15th of the second lunar month. Daoism, regarding the Supreme Venerable Sovereign as its ancestor, holds a holy birthday celebration and Luck and Longevity prayer rituals on this day. [[zh:道德天尊]] 7747619f69e33826fd877c68a71d3c1911a24dc7 0 517 640 2009-09-27T05:12:11Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Jade Emperor == The Great Jade Emperor ( 玉皇大帝 Yuhuang Dadi ) is often simply called the 'Jade Emperor', as well as the 'Mo...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Jade Emperor == The Great Jade Emperor ( 玉皇大帝 Yuhuang Dadi ) is often simply called the 'Jade Emperor', as well as the 'Most Venerable Jade Emperor of the Heavenly Golden Palace' ( 昊天金闕至尊玉皇大帝 Haotian Jinque zhizun Yuhuang Dadi ) and 'Lofty Jade Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven" ( 玄穹高上玉皇大帝 Xuanqong Gaoshang Dadi ). In the Song Dynasty, Emperor Zhen honored him with the holy title 'Supreme Jade Emperor, Creator of Heaven, Holder of Talismans, Imperial Timesetter, Container of Perfection, and Embodiment of Dao"( 太上開天執符御歷含真體道玉皇大帝 Taishang Kaitian Yuli Hanhen Tidao Yuhuang Dadi ). Emperor Hui honored him as 'Supreme Highest Jade Emperor of the Heavens, Creator of Heaven, Holder of Talismans, Jade Timesetter, Container of Perfection, and Embodiment of Dao' ( 太上開天執符御歷含真體道昊天玉皇大帝 Taishang Kaitian Zhifu Yuli Hanzhen Tidao Haotian Yuhuang Dadi ). His complete name in Daoist scriptures is 'Most Venerable Highest Jade Emperor of All-Embracing Sublime Spontaneous Existence of the Heavenly Golden Palace" ( 昊天金闕無上至尊自然妙有彌羅至尊玉皇上帝 Haotian Jinque Wushang zhizun Ziran Miaoyou Miluo Zhizun Yuhuang Dadi ). According to the Original Deeds of the Lofty Jade Emperor ( 《高上玉皇本行經》 Gaoshang yuhuang Benxing Jing ), the Great Jade Emperor is the son of the King of the Pure Blissful Kingdom of Lofty Heavenly Lights and Ornaments ( 光嚴淨樂國王 Guanglian Jingle Guowang ) and of the Empress of Precious Moonlight ( 寶月光皇后 Bao Yueguang Huanghou ). At birth, the precious light of his glorious flames filled the country. He was smart and wise when young, and kind and benevolent when grown up. He devoted the entire state treasury to all sentient beings, the poor and suffering, the deserted and single, the hungry and disabled. After the death of the King of Pure Bliss ( 淨樂王 Jingle Wang ), he ruled ably as crown prince and told his ministers that, feeling merciful for all sentient beings, he would abandon the throne and cultivate Dao on the Mountain of Universal Light and Fragrant Rocks ( 普明香嚴 Puming Xiangyang Shan ). After 3200 aeons, he attained to the station of Golden Immortality ( 金仙 Jinxian ) and was called 'Emperor of Spontaneous Enlightenment" ( 自然覺皇 Ziran Jue Huang ). After another billion aeons, he ascended to the station of Jade Emperor. ==Emperor of Ten Thousand Spirits == The Jade Emperor is the emperor of all heavens, king of all Immortals, lord of saints, the highest divinity of the ten thousand spirits in the three realms and of all Immortals of the Three Grottoes ( 三洞仙真 Sandong Xianzhen ). He has the power to order the Immortals of the Nine Heavens and to invoke the spirits of the four seas and five sacred mountains. All the spirits follow and attend to him in queue, just like the emperor and his ministers in the human world. A poem of Bai Juyi says: "Immortals such as Anqi and Xianmen attend to him in queue like ministers. To his holy majesty I look up and bow to pay my sincere respect." ==In Charge of the Dao of Heaven == The Jade Emperor is an avatar of the Three Pristine Ones. The relationship between them is like Emptiness ( 虛無 Xuwu ) preceding Subtle Being ( 妙有 Miaoyou ), Infinity ( 無極 Wuji ) preceding the Supreme Ultimate ( 太極 Taiji ), Non-Interference ( 無為 Wuwei ) preceding Interfering Action ( 有為 Youwei ). Therefore, the Jade Emperor is the master of the three fundamentals in charge of the pivot of Heaven, Earth and Man. The Jade Emperor sends the Great Emperor of the North Pole Star of Purple Subtlety ( 紫微北極大帝 Ziwei Beifi Dadi ) to administer the longitudes and latitudes of Heaven and Earth; the Great Emperor of the Highest Palace of Polaris ( 勾陳上宮大帝 Gouchen Shanggong Dadi ) to administer the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Man and to control wars; and the Imperial God of Earth ( 后土皇地祇 Houtu Huang Di Qi ) to administer births, land, and rivers. In general, all things, Heaven, Earth, Yin and Yang, and creation, are in the charge of the Jade Emperor. ==Worship in Temples== The holy birthday of the Jade Emperor is the 9th of the first month of the lunar calendar. On this day, Daoist temples hold a Golden Register Ritual Offering ( 金籙齋儀 Jinlu Zhaiyi ) called 'Jade Emperor Ritual' ( 玉皇會 Yuhuang Hui ). The attendants, Daoist or laymen, worship the Jade Emperor with the "Offering to Heaven" ( 齋天大禮 Qitian Dadi ) rite, to pray for Luck and Longevity. Folk people in Taiwan and Fujian, calling the Jade Emperor "Grandpa Heaven" ( 天公 Tiangong ), worship him on the 9th of the first lunar month. All members of the family, after fasting and bathing, burn incense, prostrate, offer food, and recite scriptures. In some places, operas are performed to please the deity. In north China, sacrifices to the Jade Emperor were held in the past, where an image of the Jade Emperor was paraded around the village. The 25th of the twelfth month is the legendary day when the Jade Emperor descends and inspects the human world; folk people and temples all welcome and see off the Jade Emperor by burning incense and reciting scriptures. [[zh:玉皇大帝]] 5c8412a069fa897bd6e745439797341ace9e3811 0 518 641 2009-09-27T05:32:56Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery== The Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery ( 太...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery== The Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery ( 太乙救苦天尊 Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun ) is also called 'Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery in Response to Cries for Help' ( 尋聲救苦天尊 Xunsheng Jiuku Tianzun ), and 'Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery in the Ten Directions" ( 十方救苦天尊 Shifang Jiuku Tianzun ). According to the Book of Protection and Salvation from Misery by the Supreme Oneness ( 太一護身救苦經 Taiyi Hushen Jiuku Jing ), the Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery is the Great Benevolent One of the Heavenly Court's Eastern World of Eternal Happiness ( 東方長樂世界 Dongfang Changle Shijie ). He appears everywhere, in the Heavenly Palace ( 天宮 Tiangong ), in the human world, and in hell, among devils as the powerful governor. The Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery can transform in response to the kinds of subjects to be saved, into immortal lads and jade maidens, imperial sovereigns and saints, heavenly lords and perfected ones, diamond warriors and divine kings, devil kings and powerful guardians, celestial masters and Daoists, imperial men and venerable sovereigns, heavenly heelers and officials, men and women, civil and military officials, teachers of law and of meditation, masters of wind and of rain. He is all-powerful. "This sage is called the Supreme Oneness Spirit of Luck ( 太一福神 Taiyi Fushen ) in Heaven, the Great Benevolent One ( 大慈仁者 Daci Renzhe ) in the world, the Imperial Sovereign of Sunshine ( 日耀帝君 Riyao Dijun ) in hell, the Brilliant Lion King ( 獅子明王 Shizi Mingwang ) among heretics, and the Imperial Sovereign of the Pervasive Abyss ( 洞淵帝君 Dongyuan Dijun ) in the water realm." =Functions and Temple Worship: == According to the Supreme Appeal of the Three Grottoes ( 太上三洞表文 Taishang Sandong Biaowen ), there are nine Heavenly Lords: the Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery, the Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery in the Ten Directions, the Heavenly Lord Who Saves Sinners from the Ninth Hell ( 九幽度罪天尊 Jiuyou Duzui Tianzun ), the Heavenly Lord of Salvation from the Zhuling Star ( 朱陵度命天尊 Zhuling Duming Tianzun ), the Heavenly Lord of Elixirs Refined by Fire ( 火煉丹界天尊 Huolian Danjie Tianzun ), the Heavenly Lord of the Great Bridge of Salvation ( 法橋大度天尊 Faqiao Dadu Tianzun ), the Heavenly Lord of the Golden Palace Avatar ( 金闕化身天尊 Jinque Huashen Tianzun ), the Heavenly Lord of Unfettered Bliss ( 逍遙快樂天尊 Xiaoyao Kuaile Tianzun ), and the Heavenly Lord of Precious Glorious Perfection ( 寶華圓滿天尊 Baohua Yuanman Tianzun ). The Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery is the first and chief among them. His role is "to save sentient beings with highest holiness and benevolence, extreme kindness and love, by riding the immortal cart of nine masters and shining forth the auspicious lights of the hundred treasures." According to legends, a man in distress need only recite the name of the Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery, and he will get help and relief in response to his cry for help. As for those who have accumulated merits perfectly, the Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery will descend on his immortal cart of nine masters and, shining forth the auspicious lights of the hundred treasures, lead them to ascend to Immortality. Daoist temples generally have a Hall of Supreme Oneness ( 太乙殿 Taiyi Dian ) where a sculpture or image of the Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness is worshipped. He always appears as a Heavenly Lord riding on a lion. Only on the Festivals of the Three Origins, or during Yellow Register Rituals of Salvation, is the Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery worshipped. Since the Song and Yuan dynasties, many Daoist rituals take the Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery as the major divinity, such as the Precious Repentance for Salvation from the Blood Lake Hell Told by the Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery ( 《太乙救苦天尊說撥度血湖寶懺》 Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun Shuo Badu Xiehu Baochan ), Refinement and Salvation of the Numinous Treasure ( 《靈寶煉度》 Lingbao Liandu ), and the Lantern Ritual for Salvation from the Ninth Hell ( 《九幽燈儀》 Jiuyou Dengyi ). In such rituals, besides guiding the sentient beings, the Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery is also in charge of Refining the souls of the dead with water and fire, purifying the Blood Lake Hell, saving the souls of sinners from hell, and so on. [[zh:太乙救苦天尊]] 5feef050b24737caa5341d917bc8a2a51a9268ce 0 519 642 2009-10-07T03:42:43Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Immortals and Immortalism}} ==Origin of the Three Great Emperor-Officials == The Three Great Emperor-Officials ( 三官大帝 Sanguan Dadi ) are the Heavenly Official ( 天...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism}} ==Origin of the Three Great Emperor-Officials == The Three Great Emperor-Officials ( 三官大帝 Sanguan Dadi ) are the Heavenly Official ( 天官 Tianguan ), the Earthly Official ( 地官 Diguan ) and the Water Official ( 水官 Shuiguan ). In early ancient China, rituals of sacrifice to Heaven, Earth and Water were commonly performed. The Records of Rites ( 禮記 Liji ) says: "The sacrifice for Heaven is burned with wood; the sacrifice for the mountain is raised to the mountain peak; the sacrifice for the river is sunken in the water; and the sacrifice for earth is buried." However, it was the exclusive right of emperors to sacrifice to heaven, earth and rivers, while the common people only sacrificed to their ancestors. In the eastern Han dynasty, when Zhang Daoling founded [[the Celestial Masters Tradition]] ( 天師道 Tianshi Dao ), he instated a method for Daoists to pray for healing by sacrificing to Heaven, Earth and Water, and by presenting Handwritten Repentances to the Three Heavenly Officials ( 三官手書 Sanguan Shoushu ). "One is placed on the top of the mountain to offer to heaven; one is buried into the earth; and one is sunken into water." In the Southern and Northern dynasties, the Three Officials were combined with the Spirits of the Three Origins (higher, middle and lower) ( 三元神Sanyuan Shen ). ==The Heavenly Official Who Confers Blessings == The Heavenly Official, also known as 'Higher Origin First-Class Heavenly Official Who Confers Blessings' ( 上元一品賜福天官 Shangyuan Yipin Cifu Tianguan ) or 'Great Emperor of Purple Subtlety' ( 紫微大帝 Ziwei Dadi ), belongs to the Jade Clarity Realm ( 玉清境 Yuqing Jing ). The Heavenly Official, a condensation of green, yellow, and white Vital Breaths ( 氣 Qi ) of the Original Chaos, is in charge of the emperors of all the heavens. Every 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar, he descends to the human world and inspects and decides the sins and blessings of men, and thus is called the Heavenly Official Who Confers Blessings ( 天官賜福 Tianguan Cifu ). ==The Earthly Official Who Absolves Sins== The Earthly Official, also known as the 'Earthly Official of Middle Origin and Second-Rank Absolver of Sins' ( 二品中元解厄地宮Erpin Zhongyuan Jie E Diguan ) or 'Great Emperor of Pristine Emptiness" ( 清虛大帝 Qingzu Dadi ), belongs to the Highest Clarity Realm ( 上清境 Shangqing Jing ). The Earthly Official, a condensation of Numinous Vital Breath of the Original Grotto of Chaos ( 元洞混靈之氣 Yuandong Hunling Zhi Qi ) and of Essence of Extreme Yellow, is in charge of the Five Emperors of the Five Sacred Mountains and of the Earthly Immortals of all places. Every 15th of the seven month of the lunar calendar, he comes to the human world, inspects the sins of men and absolves them. ==The Water Official Who Eliminates Misfortunes== The Water Official, also known as the 'Water Official of Lower Origin and Third-Rank Eliminator of Misfortunes' ( 下元三品解厄水官 Xianyuan Sanpin Jie E Shuiguan ) or 'Great Emperor of Pervasive Yin" ( 洞陰大帝 Dongyin Dadi ), belongs to the Jade Clarity Realm ( 玉清境 Yuqing Jing ). The Water Official, a condensation of Vital Breath of Winds and Lakes and of Essence of the Dawn of Greatness, is in charge of the immortals residing in water. Every 15th of the tenth month of the lunar calendar, he comes to the human world to inspect sins and good fortune, and eliminates the misfortunes of men. ==Worship in Temples == On 15th of the first month, the 15th of the seventh month and the 15th of the tenth month, the birthdays of the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth and Water, Daoists go to temples and burn incense to offer sacrifices. Also, Golden Register Rituals ( 金籙齋 Jinlu Zhai ) and Yellow Register Rituals ( 黃籙道場 Huanglu Daochang ) are held to pray for fortune and eliminate misfortune. 4dd87ae870c47ba7bd3ad30b2e89b4eaab0e5838 0 520 643 2009-10-09T02:09:27Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Immortals and Immortalism}} ==Origin of the Four Heavenly Ministers== The Four Heavenly Ministers( 四御 Siyu ), including [[the Great Jade Emperor]] ( 玉皇大帝 Yuhuang Da...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism}} ==Origin of the Four Heavenly Ministers== The Four Heavenly Ministers( 四御 Siyu ), including [[the Great Jade Emperor]] ( 玉皇大帝 Yuhuang Dadi ), the Middle Heaven Great Emperor of the North Pole Star of Purple Subtlety ( 中天北極紫微大帝 Zhongtian Beiji Ziwei Dadi ), the Great Heavenly Emperor of the Highest Palace of Polaris ( 勾陳上宮天皇大帝 Gouchen Shanggong Tianhuang Dadi ) and [[the Imperial God of Earth]] ( 后土皇地祇 Houtu Huang Diqi ), are four deities in charge of all things in Heaven and Earth under the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ). The Great Jade Emperor is the master of the ten thousand spirits. The Middle Heaven Great Emperor of the North Pole Star of Purple Subtlety, as the Stellar Sovereign ( 星君 Xingjun ) of the Purple Subtlety Constellation, is situated in Middle Heaven ( 中天 Zhongtian ) and is the master of all the stars. The Great Heavenly Emperor of the Highest Palace of Polaris, which is composed of four stars left of the Imperial Polar Constellation, is located at the Pole Star as the pivot of heaven. The Imperial God of Earth is the center of Heaven and Earth; it had a a male form before the Tang dynasty and acquired a female form during Wu Zetian's reign. Queen Pan of the Song Emperor Zhenzong built a temple on Mt Song for the worship of the Great Holy Earth Queen of Mysterious Heaven ( 后土玄天大聖后 Houtu Xuantian Da Sheng Hou ). Emperor Hui, in the seventh year of the Zhenghe Era, honored the spirit with the title "Imperial Earth Queen Who Receives and Follows Heavenly Laws and Promotes Kind Virtue" ( 承天效法厚德光大后土皇地祇 Chengtian Xiaofa Houde Guande Huang Diqi ). Since then, the Earth Goddess has always been depicted as a female. Since the Song dynasty, owing to the promotion of the Jade Emperor in position and function in the Daoist pantheon, he is often classified in some Daoist scriptures outside of the Four Heavenly Ministers, which are then listed as the Heavenly Emperors of the four poles of the cardinal directions. They are called the North Pole Emperor of Purple Subtlety ( 北極紫微大帝 Beiji Ziwei Dadi ), the South Pole Emperor of Longevity ( 南極長生大帝 Nanji Changsheng Dadi ), the Heavenly Emperor of the Supreme Ultimate ( 太極天皇大帝 Taiji Tianhuang Dadi ), and the East Pole Emperor of Blue Essence ( 東極青華大帝 Dongji Qinghua Dadi ). Contemporary Daoism has returned to the pre-Song identification of the Four Heavenly Ministers. ==Functions == The Great Jade Emperor, subordinate only to the Three Pristine Ones, is in charge of the Dao of heaven. The Middle Heaven Great Emperor of the North Pole Star of Purple Subtlety assists the Jade Emperor in administering the longitudes and latitudes of Heaven and Earth, the sun, the moon and stars, as well as the climate of the four seasons. He is honored as the "master of all stars, assistant sovereign of the three realms, correspondent with the Original Vital Breath and inferior only to Great Heaven." The Great Heavenly Emperor of the Highest Palace of Polaris is in charge of the Three Powers ( 三才 Sancai ) of Heaven, Earth and Man, and of wars in the human world. The Imperial Goddess of Earth is in charge of births, land, rivers, and mountains. The Heavenly Emperors of the four poles also have their respective functions. The North Pole Emperor of Purple Subtlety is in charge of all stars; the South Pole Emperor of Longevity is in charge of all spirits; the Heavenly Emperor of the Supreme Ultimate is in charge of the longevity of all spirits; and the East Pole Emperor of Blue Essence is in charge of the salvation of all sentient beings. ==Worship in Temples == Besides Halls of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ), Daoist temples often have a Hall of the Four Heavenly Ministers ( 四御殿 Siyu Dian ), for the worship of the Four Heavenly Ministers. In large-scale Daoist rituals, besides the Three Pristine Ones, the Four Heavenly Ministers are also worshipped. Daoist Books say that they are "lined up respectively and honored respectively." Each of the Four Heavenly Ministers has his own divine birthday: The Great Jade Emperor on the 9th of the first lunar month, the Middle Heaven Great Emperor of the North Pole Star of Purple Subtlety on the the 27th of the tenth month, the Great Heavenly Emperor of the Highest Palace of Polaris on the 2nd of the second month, and the Imperial Earth Goddess on the 18th of the third month. Many Daoists go to temples to burn incense on these days. [[zh:四御]] fde773fcc95af469832bd3b4c6dbfe1858044865 0 521 644 2009-10-09T02:41:04Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Immortals and Immortalism}} ==Origin of the Emperors of the Soil == The Emperors of the Soil ( 土皇 Tuhuang ) are the earth spirits of Daoism. Ancient China had a God of Eart...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism}} ==Origin of the Emperors of the Soil == The Emperors of the Soil ( 土皇 Tuhuang ) are the earth spirits of Daoism. Ancient China had a God of Earth ( 地神 Dishen ), who was the Earth Spirit in charge of Yin-Yang and creation, as well as of the mountains and rivers. The Goddess of Earth ( 后土 Houtu ), whose divine title is "Imperial Earth Queen Who Receives and Follows Heavenly Laws and Promotes Kind Virtue" ( 承天效法厚德光大后土皇地祇 Chengtian Xiaofa Houde Gaungda Houtu Huang Diqi ), is one of the Four Heavenly Ministers, second in rank only to the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ). During the Southern and Northern dynasties, as the Daoist theory of the creation of the universe developed, distinctions were made between the heavenly realms where the Immortals live. The Chapter 'Three Worlds' of [[the Essential Secrets of the Most High]] ( 無上秘要 Wushang Miyao ) by Yu Wenyong of the Northen Zhou, divides Heaven into 28 heavens and Three Worlds ( 三界 Sanjie ) (World of Desire ( 欲界 Yujie ), World of Form ( 色界 Sejie ), and World of Formlessness ( 無色界 Wusejie )). Adding the Four Pure Heavens ( 四梵天 Si Fantian ) lying above the World of Formlessness, there are 32 heavens in total. The Book of Salvation ( 度人經 Duren Jing ) also describes the theory of the 32 heavens, allocating eight to each of the four directions. A commentary by Yan Dong of the Northern Qi dynasty says: "It totals 32 heavens with eight in each direction and three heavens covering it." In the Tang Dynasty, it was thought that there was an All-Embracing Heaven ( 大羅天 Daluo Tian ) covering the Three Pristine Ones, and thus totaling 36 heavens. Each of the Thirty-Six Heavens has its emperor. According to the theory of Correspondence between Heaven and Earth, Daoism holds that, under the 36 heavens and emperors, there are 36 earth-realms, each with an Emperor of the Soil. Therefore, the Emperors of the Soil are the spirits in charge of the earth realms in all directions. According to the Fasting Rituals of the River Chart of the Numinous Treasure of Pervasive Mystery, for Honouring the Thirty-Six Emperors of the Soil ( 《洞玄靈寶河圖謝三十六皇齋儀》 Dongxuan Lingbao Hetu Yangxie Sanhuang Yi ), "By the pervasive divine law, 36 altars are set to symbolize the Thirty-Six Heavens; lanterns and incense are lit and burnt to correspond to the Thirty-Six Earthly Realms." ==Distinctions and Names == Four Emperors of the Soil are allocated to each of Nine Realms ( 九磊 Jiulei ), each with its own name, for a total of 36 Emperors of the Soil. According to the Fasting Rituals of the River Chart of the Numinous Treasure of Pervasive Mystery, for Honouring the Thirty-Six Emperors of the Soil, " #The first Realm is the Realm of Colourful Humid Brilliance ( 色潤地 Serundi ). The first Emperor of the Soil is named Xiaojingchun and surnamed Qin; the second Emperor of the Soil is named Changshangwen and surnamed Huang; the third Emperor of the Soil is named Xuanwenji and surnamed Qing; the fourth Emperor of the Soil is named Zhongzhenhuang and surnamed Fei. #The second Realm is the Realm of Diamond Brilliance ( 剛色地 Gangsedi ). The fifth Emperor of the Soil is named Shenwenguang and surnamed Wu; the sixth Emperor of the Soil is named Huangmusheng and surnamed Yu; the seventh Emperor of the Soil is named Qiandewei and surnamed Xuan; the eighth Emperor of the Soil is named Huangming and surnamed Chang. #The third Realm is the Realm of Paraffin Brilliance ( 石臘色澤地 Shila Seze Di ). The ninth Emperor of the Soil is named Weishen and surnamed Zhang; the tenth Emperor of the Soil is named Boshangren and surnamed Zhou; the eleventh Emperor of the Soil is named Mingchezi and surnamed Zhu; the twelfth Emperor of the Soil is named Wenjingshi and surnamed Yu. #The fourth Realm is the Realm of Humid Brilliance ( 潤澤地 Runze Di ). The thirteen Emperor of the Soil is named Yunzigao and surnamed Jia; the fourteenth Emperor of the Soil is named Bowuyuan and surnamed Xie; the fifteenth Emperor of the Soil is named Wenzhentai and surnamed Ji; the sixteenth Emperor of the Soil is named Jizhengfang and surnamed Xing. #The fifth Realm is the Realm of Golden Millet Brilliance ( 金粟澤地 Jinshuze Di ). The seventeenth Emperor of the Soil is named Yanqiming and surnamed Hua; the eighteenth Emperor of the Soil is named Lingworong and surnamed Huang; the nineteenth Emperor of the Soil is named Tanwuyuan and surnamed Yun; the twentieth Emperor of the Soil is named Tongbaguang and surnamed Jiang. #The sixth Realm is the Realm of Diamond and Iron Brilliance ( 金剛鐵澤地 Jingang Tieze Di ). The twenty-first Emperor of the Soil is named Shangshaojun and surnamed Li; the twenty-second Earth Emperor is named Lailian and surnamed Fan; the twenty-third Emperor of the Soil is named Lijiyuan and surnamed Zhang; the twenty-fourth Emperor of the Soil is named Sinurong and surnamed Wang. #The seventh Realm is the Realm of Water Brilliance ( 水制澤地 Shuizhize Di ). The twenty-fifth Emperor of the Soil is named Chushengying and surnamed Tang; the twenty-sixth Emperor of the Soil is named Zhengfatu and surnamed Wu; the twenty-seventh Emperor of the Soil is named Gaowenche and surnamed Han; the twenty-eighth Emperor of the Soil is named Zhonglongshou and surnamed Jing. #The eighth Realm is the Realm of Great Wind Brilliance ( 大風澤地 Dafengze Di ). The 29th Emperor of the Soil is named Xuanshengguang and surnamed Ge; the 30th Emperor of the Soil is named Maoyunchang and surnamed Hua; the thirty-first Emperor of the Soil is named Zhendongxuan and surnamed Yang; the 32nd Emperor of the Soil is named Shangjingyuan and surname Zhou. #The ninth Realm is the Colourless Diamond-Link Realm of the Pervasive Abyss ( 洞元無色剛維地 Dongyuan Gnagwei Wuse Di ). The 33rd Emperor of the Soil is named Wuxhangxuan and surnamed Ji; the 34th Emperor of the Soil is named Lingyuanhao and surnamed Ling; the 35th Emperor of the Soil is named Shangboxuan and surnamed Zhao; the 36th Emperor of the Soil is named Lewubo and surnamed Nong. The Great Yellow Register Ritual Offering of the Most High ( 《無上黃籙大齋立成儀》 Wushang Huanglu Dajiao Licheng Yi ) by Jiang Shuyu of the Southern Song dynasty lists the names of the Emperors of the Soil preceded by the names of the "Imperial Goddess of the Earth" before each. This shows that in the Southern Song, Daoism regarded the Emperors of the Soil as subordinate spirits to the Imperial Goddesses of Earth, with the task of mastering Yin and Yang, eliminating darkness, and elevating divinity. ==Worship in Temples == In big Daoist temples, images or divine seats, often of the Imperial Queen of Earth but seldom of the 36 Emperors of the Soil, are set in the Hall of the Four Heavenly Ministers ( 四御殿 Siyu Dian ). However, in large-scale Daoist rituals, divine seats are often set for the 36 Heavenly Emperors and the 36 Emperors of the Soil. Since the Tang dynasty, with the spread of geomancy, Daoist adherents, during the construction of houses, bridges and roads, often hold rituals to respect the Emperors of the Soil and to pray for good luck and the good functioning of the bridge or house. [[zh:土皇]] 762adfe0abab8a2bacaf51f64ee01bc3e48602c9 0 522 645 2009-10-09T03:51:34Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Immortals and Immortalism}} ==Origin of the Queen Mother of the West== The Queen Mother of the West ( 西王母 Xiwangmu ) is popularly called Auntie Queen Mother ( 王母娘...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism}} ==Origin of the Queen Mother of the West== The Queen Mother of the West ( 西王母 Xiwangmu ) is popularly called Auntie Queen Mother ( 王母娘娘 Wangmu Niangniang ), Granny of the West ( 西姥 Xilao ), Queen Mother ( 王母 Wangmu ), Golden Mother ( 金母元君 Jinmu Yaunjun ) and Golden Mother Primordial Sovereign ( 白玉龜台九靈太金母元君 Baiyu Guitai Jiuling Taizhen Jinmu Yuanjun ). Her complete names are 'Nine-Soul Supreme Perfect Golden Mother and Primordial Sovereign of the Jade Tortoise Platform' ( 太光九靈龜台金母元君 Taiguang Jiuling guitai Jinmu Yuanjun ), 'Nine-Phoenix Supreme Perfect Queen Mother of the West of the Jade Tortoise Platform', and 'Primordial Sovereign Golden Mother of the Supreme Numinous White Rays of the Tortoise Platform". The name 'Queen Mother of the West' was first seen in the Book of Mountains and Seas ( 山海經 Shanhai Jing ). West is the direction, and Queen Mother the name of the deity. The Queen Mother of the West is a condensation of the Subtlest Vital Breath of the Western Essence from the Vital Breath of Dao of the Original Chaos. The deity, surnamed Hou, is allocated the Western direction. The Intimate Biography of the Wu Emperor of the Han Dynasty says that 'when she entered a hall, the Queen Mother of the West wore bright gold ornaments, numinous cloud ribbons, a shadow-cutting sword, a supreme flower hair bun, a hat of supreme perfection, and black-brimmed phoenix-patterned shoes. She looked about thirty and was extremely beautiful." The Wu Emperor of Han accepted her instruction and orders with great respect. The figure of a human boy with tiger teeth and a cat's tail, mentioned in the Book of Mountains and Seas ( 山海經 Shanhai Jing ), was an envoy of the Queen Mother of the West and of the White Tiger spirit of the West, but was not the Queen Mother of the West herself. ==Mistress of Female Immortals== As the ancestor of Female Immortals, the Queen Mother of the West lives in the Kunlun Mountains, in a city of one thousand miles with twelve jade mansions, green light halls, nine-storey primordial chambers, and purple and green elixir chambers. To the left is the Jade Lake, and to the right are the Green Mountains. According to the Jottings of Rarities and Miscellaneous Stories ( 博物志 Bowu Zhi ), there are peach trees by the Jade Lake which "bear fruit once every 3000 years". All women who have attained immortality in the three realms and ten directions, in Heaven or in the human world, are under the rule of the Queen Mother of the West. ==Nourishing All Things == [[The Primordial Lord of Heaven]] ( 元始天尊 Yuanshi Tianzun ) granted the Queen Mother of the West the Register of the Tortoise Mountain's Nine Rays of the Original Unity of Heaven ( 方天元統龜山九光之籙 Fangtian Yuantong Guishan Jiuguang Zhi Lu ), in order to command all spirits and perfected saints, and put her in charge of the attendants of all heavens and the inspection of higher saints. The Queen Mother of the West and the Grandpa King of the East ( 東王公 Dongwang Gong ) are parents of the Yin and Yang Vital Breaths of Dao ( 道氣陰陽 Daoqi Yinyang ). They administer the two Vital Breaths together and nourish all things in Heaven and Earth. When the Yellow Emperor battled with the cruel Chiyou, who could cause wind and rain and puff out fog and smoke, the Queen Mother of the West sent the Mysterious Maiden of the Nine Heavens ( 九天玄女 Jiutian Xuannu ) to teach the Yellow Emperor the Strategy of the Three Palaces, Five Agents and Yin and Yang ( 三宮五意陰陽之略 Sangong Wuyi Yinyang Zhilue ), the Dipper Steps of Hidden Time and the Six Rens of Supreme Oneness ( 太乙遁甲六壬步斗之術 Taiyi Dunjia Liuren Budou Zhi Shu ), and the Writ of the Five Talismans and Five Victories of the Numinous Treasure ( 靈寶五符五勝之文 Lingbao Wufu Wusheng Wen ). Then the Yellow Emperor defeated Chiyou at middle Ji. After Yu Shun succeeded to the throne, the Queen Mother of the West sent envoys to grant him a white jade ring and a map, and Shun thus expanded the Yellow Emperor's nine prefectures to twelve perfectures. ==Worship in Temples== Owing to the story of the Queen Mother of the West giving Emperor Wu big 3000-year peaches recorded in the Intimate Biography of Emperor Wu, the Queen Mother of the West's Peach Banquet ( 蟠桃會 Pantao Hui ) is well-known and popular among the people. The Queen Mother of the West, always seen as a symbol of longevity for Daoists and ordinary people, is the major divinity of the Golden Register Ritual for Prolonging Life ( 金籙延壽道場 Jinlu Yanshou Daochang ). On the Queen Mother of the West's holy birthday, the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month or the 18th of the 7th month, Daoists, especially women, gather in temples to hold birthday celebration rituals for the Queen Mother of the West and to pray for their own health and longevity. [[zh:西王母]] 06ba061e0a8681daadf000f12076774aa269ba08 646 645 2009-10-09T03:54:59Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism}} ==Origin of the Queen Mother of the West== The Queen Mother of the West ( 西王母 Xiwangmu ) is popularly called Auntie Queen Mother ( 王母娘娘 Wangmu Niangniang ), Granny of the West ( 西姥 Xilao ), Queen Mother ( 王母 Wangmu ), Golden Mother ( 金母元君 Jinmu Yaunjun ) and Golden Mother Primordial Sovereign ( 白玉龜台九靈太金母元君 Baiyu Guitai Jiuling Taizhen Jinmu Yuanjun ). Her complete names are 'Nine-Soul Supreme Perfect Golden Mother and Primordial Sovereign of the Jade Tortoise Platform' ( 太光九靈龜台金母元君 Taiguang Jiuling guitai Jinmu Yuanjun ), 'Nine-Phoenix Supreme Perfect Queen Mother of the West of the Jade Tortoise Platform', and 'Primordial Sovereign Golden Mother of the Supreme Numinous White Rays of the Tortoise Platform". The name 'Queen Mother of the West' was first seen in the ''Book of Mountains and Seas'' ( 山海經 Shanhai Jing ). West is the direction, and Queen Mother the name of the deity. The Queen Mother of the West is a condensation of the Subtlest Vital Breath of the Western Essence from the Vital Breath of Dao of the Original Chaos. The deity, surnamed Hou, is allocated the Western direction. ''The Intimate Biography of the Wu Emperor of the Han Dynasty'' says that 'when she entered a hall, the Queen Mother of the West wore bright gold ornaments, numinous cloud ribbons, a shadow-cutting sword, a supreme flower hair bun, a hat of supreme perfection, and black-brimmed phoenix-patterned shoes. She looked about thirty and was extremely beautiful." The Wu Emperor of Han accepted her instruction and orders with great respect. The figure of a human boy with tiger teeth and a cat's tail, mentioned in the ''Book of Mountains and Seas'' ( 山海經 Shanhai Jing ), was an envoy of the Queen Mother of the West and of the White Tiger spirit of the West, but was not the Queen Mother of the West herself. ==Mistress of Female Immortals== As the ancestor of Female Immortals, the Queen Mother of the West lives in the Kunlun Mountains, in a city of one thousand miles with twelve jade mansions, green light halls, nine-storey primordial chambers, and purple and green elixir chambers. To the left is the Jade Lake, and to the right are the Green Mountains. According to the ''Jottings of Rarities and Miscellaneous Stories'' ( 博物志 Bowu Zhi ), there are peach trees by the Jade Lake which "bear fruit once every 3000 years". All women who have attained immortality in the three realms and ten directions, in Heaven or in the human world, are under the rule of the Queen Mother of the West. ==Nourishing All Things == [[The Primordial Lord of Heaven]] ( 元始天尊 Yuanshi Tianzun ) granted the Queen Mother of the West the Register of the Tortoise Mountain's Nine Rays of the Original Unity of Heaven ( 方天元統龜山九光之籙 Fangtian Yuantong Guishan Jiuguang Zhi Lu ), in order to command all spirits and perfected saints, and put her in charge of the attendants of all heavens and the inspection of higher saints. The Queen Mother of the West and the Grandpa King of the East ( 東王公 Dongwang Gong ) are parents of the Yin and Yang Vital Breaths of Dao ( 道氣陰陽 Daoqi Yinyang ). They administer the two Vital Breaths together and nourish all things in Heaven and Earth. When the Yellow Emperor battled with the cruel Chiyou, who could cause wind and rain and puff out fog and smoke, the Queen Mother of the West sent the Mysterious Maiden of the Nine Heavens ( 九天玄女 Jiutian Xuannu ) to teach the Yellow Emperor the Strategy of the Three Palaces, Five Agents and Yin and Yang ( 三宮五意陰陽之略 Sangong Wuyi Yinyang Zhilue ), the Dipper Steps of Hidden Time and the Six Rens of Supreme Oneness ( 太乙遁甲六壬步斗之術 Taiyi Dunjia Liuren Budou Zhi Shu ), and the Writ of the Five Talismans and Five Victories of the Numinous Treasure ( 靈寶五符五勝之文 Lingbao Wufu Wusheng Wen ). Then the Yellow Emperor defeated Chiyou at middle Ji. After Yu Shun succeeded to the throne, the Queen Mother of the West sent envoys to grant him a white jade ring and a map, and Shun thus expanded the Yellow Emperor's nine prefectures to twelve perfectures. ==Worship in Temples== Owing to the story of the Queen Mother of the West giving Emperor Wu big 3000-year peaches recorded in the ''Intimate Biography of Emperor Wu'', the Queen Mother of the West's Peach Banquet ( 蟠桃會 Pantao Hui ) is well-known and popular among the people. The Queen Mother of the West, always seen as a symbol of longevity for Daoists and ordinary people, is the major divinity of the Golden Register Ritual for Prolonging Life ( 金籙延壽道場 Jinlu Yanshou Daochang ). On the Queen Mother of the West's holy birthday, the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month or the 18th of the 7th month, Daoists, especially women, gather in temples to hold birthday celebration rituals for the Queen Mother of the West and to pray for their own health and longevity. [[zh:西王母]] 869d109bede66319c4b6988b2a5ce651d29b55a2 0 523 647 2009-10-09T04:18:10Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Immortals and Immortalism}} ==Origin of the Thunder Patriarch== The Thunder Patriarch ( 雷祖 Leizu ) is also called the 'Heavenly Lord of Universal Transformation Whose Voice...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism}} ==Origin of the Thunder Patriarch== The Thunder Patriarch ( 雷祖 Leizu ) is also called the 'Heavenly Lord of Universal Transformation Whose Voice of Thunder Resonates from the Origin of the Nine Heavens' ( 九天應元雷聲普化天尊 Jiutian Yingyuan Leisheng Puhua Tianzun ), or the 'Perfect King of Universal Transformation Whose Voice of Thunder Resonates with the Origin of the Nine Heavens' ( 九天應元雷聲普化真王 Jiutian Yingyuan Leisheng Puhua Zhenwang ). He is, according to the ''Jade Book of Thunderbolts from the Mystery Capital of Jade Clarity and Great Purity of the Star of Purple Subtlety in the Nine Heavens of the Most High'' ( 《無上九霄玉清大梵紫微玄都雷庭玉經》 Wushang Jiuxiao Yuqing Dafan Ziwei Xuandu Leiting Yujing ), the avatar of the Perfect King of Jade Clarity ( 玉清真王 Yuqing Zhenwang ) and the ninth son of the Primeval Lord of Heaven ( 元始天尊 Yaunshi Tianzun ). He is also said to be the Thunder Spirit ( 雷神 Leishen ), a deity in charge of thunder and rain, who is the immortalized Yellow Emperor with the title 'Thunder Patriarch'. The Thunder Patriarch lives in the Jade Mansion of Divine Heaven ( 神霄玉府 Shenxiao Yufu ), in the midst of the Pure Vital Breath of the Azure Heaven ( 碧霄梵氣 Bixiao Fanqi ), 2300 miles from the Thunder City ( 雷城 Leicheng ). The 81 zhang-high Thunder City is the place where the Heavenly Court administers thunders, to the left of which is the Jade Pivot Five Thunder Agency ( 玉樞五雷使 Yushu Wulei Shi ) and to the right of which is the Jade Mansion Five Thunder Agency ( 玉府五雷使 Yufu Wulei Wulei Shi ). In front of the Heavenly Lord, there are thirty-six thunder drums in the charge of thrity-six spirits. When it is time for thunders, the Thunder Patriarch beats the drum once; and Grandpa Thunder ( 雷公 Leigong ) and the Master of Thunder ( 雷師 Leishi ) throw out thunderbolts. The thirty-six spirits of the Thunder Agency are all meritorious ministers of the time. The Romance of the Gods ( 封神演義 Fengshen Yanyi ), a fiction of the Ming Dynasty, calls Wenzhong the 'Heavenly Lord of Universal Transformation Whose Voice of Thunder Resonates with the Origin of the Nine Heavens", who leads twenty-four Law-Protecting Heavenly Sovereigns Who Bring Wind and Rain ( 催雲助雨護法天君 Cuiyun Zhuyu Hufa Tianjun ). Among them are Deng Yuanzhong the Great Spirit of Statutes and Ordinances ( 律令大神 Luling Dashen ), who is often worshipped in temples, Xi Huan the Heavenly Sovereign of Silver Teeth and Shiny Eyes ( 銀牙耀日天君 Yinya YaoMu Tianjun ), Zhang Jie the Flying Messenger ( 飛捷服應使 Feijie Baoying Shi ), Supreme Commander Gou Zhang the Left Demon Suppressor ( 左伐魔使 Zuo Famo Shi ), Supreme Commander Bi Huan the Right Demon Suppressor ( 右伐魔使 You Gamo Shi ), Heavenly Sovereign Tao Rong, Heavenly Sovereign Pang Hong, Heavenly Sovereign Qin Wan, Heavenly Sovereign Zhao Jiang, Heavenly Sovereign Dong Quan, Heavenly Sovereign Yuan Jiao, etc. ==Functions== In ancient times Grandpa Thunder and the Thunder Spirit had already been worshipped. But it was at the end of the Northern Song that the Thunder Agency ( 雷部 Leibu ), in the charge of the Heavenly Lord of Universal Transformation Whose Voice of Thunder Resonates with the Origin of the Nine Heavens, was incorporated into the Daoist divinity system. In the northern Song, Daoist sects such as [[the Divine Heaven Tradition]] ( 神霄派 Shenxiao Pai ) and [[the Pristine Subtlety Tradition]] ( 清微派 Qingwei Pai ), emphasized Thunder Skills ( 雷法 Leifa ). Thus, the functions of thunder expanded from providing rain to announcing fortune or misfortune, and even to conferring life or death after the inspection and evaluation of people. The ''Jade Pivot Precious Book of the Heavenly Lord of Universal Transformation Whose Voice of Thunder Resonates with the Origin of the Nine Heavens'' ( 《九天應元雷聲普化天尊玉樞寶經》 Jiutian Yingyuan Leisheng Puhua tianzun Yushu Baojing ) says that "those who are not pious to their parents, teachers and kings" will be killed by the Five Thunders Inspection and Execution Agency. The impious are killed first in the spirit and then in the body, and even beaten into pieces by thunderbolts. ==Worship in Temples== According to the 'Records of Rites" in the ''History of the Ming Dynasty'' ( 明史 Mingshi ), 'the Heavenly Lord of Universal Transformation Whose Voice of Thunder Resonates with the Origin of the Nine Heavens is in charge of the five thunders. The 24th day of the sixth lunar month is considered by Daoists as the day of his manifestation. So, on this day every year, officials are sent to the Temple of Numinous Manifestation ( 顯靈官 Xianlinggon ) to offer sacrifices." Major temples all worship the Thunder Patriarch. Every 24th day of the sixth lunar month, many Daoist believers burn incense in temples to pray for gook luck. Large-sized rituals of [[the Orthodox Oneness sect]] ( 正一派 Zhengyi Pai ) often assign a Divine Seat for the Thunder Patriarch and invoke the Heavenly Sovereigns of the Thunder Agency. [[zh:雷祖]] 147f5ca4c9ff3ed71a75230648fdcc8901560905 0 524 648 2009-10-11T02:25:05Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor == The Great Perfect Warrior Emperor ( 真武大帝 Zhenwu Dadi ) is also called the Mysterious Warr...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor == The Great Perfect Warrior Emperor ( 真武大帝 Zhenwu Dadi ) is also called the Mysterious Warrior Spirit ( 玄武神 Xuanwu Shen ) and the Highest Emperor of the Mysterious Northern Heaven ( 玄天上帝 Xuantian Shangdi ). According to the ''Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Sublime Book of Divine Incantations Telling the Story of the Great Sage and Perfect Warrior of the Mysterious Northern Heaven'' ( 《太上說玄天大聖真武本傳神咒妙經》 Taishang Shuo Xuantian Dasheng Zhenwu Benzhuan Shenzhou Miaojing ), he was the 82nd avatar of [[the Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ). As a son of the King of Pure Bliss ( 淨樂國王 Jingle Guowang ) and of the Queen of Virtuous Victory ( 善勝皇后 Shansheng Huanghou ), he was born in the Heavenly Palace of Non-Desire in the All-Embracing Realm. The queen dreamed that she had swallowed the sun, and was found pregnant after awaking. She gave birth to a baby after 14 months pregnancy. Grown up, the prince left his home and his parents to cultivate Dao on Mt Wudang, and attained immortality after 42 years. He ascended to Heaven in full daylight. He was given the title 'Supreme Mystery" and ordered to guard the north by [[the Jade Emperor]] ( 玉帝 Yudi ). The Mysterious Warrior" was originally the collective name of the northern seven of the 28 constellations. In the section 'Distant Excursion" of the Elogies of the Chu ( 楚辭 Chuci ), Qu Yuan sings "to invoke the Mysterious Warrior and fly towards it". The Mysterious Warrior constellation is shaped like a tortoise and a snake, so the commentary says: "The Mysterious Warrior is the tortoise-and-snake. It is called mysterious (dark) because its position is to the north; it is called warrior because it has scales and an armament on its body." In the Kaibao Era of the Northern Song dynasty, the Mysterious Warrior Spirit descended on Zhongnan Mountain. In the seventh year of the Dazhong Xiangfu Era of Emperor Zhen (AD 1014), he was given the title 'Perfect Sovereign Who Aids the Sagely and Protects the Virtuous" ( 翊聖保德真君 Yisheng Baode Zhenjun ). Afterwards, the name 'Mysterious Warrior' was changed to 'Perfect Warrior' ( 真武 Zhenwu ), to avoid using the the character 'Xuan' (mysterious, dark) which appeared in the name of the royal ancestor, Zhao Xuanlang. Emperors Zhen, Hui and Qin of Song dynasties all honoured him with titles. In the seventh year of the Dade Era of the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1303), he was honoured as 'Original, Holy, Kind and August Holy Emperor of the Mysterious Northern Heaven" ( 元聖仁威玄天上帝 Yuansheng Renwei Xuantian Shangdi ). Emperor Cheng of the Ming dynasty worshiped the Perfect Warrior, and so Perfect Warrior Temples were built in the imperial offices at all levels such as agencies, bureaus, ministries, and the treasury. In the tenth year of the Yongle Era, Marquis Zhangxin was ordered to build a complex of temples on [[Mt. Wudang]] with 200,000 soldiers, and promoted the worship of the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor to the highest peak. ==The Big Dipper Who Decrees Death ( 北斗注死 Beidou Zhusi ) == 'Mysterious Warrior" is the general name of the seven northern constellations, among which is the Dipper constellation. Daoism, saying that "the Southern Dipper decrees life and the Northern decrees death", attaches much importance to the worship of the Dipper stars. From entering the womb, a man's destiny is transferred from the Southern Dipper to the Northern Dipper. Therefore, he who prays for longevity must worship the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor. ==Essence of Water == The ''Sage Protecting Mantra'' ( 《佑聖咒》 Yousheng Zhou ) calls the Perfect Warrior the "essence of water who is the transformation of Supreme Yin. It corresponds to the Xuwei Constellation and is shaped like a combination of a tortoise and a snake. Omnipresent in all directions, its power frightens all the spirits." Belonging to water, the Perfect Warrior can administer the rivers and fire, and thus eliminate relevant disasters. This is the reason why many Perfect Warrior Temples were built in the palaces of the Ming Dynasty. ==Worship in Temples== The 3rd day of the 3rd month of the lunar calendar is the divine birthday of the Perfect warrior. On that day, birthday celebration ritual offerings are held in all places, among which the worship on Mt Wudang is the most flourishing. [[Zh:真武大帝]] 2e6dab9ed79b5013b39438231d93099f56dc6394 0 525 649 2009-10-11T02:37:11Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of Imperial Sovereign Wenchang== Imperial Sovereign Wenchang ( 文昌帝君 Wenchang Dijun ) was originally the collective name for the s...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of Imperial Sovereign Wenchang== Imperial Sovereign Wenchang ( 文昌帝君 Wenchang Dijun ) was originally the collective name for the six stars of the Wenchang constellation, which is said to lie before or to the left of the Qui star of the Dipper. Each of the six stars has its own name: Highest General ( 上將 Shangjiang ), Assistant General ( 次將 Cijiang ), Noble Premier ( 貴相 Guixiang ), Controller of Destinies ( 司命 Siming ), Controller of the Middle ( 司中 Sizhong ), and Controller of Wealth ( 司祿 Silu ). Wenchang was given the title of 'Imperial Sovereign'or 'Imperial Sovereign of Zitong" ( 梓潼帝君 Zitong Dijun ) during the reign of Emperor Ren (AD 1316). In the third year of the Yanyou Era of Emperor Ren of the Yuan Dynasty, the Zitong Spirit was honoured with the title "Imperial Sovereign Wenchang, Promoter of Benevolence and Controller of Wealth Who Serves the Origin and Initiates Salvation" ( 輔元開化文昌司祿宏仁帝君 Fuyuan Kaihua Wenchang Silu Hongren Dijun ); the Wenchang and Zitong spirits were thus combined into one. According to the 'Record of Rites' of the ''History of the Ming Dynasty'', 'the Imperial Sovereign of Zitong, whose surname was Zhang and whose name was Yazi, and who lived on Mt Qiqu, died in war as a minister of the Jin dynasty. People built a monumental shrine for him." Zhang Yazi, or Zhang Yu, rising up against an invasion by King Pu Jian of the early Qin (AD 374), made himself King of Shu (ancient Sichuan) and died in war. In memory of Zhang Yu, people built a shrine at Mt Qiqu in Zitong County, and honored him as the Dragon King of Thunder Lake ( 雷澤龍王 Leize Longwang ). Later, Zhang Yu's Shrine was combined with the shrine of Yazi, the Zitong spirit. So he came to be called Zhang Yazi. Emperor Xuan of the Tang dynasty, passing by the mountain, was touched by his heroism, honored him as Premier, and offered grand sacrifices for him. Emperor Xi of the Tang, passing by the mountain in refuge, also worshipped the Zitong Spirit, offered him a royal sword in person, and honored him as Salvation King. Many emperors of the Song dynasty gave him lofty titles, such as 'Heroic and Brave King' ( 英烈武顯王 Yinglie Wuxian Wang ) conferred by Emperor Zhen, 'Pious Benevolent Heroic King" ( 忠文仁武孝德聖烈王 Zhongwen Renwu Xiaode Shenglie Wang ) conferred by Emperor Guang, and 'Divine and Saintly Heroic Pious King" ( 神文聖武孝德忠仁王 Shenwen Shengweu Xiaode zhongren Wang ) conferred by Emperor Li. In the third year of the Yanyou Era of Emperor Ren of the Yuan dynasty (AD 1316), Zhang Yazi was given the title 'Imperial Sovereign Wenchang, Promoter of Benevolence and Controller of Wealth Who Serves the Origin and Initiates Salvation' Thereafter, Zhang Yazi, the Zitong Spirit, was called Imperial Sovereign. ==Loyal to his Master and Parents== Besides his merit of loyalty to his master and to the people manifested in his death in war, Zhang Yazi was very loyal to his mother. According to the ''Book of Transformations of the Imperial Sovereign of Zitong'', "as a young man, he sucked the wound of his sick mother and cut off his own leg flesh at midnight, as medicine to cure his mother. Later, when there was a vicious plague among the people, he dreamed of a spirit giving him the Immortals' Book of the Great Grotto ( 大洞仙經 Dadong Xianjing ) and Magical Registers ( 法籙 Falu ) to eliminate the plague. He practiced them and succeeded. Therefore, Imperial Sovereign Wenchang is seen as a model for filial piety and benevolence. '' [[The Book of Hidden Virtues of Imperial Sovereign Wenchang]]'' ( 文昌帝君陰騭文 Wenhang Dijun Yinzhi Wen ), composed in the Song and Yuan dynasties, gives many examples of people getting good rewards for their good deeds, in order to expound the karmic concept of the 'near fruit of one's actions come to oneself, the farther fruit go to one's offspring". ==Controller of the Destinies of Civil Officials== According to the ''Book of Hidden Virtues of Imperial Sovereign Wenchang'', Imperial Sovereign Wenchang was incarnated as a high official in the human world 73 times. As an honest and clean official, he was never cruel to people. Instead, he "helped people in need, forgave others' mistakes, was merciful to the orphans, and moved the heavens with many merits." Therefore, the Heavenly Emperor ordered Imperial Sovereign Wenchang to be in charge of the list of names of would-be officials. All appointments and promotions of officials through examinations and recommendations were in the charge of Imperial Sovereign Whenchang. ==Worship in Temples== Since the Yuan and Ming dynasties, with the development of the imperial examination system, worship of Imperial Sovereign Whenchang spread widely. Temples, Pavilions, and Shrines of Wenchang were built everywhere. The Wenchang Temple on Mt Qiqu is the biggest among them. Images or divine seats of Wenchang were also erected in some schools. The worship of Wenchang was always prosperous, for he was in charge of officials' destinies. The 3rd day of the second lunar month was the birthday of Wenchang, when local governments and intellectuals worshipped Wenchang in temples and wrote poems or essays in celebration. [[zh:文昌帝君]] 9354bb16795a8612f19a9c8d48cf244ade4b5056 0 526 651 2009-10-11T03:06:20Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Stellar Sovereigns of the Five Planets and Seven Stars== The Stellar Sovereigns of the Five Planets and Seven Stars ( 五星七曜...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Stellar Sovereigns of the Five Planets and Seven Stars== The Stellar Sovereigns of the Five Planets and Seven Stars ( 五星七曜星君 Wuxing Qiyao Xingjun ) are seven Daoist deities. The Five Planets are the Year Star (Jupiter) ( 歲星 Sui Xing ), the Sparkling Deluder (Mars) ( 熒惑星 Yinghuo Xing ), the Grand White Star (Venus) ( 太白星 Taibai Xing ), the Chronographic Star (Mercury) ( 辰星 Chen Xing ) , and the Quelling Star (Saturn) ( 鎮星 Zhen Xing ). Together with the sun and moon, they are called the Seven Stars. Daoism worships the Seven Stars as spirits and calls them Stellar Sovereigns. In early ancient times, people began to worship the sun, moon and stars. In the Han Dynasties, Esoteric Speculations6 used to foretell the outcomes of human affairs. Daoism regards the sun as Essence of Yang ( 陽精 Yangjing ) and calls it, in a male image, 'Bright, Red and Glorious Supreme Yang Sovereign of the Sun Palace', or 'Immortal King of Filial Piety and Supreme Yang Sovereign of the Sun Palace" ( 日宮太陽帝君孝道仙王 Rigong Taiyang Dijun Xiaodao XianWang ). Daoism regards the moon as Essence of Yin ( 日光太丹炎光郁明太陽帝君 Riguang taidan Yanguang Yuming Taiyang Dijun ), and calls it, in a female image, 'Supreme Yin Primordial Sovereign and Holy Queen of the Yellow Colour, White Light and Original Essence of the Moon Palace" ( 月宮黃華素曜元精聖后 Yuegong Huahua Suyao Yuanjing Shenghou ), or 'Bright Queen of Filial Piety and Supreme Yin Sovereign of the Moon Palace" ( 月宮太陰帝君孝道明王 Yuegong Taiyin Dijun Xiaodao Mingwang ). According to the section 'On Stars'of [[the Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel]] ( 《雲笈七籤》 Yunji Qiqian ), each of the Five Planets has its own name and style: in the East, the Perfect Imperial Sovereign of the Year Star ( 歲星真皇君 Suixing Zhen Huangjun ) (or Perfect Sovereign of the Virtue of Wood) ( 木德真君 Mude Zhenjun ) is named Chenglan and styled Qingning. In the South, the Perfect Imperial Sovereign of the Sparkling Deluder ( 熒惑真皇君 Yinghuo Xing Zhen Huangjun ) (or Perfect Sovereign of the Virtue of Fire) ( 火德真君 Huode Zhenjun ) is named Haokong Weichun and styled Sanrong. In the West, the Perfect Imperial Sovereign of the Grand White Star ( 太白真皇君 Taibai Xing Zhen Huangjun ) (or Perfect Sovereign of the Virtue of Metal) ( 金德真君 Jinde Zhenjun ) is named Haokong Debiao. In the North, the Perfect Imperial Sovereign of the Chronographic Star ( 辰星真皇君 Chen Xing Zhen Huangjun ) (or Perfect Sovereign of the Virtue of Water) ( 水德真君 Shuide Zhenjun ) is named Qiyuan and styled Jiyuan. In the Centre, the Perfect Imperial Sovereign of the Quelling Star ( 鎮星真皇君 Zhen Xing Zhen Huangjun ) (or Perfect Sovereign of the Virtue of Earth) ( 土德真君 Tude Zhenjun ) is named Cangmu and styled Danyan. ==Nourishing All Things== According to the ''Book of the Mysterious Gate and Precious Sea'' ( 玄門寶海經 Xuanmen Baohai Jing ), the "Essence of Yang is the sun, and Yin the moon. Sharing the essence of the sun and moon are the stars. Together, they nourish the twelve thousand things by the perfect Dao. Even the beasts and grass are also nourished by their Secret Dao and Essential Virtue." This means that the Five Planets and Seven Stars are the embodiment of Dao. Heaven and Earth depend on the Perfect Vital Breath of the sun, moon and stars to nourish all things. ==Individual Functions of Each Star == The ''Secretly Transmitted Supreme Pervasive Perfect Book of the Five Planets'' ( 《太上洞真五星秘授經》 Taishang Dongzhen Wuxing Mishao Jing ) expounds in detail the functions of the Five Planets. In the East, the Perfect Sovereign of the Virtue of Wood "is in charge of the birth of all things. It changes depression into stimulation. People who are fortunate and lucky should promote kindness and entice it." To the South, the Perfect Sovereign of the Virtue of Fire "is in charge of the growth of all things. It lightens the dark and obscure. People who are unfortunate and unlucky or suffering from illness and troubles should promote kindness and entice it." To the West, the Perfect Sovereign of the Virtue of Metal "is in charge of the ending of all things. It reaps the fruits. People involved in many legal cases should promote kindness and entice it." To the North, the Perfect Sovereign of the Virtue of Water "is in charge of the moistening and dredging of all things. People suffering from many robberies by bad luck should promote kindness and entice it." In the Centre, the Perfect Sovereign of the Virtue of Earth "is in charge of the breeding of all things in the four seasons. It reaps the fruits. People suffering from legal cases and worries due to bad luck should promote kindness and entice it." As for the sun and moon, according to the ''Supreme Pervasive Divine Book of the Sun, Moon and Five Planets in Chaos and Eternity'' ( 《太上洞神五星日月混常經》 Taishang Dongshen Wuxing Riyue Hunchang Jing ), whoever meets the Sun Sovereign ( 日君 Rijun ) will "obtain the Herb of Immortality ( 仙木 Xianmu ) "; and whoever meets the Moon Sovereign ( 月君 Yuejin ) will "obtain whatever he wants and acquire the arts of immortality". ==Worship in Temples== Daoist temples usually have halls especially dedicated to the worship of the stars, and sometimes only for the Five Planets and Seven Stars. In large-scale Daoist rituals, Divine Seats are often set for the Stellar Sovereigns of Five Planets and Seven Stars. The sovereigns are invoked in relevant rituals. Daoist adepts, during the construction of houses, bridges and roads, often worship the Stellar Spirits to pray for good luck and longevity, and eliminate misfortunes and illness. [[zh:五星七曜星君]] 3897f684d10b346c9835a3db71abf62047151815 0 527 652 2009-10-11T03:25:28Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the The Four Numinous Animals and Twenty-Eight Constellations== The Four Numinous Animals ( 四靈 Siling ) or Four Images ( 四象 Si...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the The Four Numinous Animals and Twenty-Eight Constellations== The Four Numinous Animals ( 四靈 Siling ) or Four Images ( 四象 Sixiang ) refer to the figures formed by the stars in the four cardinal directions, i.e. the Blue Dragon ( 青龍 Qinglong ) in the East, the White Tiger ( 白虎 Baihu ) in the West, the Red Phoenix ( 朱雀 Zhuque ) in the South and the Black Warrior ( 玄武 Xuanwu ) in the North. According to the ''Yellow Charts of the Three Regions'' ( 《三輔黃圖》 Sanfu Huangtu ), "the Blue Dragon, the White Tiger, the Red Phoenix and the Black Warrior are the Four Numinous Animals of Heaven which control the four directions". The Twenty-Eight Constellations ( 二十八宿 Ershiba Xiu ) are the ancient astronomers' distinctions and signs of the fixed star areas which the sun and moon pass by. According to the Book of Auguries ''Examination of the Numinous Animals in the Book of Documents'' ( 《尚書考靈曜》 Shangshu Kao Lingyao ), "The seven constellations of the East -- Jiao, Kang, Di, Fang, Xin, Wei, and Qi -- are like a dragon and are thus called the Blue Dragon of the Left. The seven constellations of the South -- Jing, Gui, Liu, Xing, Zhang, Yi, and Zhen -- are like a bird and are thus called the Red Phoenix of the Front. The seven constellations of the West -- Qui, Lou, Wei, Mao, Bi, Zi, and Shen -- are like a tiger, and are thus called the White Tiger of the Right. The seven constellations of the north -- Dou, Niu, Nu, Xu, Wei, Shi, and Bi, are like a tortoise-and-snake, and are thus called the Black Warrior of the Rear." Each of the 28 Stellar Officials has its own name, function, and colour of dress. For example, the Stellar Spirit of Jiao, whose surname is Bin and whose name is Yuansheng, wears a green and black shirt. The Stellar Spirit of Kang, whose surname is Fu and whose name is Sima, is horse-headed and red-bodied and wears a red silk shirt and a sword. ==Daoist Guardians== In the Daoist pantheon, the The Four Numinous Animals and Twenty-Eight Constellations always play the role of guardians of greater divinities. According to the ''Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'' ( 《抱朴子內篇》 Baopuzi Neipian ), "Among the guardians of [[Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ), there are 12 Blue Dragons to the left, 26 White Tigers to the right, 24 Red Phoenixes in front and 72 Black Warriors in the rear. According to the ''Secret Formula for Prolonging Life from the Seven-Origin Purple Court of the Big Dipper'' ( 《北斗七元紫庭延生秘訣》 Beidou Qiyuan Ziting Yansheng Mijue ), for a Daoist performing magic skills, "To his left is the Blue Dragon named Mengzhang. To his right is the White Tiger named Jianbing. To his front is the Red Phoenix named Lingguang. To his rear is the Black Warrior named Zhiming. The Four Numinous Animals, holding pennants and symbols, bearing bells and drums, guard the surroundings." The Four Numinous Animals are the law-protecting guardian spirits. Among them, the Black Warrior was specially worshiped since the Ming and honored with other titles, such as "Highest Emperor of the Mysterious Northern Heaven" ( 玄天上帝 Xuantian Sangdi ) and "[[Perfect Warrior Emperor]]" ( 真武大帝 Zhenwu Dadi ). ==Worship in Temples == Daoist temples often worship The Four Numinous Animals at the two sides of the Hall of Numinous Officials of the Mountain Gate ( 山門 Shanmen ). The Four Numinous Animals, dressed as heavenly generals, must guard the Daoist Gate. Daoist adepts, when burning incense, often start by worshiping Numinous Official Wang and the Four Numinous Animals at the Mountain Gate. In large-scale Daoist rituals, Divine Seats are often set for the the Four Numinous Animals and Twenty-Eight Constellations. Often, the Four Numinous Animals and Twenty-Eight Constellations are invoked to protect the law during rituals. [[zh:四靈二十八宿]] 9756789bc5fef71f74c29fa1eb145bc945fbe257 0 528 653 2009-10-11T03:48:35Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Big Dipper== The Big Dipper ( 斗姆 Doumu ) is the mother of the stars of the Dipper. Her complete name is 'Nine-Spirited Supreme...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Big Dipper== The Big Dipper ( 斗姆 Doumu ) is the mother of the stars of the Dipper. Her complete name is 'Nine-Spirited Supreme Subtle Grandma Primordial Sovereign of the Night Rays and Golden Essence of the White Jade Tortoise Platform" ( 九靈太妙白玉龜台夜光金精祖母元君 Jiuling Taimiao Baiyu Guitai yeguang Jinjing ). She is also called 'Pure Vital Breath Sovereign of the Big Dipper of Middle Heaven" ( 中天梵氣斗姆元君 Zhongtian Fanqi doumu Yuanjun ), 'Primordial Queen of Supreme Simplicity, Purple Rays, Bright Wisdom and Kind Benevolence, and Heavenly Lord of Golden Perfected Holy Virtue" ( 中天梵氣斗姆元君紫光明哲太素元后金真聖德天尊 Zhongtian Fanqi doumu Yuanjun ziguang Mingzhe Cihui Taisu Yuanhou Jinzhen shengde Tianzun ). She is also called 'Great Perfect Queen of Moonlight" ( 大圓滿月光王 Da Yuanman Yueguang Wang ) and 'Great Heavenly Healer Sage and Eastern Imperial Sovereign of Benevolent Salvation" ( 東華慈救皇君天醫大聖 Donghua Cijiu Huangjun Tianyi Dasheng ). She is usually simply called the 'Big Dipper", or 'Primordial Sovereign of the Big Dipper" ( 斗母元君 Doumu Yuanjun ). As the governor of the Pavilion of Heavenly Treasure ( 天寶閣 Tianbao Ge ), the Big Dipper, "as the mother of the Dipper Stars, produces the brilliant eyes of all the heavens. She, with the Dipper as her terrestrial spirit and water celestial spirit, is in charge of life." ==Functions== According to the ''Fundamental Destiny Life-Prolonging Heart Scripture of the Great Sagely Primordial Sovereign of the Supreme, Mysterious and Numinous Big Dipper'' ( 《太上玄靈斗姆大聖元君本命延生心經》 Taishang Xuanling doumu dasheng Yuanjun Benming Yansheng Xinjing ), the Big Dipper, "with her great merit of medicine and healing, manages and harmonizes the five agents, balances the Vital Breaths ( 氣 Qi ) of Yin and Yang, dissolves the stagnant and eliminates the evil and dark. Under her mercy, those who miss the time of salvation catch up with the time of salvation. In charge of the safety of pregnancy and birth, as well as the healing of diseases, she takes the important role of Heavenly Healer ( 天醫 Tianyi ) ". "Seated on her precious throne, the Big Dipper peacefully cultivates divine perfection, refines celestial and terrestrial spirits, concentrates Vital Breath with an empty mind, and enters the Mystery of Mysteries. Breathing the numinous wind, gathering the purple void energy, she has attained the mysterious and numinous Sublime Dao, and releases infinite subtle rays penetrating the Pool of Essence ( 華池 Huachi ). Nine golden lotuses, as incarnations of the rays, give out greater and greater light after seven days in the pood. The light rises to the Nine-Essence Heavens ( 九華天 Jiuhuatian ) and transforms into the Nine Great Treasure Pavilions." In the pavilions, the Nine Perfect Vital Breaths concentrate and manifest themselves as the Nine Emperors of the Dao Body: the first is the Heavenly Emperor ( 天皇 Tianhuang ), the second is Purple Subtlety ( 紫微 Ziwei ), the third is the Lusty Wolf ( 貪狼 Tanlang ), the fourth is the Giant Gate ( 巨門 Jumen ), the fifth is the Store of Wealth ( 祿存 Lucun ), the sixth is the Civil Chief ( 文曲 Wenqu ), the seventh is the Pure and Chaste ( 廉貞 Lianzhen ), the eighth is the Military Chief ( 武曲 Wuqu ), the ninth is the Troop Destroyer ( 破軍 Pojun ). The Nine Emperors of the Dao Body ( 九皇道體 Jiuhuang Daoti ) are the Nine Stellar Sovereigns of the Dipper. According to [[the Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel]], "the Nine Stars are the numinous root of the Nine Heavens, the bright bridge of the sun and moon, and the ancestral abyss of all things. Therefore, Heaven has nine Vital Breaths corresponding with the Nine Stars as their numinous pivot; the Earth has Nine Prefectures with the Nine Stars as their spiritual master; Man has Nine Apertures with the Nine Stars as their Mansion of Destiny. The Nine Palaces of Yin and Yang refer to the Nine Stars for their doors; the Five Sacred Mountains and Four Holy Rivers ( 四瀆 Sidu ) correspond with the Nine Stars as their abyss and mansion." The Big Dipper, as the mother of nine stars, is in charge of the production and life of Heaven, Earth and all things. ==Worship in Temples== There are Big Dipper Halls in most major Daoist temples. The Divine image always appears as a female spirit with three eyes, four heads and eight arms. The holy birthday of the Big Dipper is the 20th of the sixth lunar month, or the 9th of the ninth lunar month. On that day, Daoist adepts often hold rituals to pray for longevity and for giving birth to sons. [[zh:斗姆]] bad86ab3461cba4c40d6f8f472140f4ab56b0df3 0 529 654 2009-10-11T05:45:09Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East == The Sacred Mountain of the East refers to Mt. Tai in present-day Shandong Prov...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East == The Sacred Mountain of the East refers to Mt. Tai in present-day Shandong Province. The Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East ( 東嶽大帝 Dongyue Dadi ) is its mountain spirit. According to the [[Comprehensive Collection of Investigations into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines since their Origin]] ( 三教源流搜神大全 Sanjiao Yuanliu Soushen Daquan ), The Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East is the son of Immortal Milun and of Gold-Wheel King Shaohaishi, the ninth-generation descendant of Pangu. At first he was named Jinhongshi and was ordained as Supreme Year Spirit ( 太歲 Taisui ) at time of Fuxishi for his merits on Changbai Mountain. In the time of Shen Nong, he was appointed General Governor of Heavenly Talismans ( 天符都官 Tainfu Duguan ) and named Official Sovereign ( 府君 Fujun ). In the time of Emperor Ming of the Han dynasty, he was honored as the Supreme Commander of Mt Tai. In second year of the Chuigong Era of Empress Wu of the Tang dynasty (AD 686), he was honored as Middle Heaven King of the Divine Mountain ( 神岳天中王 Shenyue Tianzhong Wang ). In the first year of the Wansui Tongtian Era of Empress Wu, he was honored as Sovereign Equal to Heaven ( 天齊王 Tianqi Wang ). In the 13th year of the Kaiyuan Era of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty (AD 725), he was honored as King Equal to Heaven. In the first year of the Dazhongzangfu Era of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song dynasty, he was honored as "Benevolent Saintly King of the Sacred Mountain of the East Who is Equal to Heaven" ( 東嶽天齊仁聖王 Dongyue Tianqi Rensheng Wang ). People have worshipped the Mt Tai Spirit since the time of the Three Sage Kings. In ancient days, the people lived in the middle and lower realms of the Yellow River, and the king "worshipped the Earth Spirit and the Five Sacred Mountains with blood." Mt Tai was the first of the Five Sacred Mountains ( 五嶽 Wuyue ) and revered as the Ancestral Mountain ( 岱宗 Daizong ). According to Confucius, as cited in the Comprehensive Explanations to Customs ( 風俗通義 Fengwu Tongyi ), "There have been 72 kings who worshiped Heaven at Mt Tai and Earth at Mt Liangfu." Kings who have accumulated merits worship Heaven and Earth to report their merits to Heaven. Since the Han and Wei dynasties, Daoism has inherited the ancient system of worshiping the Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East. ==Way to Immortality == The ancient people considered [[Mt. Tai]] as the way to heaven and "equal to heaven" in height. For the purpose of worshipping at Mt Tai, people built altars at the summit to requite the merit of Heaven. Practitioners consider worshiping at Mt Tai a way to securing immortality. ==Souls Returning to the Sacred Mountain of the East== Mt Tai lies in the East, where all things begin at the intercourse of Yin and Yang. The born is doomed to die, and so the Mt Tai Spirit knows the length of man's life. According to a lengend cited in the Comprehensive Explanations to Customs ( 風俗通義 Fengwu Tongyi ), "There are a Gold Box and a Jade Book in which are recorded the length of each man's life." On the unearthed Tomb-Quelling Talismans of the Han dynasty, one finds the inscription "belonging to Mt Tai after death." Since the Han and Wei dynasties, the Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East has been in charge of men's life, death and longevity. According to Vol. 22 of the Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel, "The Mt Tai Sovereign, as the general of ghosts, leads 5900 spirits and is in charge of life and death." Therefore, temples of the Sacred Mountain of the East have 72 or 75 offices in charge of the Life Registers of men and immortals, such as the Office of Quick Rewards ( 速報司 Subao Si ), the Office of Luck and Longevity ( 福壽司 Fushou Si ), etc. ==Worship in Temples== The divine birthday of the Great Eamperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East is the 28th of the third lunar month. Temples worshiping the Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East hold celebrations and large-scale rituals for praying for longevity. After the death of relatives, people hold Yellow Register Rituals for the early salvation in Heaven of the souls of the dead. [[zh:東嶽大帝]] 4da1ee0bbe4a6ae9976a47ae77ccd4b18baa60d2 655 654 2009-10-11T05:47:48Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East == The Sacred Mountain of the East refers to Mt. Tai in present-day Shandong Province. The Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East ( 東嶽大帝 Dongyue Dadi ) is its mountain spirit. According to the ''Comprehensive Collection of Investigations into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines since their Origin'' ( 三教源流搜神大全 Sanjiao Yuanliu Soushen Daquan ), The Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East is the son of Immortal Milun and of Gold-Wheel King Shaohaishi, the ninth-generation descendant of Pangu. At first he was named Jinhongshi and was ordained as Supreme Year Spirit ( 太歲 Taisui ) at time of Fuxishi for his merits on Changbai Mountain. In the time of Shen Nong, he was appointed General Governor of Heavenly Talismans ( 天符都官 Tainfu Duguan ) and named Official Sovereign ( 府君 Fujun ). In the time of Emperor Ming of the Han dynasty, he was honored as the Supreme Commander of Mt Tai. In second year of the Chuigong Era of Empress Wu of the Tang dynasty (AD 686), he was honored as Middle Heaven King of the Divine Mountain ( 神岳天中王 Shenyue Tianzhong Wang ). In the first year of the Wansui Tongtian Era of Empress Wu, he was honored as Sovereign Equal to Heaven ( 天齊王 Tianqi Wang ). In the 13th year of the Kaiyuan Era of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty (AD 725), he was honored as King Equal to Heaven. In the first year of the Dazhongzangfu Era of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song dynasty, he was honored as "Benevolent Saintly King of the Sacred Mountain of the East Who is Equal to Heaven" ( 東嶽天齊仁聖王 Dongyue Tianqi Rensheng Wang ). People have worshipped the Mt Tai Spirit since the time of the Three Sage Kings. In ancient days, the people lived in the middle and lower realms of the Yellow River, and the king "worshipped the Earth Spirit and the Five Sacred Mountains with blood." Mt Tai was the first of the Five Sacred Mountains ( 五嶽 Wuyue ) and revered as the Ancestral Mountain ( 岱宗 Daizong ). According to Confucius, as cited in the ''Comprehensive Explanations to Customs'' ( 風俗通義 Fengwu Tongyi ), "There have been 72 kings who worshiped Heaven at Mt Tai and Earth at Mt Liangfu." Kings who have accumulated merits worship Heaven and Earth to report their merits to Heaven. Since the Han and Wei dynasties, Daoism has inherited the ancient system of worshiping the Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East. ==Way to Immortality == The ancient people considered [[Mt. Tai]] as the way to heaven and "equal to heaven" in height. For the purpose of worshipping at Mt Tai, people built altars at the summit to requite the merit of Heaven. Practitioners consider worshiping at Mt Tai a way to securing immortality. ==Souls Returning to the Sacred Mountain of the East== Mt Tai lies in the East, where all things begin at the intercourse of Yin and Yang. The born is doomed to die, and so the Mt Tai Spirit knows the length of man's life. According to a lengend cited in the ''Comprehensive Explanations to Customs'' ( 風俗通義 Fengwu Tongyi ), "There are a Gold Box and a Jade Book in which are recorded the length of each man's life." On the unearthed Tomb-Quelling Talismans of the Han dynasty, one finds the inscription "belonging to Mt Tai after death." Since the Han and Wei dynasties, the Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East has been in charge of men's life, death and longevity. According to Vol. 22 of the Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel, "The Mt Tai Sovereign, as the general of ghosts, leads 5900 spirits and is in charge of life and death." Therefore, temples of the Sacred Mountain of the East have 72 or 75 offices in charge of the Life Registers of men and immortals, such as the Office of Quick Rewards ( 速報司 Subao Si ), the Office of Luck and Longevity ( 福壽司 Fushou Si ), etc. ==Worship in Temples== The divine birthday of the Great Eamperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East is the 28th of the third lunar month. Temples worshiping the Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East hold celebrations and large-scale rituals for praying for longevity. After the death of relatives, people hold Yellow Register Rituals for the early salvation in Heaven of the souls of the dead. [[zh:東嶽大帝]] 3d6780a3c0246fc3c38aae0996cdc3a745e482b4 0 530 656 2009-10-11T05:49:34Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origins of the Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud== The Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud, also known as the Heavenly Immortal Jade Maiden ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origins of the Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud== The Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud, also known as the Heavenly Immortal Jade Maiden of East [[Mt. Tai]], is commonly called the "Mt Tai Granny". Opinions vary on her origins. One version says that she is the daughter of the Spirit of Mt Tai, and another version says that she was originally a Heavenly Immortal and a Divine Maiden. According to the ''Investigations on the Jade Maidens quoted in the Biographies of the Jade Maidens'' written by Wang Zhigang of the Ming dynasty, the Yellow Emperor sent seven Jade Maidens to build the Daiyue Temple on Mt Tai. These seven Fairies, wearing high hats and robes made of feather, burnt incense and held Ritual Offerings to welcome the Perfect Man of the Western Kunlun Mountains. Only one of them, the Primordial Lady of the Emereald Cloud, Cultivated and attained Dao. But another version says that she was formerly the daughter of mortals. It is said that during the reign of emperor Ming of the Han dynasty, Shi Shoudao, a noble man of Fengfu county of the Prefecture of Sunning in the Kingdom of Xinui, and his wife Mrs Jin, gave birth to their dignified and intelligent daughter Yuye. She understood human relations at the age of three, studied Daoist Skills at seven, and once presented herself to the Queen Mother of the West. When she was fourteen, she entered Tiankong Mountain, i.e., Mt Tai for Cultivation and Refinement in Huanghua Grotto, i.e., the Stone Chamber of the Mountain Peak. Three years later when she succeeded in Refining Elixirs, the original Essential Matter was brought into existence and the light was given off. Hence she filled Mt Tai with her soul, and became the Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud, the Goddess of Mt Tai. It is recorded that there is a goddess on Mt Tai in the books ''Jottings of Rarities and Miscellaneous Stories and Investigations into the Divine'' of the Jin dynasty. But it was during the reign of emperor Zhen of the Northern Song dynasty that the Goddess of Mt Tai received her title. According to Casual Chats in the Pine Hut, there were carved Golden Boys and Jade Maidens on the mountain before the reign of emperor Rensheng of the Han dynasty. But during the Five Dynasties, the hall collapsed and the statues fell, the statue of the boy breaking to pieces and the statue of the maiden sinking into a pool. Later, emperor Zhen of the Song dynasty went to the east to hold sacrificial rites, and when he returned, he stayed in the imperial tent. When he washed his hands in the pool, a stone statue emerged, which, after being taken out of water and washed, was found to be the statue of the Jade Maiden. So the emperor ordered officials concerned to build a shrine to worship her, named her Daughter of the Saintly Emperor, granted her the title "Heavenly Immortal Jade Maiden and Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud". The shrine was called the Shrine of Revelation of Truth, which should be regarded as the origin of today's Shrine of the Emerald Cloud on the summit of Mt Tai. It was extended into a temple during the years of Chenghua of the Ming dynasty. Its name was changed into the Temple of Numinous Correspondence during the years of Hongzhi, and later changed again to the Shrine of the Emerald Cloud. ==Influence on the people== The Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud, who was ordained as Immortal Perfect Woman, commanded the heavenly generals and divine soldiers in the mansion of Mt Tai to inspect all the virtuous and evil deeds and life and death in the human world by order of the Jade Emperor. She had vast magic powers, cured the sick and saved patients, and protected all the affairs of farming, trade, travel and marriage. It is said among the people that one of the statues of the maids of the Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud holds an infant in her arms. It indicates that the Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud protects the health and safety of women and children in secret, so as to make the barren become pregnant and the pregnant have a natural delivery. ==Worship== Since the Ming and Qing dynasties and up to this day, the popular worship of the Granny of Mt Tai has always been quite prosperous. The birthday of the Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud is on the 18th day of the fourth lunar month, around which spring has come and the flowers are in blossom in the area of Mt Tai. Pilgrims who ascend to the top of the mountain to burn incense and offer sacrifices to the Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud, and devotees who make and redeem vows crowd every place from the foot to the top of the mountain. There are many temples in the north where the Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud is enshrined. It is said in the ''District Gazetteer of Wanping'' and other sources that in old days, the temple fair to celebrate the divine birth of the Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud was held from the tenth to the eighteenth day of the fourth lunar month in the area of the High Bridge and Miaofeng Mountain in Wanping, Beijing. Throngs of visitors went there in an endless stream, and "women of the whole city went to resort to her and prayed that they would bear children". [[zh:碧霞元君]] 49fcb5ed0ed259aaf49b7a5aa4d32cdf7fd1b103 10 514 657 650 2009-10-11T05:51:44Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>Immortals and Immortalism</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |The Heavenly Lords |- |align=center align="center" |[[The Primeval Lord of Heaven]] <br> [[The Heavenly Lord of the Numinous Treasure]]<br> [[The Heavenly Lord of Dao and its Virtue]] <br> [[The Great Jade Emperor]]<br> [[The Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery]] <br> [[The Three Great Emperor-Officials]]<br> [[The Four Heavenly Ministers]] <br> [[The Emperors of the Soil]]<br>[[The Queen Mother of the West]] <br> [[The Thunder Patriarch]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |The Stellar Sovereigns |- |align=center align="center" |[[The Great Perfect Warrior Emperor ]] <br> [[Imperial Sovereign Wenchang]] <br> [[The Stellar Sovereign of the Five Planets and Seven Stars]] <br>[[The Four Numinous Animals and Twenty-Eight Constellations]]<br> [[The Big Dipper]] <br> [[The Sixty Daily Spirits of the Celestial Trunks and Earthly Branches]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Spirits of Mountains, Rivers, Seas and Thunder |- |align=center align="center" |[[The Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East]] <br> [[The Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud]]<br> [[The Five Supreme Commanders of the Thunder Agency ]] <br> [[The Father of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning]]<br> [[The Dragon King]] <br> [[The Master of Rain]] <br> [[The Earl of Wind]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Spirits of the Soil and Local Protector Spirits |- |align=center align="center" |[[The City God]] <br> [[The Door Spirits]] <br>[[The Earth Spirit]] <br> [[The Kitchen Spirit]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Spirits of Wealth and Longevity |- |align=center align="center" |[[The Spirit of Wealth]] <br>[[The Stars of Luck, Wealth and Longevity]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Guardians of Hell |- |align=center align="center" |[[The Great Emperor of Fengdu ]] <br> [[The Yamas of the Ten Halls]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Perfect Men and Immortals |- |align=center align="center" |[[Guanyin (Avalokitesvara)]] <br> [[The Eight Immortals]] <br> [[The Motherly Matriarch]] <br>[[Emperor Guan]] <br> [[Patriarch Lü]] [[Numinous Official Wang]] <br>[[The Water-Margin Lady]] <br> [[The Three Mao Perfect Sovereign Brothers ]]<br>[[The Great Life-Protecting Emperor ]] <br> [[The Saintly Founder-King of Zhang]] <br> [[The King of the Three Mountains]] |} 01f71a5b8f5905a4c3c7fc0b301257b99997a7d4 658 657 2009-10-11T05:52:04Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>Immortals and Immortalism</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |The Heavenly Lords |- |align=center align="center" |[[The Primeval Lord of Heaven]] <br> [[The Heavenly Lord of the Numinous Treasure]]<br> [[The Heavenly Lord of Dao and its Virtue]] <br> [[The Great Jade Emperor]]<br> [[The Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery]] <br> [[The Three Great Emperor-Officials]]<br> [[The Four Heavenly Ministers]] <br> [[The Emperors of the Soil]]<br>[[The Queen Mother of the West]] <br> [[The Thunder Patriarch]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |The Stellar Sovereigns |- |align=center align="center" |[[The Great Perfect Warrior Emperor ]] <br> [[Imperial Sovereign Wenchang]] <br> [[The Stellar Sovereign of the Five Planets and Seven Stars]] <br>[[The Four Numinous Animals and Twenty-Eight Constellations]]<br> [[The Big Dipper]] <br> [[The Sixty Daily Spirits of the Celestial Trunks and Earthly Branches]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Spirits of Mountains, Rivers, Seas and Thunder |- |align=center align="center" |[[The Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East]] <br> [[The Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud]]<br> [[The Five Supreme Commanders of the Thunder Agency]] <br> [[The Father of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning]]<br> [[The Dragon King]] <br> [[The Master of Rain]] <br> [[The Earl of Wind]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Spirits of the Soil and Local Protector Spirits |- |align=center align="center" |[[The City God]] <br> [[The Door Spirits]] <br>[[The Earth Spirit]] <br> [[The Kitchen Spirit]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Spirits of Wealth and Longevity |- |align=center align="center" |[[The Spirit of Wealth]] <br>[[The Stars of Luck, Wealth and Longevity]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Guardians of Hell |- |align=center align="center" |[[The Great Emperor of Fengdu ]] <br> [[The Yamas of the Ten Halls]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Perfect Men and Immortals |- |align=center align="center" |[[Guanyin (Avalokitesvara)]] <br> [[The Eight Immortals]] <br> [[The Motherly Matriarch]] <br>[[Emperor Guan]] <br> [[Patriarch Lü]] [[Numinous Official Wang]] <br>[[The Water-Margin Lady]] <br> [[The Three Mao Perfect Sovereign Brothers ]]<br>[[The Great Life-Protecting Emperor ]] <br> [[The Saintly Founder-King of Zhang]] <br> [[The King of the Three Mountains]] |} 180216d51b5d91a9a5ca1053ab386b7093e1b9d2 0 531 659 2009-10-11T06:23:46Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origins of the Five Supreme Commanders of the Thunder Agency== The Five Supreme Commanders of the Thunder Agency ( 雷部五元帥 Leibu Wu Yuan...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origins of the Five Supreme Commanders of the Thunder Agency== The Five Supreme Commanders of the Thunder Agency ( 雷部五元帥 Leibu Wu Yuanshuai ) refer to the five supreme commanders of the Thunder Agency ( 雷部 Leibu ) under the administration of [[the Heavenly Lord of Universal Transformation Whose Voice of Thunder Resonates With the Origin of the Nine Heavens]] ( 九天應元雷聲普化天尊 Jiutian Yingyuan Leisheng Puhua Tianzun ). There are many supreme commanders in the Thunder Agency. Some say that there are 36 drums in the Thunder Agency and one supreme commander keeps each of them, so there are 36 supreme commanders. Others say that there are 24 Heavenly Sovereigns ( 天君 Tianjun ) who summon clouds and rain and guard the teachings, and hence 24 supreme commanders. The Five Supreme Commanders of the Thunder Agency are the five ones frequently seen in Daoist scriptures and books, most widespread among the people, and whose portraits are set up to be enshrined in some Daoist temples, namely the five supreme commanders Deng, Bi, Liu, Xin and Pang. ==Chief Supreme Commander Deng== Deng is the chief one among the five supreme commanders. His given name is Zhong. It is said that he "has bright silver teeth", and "is surrounded by fire". He is called in the Supplementary Records of the Listener ( 夷堅志補 Yijian Zhi Bu ) as "General Deng of Heavenly Origin who Interrogates and Summons Demons ( 天元考召鄧將軍 Tianyuan Kaozhao Dengjiangjun ) ". The Remaining Stories about Cauldron-Casting ( 鑄鼎餘聞 Zhuding Yuwen ) quotes the Personal Records of the District of Changshu ( 常熟私志 Changshu Sizhi ), calling him "Supreme Commander Deng, Great Spirit in Charge of Laws and Decrees ( 律令大神鄧元帥 Lüling Dashen Deng Yuanshuai ) ", which indicates that he is in charge of laws and decrees, and of the interrogation and summoning of the Thunder Agency. ==Supreme Commander Bi, the Thunder Spirit== Supreme Commander Bi was formerly called Tianhua. According to the Comprehensive Collection of Investigations into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines since their Origin ( 三教源流搜神一全 Sanjiao Yuanliu Soushen Daquan ), Tianhua was originally a Thunder Spirit ( 雷精 Leijing ), who was concealed underground and reincarnated in the fields, and after being nourished by the breath of stalactites for 1,000 years, he was given his birth. At the moment he was born, there was a bolt from the blue in the daytime, the flame lit up the sky, a sudden gale struck and a heavy shower suddenly fell. Surrounded by large serpents, he was fed by bees. Getting older, he was given the name Tian (field) for he was born in the fields, and the name Bi, for the characters Bi and Hua are alike. He Cultivated and Refined ( 修煉 Xiulian ) himself under the Lulu Cliff. When Nuna failed to patch the holes in the sky, Supreme Commander Bi assisted the Spirits of Fire and Water ( 水火之精 Shuihuo Zhi Jing ), and shouted between heaven and earth so as to block the holes in the sky. Later, he refined the battle formation of fire, hail, wind and thunder of five colors, helped [[the Yellow Emperor]] ( 黃帝 Huangdi ) kill Chiyou, and became the master of dragons. The Jade Emperor appointed him Supreme Commander Bi of the Thunder Agency, ordered him to be in charge of the twelve Thunder Courts ( 雷庭 Leiting ) and to assist the Highest Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven ( 玄天上帝 Xuantian Shangdi ) in killing the gods of plague and using spirits. He controlled the dryness and wetness of Heaven and Earth, checked the activities of demons, and attacked those who were not benevolent or upright. ==Supreme Commander Liu who is in charge of affairs== Heavenly sovereign Liu had the given name Hou and lived in the Jin dynasty. He was born in a fishing boat on the Minjiang River, and did not drown when falling into the middle of the river during his childhood. Due to poverty, he was sent to be the page boy of Perfect Man Luo. Since he had a good command of the gestures of the Five Thunders, he was able to summon wind and rain, and responded immediately after being asked, and benefited the people and the country. One year when the eastern capital suffered severe droughts, the emperor prayed in the Shrine of Heavenly Sovereign Liu, and a heavy rain fell as expected. That autumn had a good harvest. The emperor named him the Perfect Sovereign of Creation and Benevolence ( 立化慈濟真君 Lihua Ciji Zhenjun ), and [[the Jade Emperor]] ( 玉皇大帝 Yuhuang Dadi ) ordered him to be in charge of various kinds of affairs of the prince palace of the Thunder Agency. ==Supreme Commander Xin of the Thunder Fast== Supreme Commander Xin was formerly named Xin Xing and styled Zhenyu, who was a native of Yongzhou. According to the Comprehensive Collection of Investigations into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines since their Origin, there was a Mountain of Divine Thunder ( 神雷山 Shenlei Shan ) in the area of Yongzhou. Xin Xing's mother was scared to death by the thunderbolt on the Mountain of Divine Thunder, and Xin Xing held his mother's corpse, weeping. Moved by his extreme filial piety, the Thunder Spirit transformed into a Daoist priest and offered his apology, and presented to him twelve fire elixirs for him to eat. Then Xin changed his form, his head changed into that of a monster, his mouth into a beak, his shoulders into wings, with a dagger in his left hand and a mallet in the right and five drugs under his feet. The Jade Emperor appointed him Supreme Commander, who, together with the Supreme Commander Bi, "was responsible for affairs in the five directions, travelling back and forth in the heavens, and eliminating the evil demons and ghosts in the nether world and this world". It is said that the 15th day of the sixth lunar month is the divine birthday of Supreme Commander Xin. On that day, the Daoist priests worshiping the Thunder Sprits abstain from eating meat. This is known as the "Thunder Fast" ( 雷齋 Leizhai ), in order to pray for the blessings of gods. ==Supreme Commander Pang with a Golden Sword== Supreme Commander Pang was formerly named Pang Qiao and styled Changqing. According to the Comprehensive Collection of Investigations into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines since their Origin, he was born in a poor family who had been ferrymen for generations. Yet Pang Qiao was kind in heart and actions. He was never impartial to those who traveled by ferry and helped people in emergency and difficulty. Hearing of his extreme filial piety and absolute sincerity, the Jade Emperor appointed him Supreme Commander of the Vital Breath of Chaos. With a golden sword in hand, he was devoted to his duty of guarding the gate of heaven, in order to vanquish the demons in the nether world and exterminate the old evils, and never failed. ==Worship== The Hall of Heavenly Generals ( 天將殿堂 Tianjiang Diantang ) is always founded in some large Daoist temples to enshrine the Supreme Commanders of the Thunder Agency or some other heavenly generals. The titles and number of the supreme commanders who are worshiped may vary due to the differences in the local cultural and historical background of the Daoist priests in different places. But it is common to take the Supreme Commanders of the Thunder Agency as the gods guarding the teachings and relieving the distressed to pray to. [[zh:雷部五元帥]] ee7463bda0221eaced419b7c4cba71539a9c6fd4 0 532 660 2009-10-11T06:30:22Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origins of the Father of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning== The Father of Thunder, the spirit in charge of thunder, is called Father for it i...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origins of the Father of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning== The Father of Thunder, the spirit in charge of thunder, is called Father for it is masculine, and can also be called the Master of Thunder or the Thunder Spirit. The Mother of Lightning, the spirit in charge of lightning, is called Mother for it is feminine, and can also be called the Sacred Mother of Golden Light or Lady Lightning. The worship of thunder and lightening originated in ancient times. ''Far-off Journey'' by Qu Yuan of the Warring States contains the following sentence: "the left is guarded by the Master of Rain and the right by the Father of Thunder." Also, his ''Encountering Sorrow'' says, "the phoenix warns me, and the Master of Thunder tells me what I don't possess. I order Fenglong to ride clouds in search of the imperial concubine Mi". According to the annotation of Wang Yi of the Han dynasty, Fenglong "is also called the Master of Thunder". Records about the Father of Thunder are numerous in the ''Book of Mountains'' and Seas, where the Father of Thunder is claimed to have "a dragon's body, a human's head, and a protruding belly", so it must be in the shape of a beast. But the Father of Thunder of the Han dynasty recounted by Wang Chong of the Han dynasty in his ''Judgements on Opinions'' "appears like a strong man, and is called the Father of Thunder. He is made to hold a string of drugs in his left hand and push a drumstick with his right hand as if beating drugs. It implies that the rumble of thunder is the sound of drugs knocking each other." The Father of Thunder had a human form. During the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern dynasties, the Father of Thunder changed into the shape of a beast again. ''Investigations into the Divine'' says that the Father of Thunder "has red complexion and mirror-like eyes, his hair and horn are three-foot long, and he has a form like the six domestic animals and rhesus monkeys". The post of lightning was held by the Father of Thunder in ancient times, and the title of Father of Lightning did not appear until the Han dynasty. During the Tang and Song dynasties, the Spirit of Lightning turned into the Mother of Lightning. Cui Zhiyuan of the Tang dynasty says, "the Father of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning are ordered to open the way facing the sky to foreign countries". Su Shi of the Song dynasty wrote a line, saying, "command the Father of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning". After the Song and Yuan dynasties, the Mother of Lightning took a name. According to ''Remaining Stories about Cauldron-Casting'', "the Envoy Mother of Lightning Xiu is named Wenying". The ''Records of Carriages and Dresses in the History of the Yuan Dynasty'' mentions that in the army, there was "the flag of the Mother of Lightning" on which the spirit was portrayed in the form of a woman who was "dressed in reddish garment, crimson skirt and white trousers, both of her hands giving off light". Both the novels Journey to the West and Journey to the North of the Ming dynasty mentioned the Mother of Lightning, calling her "the Sacred Mother of Golden Light" or "Lady Zhupei". ==Functions== The functions of the Father of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning were formerly to administer thunder and lightning. But since the pre-Qin days and the two Han dynasties, the populace has given thunder and lightning the meaning of "punishing evil-doers and advocating good-doers". ''Basic Annals of the Yin Dynasty in the Records of the Historian'' says, "Wuyi ruled with disregard for principles and was struck to death by thunder". The section "Fabrications about Thunder" in Wang Chong's ''Judgements on Opinions'' says, "In mid summer, the swift thunder and lightning break trees, destroy houses and kill people sometimes", and "they kill people who are claimed to have hidden misdeeds. Heaven strikes and kills those who give people something dirty to eat or drink. The rumbling sound is the voice of Heaven that flares up, just like human's resounding sighs". Thunder and lighting indicate righting wrongs in accordance with Heaven's decree, punishing hidden misdeeds, and striking the ruffians to death. In many of the rites for praying for rain or snow that are recorded in his ''[[Great Collection of Daoist Skills]]'', [[Du Guangting]], an eminent Daoist priest of the Tang and Five Dynasties, took the Father of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning to be the major spirits to whom people offer sacrifices. The Daoist priests of the Divine Heaven sect and the Pristine Subtlety sect after the Northern Song dynasty applied Thunder Skills. A Collection of Daoist Skills says that the basis of Thunder Skills is the "Vital Breath", and "as for the skills of Dao, the motionless skill refers to the intercourse of dragon and tiger, while the moving skill refers to the rumbling of the thunderbolt". As a divinity subordinate to the Heavenly Lord of Universal Transformation Whose Voice of Thunder Resonates With the Origin of the Nine Heavens (i.e. the Thunder Patriarch), the Father of Thunder was ordered to be in charge of receiving and sending off, summoning, assigning and discharging thunder in the application of the skills. ==Worship== The Father of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning are always enshrined in some large Daoist temples. The statue of the Father of Thunder looks like a strong man, who exposes chest and stomach, grows two wings on his back, has three eyes in the forehead, and whose complexion is as red as a monkey, jaw long and sharp, and feet like hawk's claws. He holds an iron sickle in the left hand and an iron beetle in the right, and looks as if he is going to strike. A string of five drugs hang from the top of his hand to the sides around his body. He crosses his legs with a drug under his left foot. He is called the Father of Thunder and the Heavenly Sovereign Jiang. The statue of the Mother of Lightning appears like a woman, and looks elegant with mirrors in both her hands, and is called the Mother of Lightning and the Heavenly Sovereign Xiu. The divine birthday of the Father of Thunder is the 24th day of the sixth lunar month. Generally speaking, Daoist believers worship the Father of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning only when they pray for rain and snow and few worship them specially. But the spirit tablets for the Father of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning are still set up in large-scale Daoist rituals of fasts and offerings. [[zh:雷公電母]] 096ac72565a479c6032126f1efb4d2c607985ff9 0 533 661 2009-10-11T07:39:09Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origins of the Dragon King ( 龍王 Longwang ) == The Dragon is one of the [[four spirits of ancient Chinese mythology]]. The section "On the Dr...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origins of the Dragon King ( 龍王 Longwang ) == The Dragon is one of the [[four spirits of ancient Chinese mythology]]. The section "On the Dragon King ( 龍王品 Longwan Pin ) " in the Book of Divine Incantations of the ''[[Supreme Pervasive Abyss]]'' ( 太上洞淵神呪經 Taishang Dongyuan Shenzhou Jing ) lists the names of the "Dragon Kings of the Five Emperors ( 五帝龍王 Wudi Longwang ) " which each correspond to one direction, the "Dragon Kings of the Four Seas ( 四海龍王 Sihai Longwang ) " which each correspond to one sea, and the Fifty-Four Dragon Kings and Sixty-Two Divine Dragon Kings ( 神龍王 Shen Longwang ) which are distinguished according to all things in Heaven and on Earth. During the reign of Emperor Xuan of the Tang dynasty, a shrine was set up in Longchi by imperial order and the position of Altar Official ( 壇官 Tanguan ) was established for offering sacrifices to the Dragon King, following the rites for worshiping [[the Master of Rain]] ( 雨師 Yushi ). The first emperor of the Song dynasty continued to follow the Tang dynasty rules for offering sacrifice to the Five Dragons. In the second year of Daguan during the reign of emperor Hui of the Song dynasty (AD 1108), the ranks of kings and nobility were conferred upon the Five Dragons ( 五龍 Wulong ). The Green Dragon Spirit ( 青龍神 Qinglongshen ) was titled the King of Extensive Benevolence ( 廣仁王 Guangren Wang ), the Red Dragon Spirit ( 赤龍神 Chilongshen ) was titled the King of Kind Beneficence ( 嘉澤王 Jiaze Wang ), the Yellow Dragon Spirit ( 黃龍神 Huanglongshen ) was titled the King of Trustful Correspondence ( 孚應王 Fuying Wang ), the White Dragon Spirit ( 白龍神 Bailongshen ) was titled the King of Righteous Salvation ( 義濟王 Yiji Wang ), and the Black Dragon Spirit ( 黑龍神 Heilongshen ) was titled the King of Numinous Beneficence ( 靈澤王 Lingze Wang ). In the second year of Tongzhi of the Qing dynasty (AD 1863), the Dragon Spirit of Canals ( 運河龍神 Yunhe Longshe ) was titled the "Dragon King Spirit who Prolongs Protection, Reveals Correspondence, and Divides Water" ( 延庥顯應分水龍王之神 Yanxiu Xianying Fenshui Longwang Zhi Shen ), and the governor-general of river courses was ordered to offer sacrifice to him regularly. ==Functions== Thus the functions of the Dragon King are to conjure up clouds and rain, rid people of scorching weather and worries, and it became a popular belief among the people that the Dragon King regulates rivers and watercourses. The section "On the Dragon King" in the ''Book of Divine Incantations of the Supreme Pervasive Abyss says'', "when the fields of the country are arid and produce no food crops, and no one can find a solution", [[the Primeval Lord of Heaven]] ( 元始天尊 Yuanshi Tianzun ) comes to the country on clouds in five colours and preaches the Orthodox Law, and delivers all living creatures from torment with aid of the Dragon Kings of various heavens, and so timely torrential rain falls to moisten the fields. ==Worship== All kinds of literary records and the folklores of various places have different statements about the divine birthday of the Dragon King. In old days, the temples enshrining the Dragon King ( 龍王廟 Longwang Miao ) were as common as those enshrining [[the City God]] ( 城隍 Chenghuang ) and [[the Earth Spirit]] ( 土地 Tudi ). Whenever the weather was unfavorable, if there was a long drought or if it kept raining for a long time, the populace would go to the Dragon King Temple to burn incense and make vows in order to pray for good weather and for the Dragon King to bring the rivers under control. [[zh:龍王]] 8e60f08993b775af215e99829b864827231bcf8b 662 661 2009-10-11T07:41:51Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origins of the Dragon King ( 龍王 Longwang ) == The Dragon is one of the [[four spirits of ancient Chinese mythology]]. The section "On the Dragon King ( 龍王品 Longwan Pin ) " in the Book of Divine Incantations of ''[[the Supreme Pervasive Abyss]]'' ( 太上洞淵神呪經 Taishang Dongyuan Shenzhou Jing ) lists the names of the "Dragon Kings of the Five Emperors ( 五帝龍王 Wudi Longwang ) " which each correspond to one direction, the "Dragon Kings of the Four Seas ( 四海龍王 Sihai Longwang ) " which each correspond to one sea, and the Fifty-Four Dragon Kings and Sixty-Two Divine Dragon Kings ( 神龍王 Shen Longwang ) which are distinguished according to all things in Heaven and on Earth. During the reign of Emperor Xuan of the Tang dynasty, a shrine was set up in Longchi by imperial order and the position of Altar Official ( 壇官 Tanguan ) was established for offering sacrifices to the Dragon King, following the rites for worshiping [[the Master of Rain]] ( 雨師 Yushi ). The first emperor of the Song dynasty continued to follow the Tang dynasty rules for offering sacrifice to the Five Dragons. In the second year of Daguan during the reign of emperor Hui of the Song dynasty (AD 1108), the ranks of kings and nobility were conferred upon the Five Dragons ( 五龍 Wulong ). The Green Dragon Spirit ( 青龍神 Qinglongshen ) was titled the King of Extensive Benevolence ( 廣仁王 Guangren Wang ), the Red Dragon Spirit ( 赤龍神 Chilongshen ) was titled the King of Kind Beneficence ( 嘉澤王 Jiaze Wang ), the Yellow Dragon Spirit ( 黃龍神 Huanglongshen ) was titled the King of Trustful Correspondence ( 孚應王 Fuying Wang ), the White Dragon Spirit ( 白龍神 Bailongshen ) was titled the King of Righteous Salvation ( 義濟王 Yiji Wang ), and the Black Dragon Spirit ( 黑龍神 Heilongshen ) was titled the King of Numinous Beneficence ( 靈澤王 Lingze Wang ). In the second year of Tongzhi of the Qing dynasty (AD 1863), the Dragon Spirit of Canals ( 運河龍神 Yunhe Longshe ) was titled the "Dragon King Spirit who Prolongs Protection, Reveals Correspondence, and Divides Water" ( 延庥顯應分水龍王之神 Yanxiu Xianying Fenshui Longwang Zhi Shen ), and the governor-general of river courses was ordered to offer sacrifice to him regularly. ==Functions== Thus the functions of the Dragon King are to conjure up clouds and rain, rid people of scorching weather and worries, and it became a popular belief among the people that the Dragon King regulates rivers and watercourses. The section "On the Dragon King" in the ''Book of Divine Incantations of the Supreme Pervasive Abyss says'', "when the fields of the country are arid and produce no food crops, and no one can find a solution", [[the Primeval Lord of Heaven]] ( 元始天尊 Yuanshi Tianzun ) comes to the country on clouds in five colours and preaches the Orthodox Law, and delivers all living creatures from torment with aid of the Dragon Kings of various heavens, and so timely torrential rain falls to moisten the fields. ==Worship== All kinds of literary records and the folklores of various places have different statements about the divine birthday of the Dragon King. In old days, the temples enshrining the Dragon King ( 龍王廟 Longwang Miao ) were as common as those enshrining [[the City God]] ( 城隍 Chenghuang ) and [[the Earth Spirit]] ( 土地 Tudi ). Whenever the weather was unfavorable, if there was a long drought or if it kept raining for a long time, the populace would go to the Dragon King Temple to burn incense and make vows in order to pray for good weather and for the Dragon King to bring the rivers under control. [[zh:龍王]] c06b4ec04d62ab2cbfeaddd05c86c90a9e29d5c4 0 534 663 2009-10-11T08:42:40Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origins of the Master of Rain== The Master of Rain ( 雨師 Yushi ) is the Rain Spirit ( 雨神 Yushen ), who is also called Pingyi or Xuanming....' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origins of the Master of Rain== The Master of Rain ( 雨師 Yushi ) is the Rain Spirit ( 雨神 Yushen ), who is also called Pingyi or Xuanming. The Rain Spirit of ancient China has an early origin. The "Great Master of Sacrificial Rites ( 大宗伯 Da Zongbo ) " in the ''Rites of the Zhou'' ( 周禮 Zhouli ) mentions "burning firewood to worship the Controller of the Center ( 司中 Sizhong ), the Controller of Destinies ( 司命 Siming ), the Master of Wind ( 風師 Fengshi ) and the Master of Rain". Zheng Xuan made a commentary on it, saying, "the Master of Rain is the Constellation Bi ( 畢星 Bixing ) ". He means, "when the moon is far away from the Constellation Bi, it rains in torrents. So the Master of Rain is the Constellation Bi". Cai Yong of the Eastern Han dynasty says in his ''Independent Judgement'' ( 獨斷 Duduan ), "the Spirit of the Master of Rain ( 雨師神 Yushi Shen ) is the Constellation Bi. It conjures up rain when its image appears in the sky." Constellation Bi is one of the Seven Western Constellations ( 西方七宿 Xifang Qisu ) of the 28 constellations. Here the Master of Rain is regarded to be a constellation. The Rain Spirit may also be conceived in a human form. Qu Yuan's Questions on Heaven ( 天問 Tianwen ) says, "it rains at Ping's command". Wang Yi of the Han dynasty annotated it, saying, "Ping is Pingyi, the name of the Master of Rain". The Comprehensive Explanations to Customs ( 風俗通義 Fengsu Tongyi ) says, "according ''Zuo's Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals'' ( 春秋左氏傳 Chunqiu Zuoshi Zhuan ), the son of Gonggong is the Master Xuanming", and "Zichan, the Senior Official ( 大夫 Dafu ) of Zheng, averted disasters by praying to Xuanming". Xuanming is in fact the Master of Rain. The Jin dynasty Investigations into the Divine ( 搜神記 Soushen Ji ) says, "Chisongzi is the Master of Rain during the time of the Holy Farmer ( 神農 Shennong ) ". The ''Comprehensive Collection of Investigations into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines since their Origin'' ( 三教源流搜神大全sanjiao Yuanliu Soushen Daquan ) took the Master of Rain to be a divine bird, saying, "the Master of Rain is Shangyang, and Shangyang is a divine bird with a single claw. It can become big or small and make seas dry when it sucks. It is the Spirit of the Master of Rain". After the Tang and Song dynasties, the worship of [[the Dragon King]] ( 龍王 Longwang ) born out of Buddhism gradually began to replace the Master of Rain. ==Functions== In the name 'Master of Rain', "Master" refers to a spirit. According to the section ''Sacrificial Rites'' ( 祀典 Sidian ) ''of the Comprehensive Explanations to Customs'', "master means multitude. Water is extensive in the soil. Thunder shakes ten thousand li, and even reaches the Supreme Mountain ( 太山 Taishan ), and so does the wind. But rain is different. It may rain everywhere under heaven within a morning. Rain's merits are so extensive and great that only rain is titled Master". Because the rain moistens the land, "brings birth to everything, and does meritorious deeds to human beings, kings offer sacrifice to it in order to repay its contribution". ==Worship== The worship of the Master of Rain was already classified as one of the country's sacrificial rites during the Qin and Han dynasties. The ''Important Documents of the Tang'' ( 唐會要 Tang Huiyao ) says that the worship of the Master of Rain was promoted to a sacrificial rite of the middle rank, and "an altar must be set up in each prefecture" so that the rites could be held simultaneously with kings' sacrificial rites. Some Daoist temples also set up halls to enshrine [[the Earl of Wind]] ( 風伯 Fengbo ), the Master of Rain, [[the Father of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning]] (雷公電母 Leigong Dianmu ). The statue of the Master of Rain is always a black-bearded robust man with a jar in his left hand where there is a dragon, whose right hand seems to be sprinkling water. He is called the Master of Rain and the Heavenly Sovereign Chen. His divine birthday is on the 20th day of the 11th lunar month. But now the sacrificial rites particularly held for the Master of Rain are rarely seen because the worship of the Master of Rain has gradually been replaced by that of the Dragon King in modern times. The spirit tablet of the Master of Rain is merely set up at large-scale Daoist rituals of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ), for the Master of Rain to be worshiped along with other spirits. [[zh:雨師]] 04e2b662752bac35505ddb489fd43ccf78f1d08d 0 535 664 2009-10-11T09:02:20Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origins of the Earl of Wind== The Earl of Wind is the wind spirit, who is also called the Master of Wind, Feilian, Jibo, and so on. The worship ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origins of the Earl of Wind== The Earl of Wind is the wind spirit, who is also called the Master of Wind, Feilian, Jibo, and so on. The worship of the Earl of Wind in ancient China has an early origin. The section The ''Great Master of Sacrifial Rites in the Rites of the Zhou'' mentions "burning firewood to worship the Controller of the Center, the Controller of Destinies, the Master of Wind, and the Master of Rain". Zheng Xuan made a commentary on it, saying, "the Master of Wind is the Constellation Ji". He means, "when the moon is far away from the Constellation Ji, it raises sand. From this we know that the Master of Wind is the Constellation Ji". Cai Yong of the Eastern Han dynasty says in his ''Judgements on Opinions'', "the spirit of the Earl of Wind is the Constellation Ji. It conjures up wind when its image appears in the sky". The Constellation Ji is one of the seven Eastern Constellations of the 28 constellations. Here the Wind Spirit is seen as a constellation. The Earl of Wind was also called Feilian in the area of Chu. There is a line in Qu Yuan's Encountering Sorrow, which says: "Wangshu is going in front of me, while Feilian is tailing behind me". Jinzhuo annotates Feilian as having "a deer's body, a sparrow's head, a horn, a snake's tail and a leopard's stripes". Guo You annotates it to be "the name of a beast with long hairs and wings". Here the Wind Spirit is taken to have an animal form. After the Tang and Song dynasties, the Earl of Wind was once called "Auntie Wind", "Auntie Feng", and "the Wind Queen", so it was sometimes regarded as a goddess. But the most common version is the one that takes the Constellation Ji to be the Earl of Wind. ==Functions== The functions of the Earl of Wind are to "govern the rising and fading of wind in the eight directions and master the symptoms of clouds of the five colors". Wind is a major factor of weather. It concerns benefiting seasons and breeding the world. The section ''Sacrificial Rites of the Comprehensive Explanations to Customs'' says that the Earl of Wind "shakes with thunder and moistens with rain so as to give birth to everything. It does meritorious deeds to human beings, so kings offer sacrifice to it in order to repay its contribution". ==Worship== The worship of the Earl of Wind was already classified as one of the country's sacrificial rites during the Qin and Han dynasties. ''Important Documents of the Tang'' says that the worship of the Earl of Wind was promoted to be a sacrificial rite of the middle rank, and it was required that "an altar be set up in each prefecture" so that the rites could be held simultaneously with kings' sacrificial rites. Some Daoist temples also set up halls to enshrine the Earl of Wind, [[the Master of Rain]], [[the Father of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning]]. The statue of the Earl of Wind is always a white-haired elderly man with a wheel in his left hand and a fan in his right hand that seems to be fanning. He is called the Earl of Wind and Heavenly Sovereign Fang. The divine birthday of the Earl of Wind is the fifth day of the 10th lunar month. Among common Daoists, only those whose life and jobs are closely connected with the Earl of Wind offer sacrifices to him alone, while most Daoists worship him only at large-scale Daoist rites of Fasts and Offerings. [[zh:風伯]] d30f0fb290b173def650bcd6a652471156000722 0 536 665 2009-10-11T09:14:25Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origins of the Earth Spirit== In ancient China, there existed ceremonial rites of worshiping the earth and village. The village was the smallest...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origins of the Earth Spirit== In ancient China, there existed ceremonial rites of worshiping the earth and village. The village was the smallest local administrative unit. The section "Sacrificial Rites" of the ''Book of Rites'' has a commentary which says, "people from superior officials down, including scholar-officials and commoners, lived in groups. A village was established where there were 100 families". The section "Records of the Five Agents" of the ''History of the Han Dynasty'' says, "25 families composed a village in the old system". The ancients revered Heaven and loved Earth. The "Records of the Five Agents" says, "the Earth is so wide that it is impossible to worship all over it, so the soil was piled up into an altar in order to repay its contribution". So the Earth was worshiped in order to repay for its charity. The Village Spirit was already called the Village Grandpa Spirit or the Earth Spirit, especially the latter. The Village Spirit was nameless at first. After the Eastern Jin dynasty, charitable and upright officials were taken to be the Earth Spirit among the people, therefore the spirit was personalized and named. The section "On Village Spirits" of the ''Book of Major Daoist Numinous Spirits and Ghosts'' quoted ''Laozi's Catalogue of Ghosts and Spirits of Heaven and Earth'', saying, "the Village Spirit of the capital was an upright subject of Heaven. It was feminine on the left side and masculine on the right side, and named Huang Chong. It was a native of Liyang, Jiujiang of Yangzhou. Ranked as Wandan, he governs the great divinities of famous mountains on Earth under Heaven, and all the other Village Spirits serve him as his subject". After the Ming and Qing dynasties, celebrities were often taken to be the local Earth Spirit among the people. For example, it is said that the Earth Spirit worshiped by the Imperial Academy and by the Ministry of Civil Personnel in the Qing dynasty was Han Yu, a great literati of the Tang dynasty. The area around the Imperial College in Hangzhou was the hometown of Yue Fei, so the Imperial College venerated Yue Fei as the Earth Spirit. Today the Earth Granny is often worshiped as a supplement in the temples of the Earth Spirit. This custom originated around the Southern Song dynasty. ==Giving Birth to All Things on Earth== The reason for the Chinese peoples' love and worship of the Earth is that the Earth carries and gives birth to everything on Earth, on which the five cereals grow to rear the people. Volume 532 of the ''Imperial Encyclopaedia of the Taiping Era'' quoted the ''Unofficial Commentaries on the Book of Rites'', saying, "a country takes the people to be its foundation, and the masses regard food as their heaven. So when the emperor founds the country and governs the people, he commands to first set up the altar of the soil. Due to the wide earth and rich cereal crops and the impossibility to worship every inch of the earth, altars are set up to worship the Earth in countries and cities". ==Governing the Home Village== With the gradual perfection of the bureaucratic system from the central authorities to the basic level in feudal countries, the Earth Spirit, which is only able to govern the native soil, gradually evolved into a minor spirit of the lowest rank among Daoist Spirits starting in the Eastern Jin dynasty. Volume Five of ''Investigations into the Divine'' says that Jiang Ziwen, a native of Guangling, died for pursuing thieves. After Sun Quan of the Eastern Wu wielded power, Jiang Ziwen presented his spirit on a road and said, "I should be the Earth Spirit of this place to benefit you people". Here to "benefit you people" means to bless the safety of houses, the birth of babies into families, and the thriving of the domestic animals on the native land and to being just. Often there is an antithetical couplet in the temples of the Earth Spirit in the south of China, which says, "the grandpa handles affairs fairly, while the grandma gives advice earnestly". ==Worship== Most of the temples housing the Earth Spirit are rather simple and crude. Some of the big temples enshrine the spirit tablet of the Earth Spirit in the halls. The divine birthday of the Earth Spirit is the 2nd day of the 2nd lunar month. In old days, both officials and the people went to the temples of the Earth Spirit to burn incense and offer sacrifices. Today it is still quite popular to burn incense in the temples of the Earth Spirit on the first and the fifth day of each month. [[zh:土地]] 5ff13469d4fb8586cb31cfa5f96afe7128ddc6b1 0 537 666 2009-10-11T09:17:47Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origins and Functions of the Door Spirits== The Door Spirits are the spirits who guard the doors of houses. The worship of the Door Spirits was ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origins and Functions of the Door Spirits== The Door Spirits are the spirits who guard the doors of houses. The worship of the Door Spirits was recorded in the pre-Qin documents in China. The section "Extensive Records of Funerals" in the Book of Rites annotated, "the sovereign worships the Door Spirits with trifling gifts". In the Han dynasty, the Door Spirits referred to Shentu and Yulei. ''Judgements on Opinions'' quoted the ''Book of Mountains and Seas'', saying, "in the deep blue sea stands the Dushao Mountain, on which grows a big peach tree lying coiled for 3,000 li. The east and south of the branches are called the Ghosts' Gates, through which the ghosts enter and exit. On the gates there are two persons, namely Shentu and Yulei, who are in charge of inspecting and governing the ghosts. The evil and harmful ghosts are bound with reed ropes to be fed to tigers. So the Yellow Emperor holds rituals and exorcises ghosts on time. He sets up a big person made of peach wood, draws Shentu, Yulei and tiger on the door, and hangs reed ropes in order to ward off ferocious demons". In the Southern and Northern dynasties, there was the custom of drawing the picture of the Door Spirits Shentu and Yulei who wore suits of amour and held battle axes on their doors. Shentu was portrayed with a white face and happy appearance while Yulei was portrayed with a red face and angry appearance by later generations. Such portraits were passed on through generations. According to the ''Comprehensive Collection of Investigations into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines since their Origin'', in the Tang dynasty, emperor Taizong felt unwell and heard the howling of demons outside his bedroom at night. When Emperor Taizong told this to his subjects, Qin Shubao (i.e. Qin Qiong) petitioned to the emperor that together with Hu Jingde (or Weichi Jingde), he would like to stand outside the bedroom door in martial attire to guard the emperor. Emperor Taizong ratified his petition, and as desired, nothing happened that night. Hence emperor Taizong ordered artisan-painters to draw pictures of Qin Shubao and Hu Jingde in martial attire and hang them on the gates of palaces, and then the evil spirits disappeared. The latter generations followed the custom, so Qin Qiong and Hu Jingde (or Weichi Jingde) were said to be the Door Spirits. Qin Qiong was portrayed with a white face and Hu Jingde with a black face. When the spirits were ranked in the Daoist books of the Song dynasty, the Door Spirit was always ranked as the lowest among all the divinities, because its functions were merely to guard the doors of rooms and ward off demons, harassment and invasion. ==Worship== The divine birthday of the Door Spirits is on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month. Among the people there exist the customs of worshiping the Door Spirits and pasting their pictures on the gates in the season of the new spring. Some renowned places producing traditional pictures printed from engraved wooden plates, such as Yangliuqing, Weifang and Taohuawu, are also famous for the printing of the Door Spirit's pictures. The pictures of the Door Spirits are rich and varied. Some Door Spirits wear tiger helmets and some wear robes and ornaments. Some jubilant designs, such as those of deer, bats, precious horses and bottles and saddles, also decorate the New Year pictures to pray for good luck. [[zh:門神]] b3b80f8a6dfbc2b0d927672ab19a978a2eb574ea 0 538 667 2009-10-11T09:29:11Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Origin and Duties of the Martial Spirit of Wealth== The Spirits of Wealth refer to the Civil Spirit of Wealth and to the Martial Spirit of Wealth. In contemporary Daoist templ...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Origin and Duties of the Martial Spirit of Wealth== The Spirits of Wealth refer to the Civil Spirit of Wealth and to the Martial Spirit of Wealth. In contemporary Daoist temples, the Spirit of Wealth is depicted riding on a black tiger, with a black and long-bearded face, a rod and treasure in both hands, and wearing an ancient military uniform. In fact, this is a depiction of Marshal Zhao, the Martial Spirit of Wealth, who is popularly known as Zhao Gongming or Zhao Xuantan. Stories about the Spirit of Wealth can be found in books such as ''Investigations into the Divine and Declarations of the Perfected'', which were written during the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern dynasties. In these stories, he is either a deity in charge of burials or the god of plagues. It wasn't until the Yuan and Ming dynasties that the stories about him evolved into their present form. Marshal Zhao's surname was Zhao, and his personal name Lang or Xuanlang. He styled himself Gongming. A native of [[Mt. Zhongnan]], he was one of the Sun Spirits, in reference to the ancient myth of the Nine Suns. After they were shot down by Hou Yi with his arrows, the Nine Suns transformed themselves into nine birds which fell down onto Mt. Qingcheng and transformed themselves into nine ghosts. While the other eight ghosts spread diseases among the people, Zhao Xuanlang was transformed into a man who stayed as a hermit in the Shu state (the western area of Sichuan) and cultivated Dao there. When Celestial Master Zhang Lin practiced alchemy on Mt. Qingcheng, Zhao Xuanlang became his disciple, acting as the protector of the Elixir Chamber. After Zhang finished his elixir, he offered it to Zhao. After eating the drug, Zhao was able to change his form at will, and took the appearance of a Celestial Master. Zhang designated him as the protector of the Mystery Altar. Henceforth, he was called the Supreme Commader of the Mystery Altar. The Complete Investigation into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines claims that he controls thunder and lightning, dominates wind and rain, eliminates plague and disease, resists disasters and bad luck, and that he brings justice to the victims of wrong verdicts, brings wealth to fair business, and brings good results to pious prayer. In the Romance of the Gods, a fiction of the Ming dynasty, in which the heroes were designated as gods, Zhao Gongming was granted the title 'Perfect Sovereign of the Orthodox Oneness Dragon Tiger Mystery Altar of Wish-Fulfilment of the Golden Dragon'. He controls worldy wealth; under his command are the Heavenly Lord Who Invokes Treasure, the Heavenly Lord Who Collects Jewelry, the Envoy for Raising Wealth and the Immortal Official Who Benefits Commerce. Besides Marshal Zhao, Emperor Guan and general Wu Luna, who died in the defense of Wuxi city during the Ming dynasty, were also regarded as Martial Spirits of Wealth in folk culture. ==Origin of the Civil Spirit of Wealth== There are many versions of the Civil Spirit of Wealth, including Bi Gan, Fan Li, Stellar Sovereign Caibo and the Star of Wealth which, along with the Star of Luck and the Star of Longevity, was one of the Three Stars of Luck, Wealth and Longevity. In the sculptures and New Year pictures which are popular in folk culture, the Civil Spirit of Wealth normally wears good clothing, a hat and shoes, with a white and smiling face which fits the happy atmosphere of the new year. At that time he can be seen in every family, on walls or doors. It is said that the Civil Spirit of Wealth was so rich throughout his life that, even after his ascension to heaven, he was designated to run worldly wealth as well as official posts and ranks. However, the Civil Spirit of Wealth was never incorporated into the pantheon of Daoist Immortals. That's the reason why there aren't many Daoist scriptures attributed to him. ==Worship of the Spirit of Wealth== It was said that the fifteenth day of the third lunar month (in another version, the second day of the first lunar month) was Zhao Xuannang's birthday. On his birthday, Daoist adepts came to Daoist temples to attend memorial ceremonies. They prayed for good harvests and great wealth. But according to some popular tales, it was on the fifth day of the first lunar month that the Spirit of Wealth descended to inspect worldly society. So on the morning of that day, people let off firecrackers and played lion games, which was known as Enticing the Spirit of Wealth. Everyone one hopes he will have a good start and make a big fortune after spring festival. [[zh:財神]] 7d809e54efb6d0a24d4b9fc1b3c043f9308cf7ca 668 667 2009-10-11T09:30:56Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism}} ==Origin and Duties of the Martial Spirit of Wealth== The Spirits of Wealth refer to the Civil Spirit of Wealth and to the Martial Spirit of Wealth. In contemporary Daoist temples, the Spirit of Wealth is depicted riding on a black tiger, with a black and long-bearded face, a rod and treasure in both hands, and wearing an ancient military uniform. In fact, this is a depiction of Marshal Zhao, the Martial Spirit of Wealth, who is popularly known as Zhao Gongming or Zhao Xuantan. Stories about the Spirit of Wealth can be found in books such as ''Investigations into the Divine and Declarations of the Perfected'', which were written during the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern dynasties. In these stories, he is either a deity in charge of burials or the god of plagues. It wasn't until the Yuan and Ming dynasties that the stories about him evolved into their present form. Marshal Zhao's surname was Zhao, and his personal name Lang or Xuanlang. He styled himself Gongming. A native of [[Mt. Zhongnan]], he was one of the Sun Spirits, in reference to the ancient myth of the Nine Suns. After they were shot down by Hou Yi with his arrows, the Nine Suns transformed themselves into nine birds which fell down onto Mt. Qingcheng and transformed themselves into nine ghosts. While the other eight ghosts spread diseases among the people, Zhao Xuanlang was transformed into a man who stayed as a hermit in the Shu state (the western area of Sichuan) and cultivated Dao there. When Celestial Master Zhang Lin practiced alchemy on Mt. Qingcheng, Zhao Xuanlang became his disciple, acting as the protector of the Elixir Chamber. After Zhang finished his elixir, he offered it to Zhao. After eating the drug, Zhao was able to change his form at will, and took the appearance of a Celestial Master. Zhang designated him as the protector of the Mystery Altar. Henceforth, he was called the Supreme Commader of the Mystery Altar. The Complete Investigation into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines claims that he controls thunder and lightning, dominates wind and rain, eliminates plague and disease, resists disasters and bad luck, and that he brings justice to the victims of wrong verdicts, brings wealth to fair business, and brings good results to pious prayer. In the Romance of the Gods, a fiction of the Ming dynasty, in which the heroes were designated as gods, Zhao Gongming was granted the title 'Perfect Sovereign of the Orthodox Oneness Dragon Tiger Mystery Altar of Wish-Fulfilment of the Golden Dragon'. He controls worldy wealth; under his command are the Heavenly Lord Who Invokes Treasure, the Heavenly Lord Who Collects Jewelry, the Envoy for Raising Wealth and the Immortal Official Who Benefits Commerce. Besides Marshal Zhao, Emperor Guan and general Wu Luna, who died in the defense of Wuxi city during the Ming dynasty, were also regarded as Martial Spirits of Wealth in folk culture. ==Origin of the Civil Spirit of Wealth== There are many versions of the Civil Spirit of Wealth, including Bi Gan, Fan Li, Stellar Sovereign Caibo and the Star of Wealth which, along with the Star of Luck and the Star of Longevity, was one of the Three Stars of Luck, Wealth and Longevity. In the sculptures and New Year pictures which are popular in folk culture, the Civil Spirit of Wealth normally wears good clothing, a hat and shoes, with a white and smiling face which fits the happy atmosphere of the new year. At that time he can be seen in every family, on walls or doors. It is said that the Civil Spirit of Wealth was so rich throughout his life that, even after his ascension to heaven, he was designated to run worldly wealth as well as official posts and ranks. However, the Civil Spirit of Wealth was never incorporated into the pantheon of Daoist Immortals. That's the reason why there aren't many Daoist scriptures attributed to him. ==Worship of the Spirit of Wealth== It was said that the fifteenth day of the third lunar month (in another version, the second day of the first lunar month) was Zhao Xuannang's birthday. On his birthday, Daoist adepts came to Daoist temples to attend memorial ceremonies. They prayed for good harvests and great wealth. But according to some popular tales, it was on the fifth day of the first lunar month that the Spirit of Wealth descended to inspect worldly society. So on the morning of that day, people let off firecrackers and played lion games, which was known as Enticing the Spirit of Wealth. Everyone one hopes he will have a good start and make a big fortune after spring festival. [[zh:財神]] 9ebf4881bfa026f5aff44249bf572a16fe2bf691 0 539 669 2009-10-12T05:08:14Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origins of the Kitchen Spirit== The Kitchen Spirit ( 灶神 Zaoshen ), known as the Kitchen Sovereign Who Controls Destinies and Good Fortune ( ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origins of the Kitchen Spirit== The Kitchen Spirit ( 灶神 Zaoshen ), known as the Kitchen Sovereign Who Controls Destinies and Good Fortune ( 東廚司命定福灶君 Dongchu Siming Dingfu Zaojun ), is commonly called the Kitchen Sovereign( 灶君 Zaojun ), the Kitchen King ( 灶王 Zaowang ) or the Kitchen Duke ( 灶王爺 Zaowangye ). The worship of the Kitchen Spirit already existed in ancient China. The section "Sacrificial Rites ( 祭法 Jifa ) " of the ''Book of Rites'' ( 禮記 Liji ) says, "the king established seven cults for the people", one of which was the cult of the Kitchen Spirit. But ordinary people could only worship one spirit, either the Door Spirit ( 門神 Menshen ) or the Kitchen Spirit. Fire is made in a kitchen range, so it was said during the two Han dynasties that the Fire Spirit or Yan Di Shengnong was worshiped through the medium of the kitchen after his death; or it was said that Zhurong and Huirong, the former fire officials of the Gaoxins', turned into Fire Spirits after their death and were worshiped through the medium of the kitchen. One should wash pots and basins to worship the Kitchen Spirit, so the section "Ritual Instruments ( 禮器 Liqi ) " of the Book of Rites says that the worship of the Kitchen Spirit was "the worship of the Old Woman ( 老婦之祭 Laofu Zhi Ji ) ", which requires "only to fill basins with food and fill bottles with wine, so it is a lowly worship. But though lowly, it is necessary, for the Kitchen Spirit benefits food and drink, and thus should be repaid". The Kitchen Spirit began to have a name after the Wei and Jin dynasties. The ''Treasury of the Jade Candle'' ( 王燭寶典 Yuzhu Baodian ) by Du Taiqing of the Sui dynasty quoted the ''Book of the Kitchen'' ( 灶書 Zaoshu ), saying, "the Kitchen Spirit has the family name Su and the given name Jili, and its woman's name is Bojia". Li Xian of the Tang dynasty annotated and quoted the ''Miscellaneous Book of the Five Agents'' ( 雜五行書 Za Wuzing Shu ), saying, "the Kitchen Spirit is named Chan and styled Ziguo, who is dressed in yellow and wears the hair down, and comes from the kitchen range". The Kitchen Spirit was originally a goddess, who, in various versions, was said to be an old woman or a beautiful woman. The Complete Book of Kitchen Spirit Worship ( 敬灶全書 Jingzao Quanshu ) written in the Qing dynasty says that the Kitchen Sovereign ( 灶君 Zaojun ) has the family name Zhong, the given name Dan and the style Ziguo. It should be a male Spirit. On papers burned by the people in sacrificial rituals, showing the picture of the Kitchen Sovereign Who Controls Destinies and Good Fortune, there is always a portrait of an elderly couple, namely the Kitchen Sovereign and his wife. ==Functions== The function of the Kitchen Spirit was formerly to be in charge of cooking in the human world. Before the beginning of the Eastern Jin dynasty, the Kitchen Spirit began to acquire the functions of supervising human evils and dominating a family's life and death, misfortune and happiness. The section "Subtle Guidelines ( 微旨 Weizhi )" of the ''Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'' ( 抱樸子內篇 Baopuzi Neipian ) by [[Ge Hong]] of the Eastern Jin dynasty says, "on the night of the last day of the lunar month, the Kitchen Spirit ascends to Heaven to report human crimes. People who have committed great crimes will have a large part of their life span, 300 days, removed, while people who have committed minor crimes will have a short part of their life span, 3 days, removed". ''The Lantern Rituals for the Kitchen Controller of Destinies'' ( 東廚司命燈儀 Dongchu Siming Dengyi ), published between the Yuan and Ming dynasties, says that "the Kitchen Spirit bears an important responsibility and governs people's misfortune and happiness in the human world". "As an envoy of the Seven Origins ( 七元 Qiyuan ) of Heaven, it attends to numerous affairs in the Heavenly court every other day", and "governs Yin and Yang alternatively. Although people may either do good or do evil, it meticulously records every good and bad deed". The ''Complete Book of Kitchen Spirit Worship'' says that the Kitchen Sovereign protects a family's health and safety when receiving incense and candles from the family. Also, it inspects the family's good and evil deeds and presents its merits and misdoings. On every day of Gengshen, it reports to [[the Jade Emperor]] ( 玉帝 Yudi ) and makes a calculation at the end of each month. After three years, Heaven will certainly bring happiness and longevity to people with lots of merits, while disasters and misfortune will be sent to those who have committed many misdeeds. ==Worship== On the 24th day of the 12th lunar month of every year, the Kitchen Spirit ascends to Heaven to report the merits and misdoings of the human world, and determines people's fortune and misfortune. Therefore people worship and send off the Kitchen Sovereign by burning incense and offering sacrifices on the night of the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month. In the old days, there existed a difference between gentry families, who sent off the Kitchen Spirit on the 23rd day, and the common families who did so on the 24th day. The sacrifices offered to the Kitchen Spirit are always sugar ingots, parched rice, peanut brittle, sesame candies, dumplings made of glutinous rice and the like, for people expect to fill the stomach of the Kitchen Spirit so that he would not report the evils of the human world. People call this "reporting good deeds to Heaven and keeping safety in the world of mortals". When the sacrificial ritual is over, the used paper printed with the pictures of the Kitchen Sovereign which has been worshiped for a year, is taken off the kitchen range and burnt with paper ingots and the like to indicate that the Kitchen Spirit is ascending to Heaven. When the spirit is received on New Year's Eve, the ritual of receiving the Kitchen Spirit is held. New paper printed with pictures of the Kitchen Spirit is pasted on the kitchen range after the offering of sacrifices to the Kitchen Spirit. [[zh:灶神]] 1491530b24c6aad0dceb14700d828cbb815aca32 0 540 670 2009-10-12T05:22:15Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Immortals and Immortalism }} == Origin== The origin of the Stars of Luck, Wealth and Longevity can be traced back to the Ming dynasty. The Ming dynasty Daoist scripture '' Daoi...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism }} == Origin== The origin of the Stars of Luck, Wealth and Longevity can be traced back to the Ming dynasty. The Ming dynasty Daoist scripture '' Daoist Ritual for Morning Recitation of the Golden Register of the Mysterious Soul quoted the Supreme Perfect Book for Prolonging One Alloted Life-Span from the Supreme, Mysterious and Numinous Northern Dipper '', which was normally recited in imperial courts, as saying that the Stellar Sovereign of the Virtue of Longevity and Venerable Man of the South Pole, the Highest Clarity Stellar Sovereign of the Virtue of Wealth, and the Highest Clarity Stellar Sovereign of the Virtue of Luck were among the deities to be worshipped in addition to the Three Pure Ones, the Jade Emperor and the Nine Stellar Sovereigns of the Big Dipper. Another Ming dynasty Daoist scripture, the '' Golden Register Ritual Offerings for Prolonging Life'', also included the worship of the Stars of Luck, Wealth and Longevity. The Three Stars were also among the Stellar Sovereigns listed by the '' True Precious Repentances of the Middle Heaven Star of Purple Subtlety''. But in both folk culture and Daoist books, there were different versions about what the Three Stars of Luck, Wealth and Longevity exactly referred to. In the '' Golden Register Longevity Prayer Rite for Morning Recitation '', the Venerable Man of the South Pole is apparently taken as the Perfect Sovereign of the Three Stars. Nowadays, Daoists and ordinary people tend to believe that the Star of Luck refers to the Heavenly Official, the Star of Wealth refers to Wenchang, and the Star of Longevity refers to the Venerable Old Man of the South Pole. Originally, worship of the Star of Longevity dates back to prior to the Qin dynasty. The '' Book of Sacrificial Offerings in the Records of the Historian'' says that, during the Qin dynasty, memorial temples were dedicated in Du and Bo to the Three Village Lords well as to the Star of Longevity. The '' Index of the Records of the Historian'' says that the Star of Longevity refers to the Star of the Venerable Man of the South Pole. His emergence is a good omen of peace. So people set up memorial temples dedicated to him, praying for good luck and long life. According to that, during the Qin and Han dynasties, it was popularly accepted that worshipping the Star of Longevity brought about long life as well as good luck. In the Chart of the Ranks of the Perfect Souls by Tao Hongjing, the famous Daoist of the Qi and Liang dynasties, the Highest Perfect Man Danlin, who was popularly known as the Venerable Man of the South Pole, was ranked as the Left of the Supreme Ultimate. He was among the deities worshiped in national memorial ceremonies since the Han dynasty; however, his worship came to an end after the third year of Ming dynasty emperor Hongwu's reign, because he was accused of being fake and useless. Within Daoism, however, the worship continued. The Venerable Man of the South Pole, along with the Heavenly Official and Wenchang, were called the Three Stars of Luck, Wealth and Longevity. ==Impact on Folk Culture== The function of the Heavenly Official of the Star of Luck is to confer good luck on people. According to the Lantern Rites of the Three Officials, he acts as Pure Yang, Master of the Temple of Purple Purity, Great Sage of Spontaneity, Heavenly Official of Blessings, Controller of the Heavenly World, Commander of All Ghosts and Spirits, and Protector of the Eternity of Heaven. The Wenchang Star of Wealth includes six stars among which is the Star Controlling Wealth. According to the '' Comprehensive Explanation of the Original Predestination of the Events Recorded in the Spring and Autumn Annals'', he rewards contributions and encourages well-educated people. He is also responsible for the careers of the literati. The Star of Longevity, popularly known as the Venerable Man of the South Pole, foretells the life-span of the emperors, as mentioned in the True Meaning of the Records of the Historian. The three pursuits for luck, wealth and longevity have consistently embodied the common wishes of Daoist believers as well as ordinary Chinese people. That's the reason why, since the Ming dynasty, the worship for the Three Stars of Luck, Wealth and Longevity remained popular for a long time. Although Daoist temples rarely set up specific memorial halls for the Three Stars, the exclusive worship for Star of Longevity was very popular. Even today, many people still bring porcelain figures of the Three Stars home for worship. Before doing so, they normally go to Daoist temples to take part in Inauguration Ceremonies for Divinities, which, they believe, bring luck, wealth and longevity to their family members. [[zh:福祿壽星]] 9c2f05dd0236fa34cb8fa652d1d6d1f3bb61cc60 0 541 671 2009-10-12T05:34:02Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Great Emperor of Fengdu== The Great Emperor of Fengdu ( 酆都大帝 Fengdu Dadi ) is the divinity controlling hell and the dead. F...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Great Emperor of Fengdu== The Great Emperor of Fengdu ( 酆都大帝 Fengdu Dadi ) is the divinity controlling hell and the dead. Feng refers to the Spirit state located at Guidi in the North, where the mountains are 2600 miles high and 30,000 miles in circumference. There are palaces for divinities and spirits respectively in both upper and lower sections of Fengdu. The six palaces of the upper section are used for the King of Spirits of northern Feng to deal with the guilty. All people come under the king's control after their death. During the Southern and Northern dynasties, the King of northern Feng was known as the Northern Imperial Sovereign, or Northern Emperor, in short. In ‘’[[the Chart of the Ranks of the Perfect Souls]]’’ ( 真靈位業圖 Zhenling Weiye Tu ), a Daoist scripture written by Tao Hongjing, a famous Daoist scholar during the Qi and Liang dynasties, the Great Emperor of the Northern Fengdu Netherworld ( 酆都北陰大帝 Fengdu Beiyin Dadi ) ranked in the middle of the lowest class, the seventh class. ==Mt. Luofeng and Fengdu County in Sichuan== Mt. Luofeng, which was located in northern Guidi, was considered to be the residence of spirits. Since the Song dynasty, Mt. Luofeng was considered to be located in Fengdu county, Sichuan, where various buildings related to hell were constructed at different times. That in turn led to emergence of the Demon Capital ( 鬼都 Guidu ) which became famous nationwide. Originally, at Fengdu, there was a Mt. Pingdu which was one of 72 Daoist sacred sites. It was said that Wang Fangping, who lived in the Western Han dynasty, and Ying Changsheng, who lived in the Eastern Han dynasty, cultivated Dao here. They both finally became Immortals, ascending to heaven in daytime. After that, people mistakenly put their surnames together and produced the wrong title Yingwang, which means 'King of Hell' in the Chinese language. As a result, the sacred Daoist site in Fengdu county became known as the headquarters of hell and the residence for the dead. ==The Ruler of Hell== The Great Emperor of Fengdu ranked in the highest class of spirits in hell. In charge of all affairs of hell, he was known as the king of spirits. After people died, they went to hell. Their souls would be judged by the King of Spirits. Normally, he discriminated between the souls according to evils done before they died. In the temples dedicated to the Great Emperor of Fengdu, there used to be 75 offices which controlled affairs such as capturing and chasing spirits. If the living family members atoned for the soul's sins through ritual offerings, the Great Emperor of Fengdu might decide to pardon the sinners and send them to endure hardships. After that, the sinners went to heaven. ==Worship== It is not certain what day the Great Emperor of Fengdu's birthday is. Normally, only after their family members died, did Daoist believers worship the Great Emperor of Fengdu to expiate the sins committed by the dead. Since the Qing dynasty, many people practised Yellow Register Rites ( 黃籙道場 Huanglu Daochang ) for themselves when they were still alive. Currently, some people also set up Life Prolonging Rituals when alive. They worship the Great Emperor of Fengdu, praying for healthy and long lives. [[zh:酆都大帝]] d2e55b275c1283b3c62e6caa4b31658fcb6e9f40 672 671 2009-10-12T05:34:42Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Great Emperor of Fengdu== The Great Emperor of Fengdu ( 酆都大帝 Fengdu Dadi ) is the divinity controlling hell and the dead. Feng refers to the Spirit state located at Guidi in the North, where the mountains are 2600 miles high and 30,000 miles in circumference. There are palaces for divinities and spirits respectively in both upper and lower sections of Fengdu. The six palaces of the upper section are used for the King of Spirits of northern Feng to deal with the guilty. All people come under the king's control after their death. During the Southern and Northern dynasties, the King of northern Feng was known as the Northern Imperial Sovereign, or Northern Emperor, in short. In ''[[the Chart of the Ranks of the Perfect Souls]]'' ( 真靈位業圖 Zhenling Weiye Tu ), a Daoist scripture written by Tao Hongjing, a famous Daoist scholar during the Qi and Liang dynasties, the Great Emperor of the Northern Fengdu Netherworld ( 酆都北陰大帝 Fengdu Beiyin Dadi ) ranked in the middle of the lowest class, the seventh class. ==Mt. Luofeng and Fengdu County in Sichuan== Mt. Luofeng, which was located in northern Guidi, was considered to be the residence of spirits. Since the Song dynasty, Mt. Luofeng was considered to be located in Fengdu county, Sichuan, where various buildings related to hell were constructed at different times. That in turn led to emergence of the Demon Capital ( 鬼都 Guidu ) which became famous nationwide. Originally, at Fengdu, there was a Mt. Pingdu which was one of 72 Daoist sacred sites. It was said that Wang Fangping, who lived in the Western Han dynasty, and Ying Changsheng, who lived in the Eastern Han dynasty, cultivated Dao here. They both finally became Immortals, ascending to heaven in daytime. After that, people mistakenly put their surnames together and produced the wrong title Yingwang, which means 'King of Hell' in the Chinese language. As a result, the sacred Daoist site in Fengdu county became known as the headquarters of hell and the residence for the dead. ==The Ruler of Hell== The Great Emperor of Fengdu ranked in the highest class of spirits in hell. In charge of all affairs of hell, he was known as the king of spirits. After people died, they went to hell. Their souls would be judged by the King of Spirits. Normally, he discriminated between the souls according to evils done before they died. In the temples dedicated to the Great Emperor of Fengdu, there used to be 75 offices which controlled affairs such as capturing and chasing spirits. If the living family members atoned for the soul's sins through ritual offerings, the Great Emperor of Fengdu might decide to pardon the sinners and send them to endure hardships. After that, the sinners went to heaven. ==Worship== It is not certain what day the Great Emperor of Fengdu's birthday is. Normally, only after their family members died, did Daoist believers worship the Great Emperor of Fengdu to expiate the sins committed by the dead. Since the Qing dynasty, many people practised Yellow Register Rites ( 黃籙道場 Huanglu Daochang ) for themselves when they were still alive. Currently, some people also set up Life Prolonging Rituals when alive. They worship the Great Emperor of Fengdu, praying for healthy and long lives. [[zh:酆都大帝]] 3fe24f7f7efc76eb4bd674e8d9e5e4369cec18dc 0 542 673 2009-10-12T06:20:38Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Yamas of the Ten Halls == The Yamas were also known as the Kings of Hell ( 閰羅王 Yanluo Wang ) or Kings of Souls. Originally, ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Yamas of the Ten Halls == The Yamas were also known as the Kings of Hell ( 閰羅王 Yanluo Wang ) or Kings of Souls. Originally, Yama was a Chinese rendering of the Sanskrit word Yanmo or Yan Moluo. In Indian mythical stories, Yama, along with his sister, acted as the ruler of hell where he controlled male souls and his sister dealt with female souls. As the ruler as well as controller of hell, Yama started to become popular in China during the Southern and Northern dynasties. Originally, there was only one Yama. But owing to his increasing functions, he was transformed into five Yamas, assisted by 18 aides. During the Tang dynasty, it became popular that the Heavenly Emperor issued the designation for Yama and conferred on him the privilege of controlling soldiers at the Five Sacred Mountains, and that hell consisted of ten halls, which were ruled respectively by ten kings. They were known as the Ten Kings of Hell ( 地府十王 Difu Shiwang ). Each of the Ten Kings had his own name as well as title. Their general title was 'Yamas of the Ten Halls' ( 十殿閰王 Shidian Yanwang ). ==Functions of Each Hall King== #In the first hall is King Qinguang whose surname is Jiang and whose birthday is the first day of the second lunar month (another version is the second day of the second month). His functions include control of a man's birth, death and life-span as well as his luck. #In the second hall is King Chujiang, whose surname is Ni and whose birthday the first day of the third lunar month. He is the ruler of Hell Huoda, the Ice Hell ( 寒冰地獄 Hanbing Diyu ). #In the third hall is King Songdi, whose surname is Yu and whose birthday is the eighth day of the second month. He is the ruler of the Black Rope Hell ( 黑繩大地獄 Heisheng Dadi Yu ). #In the fourth hall is King Wuguan, whose surname is Lu and whose birthday is the eighteenth day of the second month. He is the ruler of Hell Heda, the Blood Pool Hell ( 血池地獄 Xuechi Diyu ). #In the fifth hall is King Yanluo, whose surname is Bao and whose birthday is the eighth day of the first month. He runs the Wailing Hell ( 叫喚地獄 Jiaohuan Dadiyu ). #In the sixth hall is King Diancheng, whose surname is Bi and whose birthday is the eighth day of the third month. He controls the Grand Wailing Hell, as well as the City of Innocent Deaths ( 枉死城 Wangsi Cheng ). #In the seventh hall is King Taishan, whose surname is Dong and whose birthday is the twenty-seventh day of the third month. He runs the Noisy Hell ( 熱鬧地獄 Renao Diyu ), the Human Flesh Jam Hell ( 肉醬地獄 Roujiang Diyu ). #In the eighth hall is King Dushi, whose surname is Huang and whose birthday is the first day of the fourth month. He runs the Grand Noisy Hell ( 大熱鬧地獄 Darenao Dadiyu ), also known as the Suffocation Hell ( 悶鍋地獄 Menguo Diyu ). #In the ninth hall is King Pingden, whose surname is Lu and whose birthday is the eighth day of the fourth month. He controls the Avici Hell of the Iron Web. In the tenth hall is King Zhuanlun, whose surname is Xue and whose birthday is the seventeenth day of the fourth month. He is in charge of discriminating between ghosts according to their behavior, and deciding affairs such as grades and transmigration. When transmigration occurs, things like pregnancy, birth, sex, life span and being rich or poor are written down and sent to King Qinguan every month, who is supposed to file this information. When a soul is reincarnated as a man, the Deity Mongpo forces him to take a magic potion, which erases the memory of his previous life. ==Worship== After the Ming and Qing dynasties, the story of the Yamas of the Ten Halls became so popular that it came to replace Daoism's Great Emperor Dongyue, acting as the controller of a man's life. In folk culture, however, there were rarely temples dedicated to the Yamas of the Ten Halls except for some in Fengdu, Sichuan province. Usually, worship of the Yamas of the Ten Halls took place in the City God Temple ( 城隍廟 Chenghuang Miao ). On their birthdays, there were small-scale worshipping services. The main worship for the Yamas of the Ten Halls occured during ritual offerings for the dead. The kings of the different halls were petitioned to release the souls of the dead and send them to heaven quickly. [[zh:十殿閻王]] ad779c21033e64106291a540484b01b94269b3df 0 543 674 2009-10-12T06:38:52Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Three Mao Perfect Sovereign Brothers== The Three Mao Perfect Sovereign Brothers ( 三茅真君 Sanmao Zhenjun ) referred to the Thr...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Three Mao Perfect Sovereign Brothers== The Three Mao Perfect Sovereign Brothers ( 三茅真君 Sanmao Zhenjun ) referred to the Three Perfect Sovereigns of whom Mao Yeng was the elder, Mao Gu was the middle and Ma Zhong the younger. They came from Nanguan, Xianyang city, and were from the same family. Mao Ying, also known as the Elder Sovereign Mao, styled himself Shengshu. At age of eighteen, he left his family for Mt. Heng, the Northern Sacred Mountain and, there, studied books written by [[Laozi]] as well as The ''[[Book of Changes]]'' ( 易經 Yijing ). After six years Refinement of both External and Inner Alchemy, he was summoned by [[the Queen Mother of the West]] ( 西王母 Xi Wangmu ) and given the Dao of Jade Ornament and Gold Adornment ( 玉佩金鐺之道 Yupei Jindang Zhidao ) as well as the ''Book of Mysterious Perfection of the Supreme Ultimate'' ( 太極玄真之經 Taiji Xuanzhen Zhijing ). At the age of 49, he successfully finished cultivating Dao and returned home. Mao Gu, the Middle Sovereign Mao, styled himself Jiwei. During the reign of the Han dynasty Emperor Jin, as a man of good virtue, he was recommended to hold governmental position. After several promotions, he became head of Wuwei. Mao Zhong, also known as Younger Sovereign Mao, styled himself Sihe. During the reign of the Han dynasty emperor Xuan, he was promoted as head of Luoyang. Then he held the post of Elderly Official ( 五更大夫 Wugeng Dafu ) and head of Xihe. After Mao Ying' death, both his two younger brothers gave up the positions they were holding and went to East Mountain to wait for their brother's ascension. Afterwards, Mao Ying descended and taught them the way of longevity. After that, they cultivated Dao for three years there. After taking the divine elixirs ( 九轉還丹 Jiuzhuan Huandan ), they both ascended to heaven. After their attainment of Dao, the three brothers came to Mt. Juqu, Jurong (which later became known as Mt. Jurong of Jiangsu province), and became masters. That was the reason why Mt. Juqu was also known as Mt. Mao. In the Qi and Lian dynasties, Daoist scholar Tao Hongjing's book ''Chart of the Ranks of the Perfect Souls'', gave Elder Sovereign Mao the title 'Perfect Sovereign Mao of the Supreme Origin and Controller of Destinies of the Sacred Mountain of the East' ( 司命東獄上真卿太元真人茅君 Siming Dongyue Shangzhen Qingtai Yuan Zhenren Maojun ), and placed him in the left line of the Highest Clarity. The Middle Sovereign Mao was called 'Perfect Sovereign Mao, High Official of the Imperial Court, Ruler of Wealth and Perfect Man on Mt. Juqu' ( 句曲山真人定祿右禁師茅君 Juqu Shanzhen Rending Luyou Jinshi Maojun ), and 'Perfect Middle Sovereign Mao, High Official of the Imperial Court and Ruler of Wealth" ( 右禁郎定祿鑋君中茅君 Youjin Langding Luzhen Junzhong Maojun ), who was listed in the left line of Supreme Clarity and sixth in the middle line. The Younger Sovereign Mao was called 'Younger Sovereign Mao, One of the Three Officials and Protector of Life" ( 三官保名命小茅君 Sanguan Baoming Xiaomao Jun ), and was placed sixth in the left line. Afterwards, they were granted more titles by the Song dynasty emperors including the first emperor Tai, emperor Zhen, emperor Hui, emperor Li, etc. Mao Ying was called 'Perfect Elder Sovereign Mao of the Perfect Correspondence, Saintly Protector of the Supreme Origin, Sublime Dao and Empty Void, and Controller of Destinies and Highest Official of the Nine Heavens" ( 上茅九天上卿司命太元妙道沖虛聖佑真應真君 Shangmao Jiutian Shangqing Siming Taiyuan Miaodao Chongxu Shengyou Zhenying Zhenjun ), Mao Gu was called 'Perfect Middle Sovereign Mao of Sublime Correspondence and Protector of the Virtue of Empty Tranquility of the Higher Dao, Highest Official of the Imperial Guards, Ruler of Wealth, and Earthly Immortal of Highest Perfection" ( 中地仙上真定祿右禁至道沖靜德佑妙應真君 Zhongmao Dixian Shangzhen Dinglu Youjin Zhidao Chongjing Deyou Miaoying Zhenjun ) and Mao Zhong was called 'Perfect Younger Sovereign Mao of Divine Correspondence, Divine Protector of Subtle Sublimity and Wisdom of Emptiness, Protector of Life among the Three Officials, Earthly Immortal of Higher Perfection' ( 下茅地仙至真三官保命微妙沖慧神佑神應真君 Xiamao Dixian Zhizhen Sanguan Baoming Weimiao Chonghui Shenyou Shenying Zhenjun ). They were known as the Three Mao Brothers and Perfect Sovereigns. ==Controllers of Destiny and Wealth== The Three Mao Brothers and Perfect Sovereigns were considered to control a man's destiny as well as wealth. So they became the Controllers of Destiny and Wealth. According to the ''Biography of the Perfect Sovereign, Controller of Destinies and Highest Official of Sacred Mountain of the East, and Perfect Man of the Supreme Origin'' ( 太元真人東獄上卿司命真君傳 Taiyuan Zhenren Dongyue Shangqing Siming Zhenjun Zhuan ), the Elder Sovereign Mao's palace was located in the Jade Grotto of the Red City where there were forty virgins of both sexs. They walked to and fro in Supreme Subtlety and acted as assistants of the Supreme Ultimate, controlling life and wealth on Eastern Sacred Mountain. In contrast, the Middle Sovereign Mao and Younger Mao were only Earth Immortals. The Middle Sovereign Mao's jurisdiction was on [[Mt. Mao]]. He also acted as head of low-rank Perfect Men on earth. The Younger Sovereign Mao ruled Mt. Liangchang and [[Mt. Tai]], controlling and recording a man's birth and life span. He acted as the head of nine palaces where the Earth Immortals lived. His obligations included teaching the kids, supervising female officials, communicating with spirits, ruling demons and guarding the doorway to hell. ==Worship== It is said that the Elder Sovereign Mao was born on the third day of the tenth Lunar month, in the Han emperor Jin's fifth Zhongyuan year (145 BC) and that he ascended to heaven on the 18th day of the third Lunar month in the fourth Tianhan year (97 B.C). Nowadays, Mt. Mao in Jiangsu province is famous for its worship for the Three Mao Brothers and Perfect Sovereigns, which normally lasts from the first Lunar month to the third. The worship witnesses its climax on the day of the Elder Sovereign Mao's ascension. [[zh:三茅真君]] 4c70c8079552afd25d3c2b33d2e8e4630fe3cb4d 0 544 675 2009-10-12T07:00:30Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Eight Immortals== The Eight Immortals ( 八仙 Baxian ) referred to eight Daoist Immortals who were popularly worshiped by Daoist s...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Eight Immortals== The Eight Immortals ( 八仙 Baxian ) referred to eight Daoist Immortals who were popularly worshiped by Daoist sects as well as ordinary people. They were Zhong Liquan, Zhang Guolao, [[Lü Dongbin]], Li Tieguai, He Xiangu, Nan Caihe, Han Xiangzi and Chao Guojiu. The Eight Immortals of Daoism had nothing to do with other similar callings such as the Han dynasty's Eight Gentlemen of Huainan, the Tang dynasty's Eight Drunken Immortals and the Eight Immortals of Ancient Sichuan. The Daoist version of the Eight Immortals came into being during the Song and Yuan dynasties. Yuan dynasty dramas such as The '' Yueyang Pavilion'' by Ma Zhiyan, '' The Bamboo Raft'' by Fan Zi'an and the '' Willow Tree'' in the South of the City by Gu Zijing depicted the Eight Immortals, whose characteristics were very close to what we see today. After the middle period of the Ming dynasty when Wu Yuantai published his novel '' The Journey to the East, Where the Eight Immortals Came From'' ( 八仙出處東遊記 Baxian Chuchu Dongyou Ji ), the depiction of the Eight Immortals was completed. ==Han Zhongli, the Bun-haired Daoist ( 髽髻道人 Zhuaji Daoren ) == His surname was Zhongli and his personal name Quan, which, in later times, was changed to Jue. He came from Yantai, and styled himself Jidao. Known as Heguzi or Zhenyangzi, he was worshiped as Patriarch Zhenyang, and was counted among [[the Five Northern Patriarchs]]. It is said that he was born on the fifteenth of the fourth month, when brilliant rays rose just like flames. In the first days after his birth, he neither cried nor ate. On the seventh day, he suddenly jumped up and said: I am going to ascend to the heavenly world someday. As a grown-up, he was designated as Imperial Counselor. Receiving the emperor's order, he commanded troops to attack enemies in the North. However, he lost the war as well as his troops. He fled the battlefield alone and came to Gumi Path where he met [[Wang Xuanpu]] who taught him a formula for longevity, knowledge of divine elixirs and Green Dragon Swordsmanship. After that, he went to [[Mt. Hua]], then to [[Mt. Kongtong]] where he met the Venerable Ruler of the Supreme Concourse and was granted the title Yunfang. In the Tang dynasty, after saving Lu Chunyang, he received an order from the Jade Emperor and ascended to heaven where he was designated as 'Perfect Man of the Left Chamber of the Supreme Ultimate' ( 太極左宮真人 Taiji Zuogong Zhenren ). On the basis of his discussions with Lu Dongbin on the Dao of the Divine Immortals, a Daoist book entitled '' [[The Transmission of Dao by Zhongli Quan and Lu Dongbin]] '' ( 鍾呂傳道集 Zhonglü Chuandao Ji ) was edited. In the first Qinkang year of the Song dynasty emperor Qing, he was granted the title of 'Perfect Man Zhenyang', and also received the title of 'Perfect Man Zhenyang who Enlightens and Transmits Dao" ( 正陽開悟傳道真君 Zhengyang Kaiwu Chuandao Zhenjun ) in the sixth Zhiyuan year of the Tang dynasty (1269 AD). He used to call himself 'Zhongli, the Freest Tramp under Heaven', which, by mistake, was interpreted as Han Zhongli, which referred to a man named Zhong Li living in the Han dynasty. It is said that [[Zhongli Quan]], when teaching Dao, normally wore his hair in two buns, with a big fan in his hand, and exposing a big belly. He was popularly known as the Free Perfect man. ==Zhang Guolao, Who Rode A Donkey Sitting Backward== He was a Daoist who lived in the Tang dynasty. His surname was Zhang, and his personal name was Guo. He used to cultivate Dao as a hermit on Mt. Zhongtiao. He claimed that he was born during the Yao era, so he was too old to know his real age. It was said that he was born on the 23rd day of the eleventh lunar month. Zhang Guolao used to travel tens of thousands of miles on a donkey, sitting backwards. When he had a rest, he folded his donkey and changed it into a piece of paper. So he could even place it in a box. When he needed it, he spat some water at it, then he got his white donkey again. He declined appointments by the Tang dynasty emperors Tai and Gao. In the 23rd Kaiyuan year of Tang dynasty emperor Xuan (735 AD), he was granted the title of 'Senior Official of the Silver Seal and Blue Ribbon in Charge of the Emperor's Diet" ( 銀青光祿大夫 Yinqing Guanglu Dafu ). He was also known as 'Gentleman of Pervasive Mystery' ( 通玄先生 Tongxuan Xiansheng ). ==Han Xiangzi, Who Saved His Uncle at Lan Pass== His personal name was Xiang, and he styled himself Qingfu. It was said that he was Han Yu's grandnephew and that he was born on the ninth day of the eleventh lunar month. Even in his childhood, Han Xiangzi began to follow Lu Dongbin and learn Dao. He fell from a peach tree and died, which was thought to be a case of Deliverance from the Corpse. When Han Yu was designated as Minister of Justice, guests thronged his home, inviting him to banquets in his honor. Han Xiangzi tried to persuade him to give up his political career and pursue Dao. Han Yu, however, suggested to Han Xiangzi to give up his pursuit for Dao and engage himself in a political career. Han Xiangzi drank to all the guests with his calabash, which remained full of wine no matter how much he had drunk. In addition to that, he planted two flowers in a basin filled with soil, on which was an antithetical couplet. It said: 'Where was your home when you stood before Mt. Qing as high as the clouds, where the horse refused to go further than Lan Pass torn by a terrible storm'. Afterwards, because he was opposed to the emperor's enthusiasm over the so-called Buddha's bones, Han Yu was demoted from his original position to a minor post in Chaozhou. When he and his family came to Lan Pass, the bad weather made things even worse. They were stranded by a terrible storm. Even the horses refused to advance. Then Han Xiangzi emerged in heavy snow. Han Yu asked him where they were. When he was told it was Lan Pass, Han Yu became astonished over Han Xiangzi's previous prediction. Then Han Xiangzi escorted Han Yu to his destination. After that, they transferred to Yuanzhou together. Later, Han Xiangzi succeffully led his uncle to Dao. ==Iron Stick Li, Who Attaches his Soul to Others' Bodies== It was said that Iron Stick Li's surname was Li, and his personal name Ningyang or Hongshui. In childhood, his nickname was Crippled Kid. He normally called himself Minor Official Li. It is said that he was born on the tenth day of the seventh lunar month. According to the ''Original Chaos Chart of Immortals' Lineages'' ( 混元仙派圖 Hunyuan Xianpai Tu ), Li was Lu Dongbin's disciple. It is said that, at the invitation of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign and Gentleman Wanqiu, Li Ningyang's soul would visit Mt. Hua. Prior to his departure, he ordered his disciple to take care of his body during his seven-day absence. Unfortunately, on the sixth day, because his mother was terribly sick, the disciple had to go home. In a hurry, he burned the master's body. When Li's soul came back next day, he could not find his body. His soul was homeless. So he had to attach his soul to the body of a man who had died of hunger. That explained why he looked so ugly and had a crippled right leg. In later times, he was granted the title of 'Imperial Sovereign Donghua Who Reaches the Sun and Reveals the Origin' ( 東華齊陽啟元帝君 Donghua Qiyang Qiyuan Dijun ). ==Chao, the Emperor's Brother-in-Law, Who Lives in Mountains as a Hermit== His surname was Chao and his personal name Jingxiu, and he came from the Xu district. Because he was the younger brother of Queen Chao, the wife of Song dynasty emperor Ren, he was known as the Emperor's Brother-in-Law. It is said that he was born on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month. Because his younger brother Jingzhi was executed for murdering, he was so ashamed that he decided to live in the mountains as a hermit. Since then, he wore simple clothes, devoting himself to the Refinement of Dao. After receiving teachings from Lu Dongbin and Zhongli Quan, he got the secret formula for refinement, and ultimately attained Dao, becoming a Perfect Man. He was led to the Heavenly World by Zhongli Quan and Lu Dongbin. ==Lan Caihe, Who Went Begging with Castanets In his Hands== Lan was a hermit in the Tang dynasty. According to the ''[[Supplement to the Biographies of the Immortals]]'' ( 續仙傳 Xu Xianzhuan ) and the ''Extensive Records of the Taiping Era'' ( 太平廣記 Taiping Guangji ), he normally wore blue rags, and had only one shoe. In summer, he used to wrap himself in a quilt. In winter, however, he was seen lying naked on snow, and his whole body was steaming. He used to emerge in cities, singing and begging, with a pair of three-chi-long castanets in his hands. It is hard to judge whether or not he was drunk when he sang the song: 'In singer Lan Caihe's eyes, how long can your life last? Good-looking faces are just like the green trees in spring, how could they keep this unchanged forever?" Through his songs, he urged people to go away from the secular world and pursue Dao. It is said that he was led by Zhongli Quan to Dao and ultimately ascended to the clouds. ==Female Immortal He, Who Flew to Feed Her Mother== She was the only female among the Eight Immortals. It was said that her personal name was Qiong and that she came from Ninling, in the district of Yong, and that she was born on the tenth day of the fourth lunar month. When she was thirteen, she went into mountains to pick tea. There she met Lu Dongbin. After that, she dreamed that a spirit taught her how to eat mica powder ( 雲母粉 Yunmu Fen ). Since then, she swore not to marry. She used to be seen flying to and fro in the deep mountains. At sunrise, she brought some fruits to her mother. She ultimately Delivered herself from the Corpse and became a Female Immortal. ==Lu Dongbin, Who Dreamt an Evanescent Dream== Lu Yan's literary name was Dongbin. He styled himself Chunyangzi, which implied that he enjoyed a body of pure Yang. It is said that after his repeated failures in the imperial examination, he happened to meet Zhongli Quan, who was cooking a pot of millet. He gave Lu a pillow to rest his head on. During his sleep, Lu dreamed that he succeeded in the imperial examination and became a government official. After a series of promotions, he was designated as an important official in the imperial court and got married. At last, he became prime minister. But then, bad luck came. He was framed and put in jail for crimes he didn't commit. Because of that, his family was ruined and lived a terribly poor life. After having experienced all this in his dream, he awoke to find that Zhongli Quan hadn't even finished cooking millet. He came to realize that a man should not pay too much attention to transient glory and success, and that a man's life was nothing but a dream. So he left his family and followed Zhongli Quan, starting to cultivate Dao on Mt. Zhongnan. ==Worship for the Eight Immortals== For most Chinese people, the Eight Immortals represented eight factors in their daily life: men and women, old and young, the rich and the poor, the noble and the lowly. In addition, the things the Eight Immortals held in their hands -- castanets, fan, stick, sword, calabash, duster and flower basket -- were popularly found among and used by ordinary people in later period. It shows that the Eight Immortals were very close to the daily life of Daoist believers as well as to ordinary Chinese people. That explains why stories about the Eight Immortals could be so popular and influential in Chinese society. Special halls were dedicated to the Eight Immortals in most Daoist temples. In Xi'an city, there is an Eight Immortals Temple, which was called the Eight Immortals Studio in ancient times, where the Eight Immortals were worshiped in the main hall. During spring festival as well as the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, Daoist believers and ordinary people used to come to the Eight Immortals Hall, showing their respect and praying for good health and good luck. [[zh:八仙]] 0ac8b0afa7fdb3f7e2f3dead436bf25dc50f9894 0 545 676 2009-10-12T07:52:58Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Motherly Matriarch== As the sea protector worshiped by people in the southeastern coastal area as well as by overseas Chinese, the ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Motherly Matriarch== As the sea protector worshiped by people in the southeastern coastal area as well as by overseas Chinese, the Motherly Matriarch ( 媽祖 Mazu ) was also known as Heavenly Consort ( 天妃 Tianfei ), Queen of Heaven, Lady Heavenly Consort and Goddess of Heaven, etc. According to the ''Supreme Venerable Sovereign' Book of the Miracles of the Heavenly Consort Who Saves from Disasters'' ( 太上老君說天妃救苦靈驗經 Taishang Laojun Shuo Tianfei Jiuku Lingyan Jing ), the Supreme Venerable Sovereign conferred on the Motherly Matriarch the title of 'Heavenly Consort of Universal Salvation, Demonstrator of Benevolence in Brilliant Communion, Sublime and Numinous Protector of People, Guardian of the Kingdom, Trustworthy Saviour in Numinous Communion, Pure and Orthodox Promoter of Filial Piety, and Assistant of the Big Dipper' ( 輔斗昭孝純正靈應孚濟護國庇民妙靈昭應弘仁普濟天妃 Fudou Zhaoxiao Chunzheng Lingying Fuji Huguo Bimin Miaoling Zhaoying Hongren Puji Tianfei ). The records about the Motherly Matriarch started to appear in the Northern Song dynasty. It is said that the Motherly Matriarch was born in the first Jiannong year of the first Song emperor (AD 960) and was the daughter of Lin Yuan, who was a high-ranking military official. The Motherly Matriarch's personal name was Moliang. She died in the fourth Yongxi year of the Song emperor Tai (AD 984) at the age of 28. It is said that when she was born, the room was filled with red light and strange smoke. She was born one month old and didn't cry even once. So she was called Moniang, which means 'Silent Girl'. She started to attend a village school at the age of eight and showed a special interest in burning incense and worshiping Buddha. She was taught Daoist books and secret skills at the age of thirteen, and granted a mysterious talisman at sixteen. Since then, she was able to stretch a straw mat to sea, saving people in danger. After her ascension, she always responded quickly to prayers. Since the Xuanhe year, between the Northern and Southern Song dynasties, she was granted various titles nine times, which continually increased her importance and prestige. Her original title 'Madam' was replaced by 'Higher Consort' in the Shaoxi year of Southern Song dynasty emperor Guang (AD 1190). Then her title was changed to 'Heavenly Consort' during the first Yuan emperor's reign, then, further, to 'Queen of Heaven' during reign of the Qing emperor Kangxi. During reign of the Qing emperor Jiaqing, the titles conferred on the Motherly Matriarch added up to 28 Chinese characters. ==Salvation for People== Most stories about the Motherly Matriarch were related to her salvation of people stranded in the sea. It is said that she could save people from far away with the help of two aids: her Penetrating Eyes ( 千里眼 Qianli Yan ) and Penetrating Ears ( 順風耳 Shunfeng Er ). Usually dressed in red, the Motherly Matriarch traveled among the islands on clouds. When ships sailing on the sea were hit by storms and people on board recited the Motherly Matriarch's sacred titles, she would emerge to help. According to the ''Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Book of the Miracles of the Heavenly Consort Who Saves from Disasters'', the Motherly Matriarch's obligations included saving wrecks, people in danger, and innocent souls seeking for release. In later periods, her obligation was enlarged. In the Daoist book mentioned above, she claimed to save businessmen, farmers, craftsmen, soldiers, women suffering from difficult labor, and patients if they call her name piously and let her know their wishes. So in folk culture, she was also called 'Auntie Who Delivers Babies'. ==Worship for the Motherly Matriarch== In most parts of China's southeastern coastal area, there are temples dedicated to the Motherly Matriarch, among which the oldest one was in Putian county of Quanzhou city, Fujian province. In Taiwan province, there are 74 temples dedicated to the Motherly Matriarch, 39 of which have a reliable history as to their origin and development. Among these temples, two were constructed in the Ming dynasty and 37 in the Qing dynasty. It is said that the Motherly Matriarch was born on the 23rd day of the third lunar month, a day when memorial activities such as worshiping rituals and parades of Motherly Matriarch statues would be held by the different temples dedicated to the Motherly Matriarch, among which the temple in Putian, Fujian province and Chaotian temple in Beigang, Taiwan were most influential. Even today, worship for the Motherly Matriarch remains prosperous in terms of the number of believers as well as the scale of its rituals. [[zh:媽祖]] c5f62f0b0c1a3973762c5ecc91b289c12acb0c69 686 676 2009-10-16T05:41:34Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Motherly Matriarch== As the sea protector worshiped by people in the southeastern coastal area as well as by overseas Chinese, the Motherly Matriarch ( 媽祖 Mazu ) was also known as Heavenly Consort ( 天妃 Tianfei ), Queen of Heaven, Lady Heavenly Consort and Goddess of Heaven, etc. According to the ''Supreme Venerable Sovereign' Book of the Miracles of the Heavenly Consort Who Saves from Disasters'' ( 太上老君說天妃救苦靈驗經 Taishang Laojun Shuo Tianfei Jiuku Lingyan Jing ), the Supreme Venerable Sovereign conferred on the Motherly Matriarch the title of 'Heavenly Consort of Universal Salvation, Demonstrator of Benevolence in Brilliant Communion, Sublime and Numinous Protector of People, Guardian of the Kingdom, Trustworthy Saviour in Numinous Communion, Pure and Orthodox Promoter of Filial Piety, and Assistant of the Big Dipper' ( 輔斗昭孝純正靈應孚濟護國庇民妙靈昭應弘仁普濟天妃 Fudou Zhaoxiao Chunzheng Lingying Fuji Huguo Bimin Miaoling Zhaoying Hongren Puji Tianfei ). The records about the Motherly Matriarch started to appear in the Northern Song dynasty. It is said that the Motherly Matriarch was born in the first Jiannong year of the first Song emperor (AD 960) and was the daughter of Lin Yuan, who was a high-ranking military official. The Motherly Matriarch's personal name was Moliang. She died in the fourth Yongxi year of the Song emperor Tai (AD 984) at the age of 28. It is said that when she was born, the room was filled with red light and strange smoke. She was born one month old and didn't cry even once. So she was called Moniang, which means 'Silent Girl'. She started to attend a village school at the age of eight and showed a special interest in burning incense and worshiping Buddha. She was taught Daoist books and secret skills at the age of thirteen, and granted a mysterious talisman at sixteen. Since then, she was able to stretch a straw mat to sea, saving people in danger. After her ascension, she always responded quickly to prayers. Since the Xuanhe year, between the Northern and Southern Song dynasties, she was granted various titles nine times, which continually increased her importance and prestige. Her original title 'Madam' was replaced by 'Higher Consort' in the Shaoxi year of Southern Song dynasty emperor Guang (AD 1190). Then her title was changed to 'Heavenly Consort' during the first Yuan emperor's reign, then, further, to 'Queen of Heaven' during reign of the Qing emperor Kangxi. During reign of the Qing emperor Jiaqing, the titles conferred on the Motherly Matriarch added up to 28 Chinese characters. ==Salvation for People== Most stories about the Motherly Matriarch were related to her salvation of people stranded in the sea. It is said that she could save people from far away with the help of two aids: her Penetrating Eyes ( 千里眼 Qianli Yan ) and Penetrating Ears ( 順風耳 Shunfeng Er ). Usually dressed in red, the Motherly Matriarch traveled among the islands on clouds. When ships sailing on the sea were hit by storms and people on board recited the Motherly Matriarch's sacred titles, she would emerge to help. According to the ''Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Book of the Miracles of the Heavenly Consort Who Saves from Disasters'', the Motherly Matriarch's obligations included saving wrecks, people in danger, and innocent souls seeking for release. In later periods, her obligation was enlarged. In the Daoist book mentioned above, she claimed to save businessmen, farmers, craftsmen, soldiers, women suffering from difficult labor, and patients if they call her name piously and let her know their wishes. So in folk culture, she was also called 'Auntie Who Delivers Babies'. ==Worship for the Motherly Matriarch== In most parts of China's southeastern coastal area, there are temples dedicated to the Motherly Matriarch, among which the oldest one was in Putian county of Quanzhou city, Fujian province. In Taiwan province, there are 74 temples dedicated to the Motherly Matriarch, 39 of which have a reliable history as to their origin and development. Among these temples, two were constructed in the Ming dynasty and 37 in the Qing dynasty. It is said that the Motherly Matriarch was born on the 23rd day of the third lunar month, a day when memorial activities such as worshiping rituals and parades of Motherly Matriarch statues would be held by the different temples dedicated to the Motherly Matriarch, among which the temple in Putian, Fujian province and Chaotian temple in Beigang, Taiwan were most influential. Even today, worship for the Motherly Matriarch remains prosperous in terms of the number of believers as well as the scale of its rituals. ==The Belief Motherly Matriarch== The Motherly Matriarch (Mazu) cult began in the coastal areas and has lasted for one thousand years. The Motherly Matriarch, also called the Heavenly Empress, originated as a goddess at Putian in Fujian Province. The '' Mengliang lu'', written by Wu Zimu, stated that there was a Holy Consort Temple of Shunji ( 順濟聖妃廟 Shunji Shengfei Miao ) in Hangzhou during the Southern Song Dynasty. According to the temple records, the goddess was surnamed Lin, and came from Putian in Fujian. She performed numerous miracles when she was alive, and was enshrined in the memorial temple after her death. The imperial court bestowed an inscribed tablet and conferred on her the title of Madame. She protected the boats in the sea and was concerned about the weals and woes of the people. Another document recorded that she was the sixth daughter of Lin Yuan, who was an official in Putian in the Five Dynasties. People also believed that she was the daughter of a fisherman. When Zheng He traveled to the South Seas in the Ming Dynasty, he consecrated the Heavenly consort in his ship. Whenever he was confronted with difficulties, he would call the goddess's name and she respond to him rapidly. When she replied, there would be divine light shining on the mast. Once her divine light appeared, safety would return immediately. (cf. Zheng He's '' Records of Communications with Foreign Countries'' ( 通番記 Tongfan Ji )). From the Song to the Yuan and Ming dynasties, ocean shipping played a very important role in the national economy and the people's livelihood. Each imperial court paid much attention to Mazu, the patron goddess of the sea. She was referred to as a consort in the Song, and was conferred the title of " Heavenly Consort under the Nation's Patronage" in the eighteenth year of the ''zhiyuan'' reign the Yuan dynasty. During the reign of emperor Kang Xi, wars broke out for the purpose of unifying the two sides of the Taiwan Straits. The Government needed her protection and gave her the title of " Celestial Empress and Holy Mother ". Even longer titles were later given to her, reaching seventy characters in the eleventh year of Tong Zhi's reign. Belief in the Celestial Empress actually originated from folk beliefs. The Imperial court promoted her position, but the common people still worshiped her according to their own understanding and feeling. People in Fujian call her " Mazu", which refers to an unmarried girl of the older generation. By this name, we can sense the intimacy between her and her followers. In folk legends, it is believed that when confronted with big trouble, call her " Mazu" and she will immediately come for salvation. If you address her as " Celestial Empress", she needs time to put on her court dress, so it wastes time. Some Daoist scriptures explain the origin of the Motherly Matriarch belief, and several folk traditions also provide explanations. The Motherly Matriarch belief originated among the common people; there were no official books about her. The '' Book of the Miracles of the Heavenly Consort Told by the Supreme Venerable Sovereign'' ( 太上老君說天妃靈驗經 Taishang Laojun Shuo Tianfei Lingyan Jing ) appeared in the Ming Dynasty. It collected stories and legends about her and praised her miracles and efficaciousness. The scripture said that her experiences were very unusual. The Supreme Venerable Sovereign observed in the Realm of No Extremity that the ship and boats went back and forth in the sea, with waves surging turbulently. If obstructed by wind, rain, thunder or lightning, the boats would turn over and people died. It was difficult to survive. So he sent the Jade Maiden of Sublime Deeds ( 妙行玉女 Miaoxing Yunü ) down into the world and let her manifest herself as a person to save the living beings. This Immortal was the Motherly Matriarch, the later Heavenly Consort. This story tells us that she has long been accepted into Daoist theogony and worshipped as an important deity. Common people have their own stories of the Heavenly consort. One of them is that she was born because she swallowed a Buddhist flower given by Bodhisattva Guanyin. The Motherly Matriarch cult has crossed the boundaries of China and been introduced to countries where the overseas Chinese have settled. She is a very important symbol of the national spirit on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. The Motherly Matriarch is a patron goddess in the sea and is believed in by fishermen and boatmen. There are always terrifying waves in the sea, so people yearn for a powerful and kind-hearted god to protect them. This is the psychological reason of the Motherly Matriarch cult. On both sides of the Taiwan Strait, people could only use boats to go back and forth, so the Motherly Matriarch belief has become deeply rooted in people's hearts. The culture of Taiwan and the mainland have thus overlapped. Taiwan's folk culture shares its origins with that of South Fujian, which is the ancestral land of most Taiwanese people. People in the Qing said that when " going back and forth between the mainland and Taiwan, the goddess is extremely efficacious". When there was no advanced navigation technology, belief in the Motherly Matriarch has been a spiritual bond between the mainland and Taiwan. It is still a significant cultural and spiritual symbol and an important link between the two sides today. In modern times, many Chinese in the coastal areas have traveled far across the oceans and made a living in foreign countries. So the cult of the Motherly Matriarch has been brought to the shores of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Temples of the Celestial Empress have been built there. The Motherly Matriarch carries the seed of Chinese culture, showing that the Chinese will not forget their native culture. [[zh:媽祖]] 9abd803d289940ab0e7a7aba35f30832cd274ab5 0 546 677 2009-10-12T08:03:03Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of Numinous Official Wang== Numinous Official Wang ( 王靈官 Wangling Guan ), also known as the Perfect Sovereign of Great Kindness ( ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of Numinous Official Wang== Numinous Official Wang ( 王靈官 Wangling Guan ), also known as the Perfect Sovereign of Great Kindness ( 隆恩真君 Long’en Zhenjun ), was a Heavenly General of the Jade Pivot Fire Office ( 玉樞火府 Yushu Huofu ). The chapter 'Records of Etiquette" in the History of the Ming Dynasty says: 'The Perfect Sovereign of Great Kindness refers to Numinous Official Wang, a Heavenly General of the Jade Pivot Fire Office, who followed Perfect Sovereign Sa and learnt Talismanic Skills. During the Yongle reign, because Zhou Side was good at teaching the Skills of Numinous Officials, the Temple of the Heavenly General ( 天將廟 Tianjang Miao ) and the Hall of Patriarchs ( 祖師殿 Zushi Dian ) were constructed in the west of the Forbidden City. During the Xuande era (1426-1435), the Temple of the Heavenly General was expanded into the Great Virtue Temple ( 大德觀 Dade Guan ) and respectable titles were conferred on the two Perfect Sovereigns. In the first Chenghua year, the Great Virtue Temple was expanded as the Temple of Numinous Manifestation ( 顯靈官 Xianling Gong ) ". The book also says: Perfect Sovereign Sa's Skill became famous owing to Numinous Official Wang, and Numinous Official Wang's Skill had been revealed by Zhou Side. The skill actually originated from the false tradition alleged by people like Lin Linshu". According to the biographies of immortals of the Ming and Qing dynasties, Numinous Official Wang's name was originally Wang E. As a spirit worshiped in temples of Fuliang, Xiangying area, he used to force locals to provide him little boys and girls to eat. Afterwards, Sa Shoujian, who was a disciple of Perfect Man Xuqing, the 30th generation Celestial Master, burned his eyes into Fiery Eyes and Diamond Pupils ( 火眼金睛 Huoyan Jinjing ) with a Flying Talisman. Wang E felt so angry that he sued to the Celestial Court. [[The Jade Emperor]] gave him discerning eyes and a golden whip, permitting him to follow Perfect Man Sa and detect his wrong doings, which would give him a chance to avenge himself on Perfect Man Sa. In the following twelve years, Wang E oversaw Sa with his discerning eyes, but he found no fault. After that, he came to Fujian to follow Perfect Man Sa, acting as his assistant. Perfect Man Sa changed his personal name E, which means 'the bad', into Shan, 'the good'. So since then his name was Wang Shan. Perfect Man Sa reported it to the Celestial Court. Wang Shan was designated as Thunder Office Ruler of the Three-and-Five Fire Cart ( 雷部三五火車雷公 Leibu Sanwu Huoche Leigong ), and was also popularly known as Numinous Official of Clarity and Brilliance ( 豁落靈官 Huoluo Lingguan ). ==Protector of Skills and Altars== In most Daoist temples, Numinous Official Wang's statues depict a red-faced warrior with a warping goatee, his long-toothed mouth open, wearing a suit of armor, a iron whip in his hand. Normally, Numinous Official Wang's statues faced the gates of temples because, with the help of his Fiery Eyes and Diamond Pupils, he was good at telling the false from the true. That was the reason why Numinous Official Wang was considered to be the protector of Daoist Skills and Altars. During the Yongle era of the Ming dynasty (1403-1424), Zhou Side, a Daoist in Hangzhou, claimed that he had been taught Numinous Official Skills and that spirits had descended into his body. Some people came to him and prayed for their wishes, which were all realized. So Zhou Side became incredibly famous in the capital city. He had the Temple of the Heavenly General and Patriarch Sa Hall constructed in the west of the Forbidden City. Numinous Official Wang was considered to be the Heavenly General of the Fire Office, acting as leader of the 26 heavenly generals in the Celestial Court. During the Xuande era (1426-1435), the Temple of the Heavenly General was changed into the Fire Virtue Temple, where sacrificial activities were held on due festivals. ==Worship for Numinous Official Wang== Because the halls dedicated to Numinous Official Wang were normally located at the gates of Daoist temples, Daoist believers used to worship Wang first, while entering the gates. As an exception, people in Fujian area worshiped Wang as Heavenly General and constructed temples exclusively dedicated to him, which were known as Temples of Heavenly General. It is said that Numinous Official Wang was born on the 13th day of the sixth lunar month (in another version, on the 23rd day of the sixth lunar month). On his birthday, a lot of Daoist believers normally thronged Daoist temples, and held sacrificial activities to worship Numinous Official Wang. [[zh:王靈官]] 28cc57e88a12bf68d3e80c9887ae6d59acc49de2 0 547 678 2009-10-12T08:42:46Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Kings of the Three Mountains== The Three Mountains refer to Mt. Du, Mt. Jin and Mt. Ming in the Chao district, Guangdong province. ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Kings of the Three Mountains== The Three Mountains refer to Mt. Du, Mt. Jin and Mt. Ming in the Chao district, Guangdong province. The Kings of the Three Mountains ( 三山國王 Sanshan Guowang ) are the local protectors of the Chao district. According to the ''Qing dynasty General History of Guangdong'', Mt. Du, Mt. Jin and Mt. Ming stood in a triangular shape and three spirits came out of a crack in Mt. Jin. They called themselves brothers and declared that they were ordered to rule the three mountains, and that the boundary stone of Mt. Wang embodied their souls. They also told local people to construct temples and worship them. Accordingly, locals started to set up temples dedicated to them in Mt. Jin. Whenever afflicted by floods, droughts and epidemics, the local people always prayed for help. It worked every time. After the first Song emperor Zhao Kuangying came to the throne, Liu Chang refused to recognize his authority. The Song troops went down to the south to quell the uprising. Mr. Wang, a counselor to the Chao local government, asked the three spirits for help. Consequently, there came a heavy storm, accompanied by terrible thunder and lightning, which helped the Song troops very much. As a result, Liu's troops were totally routed and the southern coastal areas became peaceful again. It is said that when the Song emperor Tai sent his army to Taiyuan, he saw from outside the city's defense wall three golden-armored spirits, who rode horses and had spears in hands, rushing to the battle front. After the triumph, he saw the three spirits standing on the wall of the city. Then the emperor was told of the three-mountain spirits of the Chao district. After that, the emperor conferred the titles 'King of Lofty Virtue and Pristine Salvation Who Is Dedicated to the Nation' ( 清化盛德報國王 Qinghua Shengde Baoguo Wang ) on the spirit of Mt. Ming, 'King of Bright Tranquility and Protector Who Pacifies the Nation' ( 助政明肅寧國王 Zhuzheng Mingsu Ninguo Wang ) on the spirit of Mt. Jin, and 'King of Generous Correspondence and Grand Benevolence Who Enriches the Nation' ( 惠威宏應豐國王 Huiwei Hongying Fengguo Wang ) on the spirit of Mt. Du. He also had the Temple of Bright Blessing ( 明貺 Mingkuan ) constructed in their honour. Sacrificial offerings were held in due festivals. In the ''Administrative History of the Chao District'' ( 潮州府志 Chaozhou Fuzhi ), a different version is given of the story of the Kings of the Three Mountains. The book claimed that, at the end of the Song dynasty, emperor Gong was captured by an ethnic minority regime in the north. With the help of Wen Tianxiang, a Song dynasty general, emperor Duan declared himself the new ruler of the Fu realm and established a new regime. When the Yuan troops went down to the south, the emperor, escorted by Zhang Shijie army, was leaving for the Chao district. In Jieyang county, however, they were surrounded again. Just at this dangerous moment, a violent storm changed the daytime into night. Three armies, led respectively by three generals, emerged from the three mountains and forcefully attacked the Yuan troops. They defeated the Yuan troops and saved General Zhang army. When the emperor and his ministers tried to express their gratitude, the three armies quickly withdrew into the mountains along the original route, disappearing within seconds. After the storm, they observed the surroundings carefully, finding themselves surrounded in three directions by mountains covered with green trees, white stones and drab soils. So the emperor conferred on the three mountains the title 'King of the Three Mountains'. When temples were set up to commemorate them, statues of three deities with green, white and brown faces were erected. The three mountains were Mt. Du, Mt. Jin and Mt. Ming. ==Influence on Folk Culture== In folk culture, there are a lot of stories about the Kings of the Three Mountains and their miracles. In these stories, they either help people overcome disasters and diseases, or dispel floods, droughts and devastating wars. In fact, the Kings of the Three Mountains have become the local protectors of the Chao district, Guangdong province. Different days were dedicated to them as birthdays. The King of Generous Correspondence and Grand Benevolence Who Enriches the State is considered to be born on the sixteenth day of the third lunar month. The King of Bright Tranquility and Protector Who Pacifies the Nation is said to have been born on the twenty-eighth day of the second lunar month. The birthday of the King of Lofty Virtue and Pristine Salvation Who Is Dedicated to the Nation is on the twenty-fourth day of the third lunar month. On their birthdays, people in the Chao district and Chao people living in Taiwan and Southeast Asia always go to temples dedicated to the Kings of the Three Mountains to show their respect. [[zh:三山國王]] 59281d55010807b71d9abedda5a6f8d829c5dbde 0 548 679 2009-10-12T09:03:46Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Saintly Founder-King of Zhang ( 開漳聖王 Kaizhang Shengwang )== Also known as Revered Sage King ( 聖王公 Shengwang Gong ) an...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Saintly Founder-King of Zhang ( 開漳聖王 Kaizhang Shengwang )== Also known as Revered Sage King ( 聖王公 Shengwang Gong ) and Sage King Chen, his name was Chen Yuanguang and his literary name Yanju. He styled himself Nonghu. He was born on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month in the second Xianqing year of the Tang dynasty (AD 657) in Gushi, Guan district, Henan province. Even during his childhood, he began to show his interest in Dao. When he was thirteen years old, he came to Fujian with his father's army. During the Gao era of the Tang emperor, his father was in charge of the Tang military forces in southern Fujian. After his father died, Chen Yuanguang took over his post. He commanded a small army to attack an ethnic army occupying some areas of Fujian. Fierce battles lasted a few months, after which the ethnic force was totally defeated. The '' General History of Fujian'', which was published in the tenth Tongzhi year of the Qing dynasty, claimed that in the third year of the Tang emperor Zhong's reign, Chen Yuanguang suggested to the emperor that a new district should be set up between Quan and Chao, and that the original seven administrative districts be replaced by eight. The emperor approved his plan. He was authorized to create the Zhang district and Zhangpu prefecture. He was also designated as the highest military leader of southern Fujian and hereditary governor of the Zhang district. Then he wrote a report to the emperor, detailing the merits of his subordinates such as Xu Tianzhen and Ma Ren. He suggested to the emperor to give them promotions. The Emperor approved his advice. After that, his troops started to cultivate land and grow crops in the Zhang district as pioneers. He suggested to the emperor to establish a local government there. Since then, a peaceful life totally took the place of chaotic wars. In the second Jingyun year of the Tang dynasty (711 AD), Chen Yuanguang died in a war against a revolt led by Lan Fonggao. The emperor conferred on him the title of 'Senior Great General and Brave Protector' ( 右豹韜衛大將軍 Youbao Taowei Dajiangjun ), and ordered him to set up a temple dedicated to him in the Zhang district. In the fourth Kaiyuan year of the Tang dynasty (716 AD), he was granted a higher title, Governor of Yinchuan, as well as the memorial title 'Gentleman of Brilliance and Eminence'. In the Song dynasty, he was further granted titles such as 'King of Extensive Salvation' ( 廣濟王 Guangji Wang ), 'King of Numinous Tranquility' ( 靈著王 Lingzhu Wang ) and 'King of Accomplished Benevolence' ( 成惠王 Chenghui Wang ). ==His Influence on Folk Culture== For a long time, the Saintly Founder-King of Zhang has been worshiped by people in the Zhang district of Fujian as well as by Zhang people who live in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. In the Zhang district, worship for the Saintly King remains unchanged. In Taiwan, worship for the King is popularly seen in areas inhabited by people originally from the Zhang district. Every year, on the fifteenth day of the second month, the Saintly Founder-King of Zhang's birthday, people from Zhang usually go to temples dedicated to the Saintly King and hold worship services and memorial rituals there. [[zh:開漳聖王]] 8bd2534100397ce4ec7c71162eab6fd46359733d 0 549 680 2009-10-12T09:18:17Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Great Life-Protecting Emperor== Also known as the Daoist Elder ( 大道公 Dadao Gong ) or Perfect Sovereign Wu, the name of the Gr...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Great Life-Protecting Emperor== Also known as the Daoist Elder ( 大道公 Dadao Gong ) or Perfect Sovereign Wu, the name of the Great Life Protecting Emperor ( 保生大帝 Baosheng Dadi ) was Wu Ben and his literary name Huaji. He came from Baijiao village of Tongan county in Quanzhou city, Fujian province, and also styled himself Yundong. His father was Wutong and his mother's surname Huang. Wu Ben was born on the fifteenth day of the third lunar month in the Song emperor Taizhong's fourth Taiping Xingguo year (979 AD). It is said that when he was born, his mother, then in oblivion, saw a kid accompanied by a spirit coming to her gate. The spirit told her: he is the Star of Purple Subtlety ( 紫微星 Ziwei Xing ). Even as a boy, Wu showed his extraordinary intelligence as well as an inborn aspiration for Dao. A few years later, he started to systematically study a variety of disciplines of knowledge, including astronomy, geography, and classics like the ''Book of Rites and the Book of Music''. He was particularly good at medicine. When he was seventeen years old, he started to visit the sacred mountains. On the way, he met an extraordinary man who was rowing in a river. He invited Wu on board and then took him to Mt. Kunlun, where Wu was summoned by [[the Queen Mother of the West]] and given the Divine Prescription for Benefiting Mankind ( 濟世神方 Jishi Shenfang ) as well as the Arts of Exorcism ( 驅邪術 Quxie Shu ). After returning home, he started to cultivate Dao. He neither ate meat nor got married. Because of his good virtue, he was recommended to hold a position in government, and ultimately became Chief Royal Prosecutor. On the second day of the fifth month of the third Jingyou year (1036 AD), he died at White Reef, in the district of Zhang, and then rode on a crane upward into heaven. During the Shaoxing era of the Song emperor Gao, following and imperial decree, a temple dedicated to him was established at White Reef and Green Reef. He was also granted the title of Perfect Man of Great Dao" in the seventh Qiandao year of the Song Emperor Shao (1171 AD). During the first Ming emperor era, another title, Perfect Sovereign of Numinous Healing and Heavenly Chief Royal Prosecutor" ( 晸天御史醫靈真君 Haotian Yushi Yiling Zhenjun ) was conferred upon him. In the first Hongxi year of the Ming dynasty (1425 AD), he was further granted the titles of 'Perfect Sovereign of Sublime Dao and Healing Soul of Benevolent Salvation' ( 慈濟醫靈妙道真君 Ciji Yiling Miaodao Zhenjun ) and 'Great Life-Protecting Emperor of Infinity and Longevity" ( 萬壽無極保生大帝 Wanshou Wuji Baosheng Dadi ). ==Impact on Folk Culture== The Great Life-Protecting Emperor had a deep understanding of the sublimity and mystery of Dao as well as of the Three-and-Five Flying Paces ( 三五飛步之法 Sanwu Feibu Zhifa ). He used to employ Jade Knife Talismanic Skills ( 刀圭符法 Daogui Fufa ) for salvation. During the Mingdao era of the Song dynasty empero Ren (1032-1033), the Zhang and Quan districts were struck by a severe drought, which resulted in a serious food shortage. The Great Life-Protecting Emperor employed his magical power to transport relief grains. In the next year, the area was afflicted by epidemics related to miasma and harmful demons. The Great Emperor immediately summoned his divine soldiers to resist. He employed both talismans and incantations to successfully protect the people. As a result, popular stories depict Wu Ben as a divine doctor who used to cure the sick by dispelling miasma and demons. The General History of Fujian ( 福建通志 Fujian Tongzhi ), which was published during the Tongzhi era of the Qing dynasty, said that Wu Ben saved many lives with his medical skill. He used different treatments and medicines to cure different diseases. So the effect was incredibly good. Sometimes, he emitted his breath onto water and gave it to patients to drink. All kinds of chronic diseases were eradicated in a short time. According to the Book of Ming, during the Yongle era of the Ming dynasty (1403-1424), Queen Wen suffered from a breast ache. She dreamed that a Daoist offered her a prescription, by which she wound her breast with red threads and treated it with acupuncture. Immediately, the breast ache disappeared. She sent envoys to investigate and found that it was Wu Ben who had cured her. So the emperor granted him a dragon robe as well as the title of 'Great Life-Protecting Emperor". After that, Wu lived as a hermit and doctor. His magical medical skill saved many patients suffering from chronic diseases. As a result, many temples dedicated to him were set up in the Quan district located in southern Fujian, in northern Taiwan, as well as some areas in southeast Asia where many people originally from the Quan district were living. Every year on the fifteenth day of the third lunar month, which is the Great Emperor's birthday, people from southern Fujian always hold memorial activities in honor of the Daoist Elder, praying for good health and a peaceful life. [[zh:保生大帝]] b25936f9881b6d58aae3c988ff777fef5a93c928 0 550 681 2009-10-16T02:11:49Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Immortals and Immortalism}} ==The Story of the Water-Margin Lady== The Water-Margin Lady ( 臨水夫人 Linshui Furen ) was also known as the Great Lady ( 大奶夫人 Danai Fu...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism}} ==The Story of the Water-Margin Lady== The Water-Margin Lady ( 臨水夫人 Linshui Furen ) was also known as the Great Lady ( 大奶夫人 Danai Furen ), the Lady of Good Virtue ( 順懿夫人 Shunyi Furen ), Chen Qingu, and Chen Jingu. She was worshiped as a goddess in Fujian, Taiwan, and among overseas Chinese who originally came from Fujian province. Chen Qingu came from Fuzhou prefecture, which is located in Xiadu, Luoyuan County, Fujian province. Some people disagree and claim that she actually came from Linshui village of Gutian county. It is said that Chen Chang, her father, was finance minister, and her mother's family name was Ge. In popular stories, a fingernail of the Goddess of Mercy (Avalokitesvara) was reincarnated as Chen Qingu. She was actually born on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in the second Dani year of the Tang dynasty (767 A.D). According to the '' Casual Record of the Ming Capital'' ( 閩都別記 Mindu Bieji ), when Chen Qingu was born, the whole room was covered by colorful clouds, and the garden was filled with auspicious air, which was considered by her neighbors as a miracle as well as a good sign. As a little girl, she was intelligent, virtuous and dignified. Chen Shouyuan, her elder brother, was good at Daoist Arts and lived in the mountains as a hermit. Chen Qingu used to bring him basic necessities for living. She started to learn the Daoist Skill of Mt. Lu at the age of thirteen. Three years later, she finished her training and went home. Then she obeyed her parents' advice and married Liu Qigong, a man in Gutian county. In the second summer after the founding of the Min state, her hometown was afflicted with a severe drought. Then Chen Qingu became pregnant for several months. The drought killed all plants and crops, leaving people helpless. In response to appeals from the local people, the Water-Margin Lady, then aged twenty-four, paid no attention to her pregnancy. At the cost of miscarriage, she came to the temple, praying for rain by means of her Daoist skills. It worked. A heavenly rain washed away the drought. But the Water-Margin Lady was herself murdered by a foe. After that, she ascended to heaven by Deliverance from the Corpse. When she passed away, she said: 'After my death, I will become a spirit to help women who suffer from difficult labor'. Local people set up temples in Gutian, showing respect to her statues, which were constructed according to Chen Qingu旧 appearance. During the Youzhou era of the Song dynasty (1241-1252), she was granted the title of 'Lady of Lofty Fortune, Brilliant Grace and Benevolent Salvation' ( 崇福昭惠慈濟夫人 Chongfu Zhaohui Ciji Furen ) as well as that of 'Lady of Good Virtue'. In later times, the title of 摂merald Cloud and Blue Soul Heavenly Immortal Mother of Universal Salvation" ( 天仙聖母青靈普化碧霞元君 Tianxian Shengmu Qingling Puhua Bixia Yuanjun ) was also conferred on her. During the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, she won herself more titles, which included 'Water-Margin Lady of Lofty Fortune ( 臨水崇福夫人 Linshui Chongfu Furen ), Primordial Lady of Good Virtue and Holy Motherhood, etc. She was normally referred to as the 'Heavenly Lord of Benevolence and Sincerity" ( 惠忱慈量天尊 Huichen Siliang Tianzun ) in Daoist books. ==Obligations & Worship of the Water-Margin Lady== Since the Water-Margin Lady had learnt the Daoist Skills of Mt. Lu, she was good at subduing monsters. In folk culture, however, she was mainly considered as a protector of women suffering from difficult labor. '' Remaining Stories about Cauldron Casting'' ( 鑄鼎餘聞 Zhuding Yuwen ) quoted the '' History of Lishui County'' as saying that she was worshiped by women as the Lady of Good Virtue and that many believers visited Good Virtue Temple located at Singing-Crane Well on Supreme Peace street, to show their respect. People who wanted to have a child came to temples dedicated to the Water-Margin Lady and prayed piously. After a child was born, his or her parents would set up a statue of the Water-Margin Lady at home, showing their respect. This was done especially on special days, such as a child's first shower, the celebration of his first month, and his first anniversary. On these occasions, some blind men were invited to the home to sing songs about the Water-Margin Lady, a practise known as Singing Songs about the Lady. Every year, two days before the Lantern Festival, which is on fifteenth of the first lunar month, some wealthy and old women were selected to serve the Water-Margin Lady. The next day, her statues were shown to the public, receiving greetings from officials and believers. At night, the statues were routinely carried through the streets in a parade. All places were normally decorated with lanterns and colored hangings. Loud music filled the air. The parade was led by several hundred children on horses, with lanterns in their hands. At that moment, the streets were congested by spectators. Even today, there are still many temples and halls dedicated to the Water-Margin Lady in Fujian and Taiwan, where she was called the State-Protecting Lady of Southern Taiwan ( 台南助國夫人 Tainan Zhugou Furen ), the Holy Mother Who Follows the Will of Heaven ( 順天聖母 Shuntian Shengmu ), the Water-Margin Grandmother ( 臨水奶 Linshui Nai ), Mother Lady ( 夫人媽 Furen Ma ), etc. The pregnant also came to her statues, praying for a natural labor. Every year, on her birthday, there were many celebrations in temples dedicated to her. [[zh:臨水夫人]] c0084a77c4a409e33a8d7b6d039df465d422f787 0 551 682 2009-10-16T02:27:31Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Immortals and Immortalism}} ==Origin of Emperor Guan== Emperor Guan was originally the revered Mr. Guan of the Shu kingdom in the Three kingdoms Period. Named Yu and literally ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism}} ==Origin of Emperor Guan== Emperor Guan was originally the revered Mr. Guan of the Shu kingdom in the Three kingdoms Period. Named Yu and literally titled Yunchang, he was a local of Xieliang county, Puzhou prefecture (now Xieyu county, Shaanxi province). According to legend, Guan was the incarnation of a green dragon. He was born with a heroic look with erect eyes, knitted brows, a wide forehead and a long face. When grown up, he was 9.5 feet tall with a 1.8-foot-long beard. With a jujube-red face, red-phoenix eyes, and lying-silkworm eyebrows, he was a hero able to fight ten thousand men. At the end of the Eastern Han, Guan Yu, Liu Bei and Zhang Fei became sworn brothers in a peach garden and planned to raise troops. At first Guan Yu was defeated and captured by Cao Cao at Xiapi. Cao Cao treated him with special respect and gave him the rank of general. As a loyal commander, he killed Yuan Shao's courageous general Yanliang in battle and saved Cao Cao from dangerous difficulties. Cao appealed to the Emperor to the Marquis of Shouting with very rich largess. However, after being informed of Liu Bei's whereabouts, Guan left the gold and the marquis's seal untouched and went for Liu. Having founded the Shu kingdom, Liu ordered Guan to defend Xianyang and govern Jinzhou prefecture. Guan defeated Cao Ren and his seven army corps at Fancheng, killing Pang De and capturing Yu Jin, and won resounding fame through the country. Underestimating the enemy from the Wu kingdom, Guan was cheated by the enemy's scheme and suffered defeat at Maicheng and was killed. According to legend, Guan's head was buried in Guan Woods at Luoyang, Henan and his body on Mt. Yuquan at Dangyang, Hubei. Moved by his loyalism and righteousness, later generations have offered sacrifice for him every year. According to Daoist scriptures, Guan manifested himself in theophany and later met the Perfected Man of the Iron Bowl ( 鐵真人 Tiebo Zhenren ), who honored him as Admiral and Earthly Deity. In the Song dynasty, responding to the call of Perfected Man Xujing, the 30th Celestial Master, Guan manifested himself to the emperor, killed monsters, and tamed the flood dragon. The Zhenzong Emperor praised his merit in protecting the state and blessing the people. In the 1st year (1102 A.D.) of the Chongning Era of the Huizong Emperor, Guan was honored as Loyal and Benefiting Duke ( 忠惠公 Zhonghui Gong ). In the 5th year (1123 A.D.) of the Xuanhe Era, he was honored as Righteous and Courageous King of Martial Protection ( 義勇武安王 Yiyong Wu’an Wang ). In the Yuan dynasty, he was honored as Righteous and Courageous King of Martial Protection, Heroic Blessing and Numinous Manifestation ( 顯靈義勇武安英濟王 Xianling Yiyong Wu’an Yingji Wang ). In the early Ming dynasty, people honored him as Grand Warrior Duke Guan and offered sacrifices for him together with Yue Fei. Consequently, martial temples were also called "Temple of Guan and Yue". In the 33rd year (1605 A.D.) of the Wanli Era, the emperor honored him as Imperial Sovereign Saint Guan, Great Emperor Who Defeats the Demons of the Three Realms, and Heavenly Lord Known from Afar for His Divine Power ( 三界伏魔大帝、神威遠震天尊、關聖帝君 Sanjie Fumo Dadi, Shenwei Yuanzhen Tianzun, Guansheng Dijun ). In the 1st year of the Shunzhi Era in the Qing dynasty, he was honored as Loyal Righteous Divine Courageous and Imperial Saint Guan ( 忠義神武關聖大帝 Zhongyi Shenwu Guansheng Dadi ). In the 5th year (1666 A.D.) of the Kangxi Era, he was honored as Loyal, Righteous, Divine, Courageous, Numinous, Benevolent, Mighty and Imperial Saint Guan ( 忠義神武靈佑仁勇威顯關聖大帝 Zhongyi Shenwu Lingyou Renyong Weixian Guansheng Dadi ). People erected a stele for him in the Guan Woods in Luoyang. Since the Northern Song dynasty, Guan Yu has been one of the law-protecting heavenly deities and known as the Demon-Cleansing Perfected Sovereign ( 蕩魔真君 Dangmo Zhenjun ) or as the Great Emperor Who Defeats the Demons. The folk people call him Imperial Sovereign Saint Guan or Emperor Guan. Some people in Taiwan also call him Mysterious Numinous Lofty Emperor ( 玄靈高上帝 Xuanling Gaoshang di ). ==Miracles and worship== During the Song and Yuan dynasties, Emperor Guan was a symbol of loyalty and righteousness. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, many Planchette Writing sessions invited Emperor Guan to descend and handed down some writings popular among the people, such as the Perfect Book of Emperor Guan's Enlightenment ( 《關帝覺世真經》 Guandi Juehsi Zhenjing ), the Book of Emperor Guan's Manifest Holiness ( 《關帝明聖經》 Guandi Mingsheng Jing ), and the Admonishment for the Literati ( 《戒士子文》 Jie Shizi Wen ). People worship Emperor Guan not merely as a law-protecting heavenly deity, but also as god of war, god of wealth and god of righteousness. They pray to Emperor Guan for many reasons, such as success in imperial examinations, promotion in official ranks, elimination of disasters, curing diseases, exorcising evil, punishing treachery, inspecting hell, blessing merchants, enlarging the exchequer and judging doubtful cases. Secret societies even made the loyalty and righteousness of Emperor Guan their spiritual ligament. For reasons varying from joining the society to becoming sworn brothers, they held all kinds of rituals in front of him, such as burning incense, prostrations and kowtowing, and smearing the blood of sacrifice on mouths when swearing oaths. During the Ming, Qing and Republican periods, Temples of Emperor Guan were built everywhere. Some large-sized Daoist and Buddhist temples also contained images or memorial tablets of Emperor Guan. The popularity of the belief in Emperor Guan can be compared with the cults of City God Temples and local earth spirit temples. According to legend, the holy birthday of Emperor Guan is the 13th day of the 5th month or the 13th day of the 1st month of the lunar year. On the divine birthday of Emperor Guan, temples of Emperor Guan hold celebration rituals. Someone at the end of the Qing dynasty sighed with emotion that the worship of Emperor Guan would be "eternal as heaven and earth". [[zh:關帝]] 992b0b18797678b566862c557d8787da4d70ac6c 0 552 683 2009-10-16T03:18:41Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Immortals and Immortalism}} ==Explanation of the name Guanyin== The Buddhist scripture the ''Universal Salvation Chapter of the Lotus Sutra of the Sublime Dharma'' ( 妙法蓮...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism}} ==Explanation of the name Guanyin== The Buddhist scripture the ''Universal Salvation Chapter of the Lotus Sutra of the Sublime Dharma'' ( 妙法蓮花經普門品 Miaofa Lianhuang Jing Pumen Pin ) records that in a dharmic gathering, Bodhisattva Wujinyi asked Sakyamuni: " why does the Bodhisattva Guanshiyin have such a name?" The Bodhisattva Guanshiyin answered herself: " I attained Buddhahood in the endless kalpa, and was named Dingguang Buddha. But I felt sympathy for the worldly people suffering various disasters, and so reincarnated myself as the Buddha Guanshiyin. Whenever someone is confronted with miseries and calls the name of the Bodhisattva Guanyin, the Bodhisattva will know of it and save him from sufferings immediately. All will be saved. So I am named the Bodhisattva Guanshiyin". ==History== In the Tang Dynasty, because of the taboo on the character ' shi' in the name of the Taizong emperor Li Shimin, Guangshiyin's name was changed to Guanyin, which is still the case today. Before the Yuan Dynasty, the Bodhisattva Guanyin from India was a male. In the Yuan dynasty, painter Zhao Mengfu's wife Guan Daosheng began to depict Guanyin as a female, thinking that he was as merciful as female. She also wrote the ''Stories of Guanyin's Enlightenment'' ( 觀音成道記 Guanyin Chengdao Ji ) and said that Guanyin was the third princess of the Miaozhuang Kingdom , and that her name was Miaoshan (her two sisters were named Miaoyin and Miaoyuan). She was born vegetarian and served the Buddha when she grew up. She determined not to marry, so her father asked her to do ten difficult things. If she could not fulfill them, she would have to marry. The difficult things included using a bamboo basket to carry water to fill a pond, weaving one hundred chi dresses in one night, etc.. Miaoshan prayed to heaven and many gods descended to earth to help, so she completed the ten tasks at the right time. The king could no longer stop her. Later, she attained Dao under the help of the Grand White constellation, and then she delivered her parents and sisters, who all attained the right fruit. In Daoism, Bodhisattva Guanyin is called the Independent Celestial Reverend in the Grotto Heaven. The ''History of the Song Dynasty, Records of Emperor Huizong'' records: in the first year of the Xuanhe reign, the Buddhist patriarch was changed into the Golden Immortal of Grand Enlightenment, arhats into Reverends and Guanyin into Guanyin dashi, and they were all absorbed into Daoism. ==Save all sentient beings== Bodhisattva Guanyin once vowed to deliver all sentient beings. She will be the last one to attain the Dao when everyone is saved. So Bodhisattva Guanyin has been called Bodhisattva instead of Buddha for thousands of years. [[Lu Dongbin]] also made the same pledge: "deliver all people in the world to attain the Dao, then I will begin to cultivate for immortality." The two sages have manifested such warm-heartedness and self-sacrifice. Such great and selfless personalities can be our models. ==Belief in Guanyin originated in Buddhism. Guanyin's image has undergone a long process of evolution== Guanyin is also called Guanshiyin or Guanzizai. He is the foremost Bodhisattva in Chinese Buddhism. Guanyin worship is extremely popular among common people; they call her Most Merciful and Most Compassionate Bodhisattva Guanyin Who Helps the Needy and Relieves the Distressed ( 大慈大悲救苦救難觀世音菩 Daci Dabei Jiuku Jiunan Guanshiyin Pusa ), though they don't know very much about his life story. His Chinese name is based on the Sanskrit pronunciation of" Avalokitesvara", which means " self-dependent". It is also translated as Guanshiyin. Different translations of his name are the result of different explanations in Buddhist scriptures. From its influence among the Chinese, the explanation of the ''Lotus Sutra'' ( 法華經 Fahua Jing ) is most acceptable. It says: " Buddha tells the Wujinyi Bodhisattva: Countless living creatures are suffering. I heard that there is a Bodhisattva Guanshiyin. If you call him Bodhisattva Guanshiyin, he will save people by observing their voices. " (the literal meaning of the Chinese characters ' guan' and ' yin' is ' to observe voices'). Based on that saying, the name Guan-shi-yin means to save people from suffering by following their voices, because he is capable of saving people by observing their voices. But a voice can only be heard, how can it be observed? As a matter of fact, a Bodhisattva has the magic ability of using his Six Roots ( 六根 Liugen ) of sensation interchangeably: his ears can hear and his eyes can listen, it is nothing unusual. Guanyin's occult technique ( 法門 Famen ) is called the Dharma Gate of Deliverance Through Compassionate Deeds. The ''Flower Garland Sutra'' ( 華嚴經 Huayan Jing ) states that the Shan-cai Boy once visited Guanyin and asked for suggestions as to what occult technique he should learn. Guanyin told him: " The occult techniques the Bodhisattva should learn are endless. Among them, I practice the Dharma Gate of Deliverance Through Compassionate Deeds" ( 大悲行解脫法門 Dabei Xing Jietuo Famen ). So Guanyin is called the Most Merciful and Most Compassionate Bodhisattva Guanyin Who Helps the Needy and Relieves the Distressed. Incantations and confessions related to him are called Compassionate Incantations and Compassionate Litanies. In Buddhist scriptures, Guanyin has vast magic powers and is capable of saving people by listening to their voices and liberating them from sufferings. So people contribute their piety to Guanyin. When Chinese believe in Buddhism, few want to reach the state of nirvana. They are interested in the idea of rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss in the West, but they are mostly concerned with practical benefits and solving present problems in this life instead of waiting to get salvation after death. These are characteristics of religious beliefs among the Chinese. Guanshiyin's image precisely meets such psychology. So Guanyin is enshrined from the Potala Palace ( 布達拉宮 Budala Gong ) in the West to Putuo Mountain in the East Sea (Potala and Putuo are all named after the pronunciation of the dwelling of Guanyin), and even in people's houses. Guanyin's image has undergone much evolution in China. The Chinese have remolded Guanyin according to their own understanding and wishes. In Indian legends, Guanyin and Dashizhi are Amita Buddha's assistants at his two sides; they are called the Three Sages of the West. Guanyin was originally male and dwelled on an Indian Mountain. When he came to China, he gradually became a female and was called " Goddess Guanyin". Guan Daosheng (Zhao Mengfu's wife) in the Yuan Dynasty wrote a brief biography, in which she said that Guanyin was the third daughter of the Miao-zhuang-yan kingdom, and that her name was Miaoshan. The ''Comprehensive Collection of Investigations into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines since their Origin'', published in the Yuan Dynasty, recorded that Guanyin was the third princess of the Miao-zhuang kingdom in Beique. Her name was Miaoshan. The Jade Emperor conferred on her the title of the Most Merciful and Most Compassionate Bodhisattva Guanyin Who Helps the Needy and Relieves the Distressed. It was evidently an expression of Chinese thinking. In Indian Buddhism, the celestial emperor is a guardian of the Buddha while in China, religious power and theocracy were never above the worldly emperor's power. Many Immortals' and monks' titles were conferred by the emperors. So it is understandable that Guanyin's image has changed. The idols of Guanyin in Chinese Buddhist temples were molded after the Yuan Dynasty, almost all of them with female appearances. Buddhists explain that Bodhisattva is not differentiated between male and female. If it is convenient to show him as a male, his appearance will be male. If it is convenient to show her as a female, her appearance will be female. As the worship of Guanyin is so popular, people use their own understanding to make images of Guanyin. He thus has rich images, such as Guanyin in the Sea, Guanyin in White, Guanyin with a Fish Basket and Guanyin with a Thousand Hands and Eyes. ==Guanyin is enshrined in Daoist temples to satisfy believers' needs. This is also the result of the concept of the Oneness of the Three Religions== The religious beliefs of the Chinese are utilitarian. The Chinese don't care about Immortals, Buddhas or Bodhisattvas; nor do they care whether it is Daoism or Buddhism. There is no strict limitation as to what kind of incense to burn and to which god to kowtow to. This is unlike Western religious followers, who will not worship other gods once they choose a certain religion. Though Buddhism and Daoism have their own traditions of gods, they have influenced each other in the long run. In some temples constructed by villagers, there are Daoist immortals, Bodhisattvas, and ancestral spirits in one temple. Bodhisattva Guanyin is the most popular goddess in Buddhism. Zhao Yi, who lived in the Qing Dynasty, said that Guanyin, Lord Emperor Guan and Lu Dongbin received most of the incense burned by the people. Lu was originally a Daoist, and Emperor Guan was an important spiritual general in Daoism. He was honored as lord Emperor in the Ming Dynasty. Emperor Guan's temples can certainly be called Daoist. The Buddhist Guanyin cult was also absorbed by Daoism to meet the needs of followers. There was once a Red Temple in Shanghai, officially called the Temple for the Protection of Peace. Daoists once bought that property from Buddhists, and the former Guanyin idol remained there. That temple was destroyed in a fire. When the Daoists rebuilt it, they remolded a new Guanyin. However, when they cleared away the ruins of the burnt old temple, they found the former Guanyin. So they enshrined both Guanyins in the same temple. This shows that enshrining Guanyin in Daoist temples meets the demands of followers. Daoism's acceptance of Guanyin is also the result of the concept of the Oneness of the Three Teachings. Tao Hongjin, the Daoist master of the Southern Dynasty, absorbed elements of Buddhism and shared a good relationship with Confucianism. Buddhism and Daoism have influenced each other since the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing periods. People know more of Daoism's acceptance of Buddhist elements and less of Buddhism's acceptance of Daoist elements. Actually, they have borrowed from each other. For example, the Daoist stellar god of the Big Dipper was absorbed into a secret sect of Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty. Monk Yi Xing wrote of the " Big Dipper Guarding the Dharma" ( 北斗護魔法 Beidou humo fa ) in the time of Tang emperor Xuanzong. It was a technique of making sacrifice to the Big Dipper by means of fire. Guanyin's integration into Daoism is another example. During the time of the Northern Song, Jin and Yuan Dynasties, the concept of the Oneness of the Three Doctrines was elaborated, and became an acceptable or tolerable idea. There were some conflicts during the period of Song emperor Huizong, but they ended when by the end of the Northern Song. The Complete Perfection Tradition called for the Oneness of the Three Teachings from the very beginning, and had groups named after the Three Teachings, such as the Three Teachings Golden Lotus Society, the Three Teachings Jade Florence Society, the Three Teachings Equality Society, etc.. Such a concept was an important basis for accepting the Bodhisattva into Daoism. The Complete Perfection tradition was successful in this respect. In short, the Guanyin cult originated in Buddhism and was absorbed by Daoism, and underwent changes during its spread among the common people. The Guanyin cult thus has a strong sense of folklore. 6d57aca8478aba15161949a174bb33c1e93041e1 684 683 2009-10-16T03:19:09Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism}} ==Explanation of the name Guanyin== The Buddhist scripture the ''Universal Salvation Chapter of the Lotus Sutra of the Sublime Dharma'' ( 妙法蓮花經普門品 Miaofa Lianhuang Jing Pumen Pin ) records that in a dharmic gathering, Bodhisattva Wujinyi asked Sakyamuni: " why does the Bodhisattva Guanshiyin have such a name?" The Bodhisattva Guanshiyin answered herself: " I attained Buddhahood in the endless kalpa, and was named Dingguang Buddha. But I felt sympathy for the worldly people suffering various disasters, and so reincarnated myself as the Buddha Guanshiyin. Whenever someone is confronted with miseries and calls the name of the Bodhisattva Guanyin, the Bodhisattva will know of it and save him from sufferings immediately. All will be saved. So I am named the Bodhisattva Guanshiyin". ==History== In the Tang Dynasty, because of the taboo on the character ' shi' in the name of the Taizong emperor Li Shimin, Guangshiyin's name was changed to Guanyin, which is still the case today. Before the Yuan Dynasty, the Bodhisattva Guanyin from India was a male. In the Yuan dynasty, painter Zhao Mengfu's wife Guan Daosheng began to depict Guanyin as a female, thinking that he was as merciful as female. She also wrote the ''Stories of Guanyin's Enlightenment'' ( 觀音成道記 Guanyin Chengdao Ji ) and said that Guanyin was the third princess of the Miaozhuang Kingdom , and that her name was Miaoshan (her two sisters were named Miaoyin and Miaoyuan). She was born vegetarian and served the Buddha when she grew up. She determined not to marry, so her father asked her to do ten difficult things. If she could not fulfill them, she would have to marry. The difficult things included using a bamboo basket to carry water to fill a pond, weaving one hundred chi dresses in one night, etc.. Miaoshan prayed to heaven and many gods descended to earth to help, so she completed the ten tasks at the right time. The king could no longer stop her. Later, she attained Dao under the help of the Grand White constellation, and then she delivered her parents and sisters, who all attained the right fruit. In Daoism, Bodhisattva Guanyin is called the Independent Celestial Reverend in the Grotto Heaven. The ''History of the Song Dynasty, Records of Emperor Huizong'' records: in the first year of the Xuanhe reign, the Buddhist patriarch was changed into the Golden Immortal of Grand Enlightenment, arhats into Reverends and Guanyin into Guanyin dashi, and they were all absorbed into Daoism. ==Save all sentient beings== Bodhisattva Guanyin once vowed to deliver all sentient beings. She will be the last one to attain the Dao when everyone is saved. So Bodhisattva Guanyin has been called Bodhisattva instead of Buddha for thousands of years. [[Lu Dongbin]] also made the same pledge: "deliver all people in the world to attain the Dao, then I will begin to cultivate for immortality." The two sages have manifested such warm-heartedness and self-sacrifice. Such great and selfless personalities can be our models. ==Belief in Guanyin originated in Buddhism. Guanyin's image has undergone a long process of evolution== Guanyin is also called Guanshiyin or Guanzizai. He is the foremost Bodhisattva in Chinese Buddhism. Guanyin worship is extremely popular among common people; they call her Most Merciful and Most Compassionate Bodhisattva Guanyin Who Helps the Needy and Relieves the Distressed ( 大慈大悲救苦救難觀世音菩 Daci Dabei Jiuku Jiunan Guanshiyin Pusa ), though they don't know very much about his life story. His Chinese name is based on the Sanskrit pronunciation of" Avalokitesvara", which means " self-dependent". It is also translated as Guanshiyin. Different translations of his name are the result of different explanations in Buddhist scriptures. From its influence among the Chinese, the explanation of the ''Lotus Sutra'' ( 法華經 Fahua Jing ) is most acceptable. It says: " Buddha tells the Wujinyi Bodhisattva: Countless living creatures are suffering. I heard that there is a Bodhisattva Guanshiyin. If you call him Bodhisattva Guanshiyin, he will save people by observing their voices. " (the literal meaning of the Chinese characters ' guan' and ' yin' is ' to observe voices'). Based on that saying, the name Guan-shi-yin means to save people from suffering by following their voices, because he is capable of saving people by observing their voices. But a voice can only be heard, how can it be observed? As a matter of fact, a Bodhisattva has the magic ability of using his Six Roots ( 六根 Liugen ) of sensation interchangeably: his ears can hear and his eyes can listen, it is nothing unusual. Guanyin's occult technique ( 法門 Famen ) is called the Dharma Gate of Deliverance Through Compassionate Deeds. The ''Flower Garland Sutra'' ( 華嚴經 Huayan Jing ) states that the Shan-cai Boy once visited Guanyin and asked for suggestions as to what occult technique he should learn. Guanyin told him: " The occult techniques the Bodhisattva should learn are endless. Among them, I practice the Dharma Gate of Deliverance Through Compassionate Deeds" ( 大悲行解脫法門 Dabei Xing Jietuo Famen ). So Guanyin is called the Most Merciful and Most Compassionate Bodhisattva Guanyin Who Helps the Needy and Relieves the Distressed. Incantations and confessions related to him are called Compassionate Incantations and Compassionate Litanies. In Buddhist scriptures, Guanyin has vast magic powers and is capable of saving people by listening to their voices and liberating them from sufferings. So people contribute their piety to Guanyin. When Chinese believe in Buddhism, few want to reach the state of nirvana. They are interested in the idea of rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss in the West, but they are mostly concerned with practical benefits and solving present problems in this life instead of waiting to get salvation after death. These are characteristics of religious beliefs among the Chinese. Guanshiyin's image precisely meets such psychology. So Guanyin is enshrined from the Potala Palace ( 布達拉宮 Budala Gong ) in the West to Putuo Mountain in the East Sea (Potala and Putuo are all named after the pronunciation of the dwelling of Guanyin), and even in people's houses. Guanyin's image has undergone much evolution in China. The Chinese have remolded Guanyin according to their own understanding and wishes. In Indian legends, Guanyin and Dashizhi are Amita Buddha's assistants at his two sides; they are called the Three Sages of the West. Guanyin was originally male and dwelled on an Indian Mountain. When he came to China, he gradually became a female and was called " Goddess Guanyin". Guan Daosheng (Zhao Mengfu's wife) in the Yuan Dynasty wrote a brief biography, in which she said that Guanyin was the third daughter of the Miao-zhuang-yan kingdom, and that her name was Miaoshan. The ''Comprehensive Collection of Investigations into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines since their Origin'', published in the Yuan Dynasty, recorded that Guanyin was the third princess of the Miao-zhuang kingdom in Beique. Her name was Miaoshan. The Jade Emperor conferred on her the title of the Most Merciful and Most Compassionate Bodhisattva Guanyin Who Helps the Needy and Relieves the Distressed. It was evidently an expression of Chinese thinking. In Indian Buddhism, the celestial emperor is a guardian of the Buddha while in China, religious power and theocracy were never above the worldly emperor's power. Many Immortals' and monks' titles were conferred by the emperors. So it is understandable that Guanyin's image has changed. The idols of Guanyin in Chinese Buddhist temples were molded after the Yuan Dynasty, almost all of them with female appearances. Buddhists explain that Bodhisattva is not differentiated between male and female. If it is convenient to show him as a male, his appearance will be male. If it is convenient to show her as a female, her appearance will be female. As the worship of Guanyin is so popular, people use their own understanding to make images of Guanyin. He thus has rich images, such as Guanyin in the Sea, Guanyin in White, Guanyin with a Fish Basket and Guanyin with a Thousand Hands and Eyes. ==Guanyin is enshrined in Daoist temples to satisfy believers' needs. This is also the result of the concept of the Oneness of the Three Religions== The religious beliefs of the Chinese are utilitarian. The Chinese don't care about Immortals, Buddhas or Bodhisattvas; nor do they care whether it is Daoism or Buddhism. There is no strict limitation as to what kind of incense to burn and to which god to kowtow to. This is unlike Western religious followers, who will not worship other gods once they choose a certain religion. Though Buddhism and Daoism have their own traditions of gods, they have influenced each other in the long run. In some temples constructed by villagers, there are Daoist immortals, Bodhisattvas, and ancestral spirits in one temple. Bodhisattva Guanyin is the most popular goddess in Buddhism. Zhao Yi, who lived in the Qing Dynasty, said that Guanyin, Lord Emperor Guan and Lu Dongbin received most of the incense burned by the people. Lu was originally a Daoist, and Emperor Guan was an important spiritual general in Daoism. He was honored as lord Emperor in the Ming Dynasty. Emperor Guan's temples can certainly be called Daoist. The Buddhist Guanyin cult was also absorbed by Daoism to meet the needs of followers. There was once a Red Temple in Shanghai, officially called the Temple for the Protection of Peace. Daoists once bought that property from Buddhists, and the former Guanyin idol remained there. That temple was destroyed in a fire. When the Daoists rebuilt it, they remolded a new Guanyin. However, when they cleared away the ruins of the burnt old temple, they found the former Guanyin. So they enshrined both Guanyins in the same temple. This shows that enshrining Guanyin in Daoist temples meets the demands of followers. Daoism's acceptance of Guanyin is also the result of the concept of the Oneness of the Three Teachings. Tao Hongjin, the Daoist master of the Southern Dynasty, absorbed elements of Buddhism and shared a good relationship with Confucianism. Buddhism and Daoism have influenced each other since the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing periods. People know more of Daoism's acceptance of Buddhist elements and less of Buddhism's acceptance of Daoist elements. Actually, they have borrowed from each other. For example, the Daoist stellar god of the Big Dipper was absorbed into a secret sect of Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty. Monk Yi Xing wrote of the " Big Dipper Guarding the Dharma" ( 北斗護魔法 Beidou humo fa ) in the time of Tang emperor Xuanzong. It was a technique of making sacrifice to the Big Dipper by means of fire. Guanyin's integration into Daoism is another example. During the time of the Northern Song, Jin and Yuan Dynasties, the concept of the Oneness of the Three Doctrines was elaborated, and became an acceptable or tolerable idea. There were some conflicts during the period of Song emperor Huizong, but they ended when by the end of the Northern Song. The Complete Perfection Tradition called for the Oneness of the Three Teachings from the very beginning, and had groups named after the Three Teachings, such as the Three Teachings Golden Lotus Society, the Three Teachings Jade Florence Society, the Three Teachings Equality Society, etc.. Such a concept was an important basis for accepting the Bodhisattva into Daoism. The Complete Perfection tradition was successful in this respect. In short, the Guanyin cult originated in Buddhism and was absorbed by Daoism, and underwent changes during its spread among the common people. The Guanyin cult thus has a strong sense of folklore. [[zh:觀音]] f3d38ceb22f49916e850241916c099fd85727774 0 522 685 646 2009-10-16T05:19:25Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism}} ==Origin of the Queen Mother of the West== The Queen Mother of the West ( 西王母 Xiwangmu ) is popularly called Auntie Queen Mother ( 王母娘娘 Wangmu Niangniang ), Granny of the West ( 西姥 Xilao ), Queen Mother ( 王母 Wangmu ), Golden Mother ( 金母元君 Jinmu Yaunjun ) and Golden Mother Primordial Sovereign ( 白玉龜台九靈太金母元君 Baiyu Guitai Jiuling Taizhen Jinmu Yuanjun ). Her complete names are 'Nine-Soul Supreme Perfect Golden Mother and Primordial Sovereign of the Jade Tortoise Platform' ( 太光九靈龜台金母元君 Taiguang Jiuling guitai Jinmu Yuanjun ), 'Nine-Phoenix Supreme Perfect Queen Mother of the West of the Jade Tortoise Platform', and 'Primordial Sovereign Golden Mother of the Supreme Numinous White Rays of the Tortoise Platform". The name 'Queen Mother of the West' was first seen in the ''Book of Mountains and Seas'' ( 山海經 Shanhai Jing ). West is the direction, and Queen Mother the name of the deity. The Queen Mother of the West is a condensation of the Subtlest Vital Breath of the Western Essence from the Vital Breath of Dao of the Original Chaos. The deity, surnamed Hou, is allocated the Western direction. ''The Intimate Biography of the Wu Emperor of the Han Dynasty'' says that 'when she entered a hall, the Queen Mother of the West wore bright gold ornaments, numinous cloud ribbons, a shadow-cutting sword, a supreme flower hair bun, a hat of supreme perfection, and black-brimmed phoenix-patterned shoes. She looked about thirty and was extremely beautiful." The Wu Emperor of Han accepted her instruction and orders with great respect. The figure of a human boy with tiger teeth and a cat's tail, mentioned in the ''Book of Mountains and Seas'' ( 山海經 Shanhai Jing ), was an envoy of the Queen Mother of the West and of the White Tiger spirit of the West, but was not the Queen Mother of the West herself. ==Mistress of Female Immortals== As the ancestor of Female Immortals, the Queen Mother of the West lives in the Kunlun Mountains, in a city of one thousand miles with twelve jade mansions, green light halls, nine-storey primordial chambers, and purple and green elixir chambers. To the left is the Jade Lake, and to the right are the Green Mountains. According to the ''Jottings of Rarities and Miscellaneous Stories'' ( 博物志 Bowu Zhi ), there are peach trees by the Jade Lake which "bear fruit once every 3000 years". All women who have attained immortality in the three realms and ten directions, in Heaven or in the human world, are under the rule of the Queen Mother of the West. ==Nourishing All Things == [[The Primordial Lord of Heaven]] ( 元始天尊 Yuanshi Tianzun ) granted the Queen Mother of the West the Register of the Tortoise Mountain's Nine Rays of the Original Unity of Heaven ( 方天元統龜山九光之籙 Fangtian Yuantong Guishan Jiuguang Zhi Lu ), in order to command all spirits and perfected saints, and put her in charge of the attendants of all heavens and the inspection of higher saints. The Queen Mother of the West and the Grandpa King of the East ( 東王公 Dongwang Gong ) are parents of the Yin and Yang Vital Breaths of Dao ( 道氣陰陽 Daoqi Yinyang ). They administer the two Vital Breaths together and nourish all things in Heaven and Earth. When the Yellow Emperor battled with the cruel Chiyou, who could cause wind and rain and puff out fog and smoke, the Queen Mother of the West sent the Mysterious Maiden of the Nine Heavens ( 九天玄女 Jiutian Xuannu ) to teach the Yellow Emperor the Strategy of the Three Palaces, Five Agents and Yin and Yang ( 三宮五意陰陽之略 Sangong Wuyi Yinyang Zhilue ), the Dipper Steps of Hidden Time and the Six Rens of Supreme Oneness ( 太乙遁甲六壬步斗之術 Taiyi Dunjia Liuren Budou Zhi Shu ), and the Writ of the Five Talismans and Five Victories of the Numinous Treasure ( 靈寶五符五勝之文 Lingbao Wufu Wusheng Wen ). Then the Yellow Emperor defeated Chiyou at middle Ji. After Yu Shun succeeded to the throne, the Queen Mother of the West sent envoys to grant him a white jade ring and a map, and Shun thus expanded the Yellow Emperor's nine prefectures to twelve perfectures. ==Worship in Temples== Owing to the story of the Queen Mother of the West giving Emperor Wu big 3000-year peaches recorded in the ''Intimate Biography of Emperor Wu'', the Queen Mother of the West's Peach Banquet ( 蟠桃會 Pantao Hui ) is well-known and popular among the people. The Queen Mother of the West, always seen as a symbol of longevity for Daoists and ordinary people, is the major divinity of the Golden Register Ritual for Prolonging Life ( 金籙延壽道場 Jinlu Yanshou Daochang ). On the Queen Mother of the West's holy birthday, the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month or the 18th of the 7th month, Daoists, especially women, gather in temples to hold birthday celebration rituals for the Queen Mother of the West and to pray for their own health and longevity. ==Belief in the Golden Mother== The Golden Mother is also called the Golden Mother of the Jasper Lake, or the Queen Mother of the West. She is frequently called Auntie Queen Mother among the common people. The Queen Mother of the West is an important deity in ancient Chinese legends. She was first recorded in the Book of Mountains and Seas. In the Han Dynasty, she was promoted to a higher position and connected to Immortality beliefs. The Han Daoist ''Book of the Master of Huainan'' mentioned that Yi asked the Queen Mother of the West for the drug of Immortality. But after he got it, his wife Chang'e stole it. After Chang'e swallowed the medicine, she flew to the moon. This story explains why the Queen Mother of the West was closely connected to the belief in Immortality. The Queen Mother of the West and the King Father of the East ( 東王公 Dongwang Gong ), surrounded by flying winged-people, appear together in the Han copper mirror. This signifies that she had become a center for those who aspire to Fly to Immortality ( 羽化登仙 Yuhua Dengxian ). The Queen Mother of the West holds a high position in Daoism. Her position got higher after the masses gave her new interpretations. The Queen Mother of the West has always been an important deity since Daoism came into being. Ge Hong's ''Book of Pillow Secrets'' says that the highest deity is the Primordial Celestial King, i.e., the Perfected Pangu. He existed before the creation of Heaven and Earth. After that, he lived in the center of Heaven -- the Jade Capital Mountain. The Vital Breath of Dao contracted and formed another deity, the Primordial Holy Mother. The Fushang Emperor and the Queen Mother of the West were their descendants. In later times, the Highest Clarity tradition regarded her highly and produced Daoist registers related to her. The Collected Records of Immortals ( 集仙錄 Jixian Lu ) states that the Queen Mother of the West is the Nine-Soul Great Sublimity Golden Mother of the Tortoise Mountain ( 九靈太妙龜山金母 Jiuling Taimiao Guishan Jinmu ), and is also called the Great Void Ninefold Glory Golden Mother of the Tortoise Platform ( 太虛九光龜台金母元君 Taixu Jiuguang Guitai Jinmu Yuanjun ). She was born out of the Most Perfect Vital Breath of the Eastern Essence ( 先天西華至妙之氣 Xiantian Xihua Zhimiao Zhiqi ), and works together with the King Father of the East, who was born out of the Most Sublime Pre-Existent Vital Breath of the Western Essence ( 東華至真之氣 Donghua Zhizhen Zhiqi ), to manage the two vital breaths of yin and yang. She dwells at the capital Kunlun Mountain. The Primordial Celestial Emperor awarded her the Register of the Nine Glories of Turtle Mountain ( 方天元統龜山九光之籙 Fangtian Yuantong Guishan Jiuguang Zhilu ) and enabled her to summon all the spirits. All the female Immortals in Heaven and on Earth, in the Three Realms and Ten Directions are under her authority. So she is generally regarded as the leader of Female Immortals. Belief in the Queen Mother of the West has lasted for two thousand years, and has spread all over China. Queen Mother temples and halls are very popular. There are many Queen Mother temples in Guangdong Province where other female Immortals are also enshrined. One of them is the Golden Flower Lady ( 金花夫人 Jinhua Furen ), who is in charge of childbirth. Many people worship her to pray for children. Belief in the Golden Flower Lady has now spread to Southeast Asia, following the flow of Chinese migrants. Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, belief in the Queen Mother of the West has changed somewhat among the common masses, with some people believing in the Unborn Venerable Mother ( 無生老母 Wusheng Laomu ) and regarding her as the highest goddess. This has influenced folk belief in the Queen Mother of the West, and led to the formation of other beliefs in some sects. Belief in the Golden Mother has its own tradition in Taiwan. Its theogony is similar to that of Daoism. Belief in the Queen Mother of the West has split into two traditions since the Qing Dynasty; one is the Daoist tradition, the other is the folk tradition. The Daoist tradition retains her former position in Daoist theogony while the folk tradition is less systematic and it is not limited by Daoist theogony. The existence of Charity Halls ( 慈善堂 Cishantang ) all over Taiwan is a sign of the spread of Golden Mother beliefs in Taiwan. According to the records of the ''Biography of Emperor Mu'' ( 穆天子傳 Mutianzi Zhuan ), people believe that the Heavenly Pool (Lake Tianchi) in Xinjiang is the Jasper Lake. So there are pilgrimages to Lake Tianchi to worship the Queen Mother of the West. [[zh:西王母]] b959e0e3669d35c01ca127c19a378e8186954387 0 553 687 2009-10-16T06:18:04Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Religious Activities and Rituals}} ==The Origin of Morning and Evening Rites== Morning and Evening Rites are one of the main forms of religious practice for Daoists at temples....' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Religious Activities and Rituals}} ==The Origin of Morning and Evening Rites== Morning and Evening Rites are one of the main forms of religious practice for Daoists at temples. The " Rites" refer to reading aloud Daoist scriptures, one of the routine assignments. They require the Daoists to read aloud the texts of the scriptures in the hall of the temple both in the morning and in the evening. No record was left about Morning and Evening Rites in early Daoism. In the Northern and Southern dynasties, Daoists at temples practised the Rites of Routine Practice ( 常朝儀 Changchaoyi ), as mentioned in ''On Conducting the Pervasive Mystery Numinous Treasure Three Grottoes Rituals and Commandments for Worshipping the Dao'' ( 《洞玄靈寶三洞奉道科戒營始》Dongxuan Lingbao Sandong Fengdao Kejie Yingshi ): "The rites and commandments of the Four Assemblies and Three Grottoes can be practiced daily, so they are called the Rites of Routine Practice." The core of the rites is to be courteous to the Ten Directions, which differs from the Morning and Evening Rites at later times, which mainly consist in reading aloud Daoist scriptures, exhortations, and incantations. But the forms of the two were quite similar to each other. No scriptures mentioned the Morning or Evening Rites in the ''Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era or in the Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Ming Dynasty''. In the [[Essential Books of the Daoist Canon]] ( 《道藏輯要》Daozang Jiyao ) compiled in the Qing Dynasty, there are two scriptures about them. One is the ''Pristine Subtlety Daoist Rites of the Great Discipline'' ( 《清微宏範道門》 Qingwei Hongfan Daomen Gongke ), the other is the ''[[Book of the Supreme Daoist Rites]]'' ( 《太上玄門功課經》Taishang Xuanmen Gongke Jing ). From the title we can see that it was handed down from the Daoists of the Pristine Subtlety sect, and was probably written before the Qing Dynasty. It was not until the Ming Dynasty that the system of Morning and Evening Rites was formed in Buddhist temples. And then the temples of the Complete Perfect Tradition followed suit. So it can be estimated that the Morning and Evening Rites of Daoism came into being in the middle or late Ming dynasty. Until the end of the Ming Dynasty or early Qing Dynasty, the main temples of Daoism adopted Morning and Evening Rites as a form of practice. ==The Contents and Functions of Morning and Evening Rites== Daoists usually do the same thing during the daily Morning and Evening Rites, mostly reading incantations, scriptures, and mandates. However, the Rites are slightly different from sect to sect and from place to place. For example, in the Morning Rites of the Complete Perfect Tradition, the Daoists would read aloud the ''Exhortations from the Five Patriarchs of the North'' ( 《北五祖誥》 Beiwuzu Gao ), the ''Exhortations from the Five Patriarchs of the South'' ( 《南五祖誥》 Nanwuzu Gao ), and the ''Exhortations from the Seven Perfect Ones'' ( 《七真誥》 Qizhen Gao ). In the Evening Rites of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition, the Daoists would read the ''Treasure Exhortations of the Celestial Master'' ( 《祖天師寶誥》Zutianshi Baogao ) and the ''Treasure Exhortations of the Celestial Master of Emptiness'' ( 《虛靖天師寶誥》Xujing Tianshi Baogao ). At the Evening Rites of the Daoists of the Mt. Mao sect, the ''Treasure Exhortation from the Perfect Sovereign of Mt. Mao'' ( 《三茅真君寶誥》Sanmao Zhenjun Baogao ) would be read. The procedures of the Morning and Evening Rites for all Daoists were similar to one another as well. They usually began with the Rhymes for ''Opening the Scriptures'' ( 《開經偈》 Kaijing Ji ) or with the ''Odes for Offering Incense'' ( 《香讚》 Xiangzan ) and ended with the ''Twelve Wishes'' ( 《十二願》 Shi’Er Yuan ) and the ''Three Conversions''. The Morning Rites consist of three parts: #Incantations (e.g. the ''Divine Incantation for Purifying the Heart'') ( 淨心神咒 Jingxin Shenzhou ), #Scriptures (e.g. the ''Sublime Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Teachings on Eternal Purity and Tranquility'') ( 《太上老君說常清靜經》Taishang Laojun Shuo Changqingjing Jing ), and #Exhortations (e.g. the ''Treasure Exhortation of Jade Clarity'') ( 玉清寶誥 Yuqing Baogao ). The Evening rites have two parts: scriptures (e.g. The ''Sublime Book of the Supreme Numinous Treasure Pervasive Mystery for Saving from Distress in the Ten Directions'') ( 《太上洞玄靈寶十方救苦妙經》Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Shifang Jiuku Miaojing ) and exhortations (e.g. the ''Treasure Exhortation of the Big Dipper'') ( 斗姆寶誥 Doumu Baogao ). One of the aims of Morning and Evening Rites is to cultivate Dao. Liu Shouyuan stated in the preface to the ''Pristine Subtlety Daoist Rites of the Great Discipline'' that the Golden and Jade Books of Daoism are the access to the Dao while the treasure exhortations and the books of elixirs are the access to Immortality. If one finds the right way of practice, one can renew one's original and perfect nature and refine one's eternal body. Thus living in temples, Daoists attend to the incense by reading Daoist scriptures from morning till night and practicing wherever they are. They practice from morning till night, expecting to ascend to Fairyland and approach the Sages and Perfect Men, and pray sincerely for the blessing of the state. Another aim is to nourish life. Liu Shouyuan said: "How can one nourish the Original Vital Breath of harmony if not by practicing daily?" Daoists often practise the Morning Rites from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. when the Yang Vital Breath ( 陽氣 Yangqi ) is rising and the Yin Vital Breath ( 陰氣 Yinqi ) is inactive. At that time no food is taken and the Vital Breath is not in disorder. Conducting the morning rites will contribute to peace of mind and clear the pulse as well as the apertures. The evening rites are often conducted from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. when people feel tired. At this time the Yang breath weakens whereas the Yin breath becomes strong with unhealthy breath idling about. Conducting the Evening Rites can make you relaxed, renew your energy, improve your sleep, and make you calm down. Therefore Liu Shouyuan said: "If one can concentrate on practicing daily with perseverance, one will be strong enough to approach Immortality. One can be free from worldly troubles, even if one lives in the human world. Then one can enjoy longevity and happiness, for one can go in and out of emptiness, at peace with the world and oneself. Since one has realized that there is no birth or death, one can transcend the Three Worlds, immune to any desire except for one's perfect heart. If one can give up worldly desire, one can be free from all the misfortune in the world. Thus saved from the abyss of misery, one can be on the grand way to longevity. Disasters will be dispelled and blessings will befall as one wishes. No request would be discarded. There will always be communication with spirits." [[zh:早晚功課]] 8b8a764d413c510e39ba9591993483707d8711d3 688 687 2009-10-16T06:19:07Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Origin of Morning and Evening Rites== Morning and Evening Rites are one of the main forms of religious practice for Daoists at temples. The " Rites" refer to reading aloud Daoist scriptures, one of the routine assignments. They require the Daoists to read aloud the texts of the scriptures in the hall of the temple both in the morning and in the evening. No record was left about Morning and Evening Rites in early Daoism. In the Northern and Southern dynasties, Daoists at temples practised the Rites of Routine Practice ( 常朝儀 Changchaoyi ), as mentioned in ''On Conducting the Pervasive Mystery Numinous Treasure Three Grottoes Rituals and Commandments for Worshipping the Dao'' ( 《洞玄靈寶三洞奉道科戒營始》Dongxuan Lingbao Sandong Fengdao Kejie Yingshi ): "The rites and commandments of the Four Assemblies and Three Grottoes can be practiced daily, so they are called the Rites of Routine Practice." The core of the rites is to be courteous to the Ten Directions, which differs from the Morning and Evening Rites at later times, which mainly consist in reading aloud Daoist scriptures, exhortations, and incantations. But the forms of the two were quite similar to each other. No scriptures mentioned the Morning or Evening Rites in the ''Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era or in the Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Ming Dynasty''. In the [[Essential Books of the Daoist Canon]] ( 《道藏輯要》Daozang Jiyao ) compiled in the Qing Dynasty, there are two scriptures about them. One is the ''Pristine Subtlety Daoist Rites of the Great Discipline'' ( 《清微宏範道門》 Qingwei Hongfan Daomen Gongke ), the other is the ''[[Book of the Supreme Daoist Rites]]'' ( 《太上玄門功課經》Taishang Xuanmen Gongke Jing ). From the title we can see that it was handed down from the Daoists of the Pristine Subtlety sect, and was probably written before the Qing Dynasty. It was not until the Ming Dynasty that the system of Morning and Evening Rites was formed in Buddhist temples. And then the temples of the Complete Perfect Tradition followed suit. So it can be estimated that the Morning and Evening Rites of Daoism came into being in the middle or late Ming dynasty. Until the end of the Ming Dynasty or early Qing Dynasty, the main temples of Daoism adopted Morning and Evening Rites as a form of practice. ==The Contents and Functions of Morning and Evening Rites== Daoists usually do the same thing during the daily Morning and Evening Rites, mostly reading incantations, scriptures, and mandates. However, the Rites are slightly different from sect to sect and from place to place. For example, in the Morning Rites of the Complete Perfect Tradition, the Daoists would read aloud the ''Exhortations from the Five Patriarchs of the North'' ( 《北五祖誥》 Beiwuzu Gao ), the ''Exhortations from the Five Patriarchs of the South'' ( 《南五祖誥》 Nanwuzu Gao ), and the ''Exhortations from the Seven Perfect Ones'' ( 《七真誥》 Qizhen Gao ). In the Evening Rites of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition, the Daoists would read the ''Treasure Exhortations of the Celestial Master'' ( 《祖天師寶誥》Zutianshi Baogao ) and the ''Treasure Exhortations of the Celestial Master of Emptiness'' ( 《虛靖天師寶誥》Xujing Tianshi Baogao ). At the Evening Rites of the Daoists of the Mt. Mao sect, the ''Treasure Exhortation from the Perfect Sovereign of Mt. Mao'' ( 《三茅真君寶誥》Sanmao Zhenjun Baogao ) would be read. The procedures of the Morning and Evening Rites for all Daoists were similar to one another as well. They usually began with the Rhymes for ''Opening the Scriptures'' ( 《開經偈》 Kaijing Ji ) or with the ''Odes for Offering Incense'' ( 《香讚》 Xiangzan ) and ended with the ''Twelve Wishes'' ( 《十二願》 Shi’Er Yuan ) and the ''Three Conversions''. The Morning Rites consist of three parts: #Incantations (e.g. the ''Divine Incantation for Purifying the Heart'') ( 淨心神咒 Jingxin Shenzhou ), #Scriptures (e.g. the ''Sublime Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Teachings on Eternal Purity and Tranquility'') ( 《太上老君說常清靜經》Taishang Laojun Shuo Changqingjing Jing ), and #Exhortations (e.g. the ''Treasure Exhortation of Jade Clarity'') ( 玉清寶誥 Yuqing Baogao ). The Evening rites have two parts: scriptures (e.g. The ''Sublime Book of the Supreme Numinous Treasure Pervasive Mystery for Saving from Distress in the Ten Directions'') ( 《太上洞玄靈寶十方救苦妙經》Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Shifang Jiuku Miaojing ) and exhortations (e.g. the ''Treasure Exhortation of the Big Dipper'') ( 斗姆寶誥 Doumu Baogao ). One of the aims of Morning and Evening Rites is to cultivate Dao. Liu Shouyuan stated in the preface to the ''Pristine Subtlety Daoist Rites of the Great Discipline'' that the Golden and Jade Books of Daoism are the access to the Dao while the treasure exhortations and the books of elixirs are the access to Immortality. If one finds the right way of practice, one can renew one's original and perfect nature and refine one's eternal body. Thus living in temples, Daoists attend to the incense by reading Daoist scriptures from morning till night and practicing wherever they are. They practice from morning till night, expecting to ascend to Fairyland and approach the Sages and Perfect Men, and pray sincerely for the blessing of the state. Another aim is to nourish life. Liu Shouyuan said: "How can one nourish the Original Vital Breath of harmony if not by practicing daily?" Daoists often practise the Morning Rites from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. when the Yang Vital Breath ( 陽氣 Yangqi ) is rising and the Yin Vital Breath ( 陰氣 Yinqi ) is inactive. At that time no food is taken and the Vital Breath is not in disorder. Conducting the morning rites will contribute to peace of mind and clear the pulse as well as the apertures. The evening rites are often conducted from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. when people feel tired. At this time the Yang breath weakens whereas the Yin breath becomes strong with unhealthy breath idling about. Conducting the Evening Rites can make you relaxed, renew your energy, improve your sleep, and make you calm down. Therefore Liu Shouyuan said: "If one can concentrate on practicing daily with perseverance, one will be strong enough to approach Immortality. One can be free from worldly troubles, even if one lives in the human world. Then one can enjoy longevity and happiness, for one can go in and out of emptiness, at peace with the world and oneself. Since one has realized that there is no birth or death, one can transcend the Three Worlds, immune to any desire except for one's perfect heart. If one can give up worldly desire, one can be free from all the misfortune in the world. Thus saved from the abyss of misery, one can be on the grand way to longevity. Disasters will be dispelled and blessings will befall as one wishes. No request would be discarded. There will always be communication with spirits." [[zh:早晚功課]] 4643aae959e6e704fb0eb43dfc2f336de70e327b 691 688 2009-10-16T07:43:47Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Rituals}} ==The Origin of Morning and Evening Rites== Morning and Evening Rites are one of the main forms of religious practice for Daoists at temples. The " Rites" refer to reading aloud Daoist scriptures, one of the routine assignments. They require the Daoists to read aloud the texts of the scriptures in the hall of the temple both in the morning and in the evening. No record was left about Morning and Evening Rites in early Daoism. In the Northern and Southern dynasties, Daoists at temples practised the Rites of Routine Practice ( 常朝儀 Changchaoyi ), as mentioned in ''On Conducting the Pervasive Mystery Numinous Treasure Three Grottoes Rituals and Commandments for Worshipping the Dao'' ( 《洞玄靈寶三洞奉道科戒營始》Dongxuan Lingbao Sandong Fengdao Kejie Yingshi ): "The rites and commandments of the Four Assemblies and Three Grottoes can be practiced daily, so they are called the Rites of Routine Practice." The core of the rites is to be courteous to the Ten Directions, which differs from the Morning and Evening Rites at later times, which mainly consist in reading aloud Daoist scriptures, exhortations, and incantations. But the forms of the two were quite similar to each other. No scriptures mentioned the Morning or Evening Rites in the ''Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era or in the Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Ming Dynasty''. In the [[Essential Books of the Daoist Canon]] ( 《道藏輯要》Daozang Jiyao ) compiled in the Qing Dynasty, there are two scriptures about them. One is the ''Pristine Subtlety Daoist Rites of the Great Discipline'' ( 《清微宏範道門》 Qingwei Hongfan Daomen Gongke ), the other is the ''[[Book of the Supreme Daoist Rites]]'' ( 《太上玄門功課經》Taishang Xuanmen Gongke Jing ). From the title we can see that it was handed down from the Daoists of the Pristine Subtlety sect, and was probably written before the Qing Dynasty. It was not until the Ming Dynasty that the system of Morning and Evening Rites was formed in Buddhist temples. And then the temples of the Complete Perfect Tradition followed suit. So it can be estimated that the Morning and Evening Rites of Daoism came into being in the middle or late Ming dynasty. Until the end of the Ming Dynasty or early Qing Dynasty, the main temples of Daoism adopted Morning and Evening Rites as a form of practice. ==The Contents and Functions of Morning and Evening Rites== Daoists usually do the same thing during the daily Morning and Evening Rites, mostly reading incantations, scriptures, and mandates. However, the Rites are slightly different from sect to sect and from place to place. For example, in the Morning Rites of the Complete Perfect Tradition, the Daoists would read aloud the ''Exhortations from the Five Patriarchs of the North'' ( 《北五祖誥》 Beiwuzu Gao ), the ''Exhortations from the Five Patriarchs of the South'' ( 《南五祖誥》 Nanwuzu Gao ), and the ''Exhortations from the Seven Perfect Ones'' ( 《七真誥》 Qizhen Gao ). In the Evening Rites of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition, the Daoists would read the ''Treasure Exhortations of the Celestial Master'' ( 《祖天師寶誥》Zutianshi Baogao ) and the ''Treasure Exhortations of the Celestial Master of Emptiness'' ( 《虛靖天師寶誥》Xujing Tianshi Baogao ). At the Evening Rites of the Daoists of the Mt. Mao sect, the ''Treasure Exhortation from the Perfect Sovereign of Mt. Mao'' ( 《三茅真君寶誥》Sanmao Zhenjun Baogao ) would be read. The procedures of the Morning and Evening Rites for all Daoists were similar to one another as well. They usually began with the Rhymes for ''Opening the Scriptures'' ( 《開經偈》 Kaijing Ji ) or with the ''Odes for Offering Incense'' ( 《香讚》 Xiangzan ) and ended with the ''Twelve Wishes'' ( 《十二願》 Shi’Er Yuan ) and the ''Three Conversions''. The Morning Rites consist of three parts: #Incantations (e.g. the ''Divine Incantation for Purifying the Heart'') ( 淨心神咒 Jingxin Shenzhou ), #Scriptures (e.g. the ''Sublime Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Teachings on Eternal Purity and Tranquility'') ( 《太上老君說常清靜經》Taishang Laojun Shuo Changqingjing Jing ), and #Exhortations (e.g. the ''Treasure Exhortation of Jade Clarity'') ( 玉清寶誥 Yuqing Baogao ). The Evening rites have two parts: scriptures (e.g. The ''Sublime Book of the Supreme Numinous Treasure Pervasive Mystery for Saving from Distress in the Ten Directions'') ( 《太上洞玄靈寶十方救苦妙經》Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Shifang Jiuku Miaojing ) and exhortations (e.g. the ''Treasure Exhortation of the Big Dipper'') ( 斗姆寶誥 Doumu Baogao ). One of the aims of Morning and Evening Rites is to cultivate Dao. Liu Shouyuan stated in the preface to the ''Pristine Subtlety Daoist Rites of the Great Discipline'' that the Golden and Jade Books of Daoism are the access to the Dao while the treasure exhortations and the books of elixirs are the access to Immortality. If one finds the right way of practice, one can renew one's original and perfect nature and refine one's eternal body. Thus living in temples, Daoists attend to the incense by reading Daoist scriptures from morning till night and practicing wherever they are. They practice from morning till night, expecting to ascend to Fairyland and approach the Sages and Perfect Men, and pray sincerely for the blessing of the state. Another aim is to nourish life. Liu Shouyuan said: "How can one nourish the Original Vital Breath of harmony if not by practicing daily?" Daoists often practise the Morning Rites from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. when the Yang Vital Breath ( 陽氣 Yangqi ) is rising and the Yin Vital Breath ( 陰氣 Yinqi ) is inactive. At that time no food is taken and the Vital Breath is not in disorder. Conducting the morning rites will contribute to peace of mind and clear the pulse as well as the apertures. The evening rites are often conducted from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. when people feel tired. At this time the Yang breath weakens whereas the Yin breath becomes strong with unhealthy breath idling about. Conducting the Evening Rites can make you relaxed, renew your energy, improve your sleep, and make you calm down. Therefore Liu Shouyuan said: "If one can concentrate on practicing daily with perseverance, one will be strong enough to approach Immortality. One can be free from worldly troubles, even if one lives in the human world. Then one can enjoy longevity and happiness, for one can go in and out of emptiness, at peace with the world and oneself. Since one has realized that there is no birth or death, one can transcend the Three Worlds, immune to any desire except for one's perfect heart. If one can give up worldly desire, one can be free from all the misfortune in the world. Thus saved from the abyss of misery, one can be on the grand way to longevity. Disasters will be dispelled and blessings will befall as one wishes. No request would be discarded. There will always be communication with spirits." [[zh:早晚功課]] 307a15beec7d77221898e64a4f575ab9c1c852ec 0 554 689 2009-10-16T07:42:41Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}}' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} afab5d280faeb5d7aa41574647e64bb7cac7e953 10 555 690 2009-10-16T07:43:04Z Admin 1 Created page with '<br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[Rituals]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |[[Religious Practise]] |-...' wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[Rituals]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |[[Religious Practise]] |- |align=center align="center" |[[Morning and Evening Rites]] <br> [[Refining the Vital Breath]]<br>[[Wandering About and Seeking Masters ]] <br> [[Fasting]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |[[Religious Discipline]] |- |align=center align="center" |[[Commandments of the Orthodox Oneness Sect]]<br>[[Commandments of the Complete Perfection Sect]]<br>[[Temple Regulations]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |[[Talismans, Registers, and Magic Skills]] |- |align=center align="center" |[[Talismans]] <br> [[Registers]] <br> [[Divine Incantations]] <br> [[Finger Gestures]] <br> [[Pacing the Big Dipper]]<br>[[Magical Transformation Skills]] <br> [[Praying for Happiness and Offering Sacrifice]] <br> [[Summoning Spirits for Interrogation]]<br>[[Exorcism]] <br> [[Healing Diseases]] <br> [[Expelling the God of Plague]] <br> [[Numerology]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |[[Rituals]] |- |align=center align="center" |[[Names of the Three Fasts]] <br> [[Great Ritual Offerings to the Overarching Heaven]] <br> [[Lantern Rituals for the Destruction of Hell]]<br>[[Rituals of Purification and of Sacrifice to the Ancestral Souls]] <br> [[Rituals of Purification and Salvation ]]<br>[[Rituals of Scattering Flowers and Communicating with Spirits through Lanterns]] <br> [[Rituals for Sending Petitions to the Heavens]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Ceremonial Altars |- |align=center align="center" |[[Altars for Fasts]] <br> [[Altars for Ritual Offerings]] <br> [[Altars for Commandments]] <br> [[The Ancestral Altar of All Skills]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |[[Daoist Headdresses and Dress]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |[[Ritual Implements]] |- |align=center align="center" |[[Wooden Fish]] <br> [[Commandment Plaques]] <br> [[S-shaped Ornamental Objects]] <br> [[Magical Seals]]<br>[[Magical Staffs]] <br> [[Magical Swords]] <br> [[Tablets]] <br> [[Shallow Pans]] <br>[[Streamers]] <br> [[Inverted Bells]] <br> [[Horsetail Whisks]] <br> [[Bells]] <br> [[Large Cymbals]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Ritual Specialists |- |align=center align="center" |[[High Priest]] <br> [[Cheif Cantor]] <br> [[Inspector of Fasts]]<br>[[Incense Attendant]] <br> [[Lantern Attendant]] <br> [[Scripture Attendant]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |[[Ceremonies to Celebrate the Birth of Spirits]] |- |align=center align="center" |[[Assemblies to Entice Spirits]] <br> [[Pilgrimage Times and Temple Fairs]] |} 9319e8b499960c62edac4c93848113493122c41b 692 690 2009-10-16T07:44:49Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[Rituals]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Religious Practise |- |align=center align="center" |[[Morning and Evening Rites]] <br> [[Refining the Vital Breath]]<br>[[Wandering About and Seeking Masters ]] <br> [[Fasting]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Religious Discipline |- |align=center align="center" |[[Commandments of the Orthodox Oneness Sect]]<br>[[Commandments of the Complete Perfection Sect]]<br>[[Temple Regulations]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |[[Talismans, Registers, and Magic Skills]] |- |align=center align="center" |[[Talismans]] <br> [[Registers]] <br> [[Divine Incantations]] <br> [[Finger Gestures]] <br> [[Pacing the Big Dipper]]<br>[[Magical Transformation Skills]] <br> [[Praying for Happiness and Offering Sacrifice]] <br> [[Summoning Spirits for Interrogation]]<br>[[Exorcism]] <br> [[Healing Diseases]] <br> [[Expelling the God of Plague]] <br> [[Numerology]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |[[Rituals]] |- |align=center align="center" |[[Names of the Three Fasts]] <br> [[Great Ritual Offerings to the Overarching Heaven]] <br> [[Lantern Rituals for the Destruction of Hell]]<br>[[Rituals of Purification and of Sacrifice to the Ancestral Souls]] <br> [[Rituals of Purification and Salvation ]]<br>[[Rituals of Scattering Flowers and Communicating with Spirits through Lanterns]] <br> [[Rituals for Sending Petitions to the Heavens]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Ceremonial Altars |- |align=center align="center" |[[Altars for Fasts]] <br> [[Altars for Ritual Offerings]] <br> [[Altars for Commandments]] <br> [[The Ancestral Altar of All Skills]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |[[Daoist Headdresses and Dress]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |[[Ritual Implements]] |- |align=center align="center" |[[Wooden Fish]] <br> [[Commandment Plaques]] <br> [[S-shaped Ornamental Objects]] <br> [[Magical Seals]]<br>[[Magical Staffs]] <br> [[Magical Swords]] <br> [[Tablets]] <br> [[Shallow Pans]] <br>[[Streamers]] <br> [[Inverted Bells]] <br> [[Horsetail Whisks]] <br> [[Bells]] <br> [[Large Cymbals]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Ritual Specialists |- |align=center align="center" |[[High Priest]] <br> [[Cheif Cantor]] <br> [[Inspector of Fasts]]<br>[[Incense Attendant]] <br> [[Lantern Attendant]] <br> [[Scripture Attendant]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |[[Ceremonies to Celebrate the Birth of Spirits]] |- |align=center align="center" |[[Assemblies to Entice Spirits]] <br> [[Pilgrimage Times and Temple Fairs]] |} 10cb2e30c33c5116d741d255279c3c6daddad381 0 556 693 2009-10-16T07:54:54Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Rituals}} ==The Origin of Refining the Vital Breath== Refining the Vital Breath is one of the primary routine practices of Daoists. It refers to constantly practicing Daoist G...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Rituals}} ==The Origin of Refining the Vital Breath== Refining the Vital Breath is one of the primary routine practices of Daoists. It refers to constantly practicing Daoist Gymnastics and adjusting one's breath in some special way so as to permeate the Essence and the Vital Breath in the universe within the human body. Then the man who practices in this way can be rid of diseases and become an Immortal. Such skills have long existed in ancient China. In the Song dynasty of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Bao Zhao claimed in the ''Collection of Staff Officer Bao'' ( 《鮑參軍集》Baocanjun Ji ): "The King of Huainan dreams of longevity. So he often reads books on Immortality, Refines his Vital Breath, and goes on a special diet." The King of Huainan was Liu An (A.D.179-122) of the Western Han Dynasty. The Daoist skill of Nourishing Life inherited the methods of Refining the Vital Breath of ancient times. Sun Simiao, an eminent Daoist of the Tang Dynasty, wrote in his book the ''Maxim on Visualization and Refinement of the Vital Breath'' ( 《存神煉氣銘》 Cunshen Lianqi Ming ) that one must relax one's spirit to achieve longevity. And if one expects peace of mind, one must refine one's Vital Breath first. The Vital Breath lies within; once the Spirit calms down, the Sea of Vital Breath becomes abundant within. Thus the Spirit is not distracted and longevity is promised. The skills of Inner Alchemy have been popular since the Song and Yuan Dynasty. Cultivating the inner self is a key activity in Daoists' daily practice. Refining the Vital Breath is practised in the first stage of Inner Alchemy, i.e., as a fundamental method to construct a base for further cultivation. ==The Methods and Functions of Refining the Vital Breath== The methods of Refining the Vital Breath are narrated differently in the works of the different sects. But the key point is to value the Vital Breath and to exercise it. To value the Vital Breath means to cherish it and waste none of it, while to exercise the Vital Breath means to refine it without stopping its circulation. The ''Perfect Records of the Supreme Original Chaos'' ( 《太上混元真錄》Taishang Hunyuan Zhenlu ) was probably written in the Tang Dynasty. It claims that the Essence is fixed by taking Vital Breath. If one can accept and understand the scriptures of mystery and the essential sublimity of Dao, one can go in and out of darkness, reinforcing the Cloud Gate ( 雲門 Yunmen ) and the Numinous Root ( 靈根 Linggen ). Thereby, by valuing the Vital Breath one can achieve Dao, and longevity becomes attainable. In addition, valuing the Vital Breath can make the Spirit bright, and it will contribute to longevity. Exercising the Vital Breath is a way of approaching Dao. Daoists engage in routine practice and refine the Vital Breath for two reasons: one is for longevity; the other is for communicating with spirits. Zhang Yuchu, the 43rd Celestial Master in the Ming Dynasty, stated in his book the '' [[Ten Daoist Commandments]] '' ( 《道門十規》Daomen Shigui ) that all people who practice the Dao should bear the commandments in mind and act on them. Then they must get involved in the religious activities of Daoism and study the methods of practicing. They can consult famous Daoist masters in the mountains or wear straw clothes and take wood as their chief food, so that they can develop the sources of all types of skills. Moreover, they must attend the incense carefully with a Skill, a Register, and a Position. If they can Refine the Spirit and Nourish the Vital Breath daily and practice with perseverance, communicate with the spirits, and behave themselves without regret, how can they worry that the skills are not efficacious or invoke spirits who do not bless them? [[zh:煉氣]] c309050be731be2e8ac9c1187983745f0fa2c5d2 0 557 694 2009-10-16T08:06:48Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Rituals}} ==The History of Wandering About and Visiting Lofty Daoists== Wandering About and Visiting Lofty Daoists are considered one form of the Daoist life of practice. Zhu ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Rituals}} ==The History of Wandering About and Visiting Lofty Daoists== Wandering About and Visiting Lofty Daoists are considered one form of the Daoist life of practice. Zhu Quan of the Ming dynasty wrote in the '' Supreme Clarity Jade Book of the Higher Dao of the Heavenly Emperor '' ( 《天皇至道太清玉冊》Tianhuang Zhidao Taiqing Yuce ) that when Daoists go on a tour to seek for Perfect Men and study Dao, this is called Wandering About, which, translated literally from the Chinese, means ' to wander like a cloud'. Indeed, the wanderers devote themselves to Heaven and take Heaven as the essence of their life, hence they are very close to it. Thus this sort of tour is called Wandering About Like a Cloud. There existed no custom of Wandering About when Daoism was first established. But by the time of the Wei and Jin Dynasties and the epoch of division between North and South, with the transmission of Daoism and the spreading of its scriptures, and the separation of different sects, some well-known lofty Daoists went wandering. For example, in order to search for Daoist books, the lofty Daoist [[Lu Xiujing]] of the Liu Song Dynasty sought for the traces of Immortals in all the famous mountains. [[Kou Qianzhi]], another senior Daoist of the Northern Wei dynasty, originally lived in Changping of Shanggu, then moved to Wannian of Fengxiang (in today's Shanxi province). He cultivated and refined himself on [[Mt Hua]] and [[Mt Song]] and other famous mountains after his meeting with Immortals. However, no prescription was set about Wandering About in [[the Orthodox Oneness Tradition]]. Since the founding of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]], a system of Daoist temples was set up based on that of Buddhism. It eliminated possible problems that could be encountered by Daoists during their Wandering About. Therefore Wandering About and living in temples became one part of the Daoist life of the Complete Perfection Tradition. Daoists of the Complete Perfect Tradition throughout history have attached great importance to Wandering About and visiting lofty Daoists. ==The Functions of Wandering About and Visiting Lofty Daoists== The Daoists had a hard time after they left their temple to Wannder About, as they had to travel long without sufficient food or definite lodging. The Daoists of both the Orthodox Oneness Tradition and the Complete Perfection Tradition regarded it as a special way to steel and discipline themselves by ascetic practice as well as a test of their religious belief and will. Zhang Yuchu in the Ming dynasty, the 43th Celestial Master, declared in the Ten Daoist Commandments: "Once a Daoist, one must get rid of all the emotions of this world, and return to Perfection by giving up all desires. He must take it his duty to explore his mind and nourish his spiritual essence. He must practice the Daoist commandments, and discipline himself by bearing loneliness accompanied only by a bamboo hat and a bamboo bowl. Sometimes when coming to a cave mansion in a famous mountain, he can settle down to visit a venerable Daoist so as to study Dao, the meaning of life, the source of spiritual essence, and the essence of virtue. Thus he is perfectly aware of Dao and meditates on the chaos of the universe without taking fame or wealth into consideration. He will not change his mind in spite of hardship, he will be resolute in spite of his poverty and humble situation, and polite and modest in spite of humiliation. Thus he can purify his spiritual essence, with a strong will as well as softness and mildness in his heart." In order to survive during their Wandering About and in order to transmit the Dao, Daoists must be provided with the possibility of making a living outside of the temple. In the ''Supreme Clarity Jade Book of the Higher Dao of the Heavenly Emperor '', it is stated: "A Daoist who goes Wandering About must know how to pray for a fine day or a rainy day. He must know how to drive out evil and save the victims of natural calamities. He must master the skill of judging geomantic omens and be good at astrology and predicting the future by observing the wind as well. Apart from what has been mentioned above, he must be able to read and write poems and be good at Chinese painting. Otherwise, he is no more than an ordinary person." More about Wandering About was narrated in poems written by the founders of the Complete Perfection Tradition. They require Daoists who are Wandering About to take with them clothing, cleaning necessities, and an alms bowl as well as a portable shovel, a bamboo hat, a straw rain cape, etc. By so doing, the wanderers can not only visit venerable Daoists, but also propagate the Dao. [[zh:雲遊參訪]] 6fd22565fbf5f10fc9f6b7d9162f0460ecad0ece 0 558 695 2009-10-16T09:11:11Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Rituals}} ==The Causes of Fasting== Fasting is one of the principal tasks in Daoists' daily religious practice. The aim is for pious Daoists to keep their body clean and thei...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Rituals}} ==The Causes of Fasting== Fasting is one of the principal tasks in Daoists' daily religious practice. The aim is for pious Daoists to keep their body clean and their soul pure. Fasting existed long ago in ancient China. The '' Book of Changes '' claims that to fast is to take preventive measures against wrong-doings to reform oneself thoroughly. In the book Mencius it is written: "Even a villain can worship the Higher Emperor so long as he fasts." Records about fasting can also be found in several chapters of the '' Book of Rites ''. It is recorded that to fast is to commune with spirits and ghosts. As one is going to fast, he must guard against everything evil and get rid of hobbies and desires. It would be better not to listen to music, not to worry about anything, and not to move with one's hand and feet." Daoism inherited the skill of fasting for the purpose of restraining Daoists and to offer sacrifice to the spirits as well as to Heaven and Earth. The '' Book of Esoteric Explications of the Three Heavens '' written in the Liu Song dynasty of the epoch of division between South and North said: "To learn Dao, one must fast first. Thus one can keep one's body clean externally and one's mind empty and pristine internally, so much so that one ascends while the Perfected descend. Finally he and Dao will be one. A long time of fasting can help one communicate with the Perfect Tao without violating any taboos." Since the Tang and Song Dynasties, fasting has been closely connected with chanting scriptures, which has become a part of Daoists' routine practice. The '' Collected Annotations of the Book of Salvation '' ( 《度人經集注》Duren Jing Jizhu ) wrote that if one persists in fasting, burning joss sticks and chanting scriptures, one is sure to be rewarded with boundless fortune, for he has accumulated so many merits and virtues. On the one hand, fasting is powerful enough to eliminate natural disasters and ensure the king's throne as well as blessings for the state. On the other hand, it can put an end to various poisons and save the common people from misfortunes. ==The Functions of Fasting== Fasting has two functions. Firstly, it is a step to cultivate the Dao. '' [[The Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel]] '' ( 《雲笈七簽》Yunji Qiqian ) states: "Fasting is necessary for a Daoist to cultivate Perfection in a Daoist temple. Be careful about what you say and be prudent so as not to make mistakes. Then you may approach Dao." The annotation of the '' Book of Jade Stanzas on the Spontaneous Birth of the Spirits of the Nine Heavens '', from the '' Numinous Treasure of Pervasive Mystery '' ( 《洞玄寶靈自然九天生神玉章經解義》 Dongxuan Lingbao Ziran Jiutian Shengshen Yuzhang Jing Jieyi ) says "Fasting is the root of Dao and the bridge of skills. If one is to cultivate Dao, he must fast and obey the commandments, keep the perfect Dao in one's mind, and then one's evil desires disappear automatically." Secondly, it is a method of communicating with spirits. When it comes to fasting and reciting scriptures, Zhang Yuchu wrote in the '' Ten Daoist Commandments '': "Anyone cultivating Dao must fast for a clean body as well as a pure heart, and he must visualize the spirits and read Daoist scriptures silently in his mind. It is as if facing the Higher Emperor, communicating with him with the heart. Once concentrating on it with a pure heart, he will understand the perfect meaning of the Dao. If one reads aloud the scriptures in a clear and melodious sound, the Vital Breath will rise and harmonize smoothly, so one can accumulate merits quickly. Then the jade sound of reading can nourish the breath with spontaneous inspiration. As a result, Heaven will be peaceful and the Earth safe, and good customs will help the people with fortune collected and misfortune disappeared. But if one recites Daoist books absent-mindedly without any belief in it or without a pious heart, what is the good of reading hundreds or thousands volumes daily? Then how can it be possible to dispel misfortune? [[zh:齋戒]] 5343b14f7ae83535ea4ec089849aa8b3e8890c90 0 559 696 2009-10-16T09:22:01Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{ Rituals}} ==Formation of the Commandments of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition== [[The Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] ( 正一道 Zhengyi Dao ) refers to the Five Pecks of Rice Tra...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Rituals}} ==Formation of the Commandments of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition== [[The Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] ( 正一道 Zhengyi Dao ) refers to the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition founded at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. It is also called the Celestial Masters. It was later divided into the Dragon Tiger sect, the Mt.Mao sect, the Gezhao sect, [[the Divine Heaven sect]], [[the Pristine Subtlety sect]], [[the Donghua sect]], [[the Heavenly Heart sect]], the Pure Brightness Tradition, the Supreme Oneness Tradition, etc. In the 8th year of the Dade era in the Yuan Dynasty (1304), the Chenzong emperor knighted Zhang Yucai as the Celestial Master of the 38th generation and Patriarch of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition, in charge of the Talismans and Registers of the Three Mountains. This implied that all Daoist sects characteristic of the Talismans and Registers tradition were united under the Orthodox Oneness Tradition to face with the newly established Complete Perfection Tradition. The Five Pecks of Rice Tradition had '' [[Xiang'er's Commandments of the Venerable Sovereign]] '' ( 老子想爾注 Laozi Xiang’er Jie ) composed of three parts and nine items, which were to be abided by all Daoists no matter where they were. During the Wei and Jin dynasties and the epoch of division between South and North, Daoism was separated into numerous sects with each adding some commandments. Thus there appeared the ''Twenty-Seven Commandments of the Venerable Sovereign'', the ''Thirty-Six Commandments the Venerable Sovereign'', the ''One Hundred and Eighty Commandments of the Venerable Sovereign'', the ''Thirteen Commandments'', the ''Twelve Feasible Commandments'', ''Monastic Rules'' and ''Commandments for Maids in the Highest Mystery Capital'', the ''Seven Hundred and Twenty Essential Commandments'', etc. Zhang Wanfu, a lofty Daoist of the Tang Dynasty, enumerated sixteen types of commandments in his ''Brief Introduction to the Three Grottoes' Magical Registers of the Scriptures and Commandments'', saying "anyone initiated into Daoism as a beginner must be taught the commandments to keep away from crimes." Still, ''Xiang'er's Commandments of the Venerable Sovereign'' were regarded as passed down from the Ritual Master of Supreme Lofty Mystery. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Orthodox Oneness Tradition grew mature in its commandments. In the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Yuchu, the Celestial Master of the 43th generation, wrote the ''Ten Daoist Regulations'' which set forth systematically the regulations for Daoists as to the various aspects of social and religious life. ==The Content of Xiang'er's Commandments of the Venerable Sovereign== The scripture contains the regulations and rules of early Daoism. Xiang'er was said to be the name of an Immortal in ancient times. It was said that the Founder of Daoism, Zhang Lin, once wrote ''Xiang'er's Commentary on Laozi'', but it was lost. Now there is an incomplete copy rediscovered in Dunhuang. ''Xiang'er's Commandments of the Venerable Sovereign'' consists of regulations on three types of behaviors totaling nine items. The first three items are on dealing with everything with Non-Interference by feminine forces, keeping feminine forces in mind all the time, and not taking actions first under any circumstances. Behaving oneself without hankering after fame, staying in tranquility, and doing good works are the second three items. Behaving with no desires, being content with what one has got, and declining out of modesty are the last three items. '' [[The Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel]]'' states that those who could follow the nine items were Immortals, those who obeyed six could enjoy longevity, and those who obeyed three could enjoy longer life expectancy. ''Xiang'er's Commandments of the Venerable Sovereign'' focused on embodying early Daoist ideas as to the regulation of social and religious life. However, as these proposals are too simple to be acted upon, there appeared various types later on. ==The Content of the 27 Commandments of the Venerable Sovereign== Derived from ''Xiang'er's Commandments of the Venerable Sovereign'', the 27 commandments of the Venerable Sovereign can be divided into three levels. At the upper level, one should not feel happy unreasonably, which is the same as being angry unreasonably, nor waste Essential Matter or Vital Breath. Secondly, one should not sap one's vitality nor eat any uncooked food. Thirdly, one should not hanker after fame nor eliminate the false and the evil by naming the Dao after its form, and not be ready to make any trouble nor kill anything or talk about it. At the second level, one should not read unhealthy writings nor be greedy for glory. Moreover, one should not hunt for fame nor be misled by what is seen or heard or said. Besides, one should be modest and shouldn't be skittish and impetuous; one should be careful in one's actions and not be fond of eating and dressing; and lastly one should not overdo anything. At the lower level, one should not force the poor by pursuing wealth excessively nor commit any crimes. One should not have too many taboos nor offer sacrifice to ghosts. In addition, one should not be tyrannical nor be opinionated, one should not argue about right or wrong with others, nor consider oneself as holy or superior; and not take delight in arms. As the ''Twenty-Seven Commandments made Xiang'er's Commandments'' easier to carry out, they were combined into the ''Thirty-Six Commandments of the Venerable Sovereign''. ==The Content of the Ten Daoist Commandments by Zhang Yuchu== The 43rd Celestial Master Zhang Yuchu's ''Ten Daoist Commandments'' was written in the context of "Daoism day by day degenerating in principles, existing only in name without any transmission of Dao and with no powerful leaders". In the book it is claimed that "Anyone who is willing to cultivate Dao should first abide strictly by the commandments and then he can practice as his duty". There are ten sections in the book ''Ten Daoist Commandments''. They cover the sources of Daoism, Daoist scriptures and registers, keeping quiet in temples, fasting and practicing, transmission of Daoist skills, Daoist leaders and abbots, Wandering About to visit lofty Daoists, establishment of temples and salvation of the people, self-reliance with food, temple maintenance, etc. The book provides a complete system of regulations and commandments covering all aspects of Daoist religious life based on Daoist doctrine. Zhang Yuchu advocated "modesty", "humbleness" and "delicacy", which were all inherited from the Book of Dao and its Virtue. Besides, referring to the ascetic practices of the Complete Perfection Tradition established by Wang Chongyang, Zhang Yuchu proposed: "One should get into a frame of mind to keep moral integrity and study the Daoist scriptures". Zhang continued to criticize "Zhao Guizheng and Lin Linsu who once were respected, but then went beneath their dignity by indulging in wealth and social position. They exaggerated when expressing themselves. They did not keep in mind the feminine forces of thrift and self-restraint. We should learn a lesson from them." Zhang Yuchu had really given much thought to this matter, showing great foresight. However, his ideas seem to have been ignored by the Daoists of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition of the Ming and Qing Dynasties as well as those of the Republic of China. [[zh:正一派戒律]] 3cb2bc2cd0f94face505fa7992d2e51e2054e07a 0 560 697 2009-10-17T01:38:06Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The Formation of the Commandments of the Complete Perfection Tradition== [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]], which was established in the early Jin Dynasty by Wang Chongyang...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Formation of the Commandments of the Complete Perfection Tradition== [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]], which was established in the early Jin Dynasty by Wang Chongyang, is now one of the two main branches of Daoism together with [[the Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] formed in the Dade period of the Yuan dynasty. In view of the degeneration of Daoism at the end of the Song Dynasty, [[Wang Chongyang]] expressed his idea of the Integration of the Three Doctrines with reference to Buddhist thought and systems. He advocated that one be devoted to others without any thought of self, achieving one's goal of becoming an Immortal by practicing Inner Alchemy. To start with, Wang gave an account of the principles of establishing the doctrine of the Complete Perfection Tradition in his book ''[[Chongyang's Fifteen Essays on Establishing Daoism]]'' ( 《重陽立教十五論》Chongyang Lijiao Shiwulun ). It set a complete prescription on the religious life and behaviour of the Daoists of the Complete Perfection Tradition. Ma Danyang, one of Wang's followers, wrote an uttered quotation named Ten Pieces of Advice, persuading and encouraging his followers to behave themselves. Qiu Chuji, another follower of Wang's, set forth his ''Three Altar Commandments'' based on the Buddhist system of the Three Commandments ( 《三壇大戒》Santan Dajie ). The Complete Perfection Tradition developed rapidly during the Yuan and Ming dynasties with the establishment of a large number of Daoist temples of the Complete Perfection Tradition. Then in accordance with the management of Buddhist temples, the Complete Perfection Tradition worked out the ''Monastic Rules of the Complete Perfection Tradition'' in conjunction with the increase in number of Daoist temples and Daoist sects ( 《全真清規》Quanzhen Qinggui ). [[Wang Changyue]], a revered Daoist in the Qing dynasty, started Transmitting Commandments and enrolling a number of disciples in the White Cloud Temple during his stay there as the abbot, on the basis of Qiu Chuji's Three Altar Commandments. Thereby [[the Dragon Gate sect]] of the Complete Perfection Tradition was greatly strengthened and its system of Transmitting Commandments was handed down till today. ==The Content of Chongyang's Fifteen Essays on Establishing Daoism== This book contains all the requirements for the life of the Daoists of the Complete Perfection Tradition, including living in Daoist temples, wandering about, studying Daoist books, making the elixir, building, and getting along with fellow Daoists, etc. It demands that all Daoists live in thatched cottages, saying "one will feel in peace and calm as long as one has a shed, with the integration and smooth movement of the Spirit and Vital Breath." As to studying Daoist scriptures, the book opposes indulging in exaggerated descriptions and being attracted by them. One should read widely and remember as much as possible so as to crack oneself up. As to making friends, it warns not to do any favor or to judge anyone by his appearance, etc. This book reflects Wang Chongyang 's ideas on the strict management of Daoism. Besides, it laid a solid foundation for the commandments of the Complete Perfection Tradition. ==The Content of the Monastic Rules of the Complete Perfection Tradition== The ''Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era had the Monastic Rules of the Complete Perfection Tradition'' written at the turn of the Yuan and Ming dynasties, and printed in the Ming dynasty. The original preface said that the ''Monastic Rules of the Complete Perfection Tradition'' had been compiled in the Yuan dynasty by Lu Daohe, a Daoist of the Complete Perfection Tradition. The Monastic Rules consist of 12 chapters, including rites, essays, and regulations and commandments. In it are ten items for the punishment of Daoists according to the ''List of Punishments of Imperial Sovereign Chongyang as the Founder of the Complete Perfection Tradition'' ( 《教主重陽帝君責罰榜》Jiaozhu Chongyang Dijun Zefabang ). Any Daoist who committed a wrongdoing would be punished accordingly. He was sure to be transferred to another temple, or to be asked to leave the temple for good. Or he could be forced to fast, to take care of the incense burning, of the candles, the oil lamp, or to take care of making tea, or to kneel down in front of the statues. In the ''List of Rules of Perfect Man Changchun'' ( 《長春真人榜》Changchun Zhenren Bang ) were the commandments by [[Qiu Chuji]] that a Daoist not be greedy, nor be displeased, and not indulge in women and beautiful music, etc. ==The Content of the Three Tang Commandments ( 三堂大戒 Santang Dajie )== This book is also called the Three Altar Commandments. It refers to commandments consisting of the ''Commandments of Elementary Perfection'' ( 初真戒 Chuzhen Jie ), the ''Commandments of the Middle Ultimate'' ( 終極戒 Zhongji Jie ), and the ''Commandments for Heavenly Immortals'' ( 天仙戒 Tianxian Jie ), which made up the commandments for the transmission of the Complete Perfection Tradition. As is written in the ''Alms-Bowl Mirror'' ( 《砵戒》Bojian ) by the disciplinarian of the 7th generation of the Dragon Gate sect of the Complete Perfection Tradition, the ''Three Altar Commandments'' was originally by Qiu Chuji, the founder of the Dragon Gate sect. Qiu set them up in light of the system of the Three Commandments of Buddhism (the Novice Commandments, the Khiksu Commandments, and the Bodhisattva Commandments) ( 沙尼戒,比丘戒,菩薩戒 Shami Jie, Biqiu Jie, Pusa Jie ). They were initially passed on individually and secretly. When Wang Changyue was in charge of the White Cloud Temple, some changes took place. Unlike Qiu Chuji, Wang Changyue set up the Commandment Altar to transmit Dao by teaching in public. Besides, he took in many followers to teach commandments at the altar, beginning in the 13th year of the Shunzhi period (1656). Thereby the Dragon Gate sect of the Complete Perfection Tradition became greatly prosperous. The ''Three Tang Commandments'' were also called the ''Three Altar Commandments of One Hundred Days'', for to be accepted as a Daoist, one had to spend one hundred days in initiation, in what was called the Commandment Period. After the Revolution of 1911, all the activities for disseminating the commandments of the Complete Perfection Tradition had to stop for various reasons. On Nov. 12, 1989, when the White Cloud Temple reopened its Commandment Altar, the Complete Perfection Tradition resumed its activities of disseminating the commandments after half a century's halt. [[zh:全真派戒律]] aab2a4dc2f346e70c30c7e2cd89597b6d38c60ec 698 697 2009-10-17T01:38:45Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==The Formation of the Commandments of the Complete Perfection Tradition== [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]], which was established in the early Jin Dynasty by Wang Chongyang, is now one of the two main branches of Daoism together with [[the Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] formed in the Dade period of the Yuan dynasty. In view of the degeneration of Daoism at the end of the Song Dynasty, [[Wang Chongyang]] expressed his idea of the Integration of the Three Doctrines with reference to Buddhist thought and systems. He advocated that one be devoted to others without any thought of self, achieving one's goal of becoming an Immortal by practicing Inner Alchemy. To start with, Wang gave an account of the principles of establishing the doctrine of the Complete Perfection Tradition in his book ''[[Chongyang's Fifteen Essays on Establishing Daoism]]'' ( 《重陽立教十五論》Chongyang Lijiao Shiwulun ). It set a complete prescription on the religious life and behaviour of the Daoists of the Complete Perfection Tradition. Ma Danyang, one of Wang's followers, wrote an uttered quotation named Ten Pieces of Advice, persuading and encouraging his followers to behave themselves. Qiu Chuji, another follower of Wang's, set forth his ''Three Altar Commandments'' based on the Buddhist system of the Three Commandments ( 《三壇大戒》Santan Dajie ). The Complete Perfection Tradition developed rapidly during the Yuan and Ming dynasties with the establishment of a large number of Daoist temples of the Complete Perfection Tradition. Then in accordance with the management of Buddhist temples, the Complete Perfection Tradition worked out the ''Monastic Rules of the Complete Perfection Tradition'' in conjunction with the increase in number of Daoist temples and Daoist sects ( 《全真清規》Quanzhen Qinggui ). [[Wang Changyue]], a revered Daoist in the Qing dynasty, started Transmitting Commandments and enrolling a number of disciples in the White Cloud Temple during his stay there as the abbot, on the basis of Qiu Chuji's Three Altar Commandments. Thereby [[the Dragon Gate sect]] of the Complete Perfection Tradition was greatly strengthened and its system of Transmitting Commandments was handed down till today. ==The Content of Chongyang's Fifteen Essays on Establishing Daoism== This book contains all the requirements for the life of the Daoists of the Complete Perfection Tradition, including living in Daoist temples, wandering about, studying Daoist books, making the elixir, building, and getting along with fellow Daoists, etc. It demands that all Daoists live in thatched cottages, saying "one will feel in peace and calm as long as one has a shed, with the integration and smooth movement of the Spirit and Vital Breath." As to studying Daoist scriptures, the book opposes indulging in exaggerated descriptions and being attracted by them. One should read widely and remember as much as possible so as to crack oneself up. As to making friends, it warns not to do any favor or to judge anyone by his appearance, etc. This book reflects Wang Chongyang 's ideas on the strict management of Daoism. Besides, it laid a solid foundation for the commandments of the Complete Perfection Tradition. ==The Content of the Monastic Rules of the Complete Perfection Tradition== The ''Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era had the Monastic Rules of the Complete Perfection Tradition'' written at the turn of the Yuan and Ming dynasties, and printed in the Ming dynasty. The original preface said that the ''Monastic Rules of the Complete Perfection Tradition'' had been compiled in the Yuan dynasty by Lu Daohe, a Daoist of the Complete Perfection Tradition. The Monastic Rules consist of 12 chapters, including rites, essays, and regulations and commandments. In it are ten items for the punishment of Daoists according to the ''List of Punishments of Imperial Sovereign Chongyang as the Founder of the Complete Perfection Tradition'' ( 《教主重陽帝君責罰榜》Jiaozhu Chongyang Dijun Zefabang ). Any Daoist who committed a wrongdoing would be punished accordingly. He was sure to be transferred to another temple, or to be asked to leave the temple for good. Or he could be forced to fast, to take care of the incense burning, of the candles, the oil lamp, or to take care of making tea, or to kneel down in front of the statues. In the ''List of Rules of Perfect Man Changchun'' ( 《長春真人榜》Changchun Zhenren Bang ) were the commandments by [[Qiu Chuji]] that a Daoist not be greedy, nor be displeased, and not indulge in women and beautiful music, etc. ==The Content of the Three Tang Commandments ( 三堂大戒 Santang Dajie )== This book is also called the Three Altar Commandments. It refers to commandments consisting of the ''Commandments of Elementary Perfection'' ( 初真戒 Chuzhen Jie ), the ''Commandments of the Middle Ultimate'' ( 終極戒 Zhongji Jie ), and the ''Commandments for Heavenly Immortals'' ( 天仙戒 Tianxian Jie ), which made up the commandments for the transmission of the Complete Perfection Tradition. As is written in the ''Alms-Bowl Mirror'' ( 《砵戒》Bojian ) by the disciplinarian of the 7th generation of the Dragon Gate sect of the Complete Perfection Tradition, the ''Three Altar Commandments'' was originally by Qiu Chuji, the founder of the Dragon Gate sect. Qiu set them up in light of the system of the Three Commandments of Buddhism (the Novice Commandments, the Khiksu Commandments, and the Bodhisattva Commandments) ( 沙尼戒,比丘戒,菩薩戒 Shami Jie, Biqiu Jie, Pusa Jie ). They were initially passed on individually and secretly. When Wang Changyue was in charge of the White Cloud Temple, some changes took place. Unlike Qiu Chuji, Wang Changyue set up the Commandment Altar to transmit Dao by teaching in public. Besides, he took in many followers to teach commandments at the altar, beginning in the 13th year of the Shunzhi period (1656). Thereby the Dragon Gate sect of the Complete Perfection Tradition became greatly prosperous. The ''Three Tang Commandments'' were also called the ''Three Altar Commandments of One Hundred Days'', for to be accepted as a Daoist, one had to spend one hundred days in initiation, in what was called the Commandment Period. After the Revolution of 1911, all the activities for disseminating the commandments of the Complete Perfection Tradition had to stop for various reasons. On Nov. 12, 1989, when the White Cloud Temple reopened its Commandment Altar, the Complete Perfection Tradition resumed its activities of disseminating the commandments after half a century's halt. [[zh:全真派戒律]] 7b1c384eb747ec6cab291fb6a2f321809b668636 0 561 699 2009-10-17T01:44:05Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==The Sources of the Monastic Rules of Temples== The Monastic Rules of Daoist temples refer to all the regulations and rules made for temples on the basis of Daoist r...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==The Sources of the Monastic Rules of Temples== The Monastic Rules of Daoist temples refer to all the regulations and rules made for temples on the basis of Daoist religious discipline and commandments. Such monastic rules and regulations provide the ways, methods, and degrees of punishment if the Daoists living in temples committed offences. There were no such rules initially. Those in existence were mostly formulated in the large temples of [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]]. ==The Chief Monastic Rules in Existence== Nowadays there exist chiefly the monastic rules of Zhang Liang Temple in Sanxi province, promulgated in the 22d year of Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty (1842), and the ''List of Monastic Rules'' ( 清規榜 Qinggui Bang ) of [[the White Cloud Temple in Beijing]], promulgated in the 6th year of Xianfeng (1856). Both of them are derivations and developments of the ''Monastic Rules of the Complete Perfection Tradition'' and of the ''List of Punishments of Imperial Sovereign Chongyang as the Founder of the Complete Perfection Tradition'', except that they are more concrete and specific. What is more, they have more varieties and distinctions as far as the methods and the degree of seriousness were concerned. In addition to those prescribed in the Monastic Rules of ''the Complete Perfection Tradition'', there are more rules and regulations for Daoists. In the monastic rules of the White Cloud Temple, there were such severe measures as being burned to death in public. It was thought that if one broke laws, raped women, stole, or insulted Daoism, he should be punished. In the monastic rules of Zhang Liang Temple, offenders could have their eyebrows burned off, their collar taken away, or they could be beaten severely, which were common local measures of punishment. It was said that those violating laws or committing adultery, robbery or killing would be beaten 40 times and forced out of the temple after having their eyebrows burned off. Most Daoist temples today have resumed all kinds of monastic rules to strengthen their system of administration. But their form and content have become habitual conventions for Daoists today. Besides, they should pass through democratic discussion by all the Daoists in temples before they are carried out. [[zh:宮觀清規]] a14b77d9f3d70dc405953d7ab93c6df08e4e54fe 0 562 700 2009-10-17T01:55:30Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} Magical Skills ( 法術 Fashu ) play a very important role in the religious activities of Daoism. Magical Skills refer to a sort of operational system for invoking sp...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} Magical Skills ( 法術 Fashu ) play a very important role in the religious activities of Daoism. Magical Skills refer to a sort of operational system for invoking spirits or ghosts or for producing supernatural changes. They are called Daoist Arts, Daoist Skills, or Secret Skills ( 秘法 Mifa ) to indicate their mystery and secrecy. Sometimes they are called Great Magical Skills to indicate their exceptional uniqueness. Conducting Magical Skills is a chief religious behavior of Daoism, so that it plays an important role in Daoism. Theoretically, Magical Skills are the demonstration of Dao whereas Dao is their foundation. Such an idea is expressed as follows: " Dao is the noumenon and Magical Skills are the phenomena", which means that Dao is the implicit underpinning of Magical Skills, and Magical Skills are functions and influences of Dao. The first volume of the "Great Collection of Daoist Skills" says that Magical Skills are the usage of Dao. Dao is immaterial while Magical Skills are capable of being touched; Dao is subtle and invisible while Magical Skills are demonstrable. So Magical Skills are not only an operational system to control spirits and ghosts or external things in mysterious ways, but also closely connected with the reverent belief in Dao. Moreover, Magical Skills depend on the personal cultivation and virtues of the master who conducts a certain magic art. ==Dao can save man by Magical Skills== The function of magical arts lies in the idea that they are capable of controlling external things, or spirits and ghosts. So it is thought that man can free himself from natural or social forces with their magical power. Especially when man encounters disasters or gets in trouble, man hopes to rely on them to dispel disasters or ghosts, or even to solve their problems thoroughly. Daoists think that Dao is the pure and perfect noumenon of emptiness, and that magic arts are esoteric means of transformations and changes. Dao is immaterial, but it can save man with its magic skills. Man is intelligent and he can mingle himself with Dao. Since man can learn Dao, he can control change naturally. Magic arts, which are quite influential among the common people, meet the need of the people who attribute disasters or illnesses to supernatural forces, and puzzle and fear about the mysterious forces. Therefore Magical Skills are one of the chief means for the Daoists to provide their religious services. In ancient times, ordinary people got to know Daoism through magic arts, and revered Daoists because of the legends concerning their powerful magical skill. Some of the Magical Skills were encouraged by the rulers, who used to establish cults by divinization ( 神道設教 Shendao Shejiao ), as a means to control society in times of chaos when people were frightened by disasters. ==Daoist magic arts, with their immense complexity, have formed an enormous system== They began in history and have been developing and changing. Generally speaking, with Dao regarded as essential, the elementary means of Daoist Magical Skills are talismans, Incantations ( 符, 咒 Fu, Zhou ), [[finger gestures]] ( 掐訣 Qiajue ), and [[Big Dipper pacing]] ( 踏罡步斗 Tagang Budou ), together with such magical instruments as swords, stone seals, magical water, and some medicines. There are several classes of magic arts, including praying for happiness and blessings, offering sacrifices to exorcise evils, [[summoning and invoking spirits for dispelling ghosts]] ( 考召 Kaozhao ), curing diseases, raising dead souls from suffering, destroying the Darkness ( 破幽 Poyou ), and doing divination and divinatory calculation ( 術數 Shushu ). Ritual Masters, on usual occasions, apply one or two skills, but on rare occasions will apply quite a few of them, follow certain procedures, and set up an altar. So the ceremony for carrying out some special Magical Skills is called "conducting of rituals". [[zh:符籙法術]] 4db83356ee2250a9787201ead2a5638bffca1493 0 563 701 2009-10-17T02:35:31Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} In the Daoist rituals for conducting Magical Skills, there are incantations, Finger Gestures, and Big Dipper pacing. Together with the writing of talismans, they have...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} In the Daoist rituals for conducting Magical Skills, there are incantations, Finger Gestures, and Big Dipper pacing. Together with the writing of talismans, they have become the basic forms of Daoist skills. Daoists conduct Magical Skills by writing talismans, reciting incantations, making Finger Gestures, and pacing the Big Dipper so as to increase man's confidence to triumph over the evil spirits. These Magical Skills have a cultural function as they help man to keep a balance of mind, and give him the confidence to live in a world dominated by uncontrollable and alien forces. ==Incantations are considered to be a mysterious language that can interact with the spirits and natural things== Incantations are often joined with breath sorcery, which can restrict spirits and natural beings by using the Vital Breath in the human body. This joint work is called Breath Incantations. Sometimes they appear together with talismans, and the combination is called "Talismans and Incantations". The Daoists usually rely on some medium such as Talismanic Water and talismanic dates when conducting Breath Incantations. Daoists think highly of the effects of the incantations. The ''Supreme Orthodox Oneness Book of Incantations for Dispelling Ghosts'' ( 《太上正一咒鬼經》 Taishang Zhengyi Zhougui Jing ) says¡G"I have the vital breath of Heaven and Earth. As I recite the incantations, the ghosts will be killed, the wood will be broken, and the divine gods will fasten themselves. Moreover, the gold will melt, the water will dry out, the fire will put itself out, the ghosts will kill themselves, the ulcer will cure itself, and the poison will disappear. And praying will be stopped, and the curse will be of no use." Daoists think that deities with strong magical powers will impart the incantations secretly hidden in Heaven, one after another. When they recite the incantations, thousands of millions of heavenly warriors and generals will come to serve them under their calls. As a result, more and more incantations were added to the repertoire of Daoist skills, which became more and more widely applied. ==The Popular Practise of Incantations in Daoism== Among Daoist skills, there are incantations for purifying and protecting the altar when setting it up, incantations for protecting the souls when approaching the altar, and specific incantations for the writing of talismans and pacing the Big Dipper. Daoists will recite the Esoteric Incantation for Opening the Scriptures ( 開經玄蘊咒 Kaijing Xuan Yun Zhou ) when reading scriptures. As for incantations for invoking the divine generals, they are as many as the heavenly generals and the divine officers recorded in the Daoist sciptures. There are also incantations for killing ghosts, controlling devils, and arresting demons. In this sense, there could be no Daoist Magical Skills without incantations. At the same time, incantations have permeated into the daily life of Daoists, even into their personalities. Daoists will recite incantations when washing their hands, having meals, taking a bath, having their hair cut, and so on. Not only are the Daoists of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition good at reciting incantations, but [[the Complete Perfection Tradition]] also has incantations for imparting commandments. ==The Characteristics of Daoist Incantations== Incantations are not exceptional in Daoism. Some other religions also use incantations, especially Tantric Buddhism which is famous for its incantations. The incantations originated from ancient peoples' worship for the magic power of language, influenced by primitive religions. Later, incantations became an essential part of sorcery. Daoism inherited and developed the incantations of sorcery, and took in some Buddhist incantations. Nevertheless, Daoist incantations, on the whole, have characteristics of their own. In Daoist incantations there are often such terms as "in accordance with the statutes and ordinances", "promptly, promptly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances", or "the Supreme Sovereign, promptly, promptly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances". This is because Daoist incantations arose in the Han Dynasty, and the phrase "in accordance with the statutes and ordinances" was found in the imperial decrees and declarations of war of that era. The phrase "in accordance with the statutes and ordinances" means to execute the orders like an imperial decree, which implies that if anyone disobeys them, he will be seriously punished. Such official cliches, used in state decrees, statutes and ordinances, were adopted by the folk witches and wizards. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, when witches and wizards held rituals to separate humans and ghosts and to protect them from being hurt by ghosts at funerals, they often applied writs for dispelling evil. Such writs usually ended with the fixed expression "in accordance with the statutes and ordinances". The simple pattern is "Dispel all the spells in accordance with the statutes and ordinances! ". Daoism absorbed such incantations, and some changed forms appeared. The usual way was to insert the names of spirits into them. For example: "the Supreme Venerable Sovereign, promptly, promptly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances! ", "Promptly, promptly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances from the Supreme Venerable Sovereign!" At the end of some of the incantations, there are such words as "act as regent", "imperial order", or "promptly" to show that you must act following to the incantation without any delay. Here are some examples. When invoking the divine generals and warriors to destroy evil, there was the Incantation for Opening the Flag: "The Valiant General of the Five Thunders and the generals of the Fire Chariot ( 火車將軍 Huoche Jiangjun ). Soar up to the sky and down to the earth. Drive thunder and clouds. Open the flags to invoke promptly the thousands of divine warriors and command them without delay. Promptly, promptly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!" This incantation addresses the divine generals of the Thunder Agency first, and describes the epithet of these great conquering generals. At the same time, it also explains their duty and opens the flag to invoke them to come. It orders them to descend without delay. Finally it ends with the fixed expression 'Promptly, promptly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!" The fixed pattern of Daoist incantations is a feature obviously different from Buddhist incantations in which the names of Buddha are recited. The pattern of Daoist incantations first indicates that their content was imparted by the divine gods so that they were very effective. They address the Supreme Venerable Sovereign, the Jade Pristine Perfect King of the Divine Heaven ( 神霄玉清真王 Shenxiao Yuqing Zhenwang ), and the Celestial Master. In this way the titles of the revered spirits were addressed directly to invoke and work the divine generals for controlling the devils. As for those spirits comparatively lower in rank and worked by the ritual masters, they were also directly addressed by their names to show that the ritual masters had the ability to control them. Therefore, the reciting of the Daoist incantations is closely related to the Daoist Pantheon ( 神仙譜系 Shenxian Puxi ), and it also implies their religious belief and forms of religious practice. Nevertheless, addressing the names of the gods is not an unusual phenomenon in Daoist incantations. Christians often say "in the name of Jesus Christ" after their prayers, which is an expression of their belief and reverence. Thus addressing the names of the gods when reciting Daoist incantations suggests the common belief and reliance on the divine ones found in many religions, except that the different gods have different appearances. The more expressive is the following feature of Daoist incantations: the incantations are orders to work the spirits, and in them the phrase "in accordance with the statutes and ordinances" is to stress that the orders must be executed immediately, otherwise, the spirits will be punished. In the content of the incantations, the practical purpose of the order is clearly stated. This is a characteristic of Chinese traditional culture expressed by Daoist incantations. Generally speaking, the attitude of the Chinese people towards religion is mainly to seek solutions to the problems they encounter in the present moment, and for praying for peace, which is considered as happiness. It is quite different from the pietistic conversion to the divine ones of the western people and Indians. It is said that the Incantation of the Night Spirit from India "posiyanbodi" ( 主夜神咒 Zhuye Shenzhou ) can help you to dispel evils if you recite it as you walk at night. In fact, it is only the sounds of the Night Spirit that Indians recite. The important incantation "The Incantation of the Most Compassionate and Illumined Boddhisattva Guanshiyin with Thousands of Hands and Eyes" ( 千手千眼觀世音菩薩圓滿無礙大悲心陀羅尼 Qianshou Qianyan Guanshiyin Pusa Yuanman Wuai Dabeixin Tuoluoni ) is The Most Compassionate Incantation ( 大悲咒 Dabei Zhou ) that was familiar to the common people. It has 84 sentences altogether, each of them expresses the pietistic conversion to Guanshiyin, 83 of them address the name of Buddha, including different versions of her name. Buddhists think this incantation is very powerful and widely used. The Most Compassionate Incantation records in detail the ways of curing illness, expediting child delivery, dispelling poisonous insects, and avoiding snakes and scorpions. There is much in common between Daoist and Buddhist incantations. The Most Compassionate Incantation requires the person to convert to Buddha. If he does and recites the incantation, Guanyin will help him get rid of his misery and lead him to the Buddhist Paradise of the West. And the reciting itself is the conversion. On the other hand, the Daoist incantations can directly work the spirits, requiring them to flee away or do something unimaginable or unattainable. The prerequisite is practical utility, and the people's reverence to the gods depends on the direct benefit they can deliver. Such features of Daoist incantations determine the range of their application. So each Daoist incantation is aimed at some specific situations, and the number of Daoist incantations is great. ==Reciting the Incantations and Breath Incantations ( 氣禁，禁咒，禁 Qijin, Jinzhou, Jin ) = The reciting of incantations must be in phase with the dirigation of the Vital Breath in the human body and with the visualization of the related spirits in one's mind. It is thought that by so doing, the Vital Breath in the human body can affect the objects so that they are controlled or transformed. This way of reciting incantations is called Breath Incantation. It was already practised in the ancient sorcery of China. [[Ge Hong]] of the Jin dynasty said in the ''Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'' ( 《抱朴子內篇》 Baopuzi Neipian ) that in some parts of Wu and Yue Breath Incantation was used, and it was quite effective, for the ritual master had plenty of Vital Breath. According to archaeological discoveries in recent years, the popularity of Breath Incantations was not confined to the kingdoms of Wu and Yue at that time. In areas such as Chu and Shu, Breath Incantation was also prevalent. Based on Ge's records, Breath Incantation was widely practised in his time, for the purpose of becoming immune to contagious illness, dispelling devils, curing diseases, and stopping tigers, leopards, snakes, and poisonous bees, and to reverse the flow of water. Daoism integrated Breath Incantation into its repertoire of skills. In the 24 rank registers of the Tradition of [[the Mighty Commonwealth of Orthodox Oneness]] ( 正一盟威道 Zhengyi Mengwei Dao ), one finds the "Ritual of the Breath Incantation" ( 《禁氣籙》 Jinqi Lu ). It can be apparently seen that it was an important part of its system of Magical Skills. Daoists would exercise their inner Vital Breath as they recited the incantations, and the breath would have effects on objects as well. Thus, Daoists were required to refine the Vital Breath regularly. [[zh:神咒]] 2a930345c2a6432ee5162315fba662bf273206a5 0 564 702 2009-10-17T03:48:55Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Finger Gestures, which are designated by quite a number of different names, are another one of the basic forms of Daoist Skills. Finger Gestures involve pinching certain parts of...' wikitext text/x-wiki Finger Gestures, which are designated by quite a number of different names, are another one of the basic forms of Daoist Skills. Finger Gestures involve pinching certain parts of the hand or palm with the thumb, or constructing certain fixed gestures with a couple of fingers. It is thought that by so doing, the Daoist can inspire the spirits and destroy the ghosts. Together with [[Pacing the Dipper]], it has become one of the basic Daoist skills and Daoist religious practices. Daoists make appropriate Finger Gestures when they hold the following rituals: reading Daoist scriptures; reciting incantations; Pacing the Big Dipper; setting up altars; invoking the divine generals; practising Vital Breath Incantations; arresting evil spirits at large; curing illnesses; praying for happiness; and offering sacrifices to avoid disasters or dispel spirits. The ''Supreme Essential Secret of General Perfection to Help the Empire and Save the People'' ( 《太上助國救民總真秘要》 Taishang Zhuguo Jiumin Zongzhen Miyao ) says that Daoists must make Finger Gestures when they walk, inquire about illnesses, harness devils, enter temples, cross rivers, go into mountains, and write talismans. Finger gesture making has been passed down together with the art of Vital Breath Incantations since ancient times. In the course of the development of Daoism, Daoists changed and corrected the original Finger Gestures, basing themselves on the Daoist Pantheon ( 神譜 Shenpu ) and theories of Daoist skills, so that finger gesture making became a comprehensive system. ==The content of Finger Gestures is the essential element for making them== This refers to certain points on the palm or on the joint of the finger that represent the Dipper, the 12 - hour periods, the Nine Palaces and the Eight Trigrams, and the 28 constellations. Among the nine joints of the three fingers ( the index finger, the middle finger, and the ring finger), the middle joint of the third finger represents the center of the Nine Palaces, and the rest of them refer to the Eight Trigrams. The corresponding joint implies the content of the specific trigram. According to the positions of the post-existent Eight Trigrams, the root of the fourth finger implies the Qian Trigram, which is the first of the Eight Trigrams. From the second to the fifth finger, each of the joints indicates one of the 12 - hour periods. When a Daoist pinches a certain position, it symbolizes that he controls the Eight Trigrams, the 12-hour periods, and the 28 constellations. The ancient people often used Finger Gestures to represent the functioning of the universe, the mystery of nature, the positions of space, and the changes of time. Therefore, as the ''Book of Secret Correspondence'' states, by making Finger Gestures, the Daoist feels that the universe and the transformations of things are under his control, and a contracted scene of the universe is visible on his hand. Usually the practise of a simple type of Finger Gesture involves pinching one finger joint, but complicated ones involve pinching different finger joints simultaneously. For instance, when flying over the Dipper, the ritual master must pinch promptly the seven finger joints that symbolize the seven stars. Sometimes he has to use several fingers together with his palms, even with his two hands. Below are listed the Finger Gestures of the 12 - hour periods: *Zi: pinch the joint between the fourth finger and the palm with the thumb. *Chou: pinch the joint between the middle finger and the palm with the thumb. *Yin: pinch the joint between the index finger and the palm with the thumb. *Mao: pinch the first joint of the index finger with the thumb. *Chen: pinch the second joint of the index finger with the thumb. *Si: pinch the end of the index finger with the thumb. *Wu: pinch the end of the middle finger with the thumb. *Wei: pinch the end of the ring finger with the thumb. *Shen: pinch the end of the little finger with the thumb. *You: pinch the second joint of the little finger with the thumb. *Xu: pinch the first joint of the little finger with the thumb. *Hai: pinch the joint between the fifth finger and the palm with the thumb. And below are the Finger Gestures of the Eight Trigrams and Nine Palaces: *Qian: pinch the joint between the fourth finger and the palm with the thumb. *Kun: pinch the second joint of the ring finger with the thumb. *Kan: pinch the joint between the middle finger and the palm with the thumb. *Li: pinch the second joint of the middle finger with the thumb. *Gen: pinch the joint between the index finger and the palm with the thumb. *Zhen: pinch the first joint of the index finger with the thumb. *Xun: pinch the second joint of the index finger with the thumb. *Dui: pinch the first joint of the ring finger with the thumb. The various types of Finger Gestures ( 訣目Juemu ) are based on the Daoist Pantheon. Since there are so many different types of Finger Gestures, the different Daoist sects often drew diagrams or charts of them in order to impart and practise them. The different types of Finger Gestures based on the immortal Pantheon embody the typical features of Daoism and show the differences between Daoist skills and the sorcery scattered among the folks. The Daoist Pantheon is a very great system, and it varies from sect to sect. As far as conducting rituals is concerned, there are three major types of Immortals: the Lordly Spirits, the Patriarchs, and the Divine Generals, for which there are corresponding Finger Gestures. The Finger Gestures related to the Lordly Spirits are the Jade Clarity Finger Gestures ( 玉清訣 Yuqing Jue ), the Supreme Clarity Finger Gestures ( 上清訣 Shangqing Jue ), the Highest Clarity Finger Gestures ( 太清訣 Taiqing Jue ), and the Northern Emperor Finger Gestures ( 北帝訣 Beidi Jue ). The Jade Clarity Finger Gestures are also called Highest Emperor Finger Gestures ( 上帝訣 Shangdi Jue ) or Jade Emperor Finger Gestures ( 玉帝訣 Yudi Jue ). Such Finger Gestures are made when offering petitions, and when commanding the heavenly immortal warriors and horses as well as the Messenger of Spreading Illness ( 行瘟使者 Xingwen Shizhe ). Highest Clarity Finger Gestures are applied at the second joint of the middle finger in order to invoke Highest Clarity warriors and horses, by pinching the nail of the middle finger when inquiring illness. Supreme Clarity Finger Gestures are applied at the first joint of the middle finger. Sometimes Finger Gestures related to the Lordly Spirits are not directly called by their names, but represented by their horses or their magical instruments. For instance, during the Refinement and Salvation Ritual, the Supreme Oneness Lord of Heaven is invited to descend to the altar. The ritual master makes the Finger Gestures of the Lion ( 獅子訣 Shizi Jue ): the two palms are crossed, the thumb of the left hand folded and the other nine fingers straight, for there are nine horses for the Supreme Oneness Lord of Heaven to ride. Similar to those Finger Gestures are the Finger Gestures of the Lotus ( 蓮花訣 Lianhau Jue ), of the Treasure Lotus ( 寶相蓮 Baoxiang Lian ), and of the Pig Head ( 豬頭訣 Zhutou Jue ) as well. Making these Finger Gestures symbolizes the descending of [[the Big Dipper]] ( 斗姆 Doumu ). Because the Big Dipper often sits on a lotus, and because the divine animal that draws her carriage is named Horned Pig ( 獬 Xie ), therefore images of the lotus and of the pig are used to welcome the Big Dipper to descend. The most important of the Patriarch Finger Gestures ( 祖師訣 Zushi Jue ) are the Celestial Master Finger Gestures ( 天師訣 Tianshi Jue ) and the Native Master Finger Gestures ( 本師訣 Benshi Jue ) which represent the descending of the Celestial Master or the founder of a specific sect. Sometimes they are practised when the ritual master visualizes himself as the Celestial Master commanding the divine warriors to dispel the spirits. The method of making that Finger Gesture is to pinch the first joint of the index finger on the left hand. There are so many Divine Generals in Daoism that the Finger Gestures representing the Divine Generals are the most numerous of the various types of Finger Gestures. Besides, the different sects prefer to use different Divine Generals while practising Magical Skills. The Finger Gestures which are comparatively important are as follows. The Finger Gestures of the Supreme Commander ( 元帥訣 Yuanshuai Jue ) stand for the commanders of the Thunder Agency. The Finger Gestures of the Inspector ( 都監訣 Dujian Jue ) represent the Inspectors of the Warriors and Horses ( 兵馬都監 Bingma Dujian ) which control the divine warriors. The Finger Gestures of the Heavenly Warrior ( 天丁訣 Tianding Jue ) stand for the Strong Warriors of Heaven ( 天丁力士 Tianding Lishi ). The Finger Gestures of the Office ( 功曹訣 Gongcao Jue ) symbolize the officers who invoke the divine ones to manage the files. There are some other Finger Gestures which symbolize the Sun Sovereign, the Moon Sovereign, and the Dippers of the Five Directions. The number of Finger Gestures designed for different objectives and for different rituals is hard to calculate, because there are so many kinds of magical skills for refinement and salvation as well as for curing illness, dispelling evil, and praying for avoiding disasters. For example, the Tiger Finger Gestures ( 虎目 Humu ) and the Ghost Finger Gestures ( 鬼目 Guimu ) are named after evil spirits. Some other types of Finger Gestures such as the Finger Gestures for Dispelling Ghosts ( 煞鬼訣 Shagui Jue ), for Controlling Ghosts ( 禁鬼訣 Jingui Jue ), and for Controlling Thunder ( 握雷局 Woleiju ) are named after the purpose of the ritual. And the Finger Gesture of the Fork ( 三叉訣 Sancha Jue ), the Finger Gesture of the Sword ( 劍訣 Jianjue ), and the Finger Gesture of the Golden Bridge ( 金橋訣 Jinqiao Jue ), are named after the divine instruments held by the ritual master or the methods that he uses at the rituals. In the corresponding skill system, all the Finger Gestures are drawn in diagrams or charts. The ritual master must follow them when conducting rituals. The contents of the Finger Gestures are so many that only some major types are mentioned here. According to the symbols of the Finger Gestures, the purpose of making Finger Gestures is mainly to invite or invoke spirits, to control ghosts, or to spread the divine Vital Breath. [[Talismans]], incantations, and Finger Gestures using [[swords]], [[seals]], [[numinous streamers]], numinous charts, mirrors for observing the evil spirits, and other magical instruments consist of the major means of conducting Magical Skills. [[zh:掐訣]] efebd160c3e9fe49b72c1f8f25008182466140eb 703 702 2009-10-17T03:49:28Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} Finger Gestures, which are designated by quite a number of different names, are another one of the basic forms of Daoist Skills. Finger Gestures involve pinching certain parts of the hand or palm with the thumb, or constructing certain fixed gestures with a couple of fingers. It is thought that by so doing, the Daoist can inspire the spirits and destroy the ghosts. Together with [[Pacing the Dipper]], it has become one of the basic Daoist skills and Daoist religious practices. Daoists make appropriate Finger Gestures when they hold the following rituals: reading Daoist scriptures; reciting incantations; Pacing the Big Dipper; setting up altars; invoking the divine generals; practising Vital Breath Incantations; arresting evil spirits at large; curing illnesses; praying for happiness; and offering sacrifices to avoid disasters or dispel spirits. The ''Supreme Essential Secret of General Perfection to Help the Empire and Save the People'' ( 《太上助國救民總真秘要》 Taishang Zhuguo Jiumin Zongzhen Miyao ) says that Daoists must make Finger Gestures when they walk, inquire about illnesses, harness devils, enter temples, cross rivers, go into mountains, and write talismans. Finger gesture making has been passed down together with the art of Vital Breath Incantations since ancient times. In the course of the development of Daoism, Daoists changed and corrected the original Finger Gestures, basing themselves on the Daoist Pantheon ( 神譜 Shenpu ) and theories of Daoist skills, so that finger gesture making became a comprehensive system. ==The content of Finger Gestures is the essential element for making them== This refers to certain points on the palm or on the joint of the finger that represent the Dipper, the 12 - hour periods, the Nine Palaces and the Eight Trigrams, and the 28 constellations. Among the nine joints of the three fingers ( the index finger, the middle finger, and the ring finger), the middle joint of the third finger represents the center of the Nine Palaces, and the rest of them refer to the Eight Trigrams. The corresponding joint implies the content of the specific trigram. According to the positions of the post-existent Eight Trigrams, the root of the fourth finger implies the Qian Trigram, which is the first of the Eight Trigrams. From the second to the fifth finger, each of the joints indicates one of the 12 - hour periods. When a Daoist pinches a certain position, it symbolizes that he controls the Eight Trigrams, the 12-hour periods, and the 28 constellations. The ancient people often used Finger Gestures to represent the functioning of the universe, the mystery of nature, the positions of space, and the changes of time. Therefore, as the ''Book of Secret Correspondence'' states, by making Finger Gestures, the Daoist feels that the universe and the transformations of things are under his control, and a contracted scene of the universe is visible on his hand. Usually the practise of a simple type of Finger Gesture involves pinching one finger joint, but complicated ones involve pinching different finger joints simultaneously. For instance, when flying over the Dipper, the ritual master must pinch promptly the seven finger joints that symbolize the seven stars. Sometimes he has to use several fingers together with his palms, even with his two hands. Below are listed the Finger Gestures of the 12 - hour periods: *Zi: pinch the joint between the fourth finger and the palm with the thumb. *Chou: pinch the joint between the middle finger and the palm with the thumb. *Yin: pinch the joint between the index finger and the palm with the thumb. *Mao: pinch the first joint of the index finger with the thumb. *Chen: pinch the second joint of the index finger with the thumb. *Si: pinch the end of the index finger with the thumb. *Wu: pinch the end of the middle finger with the thumb. *Wei: pinch the end of the ring finger with the thumb. *Shen: pinch the end of the little finger with the thumb. *You: pinch the second joint of the little finger with the thumb. *Xu: pinch the first joint of the little finger with the thumb. *Hai: pinch the joint between the fifth finger and the palm with the thumb. And below are the Finger Gestures of the Eight Trigrams and Nine Palaces: *Qian: pinch the joint between the fourth finger and the palm with the thumb. *Kun: pinch the second joint of the ring finger with the thumb. *Kan: pinch the joint between the middle finger and the palm with the thumb. *Li: pinch the second joint of the middle finger with the thumb. *Gen: pinch the joint between the index finger and the palm with the thumb. *Zhen: pinch the first joint of the index finger with the thumb. *Xun: pinch the second joint of the index finger with the thumb. *Dui: pinch the first joint of the ring finger with the thumb. The various types of Finger Gestures ( 訣目Juemu ) are based on the Daoist Pantheon. Since there are so many different types of Finger Gestures, the different Daoist sects often drew diagrams or charts of them in order to impart and practise them. The different types of Finger Gestures based on the immortal Pantheon embody the typical features of Daoism and show the differences between Daoist skills and the sorcery scattered among the folks. The Daoist Pantheon is a very great system, and it varies from sect to sect. As far as conducting rituals is concerned, there are three major types of Immortals: the Lordly Spirits, the Patriarchs, and the Divine Generals, for which there are corresponding Finger Gestures. The Finger Gestures related to the Lordly Spirits are the Jade Clarity Finger Gestures ( 玉清訣 Yuqing Jue ), the Supreme Clarity Finger Gestures ( 上清訣 Shangqing Jue ), the Highest Clarity Finger Gestures ( 太清訣 Taiqing Jue ), and the Northern Emperor Finger Gestures ( 北帝訣 Beidi Jue ). The Jade Clarity Finger Gestures are also called Highest Emperor Finger Gestures ( 上帝訣 Shangdi Jue ) or Jade Emperor Finger Gestures ( 玉帝訣 Yudi Jue ). Such Finger Gestures are made when offering petitions, and when commanding the heavenly immortal warriors and horses as well as the Messenger of Spreading Illness ( 行瘟使者 Xingwen Shizhe ). Highest Clarity Finger Gestures are applied at the second joint of the middle finger in order to invoke Highest Clarity warriors and horses, by pinching the nail of the middle finger when inquiring illness. Supreme Clarity Finger Gestures are applied at the first joint of the middle finger. Sometimes Finger Gestures related to the Lordly Spirits are not directly called by their names, but represented by their horses or their magical instruments. For instance, during the Refinement and Salvation Ritual, the Supreme Oneness Lord of Heaven is invited to descend to the altar. The ritual master makes the Finger Gestures of the Lion ( 獅子訣 Shizi Jue ): the two palms are crossed, the thumb of the left hand folded and the other nine fingers straight, for there are nine horses for the Supreme Oneness Lord of Heaven to ride. Similar to those Finger Gestures are the Finger Gestures of the Lotus ( 蓮花訣 Lianhau Jue ), of the Treasure Lotus ( 寶相蓮 Baoxiang Lian ), and of the Pig Head ( 豬頭訣 Zhutou Jue ) as well. Making these Finger Gestures symbolizes the descending of [[the Big Dipper]] ( 斗姆 Doumu ). Because the Big Dipper often sits on a lotus, and because the divine animal that draws her carriage is named Horned Pig ( 獬 Xie ), therefore images of the lotus and of the pig are used to welcome the Big Dipper to descend. The most important of the Patriarch Finger Gestures ( 祖師訣 Zushi Jue ) are the Celestial Master Finger Gestures ( 天師訣 Tianshi Jue ) and the Native Master Finger Gestures ( 本師訣 Benshi Jue ) which represent the descending of the Celestial Master or the founder of a specific sect. Sometimes they are practised when the ritual master visualizes himself as the Celestial Master commanding the divine warriors to dispel the spirits. The method of making that Finger Gesture is to pinch the first joint of the index finger on the left hand. There are so many Divine Generals in Daoism that the Finger Gestures representing the Divine Generals are the most numerous of the various types of Finger Gestures. Besides, the different sects prefer to use different Divine Generals while practising Magical Skills. The Finger Gestures which are comparatively important are as follows. The Finger Gestures of the Supreme Commander ( 元帥訣 Yuanshuai Jue ) stand for the commanders of the Thunder Agency. The Finger Gestures of the Inspector ( 都監訣 Dujian Jue ) represent the Inspectors of the Warriors and Horses ( 兵馬都監 Bingma Dujian ) which control the divine warriors. The Finger Gestures of the Heavenly Warrior ( 天丁訣 Tianding Jue ) stand for the Strong Warriors of Heaven ( 天丁力士 Tianding Lishi ). The Finger Gestures of the Office ( 功曹訣 Gongcao Jue ) symbolize the officers who invoke the divine ones to manage the files. There are some other Finger Gestures which symbolize the Sun Sovereign, the Moon Sovereign, and the Dippers of the Five Directions. The number of Finger Gestures designed for different objectives and for different rituals is hard to calculate, because there are so many kinds of magical skills for refinement and salvation as well as for curing illness, dispelling evil, and praying for avoiding disasters. For example, the Tiger Finger Gestures ( 虎目 Humu ) and the Ghost Finger Gestures ( 鬼目 Guimu ) are named after evil spirits. Some other types of Finger Gestures such as the Finger Gestures for Dispelling Ghosts ( 煞鬼訣 Shagui Jue ), for Controlling Ghosts ( 禁鬼訣 Jingui Jue ), and for Controlling Thunder ( 握雷局 Woleiju ) are named after the purpose of the ritual. And the Finger Gesture of the Fork ( 三叉訣 Sancha Jue ), the Finger Gesture of the Sword ( 劍訣 Jianjue ), and the Finger Gesture of the Golden Bridge ( 金橋訣 Jinqiao Jue ), are named after the divine instruments held by the ritual master or the methods that he uses at the rituals. In the corresponding skill system, all the Finger Gestures are drawn in diagrams or charts. The ritual master must follow them when conducting rituals. The contents of the Finger Gestures are so many that only some major types are mentioned here. According to the symbols of the Finger Gestures, the purpose of making Finger Gestures is mainly to invite or invoke spirits, to control ghosts, or to spread the divine Vital Breath. [[Talismans]], incantations, and Finger Gestures using [[swords]], [[seals]], [[numinous streamers]], numinous charts, mirrors for observing the evil spirits, and other magical instruments consist of the major means of conducting Magical Skills. [[zh:掐訣]] f09fdc1403e480a5d0a28ad9a78e8434d489581a 0 565 704 2009-10-17T04:00:36Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} In the process of conducting Daoist Magical Skills, the ritual master often recites incantations with his mouth, making Finger Gestures with his hands, and Pacing the...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} In the process of conducting Daoist Magical Skills, the ritual master often recites incantations with his mouth, making Finger Gestures with his hands, and Pacing the Big Dipper with his feet. Making Finger Gestures and Pacing the Big Dipper are two kinds of major physical movements of the ritual master as he conducts Magical Skills. ==Pacing the Big Dipper( 步罡踏斗 Bugang Tadou ) was passed down from ancient times.== The Chinese character "Gang" originally referred to the star at the end of the handle of the Dipper and the character "Dou" referred to the Dipper. Later its meaning was extended to the stars of the five directions (the East, the South, the West, the North, and the Center). The ritual master, wearing Cloud Shoes, puts the Diagram of the Big Dipper on ground covering about ten square feet, which symbolizes the nine layers of the heavens. Accompanied by melodious Daoist music, the ritual master visualizes the Nine Heavens, and Paces the Big Dipper according to the positions of the stars and the 28 constellations as well as the diagram of the Nine Palaces and the Eight Trigrams. It is thought in this way that the souls of the Daoists can ascend to the Nine Heavens to deliver petitions to the spirits, or control the spirits, destroy Hell and invoke Thunder ( 破地召雷 Podi Zhaolei ). Daoists, especially those of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition ( 正一派 Zhengyi Pai ), should have the basic ability to conduct Magical Skills, Cultivate and Refine themselves, and Pace the Big Dipper. It is generally thought that Pacing the Dipper was developed from the Steps of Yu ( 禹步 Yubu ). But people have different ideas about the relationship between Pacing the Big Dipper and the Steps of Yu. In the Magical Utterances ( 法言 Fayan ) by Yang Xiong of the Han dynasty, the author said that Emperor Yu, when he harnessed the water and the land, suffered from foot disease and walked with a limp because he often scaled the mountains and forded the streams. Many witches imitated Yu and walked with limps as well. Based on this legend, the Steps of the Big Dipper ( 罡步 Gangbu ) are regarded as a result of the imitation of Yu's way of walking. On the other hand, according to the Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity and the Book of Original Changes of the Pervasive Divine Eight Emperors ( 《洞靈八帝元變經》 Dongling Badi Yuanbian Jing ), there was another story about it. When Yu harnessed the water and the land, he saw on the seaside a big bird that was good at Breath Incantations. The bird walked in a strange way and its steps could turn the huge stone upside down. Yu made the strange way of walking an effective magical skill. That is why it came to be called the Steps of Yu. It can be seen that the Steps of Yu appeared quite early in history, and it had something to do with the Art of Breath Incantation ( 禁咒術 Jinzhou Shu ) of ancient times. The basic Steps of Yu involved three steps and nine traces ( 三步九 Sanbu Jiuji ). Later they diversified into different types, called Twelve Traces and Three-Five Traces. ==The three steps and nine traces of the Steps of Yu were thought to have the shape of the Big Dipper, so they were associated with Pacing the Big Dipper== The Book of the Flowing Drops of the Golden Lock ( 《金鎖流珠引》 Jinsuo Liuzhu Yin ) states that the Big Dipper was the Middle Dipper ( 中斗 Zhongdou ) which was a star. As it descended, it became the Nine Souls ( 九靈 Jiuling ). There were nine traces when Pacing the Dipper by following the diagram of the stars, which was called the Diagram of the Big Dipper ( 星綱 Xinggang ). The nine traces represented the seven stars of the Big Dipper, and the two stars Fu and Bi. The word "Gang" originally refers to the star at the end of the handle of the Big Dipper, and later it referred to the Big Dipper. It may have something to do with the understanding of the diagram of the stars, which was considered as the matrix and pattern of a certain area of the heavens. It is also said that Yu spent three years learning Breath Incantations, for as he harnessed the waters he saw that the bird was good at it. Later he paced the Nine Dippers, and matched his feet with the stars while reciting Breath Incantations. It is usually thought that the Steps of Yu and the pacing of the Big Dipper correspond to the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams. This is called "the three steps and the nine traces which constructed the Kan Trigram and the Li Trigram". Since there are so many kinds of diagrams of the Big Dippers, and more and more new Dipper steps were compiled based on ritual contents, so there are a lot of names for them. Pacing the Big Dipper is usually practised together with Finger Gestures. It is said that in the Tang and Song dynasties, there were over 700 kinds of Steps of the Big Dipper and Finger Gestures. That is really fantastic! ==The Common Steps of the Big Dipper== In spite of the huge number of different types of steps, there are only a few types of magical skills of Pacing the Big Dipper commonly used. In the Eastern Han dynasty, [[the Tradition of the Mighty Commonwealth of Orthodox Oneness]] ( 正一盟威道 Zhengyi Mengwei Dao ) taught the Three-Five Big Dipper Register ( 三五星綱籙 Sanwu Xinggang Lu ), in which were described the skills of the Pacing of the Dippers of the East, the South, the West, the North and the Center. Later appeared the Skills of pacing the Dippers of the Twenty-Eight Constellations ( 二十八宿罡 Ershibaxiu Gang ) and the Five Big Dippers of the Sun and the Moon ( 日月五星綱 Riyue Wuxing Gang ). They are commonly used. The most common form of Pacing the Big Dippers is the Big Dipper of the Mysterious Pivot ( 北斗玄樞罡 Beidou Xuanshu Gang ). On the diagram of the Dippers, there are only seven Dipper stars. The names of the stars are used as the names of the steps to be made by the ritual master during his pacing forward, and the names of the star sovereigns are used as the names of his steps during his pacing back. The pacing of the Twenty-Eight constellations represents the 28 constellations in the heavens. In ancient China, the heavens were divided into 28 areas matched with 28 corresponding signs, which are called the constellations as the symbols of heaven. Pacing it symbolizes turning the Dippers around and crossing the Ji Constellation as well as moving around the heavens. Below are drawings of the two types of Pacing the Big Dippers. ==The basic function of Pacing the Dippers is to symbolize flying over the Nine Heavens, prohibiting evil things, and controlling spirits== The Big Dipper is also called the Celestial Matrix and the Earthly Pattern. So the first function of the Pacing is to pace the Dipper according to the Diagram of the Stars. It is thought that by pacing it the ritual master, crossing the Nine Quarters and patrolling the universe, has been to the Nine Heavens, flying over the realm of Immortals. A common diagram is the Great River Chart Dipper of the Open Valley ( 大豁落斗 Da Huoluo Dou ), which was originally the Big Dipper. The seven stars of the Dippers and the two stars Fu and Bi compose the Big Dipper Diagram regulated by the post-existent positions of the trigrams ( 後天卦位 Huotian Guawei ) listed on the River Chart. There are two types of them; one is used after the Winter Solstice and the other after the Summer Solstice. In the former, the ritual master starts from the Kan Trigram and moves to the Li Trigram ( 坎卦，離卦 Kangua, Ligua ), and in the latter he moves from the Li Trigram to the Kan Trigram. The nine numbers on the River Chart represent the nine areas of the heavens or the nine constellations: Tianying, Tianren, Tianzhu, Tianxin, Tianqin, Tianfu, Tianchong, Tianrui, and Tianfeng. The ritual master recites the incantations while pacing any one of them, pointing out the directions he is moving to, the symbolic meaning of the specific Dipper, and the power of his magic skill. For example, the incantation used when pacing the Dipper after the Winter Solstice says: "The Dipper is sublime at the 12 two-hour periods, and I take the Big Dipper flying over to exhibit mighty power with Vital Breath like the clouds. The seven stars move to interact with the heavens, so that we know the changes of good or ill luck. Pacing the Dipper by the rhythms, it seems I move into the Dipper, and the constellations through the Heaven Pass with the change of the time. Moving from Tianying up to Tianren, I feel cold as if the land has sunk down into a deep valley. Leaning by Tianzhu and bracing Tianxin, I ascend to Tianqin from Tianxin. In addition, I pass by Tianfu and look at Tianchong, going into Tianrui and out of Tianfeng. The passage of the Dippers is open, and the strong and weak mutually assist each other. Happiness and good fortune are increased and passed on to the descendants. I have stayed in the darkness for hundreds of years. I follow your steps after the Yang. The Dipper of the Open Valley is divine, so that it can dispel the devils. As a result, one can avoid the evils at the mouth of the Dipper. Promptly, promptly, in accordance with the statues and ordinances! Act as regent!" Through this incantation we may see that Pacing the Big Dipper mainly symbolizes flying in the sky, with the supernatural function of dispelling disasters and avoiding evils. The Dipper of the Twenty-Eight Constellations and the Five Big Dippers of the Sun and the Moon represent certain areas of heaven, fairyland, or paradise. The ritual master will visualize these scenes while pacing the Dipper. The Dipper of Bright Stars and Pearls ( 星珠熠耀罡 Xingzhu Yiyao Gang ) can be paced in two ways: the eight steps and the three steps. The Daoist paces it each time he offers incense. And he recites the following incantation while pacing: " The imperial order of Jade Clarity is simple, with the separate scenes of the great Brahma. The original Dippers are flowing and changing with the stars and pearls over and around them. Promptly, promptly, in accordance with the statues and ordinances as the imperial order." While reciting the incantation, the ritual master will visualize the three realms of Jade Clarity, Supreme Clarity, and Highest Clarity ( 玉清，上清，太清 Yuqing,Shangqing,Taiqing ), where the Lordly Spirits of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清尊神 Sanqing Zunshen ) reside. The incantation of Pacing the Big Dipper mentions that by burning incense, the Daoist seems to have transferred starlight into the mortal world. A Daoist can succeed in doing so with the aid of such an incantation. This sort of Dipper pacing can also represent the Nine Quarters, which refer to the nine regions: Yong, Liang, Yan, Yang, Qing, Xu, Yu, and Ji. The ancient people symbolized the whole territory of China with them, so pacing the Nine Quarters implies the patrolling of all the land on the earth. Pacing the Dipper has the additional function of prohibiting and controlling the spirits and superhuman powers. Originally the Steps of Yu and the Pacing of the Big Dippers not only indicated flying over the Nine Heavens, but also prohibiting and controlling the spirits and superhuman powers. In the course of their development, their functions became specialized. Some of them were chiefly practised to fly over the Nine Heavens, while others were used to control the spirits. For example, pacing the Dipper for Destroying Hell and Invoking Thunder ( 破地召雷罡 Podi Zhaolei Gang ), used as a Thunder Skill, can get rid of the Vital Breath of Yin and give off that of Yang, so that frightening thunder can be heard. When pacing the Dipper of Spirit Possession ( 附體罡 Futi Gang ) as a Skill for Summoning and Interrogating Spirits ( 考召法 Kaozhao Fa ), the spirits will adhere to specific children or other designated persons. Pacing The Numinous Dipper of the Divine Tiger of the Life-invoking Roar ( 召命神虎嘯命靈罡 Zhaoming Shenhu Xiaoming Linggang ) can invoke the Divine Tiger General ( 神虎將軍 Shenhu Jiangjun ), who can pursue and control souls in the darkness, when holding the ritual of Refinement and Salvation for Destroying the Darkness ( 煉度破幽 Liandu Poyou ). The major functions of Daoist magical skills lie in transforming superhuman forces and controlling their changes with the aid of supernatural forces. And the immortals worshipped by Daoists live in heaven or in the grotto residences of the immortal mountains. In addition, one must have supernatural abilities if one wants to penetrate their world. Pacing the Dipper is thought to be effective in helping man to enter the immortal world. Therefore it is widely used as a basic type of Daoist skill. [[zh:步罡]] 209702e31b4bf270e4716bc7474ee2c9aea6ac44 0 566 705 2009-10-17T05:15:20Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} Magical Transformation Skills ( 變化之術 Bianhua Zhi Shu ) are one of the elementary types of Daoist skills. They refer to various kinds of skills such as becomin...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} Magical Transformation Skills ( 變化之術 Bianhua Zhi Shu ) are one of the elementary types of Daoist skills. They refer to various kinds of skills such as becoming invisible or making things invisible, and changing the forms of things. These skills have a very long history, with quite a number of famous Magicians who were good at it in the Han dynasty. In the Eastern Han dynasty, it had become an important component of Daoist skills. In the Jin dynasty, [[Ge Hong]] recorded such skills in the ''Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'': " The most important Magical Transformation Skills of change are kept in the five volumes of the Mohist Records of the Five Agents ( 《墨子五行記 》 Mozi Wuxing Ji ). In the past, Liu An copied the essential points into one volume of his book before he passed away. With the aid of a certain medicine and talisman, the man with such a skill was able to fly up and down, hiding himself with different transformed shapes. With a smile on his face, he became a woman, and with her face wrinkled, she became an old man. As he bent his knees, he became a little kid. If he held a stick, it could be turned into wood. If he grew plants, they became melons or fruits, ripe and eatable at once. If he drew a line on the ground, it became a river. If he piled up the soil, it could become a mountain. As he sat there, delicious food of various kinds would appear in front of him. He could do whatever he wanted, such as arousing the clouds or fire. In addition, there was a volume of the ''Hidden Subtlety of the Jade Maiden'' ( 《玉女隱微》 Yunü Yinwei ) which recorded that the man with such a skill could give himself the appearance of birds or animals, and the appearance of gold, wood, or jade. He could arouse the clouds, the thunder, and the rain over hundreds of miles as well. Furthermore, he could cross rivers without using a boat or a bridge, and could separate himself into different parts and turn up at thousands of places simultaneously. Apart from that, he could soar high with the wind, move through surfaces without openings, and exhale the air of the seven colors. He could see beyond the Eight Extremes or under the ground while sitting there, and could give off such great light that it seemed that the sun was shining. Of course, if he hopes to be successful, such a master must practise many kinds of Big Dipper Steps, which are so zigzagged and twisted lines that very few people can do it. The ''Great Treasure of Huainan'' ( 《淮南鴻寶》 Huainan Hongbao ) and the ''Alchemical Skills of Huainan'' ( 《淮南萬畢術》 Huainan Wanbi Shu ) did not go any further in revealing the secret. The ''White Tiger Skills of the Seven Changes'' ( 白虎七變法 Baihu Qibian Fa ) recorded that on the 3rd of March one must compose a mixture of all the elements listed below. They are the head skin of a white tiger killed on that day, the blood of a camel and of a tiger, as well as a purple ribbon, the flowers on a pair of shoes, and some duckweed. The duckweed sprouts must look like sesame that will produce seeds after growing ripe. Having gotten those seeds, he must grow it again and again seven times. There will be something different in the seeds each time. Finally mix the seeds with another drug, the mixture of which can transform one's shape and change the features of one's face. Then you can fly anywhere or dive into the waters as you like. The effect is quite similar to what the Mohist ''Records of the Five Agents'' and the ''Hidden Subtlety of the Jade Maiden'' recorded. There is no skill beyond these two books." What has been mentioned here includes most of the Daoist Magical Skills of Transformation. It suggests that as late as the Jin dynasty, the Skills of Transformation had become a major type of Daoist skill and formed a large system. ==The rich Skills of Transformation are one of the features of Daoism== Some theorists regard it as the essence of all Daoist skills, for they think that Daoist Skills are a mysterious method of transformations of various kinds. So Daoist theorists not only saw the Skills of Transformation as a treasure but also paid great attention to the study of the philosophy contained in them. Some of the theorists tried to divide the Skills of Transformation into three types: the transformation of Heaven, the transformation of material things, and the transformation of the mind. A man possessing the Dao can master any one of them as he likes and know their secret. ''[[The Yellow Emperor's Book of Secret Correspondence]]'' ( 《黃帝陰符經》 Huangdi Yinfujing ) put forward the proposition that "the universe is in man's hands and the transformation of things is under the control of man himself". It implies that if only the principles of nature and the secrets of transformations could be observed and understood by man, all changes could be caused by man himself. In the Five Dynasties, Tan Xiao summarized the Daoist Skills of change in his famous philosophical '' [[Book of Transformations]] '' ( 《化書》 Huashu ). He thought that the key to all changes lie in Essential Matter, Spirit, and Vital Breath. If they are adequate in one's body, Yin and Yang can be mastered, the wind and the clouds can be brought forth, the mountains and hills can be pulled out of the earth, and the rivers can be filled with water. Therefore he emphasized that the ritual master keep the Original Essential Matter, the Original Vital Breath, and the Original Spirit within himself. And if he can apply them in the Skills of Transformation that can transform the things outside him, then there is nothing he cannot do. For Tan Xiao, the Essential Matter, Vital Breath, and Spirit within man himself were regarded as the essence of the Skills of Transformation, He also combined Internal Vital Breath and Inner Alchemy with Magical Skills. In fact, he paved the way for the Inner Alchemy and Outer Skills of Daoism in the Song dynasty. After the Song dynasty, the Daoists usually regarded success in cultivating the Dao and refining one's body as the key to the Skills of Transformation, aiming to fill the body with Original Vital Breath and Original Spirit. They understood and advocated that obtaining the Dao means success in cultivating Inner Alchemy. When the people of the Song dynasty talked about the "internal Dao and external skills" ( 內道外法 Neidao Waifa ), they actually meant " Inner Alchemy and Outer Skills" ( 內丹外法 Neidan Waifa ). ==The Skills of Transformation can be divided into the transformation of man himself and that of external things== The former refers to the skills of changing one's shape or appearance, turning a mortal into an Immortal, and becoming invisible at one's will. The latter refers to skills such as arousing the rains and clouds, causing things to appear or disappear, and interchanging different things. Most of the Skills of Transformation depend on the means of Pacing the Dipper, making Finger Gestures, and writing talismans as well as reciting incantations and refining the Vital Breath, together with visualizations. Sometimes a special medicine is applied to cause physical or chemical changes. ==The Magical Skills for transforming external objects == The Magical Skills for transforming external objects include Instant Teletransportation ( 搬運 Banyun ), the Bean Men and Paper Horses ( 豆人紙馬 Douren Zhima ), the Contraction of the Land ( 縮地脈 Suo Dimai ), the construction of a river with a line on the ground ( 劃地成河 Huadi Chenghe ), and the wrapping up of Heaven ( 裝天 Zhuangtian ) Some can only be found in the legends of Immortals, others are recorded in Daoist scriptures. Instant Teletransportation means delivering things by invoking and controlling the divine generals. The Bean Man and Paper Horse means that beans scattered in the soil can become warriors and paper horses can become real ones by the means of Daoist skills. There are records about the Skill of Straw and Beans ( 草豆法 Caodou Fa ) which are similar to that mentioned above. The key factor in practising it is the application of the skill of incantation. Here is how to do it: set up an altar with an incense burner, some clean water, 12 litres of beans, and one bunch of clean straw in the center. The Daoist recites incantations with his hair under his shoulders, with the aid of such magical instruments as the Talisman for invoking souls ( 起靈符 Qilingfu ). It is said that by doing so, the Daoist can make the bean men and paper horses come to life. The cultivators of Immortality said that with the skill of the "Contraction of the Land" , the land could be extended or contracted at will. If one learned the skill, he could move faster than a bird soaring over a long distance. It is said that Fei Changfang of the Eastern Han dynasty got the skill passed down from Master Hu ( 壺公 Hugong ), who could contract a distance of thousands of miles into a couple of inches. According to some Daoist books, if one learned the Yu Steps of the Earth Pivot ( 地軸禹步 Dizhou Yubu ) and visualized the Twenty-Four Earth Pivot Spirits ( 地軸神 Dizhoushen ), he could expand a plot of one square inch into a large territory of ten thousand square miles, or vice-versa. The method recorded in the Book of the Flowing Drops of the Golden Lock ( 《金鎖流珠引》 Jinsuo Liuzhu Yin ) includes the appropriate Register and Talisman, as well as the required Pacing of the Dipper and Finger Gesture. ==The skills of the Transformation of Man== The skills of the Transformation of Man include flying over vanity, visualizing spirits in trance, controlling the Vital Breath, making one's flesh invisible ( 隱論 Yinlun ) or visible at several places simultaneously ( 分形，分身術 Fenxing, Fenshen Shu ), and changing one's shape and appearance. There are many types of such Magical Skills, the key to which lies in man's interaction with spirits and man's freedom from time and space. If man could possess one such skill, he could have an unusual ability which common people are unable to obtain or resist. Of course his unusual ability can be used for different purposes. It can benefit the people as well as hurt them. That is why the transmission of the skill is strictly restricted by very severe regulations, in order that it not be transmitted to evil persons. Furthermore, even if one has learned the right skill, it is certain that he will fail in practising it if he applies it to something evil. There is a legend in the ''Strange Stories from the Liao Studio'' about a Daoist on Mt. Lao. It says that Wang learned the skill of passing through walls, but when he attempted to steal from another person's bedroom, he crashed into the wall and injured his head with much loss of blood. Among the Magical Skills for the transformation of man, the means of Talismans, Incantations, Finger Gestures, and Big Dipper Pacing are applied in most cases, together with exercising the Inner Vital Breath and Visualization, and sometimes ingesting drugs. For example, in order to change one's shape and appearance, a special drug is needed. But the medical formula is considered a secret that cannot be told to anyone. Of course, this sort of skill is seen as a less important one. The more vital skills are making one's body invisible or visible at different places simultaneously, visualizing spirits, and controlling the Vital Breath. The ritual master is required to have Registers and Talismans, to be good at Pacing the Dipper and at visualization, and to be filled with Inner Vital Breath. Let's take the skill of invisibility as an example. The skill of invisibility means making one's body invisible. It is said that if one succeeds in mastering this skill, he can vanish in front of other people, and even the spirits cannot know where he is, so that no disaster can befall upon him. This skill was developed systematically in the Jin dynasty. There are some records about it in the ''Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity''. Asked about Magical Skills, the author replied that there were five types of strange Magical Skills, including invisibility (e.g., a man was seen when sitting there, but vanished as he stood up). But if he shows off his ability to do so in this mortal world, it might cause some unfavorable consequences. Since the skills cannot benefit his health, he should not conduct them casually except in order to avoid disaster in critical situations or during the chaos of war. Mr. Zheng says that "taking the ''Talisman for Becoming Invisible'' ( 《大隱符》 Dayinfu ) for ten days, you may turn left if you want to vanish, and turn right if you want to appear. Or cover your body with Jade Balls ( 玉丸 Yuwan ) or Snake Foot Power ( 蛇足散 Shezusan ). Or put Limu Grass in your bosom and pick some Green Dragon Grass, lying prostrate below the direction of the Six Ding ( 六丁 Lauding ). Or go into a bamboo garden, with the Land of the Heavenly Pivot in your hands. Or build a River Dragon Stone House ( 河龍石室 Helong Shishi ) and hide in the shade of the clouds. ¡K ¡K Or turn yourself into a little kid or an old man, a bird, an animal, a blade of grass, a tree, or a head of livestock. Transform yourself into a tree if you are near a tree, into the fire if you are close to fire, into water if you are by the water. This is the skill of transforming one's shapes or changing one's appearance, by which you cannot be completely invisible". Based on the records, there are two major types of skills of invisibility: application of talismans and use of drugs. One can be entirely invisible with the aid of a talisman, or one can turn oneself into something that is similar to things around him. The ''[[Master Who Embraces Simplicity]]'' ( 抱朴子 Baopu Zi ) did not discuss the concrete methods of applying these skills in his book. As a matter of fact, these special methods do exist. For example, lying prostrate below the direction of the Six Ding. But where are the Six Ding? This needs calculating. Generally speaking, pacing the Dipper in this direction requires some special patterns of steps. The skills of invisibility developed in later times have followed the rules of applying talismans, medicine, special steps, and the calculation of directions. Or there could be a combination of different methods, with more emphasis on the ritual master's exercise of Vital Breath and visualization. ==The Skills of Transformation are the foundation of other Daoist skills== For instance, the Skill of Visualizing Spirits and Controlling the Vital Breath ( 飛神馭氣 Feishen Yuqi ) is applied when Daoists offer petitions. In the ''Story of Permanent Hatred'' ( 《長恨歌傳》 Changhenge Zhuan ), the author described the skill in this way. The emperor Xuan Zong of the Tang dynasty missed his dead wife Yang Yuhuan very much in his old age. So he sent Daoists to look for her soul in the Heavens as well as in the netherworld. Finally, by applying such skills, they found her on the Immortal Island of Peng Lai. Here the skill applied was to control their Original Vital Breath by visualizing their Original Spirits. What is depicted in the book is only one of the Skills of Transformation, called Trance or Yang Trance. The ritual master stays in one place, but his Original Spirit is able to move about, to reach the paradise or the Fairyland for Immortals, which cannot be attained by the flesh. Daoists are often lost in trance when offering petitions. It seems that they ascend above the Three Heavens, taking the clouds against the gales to the Gate of Heaven. There he offers the petitions with the Three Pristine Ones and the Jade Emperor present, reports to the spirits his reason for doing so, listens to the edict from the spirits, and brings back the information concerned. Petitions are often used at various rituals such as that for praying for destroying the Darkness. The skill of visualizing spirits and controlling Vital Breath has become an integral part of Daoist rituals. [[zh:變化之術]] 4d288451bfce918b6e0452cabfd6811bac3d85d6 0 567 706 2009-10-17T06:08:30Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==Praying for happiness and offering sacrifice are the most typical of Daoist magical skills.== Praying means telling the spirits one's requests for happiness and lo...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Praying for happiness and offering sacrifice are the most typical of Daoist magical skills.== Praying means telling the spirits one's requests for happiness and longevity, or begging the spirits to get rid of one's misfortune. It covers almost all the aspects of the social life. Daoists may pray for sunshine or rain as well as for wiping out grasshoppers, curing illness, and dispelling the evil spirits. Such prayers involve getting rid of misfortunes or disasters. Sometimes Daoists also pray for their offspring, for longevity, for happiness, and for the stability of the state as well. ==Offering sacrifice means conducting magical skills at rituals to dispel the misfortune or disasters that people are suffering from. == The Chinese character"Rang" was the original term for offering sacrifices in ancient times. The Rites of the Zhou ( 《周禮》 Zhouli ) advises to "Offer sacrifice at the proper times in order to dispel misfortune". It also explains that "rang" means offering sacrifice to dispel misfortune. From the very beginning, Daoism absorbed it as one of its Magical Skills. Later it was developed into a diverse system. Most of the misfortune or disasters encountered in life can be remedied by sacrificial offerings. As far as natural disasters are concerned, the Daoists offer sacrifices for unwanted fires, stars that represent evil, unlucky years, violent gales, serious droughts, solar eclipses, earthquakes, etc. As for social life, Daoists offer sacrifices for lawsuits, the plague, and the loss of wealth as well. Even such omens as nightmares, encounters with a dead body, animals creeping into a house, crows crying over one's head, can be palliated with special offerings. ==There are two types of sacrificial rituals. == If the offering is for a less severe misfortune, the Daoist is invited to control it by putting up a talisman or by Pacing the Dipper and recite incantations while spraying Talismanic Water. If people encounter a series of misfortunes or sudden disasters, a Daoist is invited to hold the fasting ritual of sacrificial offerings. Sacricifial Offerings are one of the major elements of Daoist fasting rituals. ==After the Song dynasty, Daoism stressed " the inner Dao and the outer skills" and the outer application of Inner Alchemy. == When offering sacrifice, the Daoist needs to be filled with Spirit and Vital Breath. It is just as Wang Wenqing, the Patriarch of Thunder Skills ( 雷法宗師 Leifa Zongshi ), depicted in the Eight Section Brocade Prayers of Imperial Attendant Wang ( 王侍晨祈禱八段錦 Wangshichen Qidao Baduanjin ). Wang felt that he was happy and relaxed, without any desire for anything. He was in accordance with Heaven and Earth, both inside and outside, so that the functioning of the universe was under his control. He could do whatever he liked, working the heavens and the earth, interacting with spirits and ghosts, driving the wind and thunder, and controlling the ten thousand beings. Thus he was able to command the divine generals when conducting rituals to pray for happiness and offering sacrifice. Among the rituals to pray for happiness and offering sacrifice, generally speaking, offerings for the peace and good luck of the family are called Offerings for Security ( 平安醮 Ping’An Jiao ), and the rituals of the offering for long life are called Offerings for Longevity ( 延生醮 Yansheng Jiao ). Besides, there are offerings for having babies or for succeeding in the imperial examinations or promotions. The various Ritual Offerings supported by the imperial court or local authorities are usually for the prosperity of the state and the peace of the people. Most of the rituals are to pray for sunshine, rain, and snow, to offer sacrifices for stopping gales and tidal waves, or for getting rid of grasshoppers. They are the religious reflection of Chinese agricultural society, because in traditional agricultural society, the prosperity of the state and the peace of the people are closely connected with favorable weather for the crops. When floods or drought take place, Daoists are invited to hold Ritual Offerings, which are organized by the folks or supported by the local authorities or the imperial court. Among the rituals to offer sacrifice for dispelling natural disasters, offerings to pray for rain were most popular. The Daoists would usually hold grand rituals to pray for the rain. After the Song dynasty, Thunder Skills were very popular, and praying was conducted by invoking and controlling the divine generals of the Thunder Agency. The divine general was actually the Original Spirit ( 元神 Yuanshen ) of the Daoist himself, so that Vital Breath Skills ( 氣法 Qifa ) were particularly significant in praying as well as in the use of Talismans, Incantations, Finger Gestures, and Pacing the Big Dipper. But Talismans played the essential role. For example, the ''Stone Box Skills of Deliverance from the Wind and Rain from the Water'' Mansion ( 石匣水府起風雲致雨法 Shixia Shuifu Qifengyun Zhiyu Fa ) quoted the following words of Perfect Sovereign Wang, the Fire Master ( 火師汪真君 Huoshi Wangzhenjun ): " If there are too many sunny days without rain and the crops in the fields are drying out, the Daoist should report it to the Highest Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven ( 玄天上帝 Xuantian Shangdi ). He may send Commander Zhang of the Water Agency ( 水部張元帥 Shuibu Zhang Yuanshuai ) to drive the divine dragon to pour out rain for the people. The Daoist may cast an iron board or a new tile with two talismans into the source of the river, the deep pool, and the dragon well where there are goblins and spirits. If the people want wind, he needs to put two small sheets of talismans into the gills of a living carp, which should be put where there are dragons. At the same time, he should invoke silently the Generals of the Ding and Ren Days ( 丁將軍和壬將軍 Ding Jiangjun He Ren Jiangjun ) with a black flag, commanding them by reciting incantations and waving the flag in the air. Thus the wind will begin blowing. If people want rain, he needs to set up an altar and burn the talisman for invoking the Divine Generals of the Ding and Ren Days from the Water Agency ( 水部丁將軍和壬將軍 Shuibu Ding Jiangjun He Ren Jiangjun ). In addition, the Daoist must visualize the descent of the Red Essence Vital Breath ( 赤精之氣 Chijingzhiqi ) and the ascent of the Black Essence Vital Breath ( 黑精之氣 Heijingzhiqi ) from the kidney. The two kinds of Vital Breath are mixed in the center of the spleen, and then move up the Twelve-Story Mansion ( 十二重樓 Shi’Erchong Lou ) along the vertebra to the head and out of it, and then stay in the air. Moreover, he must visualize the combination of the Divine Generals of the Ding and Ren Days and the mixed Vital Breath in the air. Thus Great Judge Zhang ( 張大判官 Zhang Dapanguan ) in the middle, the Divine Generals, and the Divine Officers of the Five Lakes and the Four Rivers from the Water Agency ( 水司 Shuisi ), all meet harmoniously in the air above the head. The Daoist must visualize himself as the Highest Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven facing the Gate of the Heaven and report why he is praying for rain. Then he can recite the following incantations seven times: the ''Divine Incantation of the Water Mansion'' ( 《水府神咒》 Shuifu Shenzhou ), the ''Tian Peng Incantation'' ( 《天蓬咒》 Tianpeng Zhou ), the ''Book of the Heavenly Lad'' ( 《天童經》 Tiantong Jing ), and ''the Middle Section of the Numinous Book''. ( 《靈書中篇》 Lingshu Zhongpian ) Finally he may visualize spirits to drive the Divine Generals of the Dragon Agency to control the lightning, blow the wind, and pour the rain. What was described above is only one of the skills of praying for rain, which differs from sect to sect. Setting up an altar and invoking the divine generals is quite commonly done with talismans and official documents for invoking generals sent to the Residence of the Spirits concerned, or with petitions offered to the heavenly court of the Highest Emperor. How can we explain the efficacy of Daoist prayers for rain and sunshine by sending talismans, offering petitions, and invoking the Dragon King and the divine generals of the Thunder Agency? There are different analyses and comments on this question. But we can know for sure that it is because the Daoists have studied the Daoist scriptures with much knowledge of meteorology. For example, the ''Book of Weather Forecasting'' ( 《盤天經》 Pantian Jing ) and the book ''Forecasting the Rain and Sunshine'' ( 《雨陽氣候親機》 Yuyang Qihou Qinji ), are both works of meteorology with Daoist colouring. Forecasting the Rain and Sunshine says: " Before the sun rises, observe it early in the morning in the east where it rises. If the black clouds look like eggs, flags, mountains, birds, snakes, dragon heads, the glossy ganoderma, or peony flowers, there will be a thunderstorm during the ''wei'' and ''shen'' periods of that day. If purple black clouds go through the sun or above the sun, there will be rain that day. If the black clouds look like fish scales, there will be wind, and there will be rain three days later." It is thus quite natural for the Daoists to be successful in conducting magical skills since they have so much knowledge of meteorology. Only after they made observations on winds, clouds, the fog and the sun, could they conduct skills at the moment when there should be rain. Otherwise, they could only judge that it was the will of Heaven that there would be no rain. [[zh:祈福禳災]] 06857aae334681fb409b248e24bce0ef574add48 0 568 707 2009-10-17T06:48:40Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Daoist skill system includes numerous Numerological Arts ( 數術Shushu ), such as Fortune-Telling ( 算命Suanming ), Physiognomy ( 看相Kanxiang ), Geomancy ( 風水Fengsh...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Daoist skill system includes numerous Numerological Arts ( 數術Shushu ), such as Fortune-Telling ( 算命Suanming ), Physiognomy ( 看相Kanxiang ), Geomancy ( 風水Fengshui ), and Omens and Prophecies ( 符讖Fuchen ), which aim at Divination ( 占驗Zhanayn ) and capturing good luck. The origin of all these arts can be traced to ancient times. ''The Abstract of Numerology in the General Catalog of the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries'' says, "Most of the Numerological Arts arose after the Qin and Han Dynasties. Their essentials do not go beyond the mutual production and destruction of Yin and Yang and [[the Five Agents]] ( 陰陽五行Yinyang Wuxing ). These arts are actually branches of the study of ''[[the Book of Changes]]'' ( 《易經》Yijing ) to which various theories have been added." In fact, the Book of Changes is a philosophical book evolved from records of divinations, which does not hinder its use as a means of divination. The Numerological Arts, already spread in all classes of society, were absorbed into the Daoist skill system during the formation of this religion. Still, the arts were transmitted by some non-Daoists among whom some groups make a living by practising them. Among Daoists, the most popular are divination, Hidden Periods ( 遁甲Dunjia ), Fortune-Telling, Physiognomy, Geomancy, Telling Omens ( 說符命Shuo Fuming ), and Massage-Chart Prophecy ( 《推背圖》Tuibei Tu ). ==Divination== Divination is one of the oldest Numerological Arts. As early as the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, people already practised tortoise-shell divination ( 龜卜Huibu ) and milfoil-stalk divination ( 筮占Xhizhan ). The ''Book of Changes'', as the scripture of the latter method, later became one of the Five Classics. In tortoise-shell divination, good or bad luck is decided from the cracks in burned tortoise shells, while in the latter it is decided through the numbers gained from dividing or gathering milfoil stalks. Later, milfoil-stalk divination developed and the numbers used were fixed as 7, 8, 9 and 6 to form Trigram Images ( 卦象Guaxiang ). Because the change of numbers was more reasonable in this method, this kind of divination was superior to the other one. After the Southern and Northern Dynasties, in divination based on the Book of Changes, coins, instead of milfoil stalks, were used to simplify the divination method. From this came out many branches, such as King Wen Divination ( 文王課Wenwang Ke ), Plum-Blossom Numerology ( 梅花易數Meihua YIshu ), Supreme Oneness Divine Numerology ( 太乙神數Taiyi Shenshu ), etc. These are transmitted among many people inside and outside of Daoism. ==The Unique Numerological Arts and Hidden Time ( 奇門遁甲Qimen Dunjia )== Among the Numerological Arts, the Nine Palaces of Supreme Oneness ( 太乙九宮Taiyi Jiugong ), the Six Ren ( 六壬Liuren ), and Hidden Time are called the Three Unique Numerological Arts ( 三奇Sanqi ) and occupy important positions. They are highly respected by Daoists and many books concerning them were collected into the Daoist Canon. Among these, Hidden Time is especially famous. It is a kind of Numerological Art for the choice of time and directions. There are various understandings and uses of this complicated art. Introduced here is an illustration by Mr. Hu Fuchen, a famous specialist in the study of Daoism, in Annals of Daoism. With Hidden Time, people make use of temporal and special elements to turn their luck from bad to good. Its essence is in the arrangements of Situation Boards, i.e. the Heavenly Board ( 天盤Tianpan ), the Earthly Board ( 地盤Dipan ) and the Human Board ( 人盤Renpan ). The Heavenly Board is composed of the Nine Stars ( 九星Jiuxing ) (Tian Peng, Tian Rui, Tian Chong, Tian Fu, Tian Qin, Tian Xin, Tian Zhu, Tian Ren, Tian Ying). The Earthly Board uses the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams ( 九宮八卦Jiugong Bagua ). The Human Board uses the Eight Gates ( 八門Bamen ) (rest, death, pain, refusal, opening, surprise, life, and auspiciousness). Along-Yi ( 順儀Shunyi ) (Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui) and Anti-Qi ( 逆奇Niqi ) (Yi, Bing, Ding) arrangements constitute a Yang Board ( 陽盤Yangpan ), otherwise they make up a Yin Board ( 陰盤Yinpan ). In the board of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, people arrange the Eight Gates, Nine Stars and Nine Divinities ( 九神Jiushen ) (Zhifu, She, Taiyin, Liuhe, Gouchen, Zhuque, Jiudi and Jiutian) in the order of year, season, month and hour, according to certain situations. Yang Hidden Time ( 陽遁Yangdun ) is used from the winter solstice to the summer solstice when Yang Vital Breath ( 陽氣Yangqi ) increases; otherwise Yin Hidden Time ( 陰遁Yindun ) is used. In order to connect closely the Celestial Trunks and Terrestrial Branches ( 天干地支Tiangan Dizhi ) of time with the Twenty-Four Solar Terms ( 節氣Jieqi ), the Futou ( 符頭Futou ) (the first day of a 5-day Yuan) of the Upper Origin ( 上元Shangyuan ) (a 15-day solar term is divided into three 5-day Yuan called Upper Origin, Middle Origin and Lower Origin) and the solar term are adjusted. Thus people get a kind of calendar of Hidden Time for choice of time and direction and divination. Hidden Time is the most synthetic numerology most closely connected with the ancient calendar and astronomy. It absorbs the theories of Yin and Yang, Five Agents, Celestial Trunks and Terrestrial Branches, the River-Chart and the Writ of the Luo River ( 河圖洛書Hetu Luoshu ), and the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, and form an organic whole. ==Fortune-Telling== It is also called the Four-Pillar Fortune-Telling Art ( 四柱推命術Sizhuuiming Shu ) for it is based on the Celestial Trunks and Terrestrial Branches of the year, month, date and hour of one's birthday. The Four Pillars are four pairs of Celestial Trunks and Terrestrial Branches, each pair being represented by two characters and four pairs making up eight. Altogether eight characters are used and so it is also called the Eight-Character Fortune-Telling Art ( 排八字Pai Bazi ). It is commonly traced back to Li Dezong of the Tang Dynasty, who could tell one's fortune by the Celestial Trunks and Terrestrial Branches of his birthday. But Li used only the year, month and date; the hour was added by Xu Ziping of the Song Dynasty. The art is thus commonly called Ziping Art ( 子平術Ziping Shu ). With the art, one's good and bad luck throughout his life can be foretold from the mutual generation and destruction of the Five Agents of the four pillars added with auspicious solar terms. ==Physiognomy== The origin of Physiognomy is very early, for some famous physiognomic masters were mentioned in the Pre-Qin period. With this art, one's fortune can be foretold through one's countenance and the forms of one's face, bones and hand. We are uncertain about the time when Daoism absorbed physiognomy, but Daoist Chen Tuan's physiognomy was greatly famous after the Five Dynasties and the Northern Song Dynasty. Legend said that Chen's teacher was a monk called the "Daoist in Hemp" ( 麻衣道人Mayi Daoren ). According to the ''Record of Shao's Experience and Knowledge'' ( 《邵氏聞見錄》Shaoshi Wenjian Lu ), Chen was once invited by Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty to read the face of the future emperor Zhenzong, who was then just one of many princes in the royal family. Chen returned immediately on reaching the prince's mansion gate. Asked for the reason, Chen said that even the attendants around the prince had the quality of premiers and generals, so there was no need to see the prince in person. Thus the prince was elevated to the rank of Crown Prince. We can deduce from historical materials that the Daoist in Hemp and Chen practised Bone Physiognomy ( 骨相術Guxiang Shu ). But the Divine Physiognomy of the Daoist in Hemp ( 《麻衣神相》Mayi Shen Xiang ), which became widespread in later times, was a book about facial physiognomy. Perhaps it was attributed to them because their fame could help spread the book. Someone in the Ming or Qing Dynasty compiled the ''Collections of Chen Xiyi's Physiognomy'' ( 《陳希夷心相編》Chen Xiyi Xin Xiang Bian ), which also borrowed Chen's fame. This book says: "The Heart is the root of countenance, so by examining the heart one's morality is clear; deeds are the appearance of the heart so by examining deeds one's luck is clear." Although it also talks about good and bad luck, the book is mainly about the philosophy of life leading to Confucian ethics. So it can be regarded as a change from physiognomy. ==Telling Omens and Massage-Chart Prophecy== One of the Numerological Arts is omens and prophecies, or telling omens. In Chinese folklore, political struggles and even the change of dynasties were influenced greatly by omens. An omen tells a mysterious prophecy; if someone fit the heavenly decree and should be the emperor, some auspicious omens would appear, or prophecies could be found in ancient books. Telling omens used to be special talent of some Confucians in the Han Dynasty, but some Daoists also took the role after Daoism was formed. When Xiao Yan rebelled at the end of the Qi Dynasty, the famous Daoist Tao Hongjing sent his disciples to offer omens to Xiao. Xiao accepted his advice and named the new Dynasty "Liang". In the rise of later dynasties such as the Sui and Tang, some Daoists also offered omens. Another Numerological Art concerning the change of dynasties and the peace of society is Massage-Chart Prophecy. It may also be said to have evolved from telling omens. It takes the form of explanations of Trigrams ( 卦辭Guaci ) to predict political events many years in the future. Each of its 60 charts has a Trigram and an explanatory poem. The 60th poem says, "thousands of years need endless telling, so we'd better stop and enjoy a conformable massage." The prophecy thus was called Massage-Chart Prophecy. The charts were attributed to Lin Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang of the Tang Dynasty, but this is difficult to verify. The two men both had a close relationship with Daoism. Li Chunfeng, whose father was a Daoist, was an official in the court but wrote a Commentary on and Introduction to the Gold Lock and Flowing Pearls, which was a book about Daoist skills. The massage charts had great influence. Yue Ke of the Southern Dynasty said: " After Li Chunfeng wrote the Massage-Chart Prophecies, the marquises and kings rising in the turbulent Five Dynasties all had the idea of becoming emperor. So Li's theory became extremely popular. Zhao Kuangyin, on becoming the emperor, decreed to prohibit books about omens for fear that the people would be lured into punishment and death. But the massage charts, having been widespread among the folk for hundreds of years, couldn't be wiped out. Zhao ordered his men to rewrite the book, except some censored parts, in a different messy order. They made about 100 kinds of different editions to co-exist with original book. The transmitters, puzzled about the order, couldn't tell which one was wrong. But Yue said this couldn't stop the charts from spreading. Until the Qing Dynasty, some people still found the prohibited charts, such as the 33rd chart for the Bing Shen year predicting Emperor Shunzhi entering the Chinese interior, the 34th chart for the Ding You year predicting the rebellion of the Peaceful Heavenly State or commonly "long hair". Due to its close relationship with Daoism, some people regard it as a Daoist classic. Actually, considering its use, the book can only be said to be related to a Numerological Art shared by Daoists and folk people. Other Numerological Arts related to Daoism include geomancy which is commonly known as "examining the wind and water". Interested friends may find relevant books for careful study. [[zh:術數]] a3243fc83c7d73dc2b5bcf13875471ea7d28f49d 708 707 2009-10-17T06:50:41Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} The Daoist skill system includes numerous Numerological Arts ( 數術Shushu ), such as Fortune-Telling ( 算命Suanming ), Physiognomy ( 看相Kanxiang ), Geomancy ( 風水Fengshui ), and Omens and Prophecies ( 符讖Fuchen ), which aim at Divination ( 占驗Zhanayn ) and capturing good luck. The origin of all these arts can be traced to ancient times. ''The Abstract of Numerology in the General Catalog of the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries'' says, "Most of the Numerological Arts arose after the Qin and Han Dynasties. Their essentials do not go beyond the mutual production and destruction of Yin and Yang and [[the Five Agents]] ( 陰陽五行Yinyang Wuxing ). These arts are actually branches of the study of ''[[the Book of Changes]]'' ( 《易經》Yijing ) to which various theories have been added." In fact, the Book of Changes is a philosophical book evolved from records of divinations, which does not hinder its use as a means of divination. The Numerological Arts, already spread in all classes of society, were absorbed into the Daoist skill system during the formation of this religion. Still, the arts were transmitted by some non-Daoists among whom some groups make a living by practising them. Among Daoists, the most popular are divination, Hidden Periods ( 遁甲Dunjia ), Fortune-Telling, Physiognomy, Geomancy, Telling Omens ( 說符命Shuo Fuming ), and Massage-Chart Prophecy ( 《推背圖》Tuibei Tu ). ==Divination== Divination is one of the oldest Numerological Arts. As early as the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, people already practised tortoise-shell divination ( 龜卜Huibu ) and milfoil-stalk divination ( 筮占Xhizhan ). The ''Book of Changes'', as the scripture of the latter method, later became one of the Five Classics. In tortoise-shell divination, good or bad luck is decided from the cracks in burned tortoise shells, while in the latter it is decided through the numbers gained from dividing or gathering milfoil stalks. Later, milfoil-stalk divination developed and the numbers used were fixed as 7, 8, 9 and 6 to form Trigram Images ( 卦象Guaxiang ). Because the change of numbers was more reasonable in this method, this kind of divination was superior to the other one. After the Southern and Northern Dynasties, in divination based on the Book of Changes, coins, instead of milfoil stalks, were used to simplify the divination method. From this came out many branches, such as King Wen Divination ( 文王課Wenwang Ke ), Plum-Blossom Numerology ( 梅花易數Meihua YIshu ), Supreme Oneness Divine Numerology ( 太乙神數Taiyi Shenshu ), etc. These are transmitted among many people inside and outside of Daoism. ==The Unique Numerological Arts and Hidden Time ( 奇門遁甲Qimen Dunjia )== Among the Numerological Arts, the Nine Palaces of Supreme Oneness ( 太乙九宮Taiyi Jiugong ), the Six Ren ( 六壬Liuren ), and Hidden Time are called the Three Unique Numerological Arts ( 三奇Sanqi ) and occupy important positions. They are highly respected by Daoists and many books concerning them were collected into the Daoist Canon. Among these, Hidden Time is especially famous. It is a kind of Numerological Art for the choice of time and directions. There are various understandings and uses of this complicated art. Introduced here is an illustration by Mr. Hu Fuchen, a famous specialist in the study of Daoism, in Annals of Daoism. With Hidden Time, people make use of temporal and special elements to turn their luck from bad to good. Its essence is in the arrangements of Situation Boards, i.e. the Heavenly Board ( 天盤Tianpan ), the Earthly Board ( 地盤Dipan ) and the Human Board ( 人盤Renpan ). The Heavenly Board is composed of the Nine Stars ( 九星Jiuxing ) (Tian Peng, Tian Rui, Tian Chong, Tian Fu, Tian Qin, Tian Xin, Tian Zhu, Tian Ren, Tian Ying). The Earthly Board uses the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams ( 九宮八卦Jiugong Bagua ). The Human Board uses the Eight Gates ( 八門Bamen ) (rest, death, pain, refusal, opening, surprise, life, and auspiciousness). Along-Yi ( 順儀Shunyi ) (Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui) and Anti-Qi ( 逆奇Niqi ) (Yi, Bing, Ding) arrangements constitute a Yang Board ( 陽盤Yangpan ), otherwise they make up a Yin Board ( 陰盤Yinpan ). In the board of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, people arrange the Eight Gates, Nine Stars and Nine Divinities ( 九神Jiushen ) (Zhifu, She, Taiyin, Liuhe, Gouchen, Zhuque, Jiudi and Jiutian) in the order of year, season, month and hour, according to certain situations. Yang Hidden Time ( 陽遁Yangdun ) is used from the winter solstice to the summer solstice when Yang Vital Breath ( 陽氣Yangqi ) increases; otherwise Yin Hidden Time ( 陰遁Yindun ) is used. In order to connect closely the Celestial Trunks and Terrestrial Branches ( 天干地支Tiangan Dizhi ) of time with the Twenty-Four Solar Terms ( 節氣Jieqi ), the Futou ( 符頭Futou ) (the first day of a 5-day Yuan) of the Upper Origin ( 上元Shangyuan ) (a 15-day solar term is divided into three 5-day Yuan called Upper Origin, Middle Origin and Lower Origin) and the solar term are adjusted. Thus people get a kind of calendar of Hidden Time for choice of time and direction and divination. Hidden Time is the most synthetic numerology most closely connected with the ancient calendar and astronomy. It absorbs the theories of Yin and Yang, Five Agents, Celestial Trunks and Terrestrial Branches, the River-Chart and the Writ of the Luo River ( 河圖洛書Hetu Luoshu ), and the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, and form an organic whole. ==Fortune-Telling== It is also called the Four-Pillar Fortune-Telling Art ( 四柱推命術Sizhuuiming Shu ) for it is based on the Celestial Trunks and Terrestrial Branches of the year, month, date and hour of one's birthday. The Four Pillars are four pairs of Celestial Trunks and Terrestrial Branches, each pair being represented by two characters and four pairs making up eight. Altogether eight characters are used and so it is also called the Eight-Character Fortune-Telling Art ( 排八字Pai Bazi ). It is commonly traced back to Li Dezong of the Tang Dynasty, who could tell one's fortune by the Celestial Trunks and Terrestrial Branches of his birthday. But Li used only the year, month and date; the hour was added by Xu Ziping of the Song Dynasty. The art is thus commonly called Ziping Art ( 子平術Ziping Shu ). With the art, one's good and bad luck throughout his life can be foretold from the mutual generation and destruction of the Five Agents of the four pillars added with auspicious solar terms. ==Physiognomy== The origin of Physiognomy is very early, for some famous physiognomic masters were mentioned in the Pre-Qin period. With this art, one's fortune can be foretold through one's countenance and the forms of one's face, bones and hand. We are uncertain about the time when Daoism absorbed physiognomy, but Daoist Chen Tuan's physiognomy was greatly famous after the Five Dynasties and the Northern Song Dynasty. Legend said that Chen's teacher was a monk called the "Daoist in Hemp" ( 麻衣道人Mayi Daoren ). According to the ''Record of Shao's Experience and Knowledge'' ( 《邵氏聞見錄》Shaoshi Wenjian Lu ), Chen was once invited by Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty to read the face of the future emperor Zhenzong, who was then just one of many princes in the royal family. Chen returned immediately on reaching the prince's mansion gate. Asked for the reason, Chen said that even the attendants around the prince had the quality of premiers and generals, so there was no need to see the prince in person. Thus the prince was elevated to the rank of Crown Prince. We can deduce from historical materials that the Daoist in Hemp and Chen practised Bone Physiognomy ( 骨相術Guxiang Shu ). But the Divine Physiognomy of the Daoist in Hemp ( 《麻衣神相》Mayi Shen Xiang ), which became widespread in later times, was a book about facial physiognomy. Perhaps it was attributed to them because their fame could help spread the book. Someone in the Ming or Qing Dynasty compiled the ''Collections of Chen Xiyi's Physiognomy'' ( 《陳希夷心相編》Chen Xiyi Xin Xiang Bian ), which also borrowed Chen's fame. This book says: "The Heart is the root of countenance, so by examining the heart one's morality is clear; deeds are the appearance of the heart so by examining deeds one's luck is clear." Although it also talks about good and bad luck, the book is mainly about the philosophy of life leading to Confucian ethics. So it can be regarded as a change from physiognomy. ==Telling Omens and Massage-Chart Prophecy== One of the Numerological Arts is omens and prophecies, or telling omens. In Chinese folklore, political struggles and even the change of dynasties were influenced greatly by omens. An omen tells a mysterious prophecy; if someone fit the heavenly decree and should be the emperor, some auspicious omens would appear, or prophecies could be found in ancient books. Telling omens used to be special talent of some Confucians in the Han Dynasty, but some Daoists also took the role after Daoism was formed. When Xiao Yan rebelled at the end of the Qi Dynasty, the famous Daoist Tao Hongjing sent his disciples to offer omens to Xiao. Xiao accepted his advice and named the new Dynasty "Liang". In the rise of later dynasties such as the Sui and Tang, some Daoists also offered omens. Another Numerological Art concerning the change of dynasties and the peace of society is Massage-Chart Prophecy. It may also be said to have evolved from telling omens. It takes the form of explanations of Trigrams ( 卦辭Guaci ) to predict political events many years in the future. Each of its 60 charts has a Trigram and an explanatory poem. The 60th poem says, "thousands of years need endless telling, so we'd better stop and enjoy a conformable massage." The prophecy thus was called Massage-Chart Prophecy. The charts were attributed to Lin Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang of the Tang Dynasty, but this is difficult to verify. The two men both had a close relationship with Daoism. Li Chunfeng, whose father was a Daoist, was an official in the court but wrote a Commentary on and Introduction to the Gold Lock and Flowing Pearls, which was a book about Daoist skills. The massage charts had great influence. Yue Ke of the Southern Dynasty said: " After Li Chunfeng wrote the Massage-Chart Prophecies, the marquises and kings rising in the turbulent Five Dynasties all had the idea of becoming emperor. So Li's theory became extremely popular. Zhao Kuangyin, on becoming the emperor, decreed to prohibit books about omens for fear that the people would be lured into punishment and death. But the massage charts, having been widespread among the folk for hundreds of years, couldn't be wiped out. Zhao ordered his men to rewrite the book, except some censored parts, in a different messy order. They made about 100 kinds of different editions to co-exist with original book. The transmitters, puzzled about the order, couldn't tell which one was wrong. But Yue said this couldn't stop the charts from spreading. Until the Qing Dynasty, some people still found the prohibited charts, such as the 33rd chart for the Bing Shen year predicting Emperor Shunzhi entering the Chinese interior, the 34th chart for the Ding You year predicting the rebellion of the Peaceful Heavenly State or commonly "long hair". Due to its close relationship with Daoism, some people regard it as a Daoist classic. Actually, considering its use, the book can only be said to be related to a Numerological Art shared by Daoists and folk people. Other Numerological Arts related to Daoism include geomancy which is commonly known as "examining the wind and water". Interested friends may find relevant books for careful study. [[zh:術數]] 51f74e108eaf7b00b30714258e3357e5f6d384ed 0 569 709 2009-10-17T07:16:03Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Three Registers Fasts ( 三籙齋名 Sanlu Zhai Ming )== The ' Fast' is the traditional name for Daoist worshiping rites. The ''Most High Efficient Fa...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Three Registers Fasts ( 三籙齋名 Sanlu Zhai Ming )== The ' Fast' is the traditional name for Daoist worshiping rites. The ''Most High Efficient Fasting Ritual of the Yellow Register'' ( 《無上黃籙大齋立成儀》 Wushang Huanglu Licheng Yi ) says, "Burning incense, practicing Dao, and repentance of sin are called Fasts." Early Daoism had its own very simple rites for worshiping [[the Three Official of Heaven, Earth and Waters]] ( 三官 Sanguan ). The rites gradually became complicated with various newly created items. The Items of the Three Register Fasts are traditional categories of the realms and functions of different rites. '' [[The Great Skills of the Highest Clarity and Numinous Treasure]] '' ( 《上清靈寶大法》 Shangqing Lingbao Dafa ) says, "Fasts originated in the middle ancient ages. The Gentleman of Simplicity and Tranquility ( 簡寂先生 Jianji Xiansheng ) of the Jin and Song Dynasties fist classified the Three Grottoes and Four Complements ( 三洞四輔 Sandong Sifu ), and revised and itemized the Fasts. Then in the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Qingdu arranged them but didn't achieve completeness. It was only after Gentleman Guangcheng's collecting and compiling that the Yellow Register rites became perfect and detailed." On the basis of collecting and revising Daoist Fasts, Lu Xiujing, a famous Daoist of the Southern Liu Song Dynasty, classified the rites into nine Fasts and twelve rituals. Among them, the Three Registers Fasts spread till today. ==The Contents of and Differences between the Items of the Three Registers Fasts== The Three Registers refer to the Golden Register Ritual ( 金籙齋 Jinlu Zhai ), the Jade Register Ritual ( 玉籙齋 Yulu Zhai ) and the Yellow Register Ritual. According to the ''Sayings of Perfect Man Bai of Haiqiong'' ( 《海瓊白真人語錄》 Haiqiong Bai Zhenren Yulu ), "Among the Three Register Rituals, the Golden Register Ritual can extinguish disasters and protect kings and is used only by emperors. The Jade Register Ritual can save people through begging blessings and repentance of sins and is used only by princesses and ministers. The Yellow Register Ritual can benefit the living and save the dead even in the Hells of the Nine Darknesses, and is used by the common people." So we can know that the realms of the Three Register Rituals change with the social status of the subjects. According to the ''Jade Mirror of Numinous Treasure'' ( 《靈寶玉鑒》 Lingbao Yujian ) of the Southern Song Dynasty, the Golden Register Ritual "can pacify the two extremes ( 兩儀 Liangyi ), aid Heaven and Earth, beg eternal longevity, cause auspicious omens for the state, and protect national security for thousands of years. All these are the emperor's affairs and so the ritual is conducted only under the emperor's decree." All seventeen classics with the title of Golden Register collected in the ''[[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 《正統道藏》 Zhengtong Daozang ) of the Ming Dynasty are related to royal affairs, such as begging for longevity, prolonging life, freeing captured animals, repentance, salvation, and offering Tablets ( 投簡 Toujian ). The Jade Register Ritual, conducted by marquises and kings, can strengthen the state and protect the royal family; conducted by ministers or generals, it can bless the people, pacify the country, and harmonize Yin and Yang. The common people can't conduct this ritual." ''[[The Daoist Canon]]'' of the Ming Dynasty contains about eight classics entitled Jade Registers. They often contain such words as "offering under His Majesty's decree" or praise for the emperor and empress. But the process is almost the same with that of the Jade Register Ritual. The Yellow Register Ritual is especially used for the salvation of the dead. The Jade Mirror of Numinous Treasure says, "Stars miss their track, the sun and moon lose brightness, rains last too long, the climate is in disorder, wars do not end, diseases spread, people suffer starvation, lone souls wander in a strange land, the newly dead cry of hatred. In these situations, the Yellow Register ritual, if conducted in accordance to rules, can extinguish disasters and benefit the living and the dead. Anyone from the emperor to the common man can conduct a Yellow Register ritual." The Daoist Canon contains numerous ritual classics entitled Yellow Register. Jiang Shuyu's ''Most High Efficient Fasting Ritual of the Yellow Register'' says, "The Yellow Register ritual can save seven generations of ancestors, and liberate sentient beings in the Three Ill Realms ( 三途 Santu ). So it is the greatest." ==Ritual Items of Contemporary Daoism== After the Ming Dynasty, the names of Fasts and Offerings have often been used interchangeably. Many rites formerly classified as Fasts have been included in Great Offerings. With the development and change of social life, and especially since the end of the Qing dynasty, little literature about Golden Register and Jade Register rituals has appeared. Only when praying for world peace and national wealth will contemporary Daoist temples conduct Golden Register rituals. The rituals ordinary Daoists conduct usually fall in the category of Yellow Register rituals, such as the Pristine and Bright Yellow Register Ritual for Universal Salvation ( 清明普度黃籙法會 Qingming Huanglu Pudu Fahui ), etc. [[zh:三籙齋名]] c85bed62b05819f1ea8a1fe11f866ecc28af81d8 0 570 710 2009-10-17T07:37:35Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Great Ritual Offerings to the All-Embracing Heaven ( 羅天大醮LuoTian Da Jiao )== The Great Ritual Offerings to the All-Embracing Heaven is the nam...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Great Ritual Offerings to the All-Embracing Heaven ( 羅天大醮LuoTian Da Jiao )== The Great Ritual Offerings to the All-Embracing Heaven is the name for a large-scale comprehensive Daoist ritual. The All-Embracing Heaven refers to the extreme heights beyond the Three Realms ( 三界Sanlie ). ''[[The Essential Secret of the Most High]]'' ( 《無上秘要》Wushang Miyao ) says, "Beyond the Three Realms is the endless All-Embracing Heaven." Conducting the ritual in the name of the All-Embracing Heaven reveals the great number and high positions of the invoked spirits; the large scale, the long duration, and the many aims of this offering; as well as the great number of Daoists and laymen attending the ritual. The term ' Offering' originally referred to a sacrificial rite. Song Yu's ''Ode of Gaotang'' says, "praying to the stars, sacrificing to deities, and worshiping the great oneness ( 太乙Taiyi )." "Sacrificing to deities" means giving offerings to deities. Between the two Jin dynasties, Fasts were mentioned as different from Offerings. ''[[The Book of Divine Incantations of the Supreme Pervasive Abyss]]'' ( 《太上洞淵神咒經》Taishang Dongyaun Shenzhou Jing ) says, "practicing Fasts while setting up Offerings contravenes the fixed rituals." After the Tang Dynasty, the terms of Fasts and Offerings were commonly used together to refer to Daoist rituals. Therefore, the term Offering is a name for Daoist rites of worship. The ''Most High Efficient Fasting Ritual of the Yellow Register'' ( 《無上黃籙大齋立成儀》Wushang Huanglu Dazhai Licheng Yi ) says, "The term Offering refers to rituals for invoking perfect spirits and begging blessings". After the Ming Dynasty, Daoists and folk people usually replaced Fasts with Offerings, and thus the name of the Great Ritual Offerings to the All-Embracing Heaven spread widely. ==Contents and Characteristics of the Great Ritual Offerings to the All-Embracing Heaven== The ritual literature collected in the ''[[Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 《正統道藏》Zhengtong Daozang ) includes ''Instructions for Conducting Great Ritual Offerings to the All-Embracing Heaven'' ( 《羅天大醮設醮儀》Luotian Daojiao Shejiao Yi ), ''Three Audiences of the Great Offerings to the All-Embracing Heaven'' ( 《羅天大醮三朝儀》Luotian Dajiao SanChao Yi ), the Superior Subtle Book of the Great Offering Ritual to the All-Embracing Heaven Uttered by ''Supreme Heavenly Lord of Pervasive Mystery and Numinous Treasure'' ( 《太上洞玄靈寶天尊說羅天大醮上品妙經》Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Tainzun Shuo Luotian Dajiao Shangpin Miao Jing ), etc. According to the ''Instructions for Conducting the Great Ritual Offering to the All-Embracing Heaven'', the deities invoked in the Great Offering involve all the spirits between Heaven and Earth, including "the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清Sanqing ), the Lofty Saints of the Ten Directions, the Heavenly Lord and Perfect Man of the Jade Capital and Gold Palaces, the Masters of the Ten Directions, the Officials of the Three Realms, and all the mighty souls." The Purposes of the ritual include "peace of the state and security of the people, repentance of sins, prayer for longevity, salvation of the dead and ancestors, etc." As a large-sized ritual, the Great Offering of All-Embracing Heaven lasts a fairly long duration of three, five or even seven days. The rituals differ from day to day, so the contents are very rich. In the Song Dynasty, the Great Ritual Offering to the All-Embracing Heaven was also called the Great Ritual Offering to the Cosmos ( 周天大醮Zhoutian Dajiao ) or the Great Ritual Offering to the Universal Heaven ( 普天大醮Putian Dajiao ). According to the ''[[Established Regulations of Daoism]]'' ( 《道門定制》Daomen Ding Zhi ), the Great Ritual Offering to the Cosmos worships 2400 deities; while the Great Ritual Offering to the Universal Heaven 3600. "Only the royal court, or ministers for the state, have the right to hold these two kinds of rituals. Common people are not allowed to practice them." [[The Pure Offering for Supreme Peace]] ( 太平清醮Taiping Qingjiao ) and the Pure Offering for Security ( 乞安清醮Qi'an Qingjiao ) now often held in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao are actually, according to their contents, the Great Ritual Offering to the All Embracing Heaven held by Daoists under the invitation of local people. [[zh:羅天大醮]] 510d6957318056c49bd70b70161a6562312a74cd 0 571 711 2009-10-17T07:58:59Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Lantern Ritual for the Destruction of Hell== The Lantern Ritual is one of the rituals of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ) often practised in Da...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Lantern Ritual for the Destruction of Hell== The Lantern Ritual is one of the rituals of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ) often practised in Daoism. Because the main feature of this ritual is the use of lanterns, it is usually performed after sunset. In ancient China, there existed fire-worshiping rituals; for example, The ''Rites of the Zhou'' ( 周禮 Zhouli ) mentions the use of fire in worship, but there were no lantern rituals in ancient China. Chinese society's use of "lanterns" probably originated from the royal families in the Qin and Han dynasties. In the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern dynasties, lanterns began to enter the life of the scholar-bureaucrats and the common people. There is no record about lantern rituals in early Daoism, and in the Southern and Northern dynasties, lanterns came to be used in the Ritual Space ( 壇場 Tanchang ) of Daoist rituals. In ''Regulations and Penalties for the Use of Lanterns and Candles in the Pervasive Mysterious Offerings'' ( 洞玄靈寶齋說光燭戒罰燈祝願儀 Dongxuan Lingbao Zhaishuo Guangzhu Jiefa Deng Zhuyuan Yi ), Lu Xiujing, an eminent Daoist priest of the Liu Song in the Southern Dynasty, mentions the position of "Lantern Attendant" ( 侍燈 Shideng ) in the performance of the Ceremonial Altar ( 儀壇 Yitan ). '' [[The Essential Secrets of the Most High]]'' ( 無上秘要 Wushang Miyao ) compiled by Yu Wenyong of the Northern Zhou dynasty, has many records of the use of lanterns in its discussion of various kinds of fasting rituals. It says that the lanterns used at the offering altars allows "the hungry ghosts and the souls of the dead labouring hard in the Nine Darknesses to be lightened up and to see the root of life". In the Five Dynasties following the Tang dynasty, Daoism came to have a complete Ritual for Paying Homage to Lanterns ( 禮燈儀 Lideng Yi ). The ''Efficacious Fasting Ritual of the Most High Yellow Register'' ( 無上黃籙大齋立成儀wushang Huanglu Dazhai Lichengyi ) by [[Du Guangting]] contains a section on "rituals for paying homage to lanterns", saying that "the ritual of lighting lanterns has ultimate merits. The lanterns enlighten the various heavens and lands so that the eight directions and the nine nights can all be bright. All those who see these lanterns can have their sins eliminated and good fortune attained". After the Southern Song dynasty, a large number of Lantern Rituals were compiled in the Daoist fasting rituals of the Numinous Treasure ( 靈寶 Lingbao ). [[The Daoist Canon]] ( 道藏 Daozang ) and the supplementary Canon of the Ming dynasty contain nineteen scriptures on the various kinds of Lantern Rituals, including the Lantern Rituals of the Golden Register, such as the ''Lantern Ritual of the Jade Emperor's Seventeen Sorts of Benevolent Light'' ( 玉皇十七慈光燈儀 Yuhuang Shiqi Ciguang Dengyi ), ''Lantern Rituals of the Mysterious Emperor'' ( 玄帝燈儀 Xuandi Dengyi ), and ''Lantern Rituals of the Three Mao Brothers, the Immortal Controllers of Destinies of the Nine Heavens'' ( 九天三茅司命仙燈儀 Jiutian Sanmao Simingxian Dengyi ), etc.. The Lantern Rituals of the Yellow [[Register]] are also included, such as the ''Yellow Register Lantern Ritual of the Five Sufferings in Transmigration'' ( 黃籙五苦輪燈儀 Huanglu Wukulun Dengyi ) and the ''Yellow Register Lantern Ritual for the Destruction of Hell'' ( 黃籙破獄燈儀 Huanglu Poyu Dengyi ). Some of them, such as the Lantern Ritual for the Destruction of Hell, were handed down to later ages. ==Content== Among the Lantern Rituals for the Destruction of Hell, the Lantern Ritual for Salvation from the Nine Hells ( 九幽燈儀 Jiuyou Dengyi ) is the most representative one that has been handed down until today. According to ''[[the Highest Clarity Numinous Treasure Golden Book of the Great Achievement of Aid and Salvation]]'' ( 上清靈寶濟度大成金書 Shangqing Lingbao Jidu Dacheng Jinshu ), "the Nine Dark Hells are transformed from the Big Dipper. The eastern one is named the Darkness, the southern one the Dark Yin, the western one the Dark Night, the northern one the Dark Feng, the northeastern one the Dark Capital, the southeastern one the Dark Diocese, the southwestern one the Dark Pass, the northwestern one the Dark Mansion, and the central one the Dark Hell". The Nine Hells are transformed from the Nine Realms, which are arranged according to the Nine Palaces of the Eight Trigrams ( 八卦 Bagua ). Their homologues in Heaven are the Nine Heavens, and on Earth are the Nine Lands. According to the ancient methods, the lantern ritual for salvation from the Nine Hells requires one to lay clean sand in an octagon representing the nine hells in the ritual place, and light the divine lanterns of the nine hells. Sometimes the divine lanterns are arranged on nine trees and placed in nine spots on each tree, so there are nine lanterns on each tree. Sometimes there are nine stages of lanterns on each tree, and nine wine vessels are placed on each stage. The Ritual Master ( 法師 Fashi ) gets fire from the beacon fire at noon and Divides the Lanterns ( 分燈 Fendeng ) after sunset. Afterwards, he conducts the summoning skills to illuminate the Nine Hells and save the souls of the dead. During the summoning ritual, the ritual master [[Paces the Big Dipper]] ( 步罡踏斗 Bugang Tadou ) and visualizes himself as the greatest Perfect Man who destroys the hells in all directions. When contemporary Daoist priests of [[the Orthodox Oneness sect]] ( 正一 Zhengyi ) south of the Yangtze River perform Lantern Rituals for the Destruction of Hell, the ritual master as High Priest ( 高功 Gaogong ) leads the group, with whips and sticks or magical swords of the numinous treasure in their hands, to pace the Big Dipper from the south and circle clockwise around the lantern altar once. Having paced the Big Dipper in various directions, they hit the ground with sticks or swords, signifying the destruction of the hells. After the performance of the rituals in the eight directions, they walk to the center and burn the talismans and streamers. The ritual master makes the Hand Gesture of Jade Clarity, visualizes the yellow clouds in one direction, and visualizes his own appearance as that of the Heavenly Lord ( 天尊 Tianzun ). Each time he destroys a hell, he clicks his teeth nine times before and after the incantation so that the hell opens up and the souls of the dead ascend to perfection". Finally, the ritual master prays with the memorial of Withdrawing the Lanterns ( 收燈 Shoudeng ), saying, "please extinguish the fire of the golden lotus. I sincerely wish that you did not mind his sins of a thousand years, that they disappear with the cinders, and that all the misfortunes harassing him for long be eliminated with the extinction of the light. I wish that his body enter the realm of light and leave the realm of darkness forever". [[zh:破獄燈儀]] d030a5e1a5345189930bd56aa91a2e8c4d342640 0 572 712 2009-10-17T08:48:22Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==Formation of the Anterior Heaven Ritual for Feeding, Saving and Refining Ghosts ( 先天斛食濟煉幽科儀Xiantian Jilian You Keyi )== The Anterior Heaven Ritual...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Formation of the Anterior Heaven Ritual for Feeding, Saving and Refining Ghosts ( 先天斛食濟煉幽科儀Xiantian Jilian You Keyi )== The Anterior Heaven Ritual for Feeding, Saving and Refining Ghosts, commonly called the Three Great Pristine Ones ( 大三清Da Sanqing ) Ritual, is a famous ritual of Hong Kong Daoism. The scripture of this ritual goes back to the first year of the Tongzhi Era in the Triple Origin Palace in Yuxiu Mountain, Guangzhou City. It was said to have been transmitted by Ge Xuan of the Jin Dynasty, but without any proof from other materials or literature. The ritual is composed of three parts: feeding ghosts, saving ghosts, and refining ghosts. The skills for saving and refining are "the way to transcendence and holiness." "Running one's own Spirit and Vital Breath, combining the vital liquids of the Two Images ( 二象Er Xiang ), one can refine a dead skeleton and make it lively in both form and figure." According to Wang Qizhen, a Daoist of the Southern Song dynasty, "the ancient rituals of Gentleman Guangcheng didn't include the ritual for salvation and refining, which became popular only in recent times." The ritual, through "extinguishing all sins and grievances of ghosts", can lift ghosts from hell to heaven. This kind of ritual began to spread widely as early as the Tang and Five Dynasties. Through feeding hungry ghosts, the ritual "benefits sentient beings in the Three Realms of Illness and the Five Worlds of Suffering, and makes the lives of all kinds of people full, thus transcending death and obtaining immortality." As early as the Tang Dynasty, there were records about rites of feeding ghosts. By the end of the Song, they had become popular. The formation of the ritual through combining three kinds of rites probably happened in the Southern Song. The ''Supreme Ultimate Numinous Treasure Ritual for Saving and Refining Ghosts'' ( 太極靈寶祭煉科儀Taiji Lingbao Jilian Keyi ), revised and published by the eminent Daoist [[Lou Jinyuan]] of the Qing dynasty, has a similar text and process to those of the Anterior Heaven Ritual of Hong Kong Daoism. According to ''Lou's Preface to the Supreme Ultimate Numinous Treasure Ritual for Saving and Refining Ghosts'', "this ritual was in the ''Golden Book of Great Achievement'' ( 《大成金書》Dacheng Jin Shu ) of the Song Dynasty," and "has long been widespread." The Golden Book of Great Achievement is now lost. But we know that the ''Anterior Heaven Ritual for Feeding, Saving, and Refining the Ghosts'' had formed by the Song Dynasty, and that Hong Kong Daoism has preserved this ritual in its original form for 700 years. ==Contents of the Anterior Heaven Ritual for Feeding, Saving and Refining Ghosts== The content of the ritual includes: #opening prayer, #offering incense ( 祝香Zhuxiang ), #purifying with water ( 灑淨Sajing ), #visualization ( 存想Cunxiang ), #petition to the Five Hells, #breaking the hells, #triple invocation, #invocation of spirits, #taming of ghosts, #odes to Daoist Fasts and Offerings, #prostrations to the Ten Directions, #extinguishing grievances, #reciting the ''Five Kitchen Book'' ( 五廚經Wuchu Jing ), #feeding ghosts, #Refining Ghosts with Water and Fire ( 水火煉度Shuihuo Liandu ), #taking the Three Refuges ( 三皈Sangui ), #transmitting the Nine Commandments ( 九戒Jiujie ), #and singing hymns to see off the dead. The ritual, with the Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness ( 太乙天尊Taiyi Tianzun ) as its main deity, cordially invokes twenty kinds of ghosts to enjoy salvation. They represent most professions of ancient Chinese society since the Song Dynasty, such as minister, general, man of letters, Confucian, monk, Daoist, doctor, diviner, fisherman, woodcutter, farmer, shepherd, traveler, warrior, prostitute, etc. The text generalizes the sufferings of all people, pays great sympathy to them and conducts rituals to feed and save them. The content of liberating grievances gives ten kinds of death, such as murder, hanging, drowning, etc., and expresses people's ideal to live in a world without grief and ascend to Immortality after death. The Anterior Heaven Ritual for Feeding, Saving, and Refining Ghosts is mainly conducted through sitting and singing poems and odes matched with certain Talismans ( 符Fu ) and Incantations ( 咒Zhou ) at each unit. The ritual can be presided over by one master or held by the staff under the leadership of three masters. The ritual lasts about four hours. With its magnificently decorated altar and rich and varied music, the ritual is always praised as a representative display of Hong Kong Daoism. ==Mind Skills ( 心法 Xinfa ) of the Anterior Heaven Rituals for Feeding, Saving and Refining Demons== This is the most complete Daoist ritual for the salvation of ghosts. The first step is the Homage to the Ten Directions ( 十方禮 Shifang Li ) (i.e., the east, the south, the west, the north, the southeast, the southwest, the northeast, the northwest, Heaven, and Earth). Invocation of the Masters ( 啟師 Qishi ) means to explain the purpose of performing the Ritual Offerings ( 醮 Jiao ). The Audience to the Spirits ( 朝神 Chaoshen ) refers to an audience conducted for all the spirits worshiped within the realm of that altar, so as to show respect. Later, one should ascend the altar to perform the rituals, sincerely invite the sages of the various heavens in the Three Worlds ( 三界 Sanjie ) and the City Gods ( 城隍 Chenghuang ) of streets, towns and villages to inspect the performance of the rituals in the Ritual Space ( 壇場 Tanchang ), and give offerings of incense, flowers, lanterns and fruits. How can common followers of Daoism save the ghosts? We must have fasts ( 齋戒 Zhaijie ) and baths and be pious, wear the Daoist Robe ( 道袍 Daopao ) and the Daoist cap, and perform rituals in place of the masters. More important, we need to Sit in Meditation ( 打坐 Dazuo ) and refine our skills. "With the Vital Breath ( 氣 Qi ) wandering in the cauldron of perfect Yang and rising up and down in the middle yellow heart, one visualizes the Supreme Oneness ( 太乙 Taiyi ) and then the Three Ones ( 三一 Sanyi ), imagining communication with the Perfect Men and ascent on the jade steps with them." This means that with the running of the Vital Breath of "Perfect Yang" in the heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidney through the human body, the fire of the heart goes down and the water of the kidney goes up. Since the heart belongs to the Li trigram and the kidney belongs to the Kan trigram, this is called the mutual aid between fire and water, or the communication between Li and Kan. The Supreme Oneness refers to the Niwan Palace acupoint at the top of the head, and the "Three Ones" refers to the Essential Matter ( 精 Jing ), the Vital Breath and the Spirit ( 神 Shen ). Only when they assemble into one Vital Breath can they help the salvation of the ghosts. The spirit in the Niwan Palace is called the [[Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery]] ( 救苦天尊 Jiuku Tianzun ). It is the [[Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery]] ( 太乙救苦天尊 Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun ) who is mainly in charge of the salvation of the ghosts. The Anterior Heaven ritual of feeding is mentioned in the ''Book of the Five Kinds of Food'' ( 五廚經 Wuchu Jing ) on the creation of food preached by the [[Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ). It teaches people to make their Spirit pristine and concentrated, and their wishes universal and kind, in order to refine the Vital Breath into the supreme harmony of the [[Five Agents]] ( 五行 Wuxing ) of food. Just after corresponding to sublimity, one must be pious and tranquil, and make one's visualization profound enough to reach the emptiness above and the depth below, and change one's Spirit and Vital Breath to worship the spirits and ghosts. "Illuminate the Li to refine one's constitution, and acquire the Kan water to save the ghosts". Refinement by both fire and water is the key point in the salvation of the ghosts. ===Refinement by Water ( 水煉 Shuilian ) === In order to help the effective performance of the rituals, one should visualize the existence of the perfect Essential Matter between the two kidneys, as big as the moon. After a long period of such visualization, the fire and the water communicate with each other and water comes into being in the Jade Pond, and so the kidney water ascends to the top of the head as a heavenly river. The splashing yellow water tastes cool and sweet. One can see the broad and limitless expanse of cool water rippling before the altar, and all the ghosts entering the water, ready for refinement. After quite a while, they completely clean themselves of the old dirt and become clean both inside and outside. ===Refinement by Fire ( 火煉 Huolian )=== In order to help the effective performance of the rituals, one should visualize the existence of the perfect Vital Breath between the two kidneys, as big as the sun. After practising this visualization for a long time, the fire and water communicate with each other and the water comes into being in the jade pond, and so the perfect fire soon illuminates the Scarlet Palace. This splendid golden fire makes one feel warm all over the body as in spring. Then one can see the glorious raging flames before the altar brightening Heaven and Earth, and the ghosts entering the fire readily for refinement. After quite a while, their body and face look proper and dignified, and their bones become complete and firm. As explained in the scriptures, "heaven, the first, gives birth to water, and earth, the second, gives birth to fire. The mutual refinement by water and fire produces Perfection ( 真 Zhen ), which, mixed with the Spirit in it, communicates with the soul." Thus the ghosts can be immortalized and have a physical body. The salvation of the ghosts belongs to the numinous skills, and it originally existed in the Three Grottoes ( 三洞 Sandong ) in heaven. For example, the "Mysterious and Profound Incantation" ( 玄蘊咒 Xuanyun Zhou ) records that "The Imperial Man of Heavenly Perfection ( 天真皇人 Tianzhen Huangren ) holds the writing brush and first writes down the chapters of the interpretation of the grottoes and then the Numinous Talismans ( 靈符 Lingfu ). Then the ghosts can rely on them to ascend to the immortal cities." After the revelation of the chart during the "disaster in the years of Longhan", the skills for the salvation of the ghosts were spread to the earth. It is important for those who help the performance of the rituals to use the heart, the spirit, and the Inner Secret Names ( 內諱 Neihui ), namely the four characters "An, Hong, Zha and Li". That is to say, they must use the light of the spirit in their heart, for the spirit belongs to fire which goes up and so the ghosts can be saved and ascend to heaven. The character An turns left, Hong turns right, Zha turns left, and Li turns right. Turning left is Yang and turning right is Yin. It implies that there is Yin in Yang, and Yang in Yin. When writing down the texts of the precious [[Registers]] ( 籙 Lu ), people conventionally draw images of red mounds and fire houses in red ink on yellow paper. People should also Make [[Finger Gestures]] ( 掐訣 Qiajue ). The four characters are on the four knuckles of the middle finger, which links inward to the heart and upward to the Niwan point. Thus the spirit and the Vital Breath extend far and people can have quick correspondence with gods. The false bodies of the ghosts are filthy and attacked by wind, cold, heat and humidity, and their physical nature is confused. The ghosts have not yet escaped the wheel of miseries, and they should be nursed and recuperated in accordance with their diseases, so as to wish for complete recovery. A Yang Elixir Talisman ( 丹陽符 Danyang Fu ) and the Numinous Talisman of Pervasive Brightness of the Yang Essential Matter and of the Yellow Vital Breath ( 黃氣陽精洞明靈符 Huangqi Yangjing Dongming Lingfu ) should be written for the transference of the Elixir ( 丹 Dan ) of the Vital Breath in the Middle Yellow Heart. The Yellow Vital Breath lies in the Middle Palace, and the Yang Essential Matter lies in the Life Palace. Creation (i.e., the perfect Essential Matter of water and the perfect Vital Breath of fire) takes place between the two kidneys in the Middle Palace, therefore the Yang Essential Matter and the Yellow Vital Breath are thus called. The Middle Palace is also called the Yellow Court ( 黃庭 Huangting ). Press the middle line on the middle finger, write the Yang Elixir Talisman, and think of the two colours of yellow and black. Yellow belongs to the Middle Palace, and black belongs to the Life Palace. This explains the meaning of the terms " Yellow Vital Breath" and " Yang Essential Matter". If the ghosts obtain the Yellow Vital Breath and the Yang Essential Matter, the halo of their soul will turn into brightness like the full moon on the evening of the fifteenth day of each lunar month. Even if the ghosts are fed and refined and saved by water and fire, they still can't make achievements or be promoted without Acceptance of Commandments. In order to help the performance of the rituals, one must be tranquil and motionless, concentrate the mind and communicate with the soul. Ghosts can be helped if the spirit is complete. The perfect mind brings about sublime things, and the false mind brings about bad things. The mind and things correspond with each other, like a shadow following a person. What's more, one should put morality in the first place. Don't discriminate in favor of anyone, and only help those who have virtues. Make the ghosts divine and enlightened. People who perform the rituals have to be quite cautious in this respect. [[zh:先天斛食濟煉幽科儀]] 3f5e716c30b17a010fdf433ba7f868eca566aaa9 0 573 713 2009-10-21T02:39:19Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Origin of the Rituals of Refinement and Salvation== The Rituals of Refinement and Salvation are often performed in Daoist Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ). Refinement re...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Origin of the Rituals of Refinement and Salvation== The Rituals of Refinement and Salvation are often performed in Daoist Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ). Refinement refers to the refinement of the souls of the dead with Perfect Yang Vital Breath ( 氣 Qi ) which has been inwardly refined by the Ritual Master ( 法師 Fashi ) as the [[High Priest]] ( 高功 Gaogong ) who performs the ritual. Salvation means to save and transform the souls of the dead with the living persons' Perfect Yang Vital Breath, thus making the souls of the dead acquire a body without form. They thus attain the perfection of [[the Complete Perfection]] ( 全真 Quanzhen ). Therefore, the Rituals of Refinement and Salvation refer to rituals by which the ritual masters save the dead by means of the living, and save others by means of themselves. There is no record of these rituals in early Daoism, and it is said that the elder Immortal Ge Xuan of the Jin dynasty transferred them. In the fourth Yongle year of the Ming dynasty, Zhang Yuchu, the Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ) of the 43rd generation, proclaimed in the ''Preface to the Inner Skills of the Supreme Ultimate Offering and Refinement'' ( 太極祭煉內法序 Taiji Jilian Neifa Xu ) that "the refinement and salvation of the souls of the dead is of greatest importance in [[the Numinous Treasure tradition]] ( 靈寶 Lingbao ). The simplicity and directness of refinement and salvation are mainly due to the briefness of the offerings and refinement, and to great moral achievements. The Elder Immortal and Perfect Sovereign ( 真君 Zhenjun ) Ge has ascended to the rank of Immortality since he preached the teaching." But evidence has not yet been found in the literature about [[Ge Xuan]] and Daoism in the two Jin dynasties. '' [[The Book of Salvation]]'' ( 度人經 Duren Jing ), an early scripture of the Numinous Treasure sect, contains a sentence saying that "the souls of the dead are refined and immortalized into human beings", but records of the Rituals of Refinement and Salvation are not found in the literature on rituals edited by Du Guangting, an eminent Daoist of the Tang and the Five dynasties. The ''Inner Skills of the Supreme Ultimate Offering and Refinement'' ( 太極祭煉內法 Taiji Jilian Neifa ), a monograph by Zheng Suonan of the last years of the Northern Song dynasty, relates in detail the rituals of refinement and salvation. According to the fact that there are a lot of records about rituals of refinement and salvation in many collections of rituals compiled in the Southern Song dynasty, we may suppose that the rituals were already widespread in the area south of the Yangtze River controlled by the Southern Song government at that time. The sources also show that Liu Hunkang, the eminent Daoist priest of Mt. Mao, may have contributed to the accomplishment and dissemination of the rituals. After the Song and Yuan dynasties, the rituals of refinement and salvation gradually became the main rituals of the Yellow Register ( 黃籙 Huanglu ), and they are still performed at present in the mainland of China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. ==Content== The rituals of refinement and salvation include Praying by Offering Incense ( 祝香 Zhuxiang ), a Petition to the Highest Emperor ( 啟文上帝 Qiwen Shangdi ), burning the Talisman for Summoning Perfect Men and Spirits ( 降真召靈符 Jiangzhen Zhaoling Fu ), the High Priest's being seated and summoning the heavenly generals and officials, visualizing their descent, chanting the Perfect Secret Names of the Five Emperors ( 五帝真諱 Wudi Zhenhui ), summoning the souls of the dead, refinement by fire and water, burning nine chapters of talismans, giving birth to spirits in the viscera of the souls of the dead, Preaching the Commandments ( 說戒 Shuojie ), eulogizing the Three Jewels ( 三寶 Sanbao ) of Dao, scriptures and masters, the Ten Commandments of Ghosts and Spirits ( 鬼神十戒 Guishen Shijie ), the Sublime Commandments of the Nine Perfect Men ( 九真妙戒 Jiuzhen Miaojie ), presenting the commandments and hymns, reading the talismans, proclamations, tablets and documents, the High Priest's leaving his seat, sending the souls to cross the bridge, firing wood, playing the music of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ), etc. The core of the ritual is summoning the souls of the dead and their refinement by fire and water. Some local Daoist priests place water and fire in the Ritual Place ( 壇場 Tanchang ) during the performance of the rituals, and the key to the performance of the rituals is the Inner Refinement ( 內煉 Neilian ) of the ritual master as High Priest. The ''Jade Remorse of the Numinous Treasure'' ( 靈寶玉鑒 Lingbao Yujian ) says, "the Numinous Treasure skills include the ways of refinement and rebirth. Water and fire are placed outside, and the Kan and Li (trigrams) communicate inside. The nine Vital Breaths are provided for the birth of the spirits, and the five buds are provided for inhabiting the [[Vital Breath]]. The three lights are collected to illuminate, and the souls are reborn by the tenfold transformations. All the rituals are performed according to their own respective laws, but this sacred embryo and body of law must be formed by the sublime and empty Vital Breath of the Perfect Yang, the physical body without form, and the perfection of the Complete Perfection, and they spiritually transcend the two Vital Breaths and the [[Five Agents]] ( 五行 Wuxing ). The appearance without life and death comes from the sublimity of the soul's own body." ==Various Kinds of Rituals of Refinement and Salvation== There have been many kinds of rituals of refinement and salvation since the Southern Song dynasty. The compiled in the ''MinGreat Skills of the Numinous Treasure's Highest Scriptures of Limitless Salvation'' ( 靈寶無量度人上經大法 Lingbao Wuliang Duren Shangjing Dafa ) dynasty includes rituals of refinement and salvation such as refinement and salvation by the three rays, the Nangchang salvation, the numinous treasure's refinement and salvation, the Original Chaos Refinement of Ghosts ( 混元陰煉 Hunyuan Yinlian ), and the Nine-fold Refinement of the Dead ( 九煉生屍 Jiulian Shengshi ). ''[[Guangcheng's Compilation of Rituals]]'' ( 廣成儀制 Guangcheng Yizhi ), the existing collection of the rituals of the Complete Perfection sect, contains the Nine Heavens' Refinement and Salvation ( 九天煉度 Jiutian Liandu ), the Birth of the Deities in the Nine Heavens ( 九天生神 Jiutian Shengshen ), Providing Food ( 斛食 Hushi ) in iron jars, and the Jade Talisman of Rebirth Through Jade Clarity Refinement and Salvation ( 玉清煉度返生玉符 Yuqing Liandu Fansheng Yufu ), etc. [[The Orthodox Oneness sect]] ( 正一派 Zhengyi Pai ) south of the Yangtze River practises the Supreme Oneness ( 太乙 Taiyi ) refinement and salvation ritual, [[the Big Dipper]] ( 斗姆 Doumu ) refinement and salvation ritual, and so on. The major difference between the various kinds of rituals of refinement and salvation lies in the different spirits summoned in the rituals and the different ways for the souls of the dead to obtain their new physical bodies. For example, the spirits summoned in the refinement and salvation by the three rays are the Sun Sovereign of the Supreme Yang ( 太陽日君 Taiyang Rijun ), the Moon Sovereign of the Supreme Yin ( 太陰月君 Taiyin Yuejun ), and the officials and generals in the Vermilion Palace of the Nanchang Constellation ( 南昌朱宮 Nanchang Zhugong ), while the major spirit summoned in the Purple Emperor Refinement and Salvation ( 紫皇煉度 Zihuang Liandu ) ritual is the Highest Purple Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven ( 玄天紫星上帝 Xuantian Zihuang Shangdi ). In the Numinous Treasure's refinement and salvation, when the souls of the dead have gone through Refinement by Fire and Water, the talismans of the twelve channels and collaterals should be burnt, and the twelve Vital Breaths will be summoned in order for the souls of the dead to regain their "five viscera and six organs, cells, bones and origin". In comparison, the Nanchang refinement and salvation involves summoning the Vital Breaths of the Five Emperors of the Five Directions so that the souls of the dead "cycle five times and return three times, and their Vital Breath will lead to the supreme spirit", and that "their nine holes will receive the darkness and the dead bodies will disappear". The Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams Refinement and Salvation ( 九宮八卦煉度 Jiugong Bagua Liandu ) ritual, widespread in Taiwan, requires to "distribute the Vital Breath according to the formation of the trigrams, refine the souls into formation, collect the Triple Origin ( 三元 Sanyuan ) and transform it with Dao, and drive the nine Vital Breaths to meet with spirits". [[zh:煉度儀]] a7ed03d9fed95c846c25228e49010277a842e0f8 714 713 2009-10-21T02:40:57Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Rituals of Refinement and Salvation== The Rituals of Refinement and Salvation are often performed in Daoist Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ). Refinement refers to the refinement of the souls of the dead with Perfect Yang Vital Breath ( 氣 Qi ) which has been inwardly refined by the Ritual Master ( 法師 Fashi ) as the [[High Priest]] ( 高功 Gaogong ) who performs the ritual. Salvation means to save and transform the souls of the dead with the living persons' Perfect Yang Vital Breath, thus making the souls of the dead acquire a body without form. They thus attain the perfection of [[the Complete Perfection]] ( 全真 Quanzhen ). Therefore, the Rituals of Refinement and Salvation refer to rituals by which the ritual masters save the dead by means of the living, and save others by means of themselves. There is no record of these rituals in early Daoism, and it is said that the elder Immortal Ge Xuan of the Jin dynasty transferred them. In the fourth Yongle year of the Ming dynasty, Zhang Yuchu, the Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ) of the 43rd generation, proclaimed in the ''Preface to the Inner Skills of the Supreme Ultimate Offering and Refinement'' ( 太極祭煉內法序 Taiji Jilian Neifa Xu ) that "the refinement and salvation of the souls of the dead is of greatest importance in [[the Numinous Treasure tradition]] ( 靈寶 Lingbao ). The simplicity and directness of refinement and salvation are mainly due to the briefness of the offerings and refinement, and to great moral achievements. The Elder Immortal and Perfect Sovereign ( 真君 Zhenjun ) Ge has ascended to the rank of Immortality since he preached the teaching." But evidence has not yet been found in the literature about [[Ge Xuan]] and Daoism in the two Jin dynasties. '' [[The Book of Salvation]]'' ( 度人經 Duren Jing ), an early scripture of the Numinous Treasure sect, contains a sentence saying that "the souls of the dead are refined and immortalized into human beings", but records of the Rituals of Refinement and Salvation are not found in the literature on rituals edited by Du Guangting, an eminent Daoist of the Tang and the Five dynasties. The ''Inner Skills of the Supreme Ultimate Offering and Refinement'' ( 太極祭煉內法 Taiji Jilian Neifa ), a monograph by Zheng Suonan of the last years of the Northern Song dynasty, relates in detail the rituals of refinement and salvation. According to the fact that there are a lot of records about rituals of refinement and salvation in many collections of rituals compiled in the Southern Song dynasty, we may suppose that the rituals were already widespread in the area south of the Yangtze River controlled by the Southern Song government at that time. The sources also show that Liu Hunkang, the eminent Daoist priest of Mt. Mao, may have contributed to the accomplishment and dissemination of the rituals. After the Song and Yuan dynasties, the rituals of refinement and salvation gradually became the main rituals of the Yellow Register ( 黃籙 Huanglu ), and they are still performed at present in the mainland of China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. ==Content== The rituals of refinement and salvation include Praying by Offering Incense ( 祝香 Zhuxiang ), a Petition to the Highest Emperor ( 啟文上帝 Qiwen Shangdi ), burning the Talisman for Summoning Perfect Men and Spirits ( 降真召靈符 Jiangzhen Zhaoling Fu ), the High Priest's being seated and summoning the heavenly generals and officials, visualizing their descent, chanting the Perfect Secret Names of the Five Emperors ( 五帝真諱 Wudi Zhenhui ), summoning the souls of the dead, refinement by fire and water, burning nine chapters of talismans, giving birth to spirits in the viscera of the souls of the dead, Preaching the Commandments ( 說戒 Shuojie ), eulogizing the Three Jewels ( 三寶 Sanbao ) of Dao, scriptures and masters, the Ten Commandments of Ghosts and Spirits ( 鬼神十戒 Guishen Shijie ), the Sublime Commandments of the Nine Perfect Men ( 九真妙戒 Jiuzhen Miaojie ), presenting the commandments and hymns, reading the talismans, proclamations, tablets and documents, the High Priest's leaving his seat, sending the souls to cross the bridge, firing wood, playing the music of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ), etc. The core of the ritual is summoning the souls of the dead and their refinement by fire and water. Some local Daoist priests place water and fire in the Ritual Place ( 壇場 Tanchang ) during the performance of the rituals, and the key to the performance of the rituals is the Inner Refinement ( 內煉 Neilian ) of the ritual master as High Priest. The ''Jade Remorse of the Numinous Treasure'' ( 靈寶玉鑒 Lingbao Yujian ) says, "the Numinous Treasure skills include the ways of refinement and rebirth. Water and fire are placed outside, and the Kan and Li (trigrams) communicate inside. The nine Vital Breaths are provided for the birth of the spirits, and the five buds are provided for inhabiting the [[Vital Breath]]. The three lights are collected to illuminate, and the souls are reborn by the tenfold transformations. All the rituals are performed according to their own respective laws, but this sacred embryo and body of law must be formed by the sublime and empty Vital Breath of the Perfect Yang, the physical body without form, and the perfection of the Complete Perfection, and they spiritually transcend the two Vital Breaths and the [[Five Agents]] ( 五行 Wuxing ). The appearance without life and death comes from the sublimity of the soul's own body." ==Various Kinds of Rituals of Refinement and Salvation== There have been many kinds of rituals of refinement and salvation since the Southern Song dynasty. The compiled in the ''MinGreat Skills of the Numinous Treasure's Highest Scriptures of Limitless Salvation'' ( 靈寶無量度人上經大法 Lingbao Wuliang Duren Shangjing Dafa ) dynasty includes rituals of refinement and salvation such as refinement and salvation by the three rays, the Nangchang salvation, the numinous treasure's refinement and salvation, the Original Chaos Refinement of Ghosts ( 混元陰煉 Hunyuan Yinlian ), and the Nine-fold Refinement of the Dead ( 九煉生屍 Jiulian Shengshi ). ''[[Guangcheng's Compilation of Rituals]]'' ( 廣成儀制 Guangcheng Yizhi ), the existing collection of the rituals of the Complete Perfection sect, contains the Nine Heavens' Refinement and Salvation ( 九天煉度 Jiutian Liandu ), the Birth of the Deities in the Nine Heavens ( 九天生神 Jiutian Shengshen ), Providing Food ( 斛食 Hushi ) in iron jars, and the Jade Talisman of Rebirth Through Jade Clarity Refinement and Salvation ( 玉清煉度返生玉符 Yuqing Liandu Fansheng Yufu ), etc. [[The Orthodox Oneness sect]] ( 正一派 Zhengyi Pai ) south of the Yangtze River practises the Supreme Oneness ( 太乙 Taiyi ) refinement and salvation ritual, [[the Big Dipper]] ( 斗姆 Doumu ) refinement and salvation ritual, and so on. The major difference between the various kinds of rituals of refinement and salvation lies in the different spirits summoned in the rituals and the different ways for the souls of the dead to obtain their new physical bodies. For example, the spirits summoned in the refinement and salvation by the three rays are the Sun Sovereign of the Supreme Yang ( 太陽日君 Taiyang Rijun ), the Moon Sovereign of the Supreme Yin ( 太陰月君 Taiyin Yuejun ), and the officials and generals in the Vermilion Palace of the Nanchang Constellation ( 南昌朱宮 Nanchang Zhugong ), while the major spirit summoned in the Purple Emperor Refinement and Salvation ( 紫皇煉度 Zihuang Liandu ) ritual is the Highest Purple Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven ( 玄天紫星上帝 Xuantian Zihuang Shangdi ). In the Numinous Treasure's refinement and salvation, when the souls of the dead have gone through Refinement by Fire and Water, the talismans of the twelve channels and collaterals should be burnt, and the twelve Vital Breaths will be summoned in order for the souls of the dead to regain their "five viscera and six organs, cells, bones and origin". In comparison, the Nanchang refinement and salvation involves summoning the Vital Breaths of the Five Emperors of the Five Directions so that the souls of the dead "cycle five times and return three times, and their Vital Breath will lead to the supreme spirit", and that "their nine holes will receive the darkness and the dead bodies will disappear". The Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams Refinement and Salvation ( 九宮八卦煉度 Jiugong Bagua Liandu ) ritual, widespread in Taiwan, requires to "distribute the Vital Breath according to the formation of the trigrams, refine the souls into formation, collect the Triple Origin ( 三元 Sanyuan ) and transform it with Dao, and drive the nine Vital Breaths to meet with spirits". [[zh:煉度儀]] 30c9547b09ce1d55e61def03f88615fe9b89946c 0 574 715 2009-10-21T03:17:54Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Memorial-Presenting Rituals== Memorial-Presenting Rituals are the most important kind of Daoist Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ). Memorials ref...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Memorial-Presenting Rituals== Memorial-Presenting Rituals are the most important kind of Daoist Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ). Memorials refer to the texts made and explained by Daoist priests for the worship of and praying to the lord. Through the rituals, the priests send the documents expressing their wishes to the Heavenly Court ( 天庭 Tainting ). Prayers were already used in worship rituals in ancient China. It is recorded in the ''Rites of the Zhou'' ( 周禮 Zhouli ) that the Great Master of Sacrificial Rites ( 大宗伯 Dazongbo ) offered sacrifices to the great spirits and, according to the commentary, "asks the great prayer official to present the memorials". The memorials not only eulogize the deities, but also express prayers to them. In early Daoism, the Heavenly Repentances to the Three Heavenly Officials ( 三官手書 Sanguan Shoushu ) were often practiced, during which the names of the patients who prayed were written down to show their repentance. Daoist rituals became more and more complicated in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. According to ''Gentleman Lu's Daoist Rituals'' ( 陸先生道間科略 Luxiansheng Daomen Kelue ) by the eminent Daoist Lu Xiujing of the Southern Dynasty, "ten thousand" memorials were presented to over "one thousand two hundred heavenly officials" during the Fasting Rituals at that time. In ''[[The Great Collection of Daoist Rituals]]'' ( 道門科範大全 Daomen Kefan Daquan ), the eminent Daoist [[Du Guangting]] of the post-Tang Five Dynasties lists in detail the rituals for averting disasters by prayers, eliminating calamities, praying for pregnancy, prolonging life, registering Wenchang, praying for rain and snow, protecting houses, repentance, etc. Memorial presenting appears in many of these rituals. After the Song and Yuan dynasties, special memorial presenting rituals came into being with the development of Daoist rituals. Lü Yuansu of the Southern Song dynasty says in his ''[[Preface to the Established Daoist Rituals]]'' ( 道門定制序 Daomen Dingzhi Xu ) that "in ancient times, the documents of the Daoist fasts and offerings only involved talismans, seal characters and memorials in red ink. Other memorials and documents were added by people of later ages according to the man-made rites in society and the teachings of the classics. They were all established, with the advantage of being detailed and the disadvantage of being complex". The Memorial-Presenting Rituals were among those added in accordance with man-made rites. ==Content== Memorial-Presenting Rituals are performed in the Daoist Fasting Rituals of the Golden Register, the Jade Register and the Yellow Register. In the rituals, the Daoists' memorials are presented to the heavenly court in order to report to heaven, invite the deities to come to the offering altars, and save the souls of the ancestors. The whole procedure generally consists of three parts, namely Ritual Commencement ( 啟請 Qitan ), Invoking the Sages ( 請聖qingsheng ), and Presenting Memorials ( 拜表 Baibiao ). During the ritual commencement, the Ritual Master ( 法師 Fashi ) and the servants enter the altar to burn incense and kneel down to pray. When invoking the sages, they arrange the deities of the five directions respectfully, invoke the spirits and make the sages descend. The ritual master burns incense before all the Heavenly Lords ( 天尊 Tianzun ) and prays for their longevity. In presenting memorials, the ritual master and the servants ask the three masters for help and ask them to descend to the [[Ritual Space]] ( 壇場 Tanchang ). The [[High Priest]] ( 高功 Gaogong ) recites the "incantations for burning incense" silently, and renders a cult to the Immortal Official in Charge of Memorials ( 司表仙官 Sibiao Xianguan ), asking him to send the memorials. He works his spirit to conduct the rituals, sending the spirits to protect the memorials up to heaven. Then the ritual master Seals the Memorials ( 封表 Fengbiao ) and sends them up. He [[Paces the Big Dipper]] ( 步罡踏斗 Bugang Tadou) on the Big Dipper Diagram ( 罡單 Gangdan ). As his Original Spirit flies to the heavenly court, he reads the memorials silently and reports to heaven. Then he takes back his Original Spirit. The ritual master and the servants give thanks to the deities, offer sacrifices, and take leave. Owing to the different lineages of Daoist Skills and the different types of social life, habits, and dialects prevalent in the areas where Daoism spread, the practice of Memorial-Presenting rituals is slightly different in different regions, but the basic framework is the same. [[zh:進表科儀]] b06cf0216f71f89ec6b9948ec6ddf92bcc1f85eb 0 575 716 2009-10-21T03:26:35Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Title " High Priest"== " High Priest" is the name of the servant for the performance of Daoist rituals. Together with the [[Chief Cantor]] ( 都講 Du...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Title " High Priest"== " High Priest" is the name of the servant for the performance of Daoist rituals. Together with the [[Chief Cantor]] ( 都講 Dujiang ) and the [[Inspector of Fasts]] ( 監齋 Jianzhai ), the High Priest is one of the " three Ritual Masters" ( 法師 Fashi ) who conduct rituals of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ) together. The term "High Priest" already existed in ancient times, and originally referred to an erudite person. The rituals of early Daoism were fairly simple, and there was no title of High Priest. The ''Regulations and Penalties for the Use of Lanterns and Candles in the Pervasive Mysterious Offerings'' ( 洞玄靈寶齋說光燭戒罰燈祝願儀 Dongxuan Lingbao Zhaishuo Guangzhu Jiefa Deng Zhuyuan Yi ) compiled by Lu Xiujing (406-477), an eminent Daoist priest of the Southern dynasty, called the High Priest a "ritual master". Only after the Tang and Five dynasties did the title of High Priest begin to be used widely in Daoist rituals, and it is still used today. ==Position and Functions== The ''Regulations and Penalties for the Use of Lanterns and Candles in the Pervasive Mysterious Offerings'' says that the ritual master (i.e., the High Priest) "is virtuous inward and solemn outward. His movements and behaviour all accord with the rituals. The Three Worlds ( 三界 sanjie ) take him as an example, and ghosts and spirits respect him. He reports and prays, communicates with the Perfect Men and summons spirits, clears doubts and explains the abstruse, and corresponds with virtuous persons". In addition, the ''Preaching of the Commandments for Assigning Tasks During the Great Fasts of the Golden Register'' ( 金籙大齋補職說戒儀 Jinlu Dazhai Buzhi Shuojie Yi ) of the Tang and Five Dynasties says that "the high priest is virtuous inward and solemn outward. Both Heaven and Humans are attracted to him, and both ghosts and spirits respect him. Pacing on light, he flies to the stars to preach virtue with dignity. His kindness spreads through the Three Worlds, and his manners surpass all the officials". The High Priest should be able to [[Pace the Big Dipper]] ( 步罡踏斗 Bugang Tadou ), connect humans and spirits, preach teachings in place of spirits, and save men and ghosts. Among all the servants at the Daoist altar of offerings, the High Priest occupies the leading position. This position is generally filled by eminent Daoist priests of noble character and high prestige. [[zh:高功]] eec7125c9626851ced1df680797b41debb84c3bb 0 576 717 2009-10-21T03:40:33Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Title of Chief Cantor== The Chief Cantor is the title for a type of servant in the performance of Daoist rituals. Together with the [[High Priest]] ( ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Title of Chief Cantor== The Chief Cantor is the title for a type of servant in the performance of Daoist rituals. Together with the [[High Priest]] ( 高功 Gaogong ) and the [[Inspector of Fasts]] ( 監齋 Jianzhai ), the Chief Cantor is one of "the three Ritual Masters ( 法師 Fashi ) " who conduct Daoist rituals of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ) together. The early Daoist rituals were fairly simple, so there was no position of Chief Cantor. The ''Regulations and Penalties for the Use of Lanterns and Candles in the Pervasive Mysterious Offerings'' ( 洞玄靈寶齋說光燭戒罰燈祝願儀 Dongxuan Lingbao Zhaishuo Guangzhu Jiefa Deng Zhuyuan Yi ) compiled by [[Lu Xiujing]] (406-477), an eminent Daoist priest of the Southern dynasties, contains the first mention of the title of Chief Cantor. After the Tang and Five dynasties, the title of Chief Cantor began to be widely used in Daoist rituals, and it is still used today. But owing to the addition of another post, that of Inverted Bell Attendant ( 侍磬 Shiqing ), the functions of the Chief Cantor have been reduced. ==Position and Functions== According to the ''Regulations and Penalties for the Use of Lanterns and Candles in the Pervasive Mysterious Offerings'', the Chief Cantor "is talented and familiar with rituals. At this post, when performing fasting rituals, the Chief Cantor leads the ritual master first and then the officials to pay homage and chant". According to the ''Preaching of the Commandments for Assigning Tasks During the Great Fasts of the Golden Register'' ( 金籙大齋補職說戒儀 Jinlu Dazhai Buzhi Shuojie Yi ) of the Tang and Five Dynasties, the Daoist priest in this position must "master and be familiar with rituals, regulate the chanting rites, and lead the group". That is to say, the Daoist priest should have a good command of the procedures of the rituals, be proficient in rituals and chanting, elaborate on and carry forward the Dao, and link up men and spirits. The Chief Cantor and the High Priest both hold the highest rank at the ritual altar. [[zh:都講]] 6b9f3d97900263b1e405965fd92720c41e98b6e9 0 577 718 2009-10-21T03:46:51Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Title of Fast Inspector ( 監齋Jianzhai )== The Fast Inspector is one of the "Three Masters" ( 三法師San Fashi ) who preside over Daoist rituals, ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Title of Fast Inspector ( 監齋Jianzhai )== The Fast Inspector is one of the "Three Masters" ( 三法師San Fashi ) who preside over Daoist rituals, together with the [[High Priest]] ( 高功Gaogong ) and [[Chief Cantor]] ( 都講Dujiang ). No records remain about the position of Fast Inspector in early Daoist rituals, for these were rather simple. The role appeared as late as the ''Regulations and Penalties for the Use of Lanterns and Candles in Pervasive Mystery Numinous Treasure Offerings'' ( 《洞玄靈寶齋說光燭戒罰燈祝願儀》Dongxuan Lingbao Zhai Shuo Guangzhu Jiefa Deng Zhuyuan Yi ) compiled by the eminent Daoist Lu Xiujing (406-477) of the Southern Dynasties. The title Fast Inspector wasn't used widely until the Tang and the Five Dynasties. It remains in use till today, albeit with lesser functions. ==Functions== The scripture ''Regulations and Penalties for the Use of Lanterns and Candles in Pervasive Mystery Numinous Treasure Offerings'' says that the Fast Inspector should "supervise the staff members and promptly expose and correct mistakes according to the rules, without any partiality or excess." The book ''Preaching Commandments for Assigning Tasks during the Golden Register Great Fast'' ( 《金籙大齋補職說戒儀》Jinlu Dazhai Buzhi Shuojie Yi ) of the Tang and the Five Dynasties lists in detail the two roles of the Fast Inspector. First, he supervises the conduct of rituals, "masters rules and commandments, and inspects the ritual roles". Second, he corrects the mistakes of ritual practitioners : "careful of mistakes, he instructs with criticism or aid, without partiality or excess. By correcting mistakes, the ritual is in compliance with regulations and perfects the merit of salvation; the heart, with no duplicity, has no regrets." In ''Abstract of Important Rituals and Commandments'' ( 《要修科儀戒律鈔》Yaoxiu Keyi Jielu Chao ), Zhu Shiman, a Tang Dynasty Daoist, cites ten requirements for the Fast Inspector from the ''Book of Ascending to Mystery'' ( 《升玄經》Shengxuan Jing ). Among them, besides supervising ritual conduct, the Fast Inspector also supervises the host of the ritual and the audience members. However, with the development of society, most of his functions are out of use today. [[zh:監齋]] 55c64b97af9bb0ef38b0e62f07cffc5b5ec26bfd 719 718 2009-10-21T03:47:36Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Title of Fast Inspector ( 監齋Jianzhai )== The Fast Inspector is one of the "Three Masters" ( 三法師San Fashi ) who preside over Daoist rituals, together with the [[High Priest]] ( 高功Gaogong ) and [[Chief Cantor]] ( 都講 Dujiang ). No records remain about the position of Fast Inspector in early Daoist rituals, for these were rather simple. The role appeared as late as the ''Regulations and Penalties for the Use of Lanterns and Candles in Pervasive Mystery Numinous Treasure Offerings'' ( 《洞玄靈寶齋說光燭戒罰燈祝願儀》Dongxuan Lingbao Zhai Shuo Guangzhu Jiefa Deng Zhuyuan Yi ) compiled by the eminent Daoist Lu Xiujing (406-477) of the Southern Dynasties. The title Fast Inspector wasn't used widely until the Tang and the Five Dynasties. It remains in use till today, albeit with lesser functions. ==Functions== The scripture ''Regulations and Penalties for the Use of Lanterns and Candles in Pervasive Mystery Numinous Treasure Offerings'' says that the Fast Inspector should "supervise the staff members and promptly expose and correct mistakes according to the rules, without any partiality or excess." The book ''Preaching Commandments for Assigning Tasks during the Golden Register Great Fast'' ( 《金籙大齋補職說戒儀》Jinlu Dazhai Buzhi Shuojie Yi ) of the Tang and the Five Dynasties lists in detail the two roles of the Fast Inspector. First, he supervises the conduct of rituals, "masters rules and commandments, and inspects the ritual roles". Second, he corrects the mistakes of ritual practitioners : "careful of mistakes, he instructs with criticism or aid, without partiality or excess. By correcting mistakes, the ritual is in compliance with regulations and perfects the merit of salvation; the heart, with no duplicity, has no regrets." In ''[[Abstract of Important Rituals and Commandments]]'' ( 《要修科儀戒律鈔》Yaoxiu Keyi Jielu Chao ), Zhu Shiman, a Tang Dynasty Daoist, cites ten requirements for the Fast Inspector from the ''Book of Ascending to Mystery'' ( 《升玄經》Shengxuan Jing ). Among them, besides supervising ritual conduct, the Fast Inspector also supervises the host of the ritual and the audience members. However, with the development of society, most of his functions are out of use today. [[zh:監齋]] f6e6c65bfe05e4e5f29af6ff3f45fd4b97ac6e88 0 578 720 2009-10-21T03:52:06Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Title of Incense Attendant ( 侍香 Shixiang )== The role of Incense Attendant, a Daoist ritual function, is taken by a Daoist ritual attendee. No rec...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Title of Incense Attendant ( 侍香 Shixiang )== The role of Incense Attendant, a Daoist ritual function, is taken by a Daoist ritual attendee. No records remain about the position of Incense Attendant in early Daoist rituals, for these were rather simple. Incense was used widely in people's life and Daoist rituals until the Southern and Northern Dynasties. The role of Incense Attendant appeared as late as the ''Regulations and Penalties for the Use of Lanterns and Candles in Pervasive Mystery Numinous Treasure Offerings'' (《洞玄靈寶齋說光燭戒罰燈祝願儀》 Dongxuan Lingbao Zhai Shuo Guangzhu Jiefa Deng Zhuyuan Yi ) compiled by eminent Daoist [[Lu Xiujing]] (406-477) of the Southern Dynasties. The title Incense Attendant wasn't used widely until the Tang and Five Dynasties. Today, Daoist Offering Altars ( 齋壇 Zhaitan ) still have Daoists especially in charge of incense. ==Functions== The book Regulations and Penalties for the Use of Lanterns and Candles in Pervasive Mystery Numinous Treasure Offerings says that the Incense Attendant should "arrange the burner and keep the incense burning and the burner clean. He must be well prepared before all rituals, without any miss." The book ''Preaching Commandments for Assigning Tasks during Golden Register Great Fasts'' (《金籙大齋補職說戒儀》 Jinlu Dazhai Buzhi Shuojie Yi ) of the Tang and Five Dynasties requires the Incense Attendant to "finely decorate the burners, carefully clean the desks, and always keep incense-sticks burning. The mysterious mirror is always bright and can reflect any cordial sincerity. So do not fail in the middle of the task and miss the original heart." Meanwhile, it postulates that if he failed his task, the Incense Attendant would be levied a fine of incense or oil, or even a 12-year reduction of his life expectancy. [[zh:侍香]] 9c342e9873dd59013383725d5b84a8ccc3fef067 0 579 721 2009-10-21T03:56:47Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Title of Lantern Attendant ( 侍燈Shideng )== The Lantern Attendant is a managing role played by a Daoist ritual attendee during Daoist rituals. No r...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Title of Lantern Attendant ( 侍燈Shideng )== The Lantern Attendant is a managing role played by a Daoist ritual attendee during Daoist rituals. No records remain about the post of Lantern Attendant in early Daoist rituals, for these were rather simple. Lanterns were used widely in people's life and in Daoist rituals until the Southern and Northern Dynasties. The role of Lantern Attendant appeared as late as the ''Regulations and Penalties for the Use of Lanterns and Candles in Pervasive Mystery Numinous Treasure Offerings'' ( 《洞玄靈寶齋說光燭戒罰燈祝願儀》 Dongxuan Lingbao Zhai Shuo Guangzhu Jiefa Deng Zhuyuan Yi ) compiled by eminent Daoist Lu Xiujing (406-477) of the Southern Dynasties. The title of Lantern Attendant wasn't used widely until the Tang and Five Dynasties. After the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, due to the popularity of lantern rituals, this role became more important and eminent. Today, Daoist Offering Altars ( 齋壇Zhaitan ) still have Daoists especially in charge of lanterns. ==Functions== The scripture ''Regulations and Penalties for the Use of Lanterns and Candles in Pervasive Mystery Numinous Treasure Offerings'' says, Lantern Attendants should "prepare the lanterns in accordance to rules, and always keep them burning bright. Report to the master in stormy weather and then put out the lanterns. Do not be neglectful out of carelessness or laziness." The book ''Preaching Commandments for Assigning Tasks during Golden Register Great Fasts'' ( 《金籙大齋補職說戒儀》 Jinlu Dazhai Buzhi Shuojie Yi ) of the Tang and Five Dynasties requires Lantern Attendants to prepare lanterns for the nights, to "carefully manage lanterns and candles, always keep every place bright, and put out the lanterns in the morning. Keep the ritual space and the Offering Altars bright and magnificent." The ''Commandments of the Mystery Metropolis'' ( 《玄者律》 Xuandu Lu ) postulate that a Lantern Attendant failing in his task would be imposed a fine of incense or oil. [[zh:侍燈]] e1cae3856f6036fd3aea4f0ffff3fffabcd7bd70 0 580 722 2009-10-21T04:26:35Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Title of Scripture Attendant ( 侍經Shijing )== The function of Scripture Attendant is a role played by a Daoist ritual attendee. No records remain a...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Title of Scripture Attendant ( 侍經Shijing )== The function of Scripture Attendant is a role played by a Daoist ritual attendee. No records remain about the post of Scripture Attendant in early Daoist rituals, for these were rather simple. The role of Scripture Attendant appeared as late as the ''Regulations and Penalties for the Use of Lanterns and Candles in Pervasive Mystery Numinous Treasure Offerings'' ( 《洞玄靈寶齋說光燭戒罰燈祝願儀》 Dongxuan Lingbao Zhai Shuo Guangzhu Jiefa Deng Zhuyuan Yi ) compiled by eminent Daoist Lu Xiujing (406-477) of the Southern Dynasties. The title of Scripture Attendant wasn't used widely until the Tang and Five Dynasties. Today, Daoist Offering Altars ( 齋壇Zhaitan ) still have Daoists especially in charge of scriptures. ==Functions== The scripture ''Regulations and Penalties for the Use of Lanterns and Candles in Pervasive Mystery Numinous Treasure Offerings'' says that the Scripture Attendant should "manage the lofty scriptures, and clean the desks and chairs without laziness." The book ''Preaching Commandments for Assigning Tasks during Golden Register Great Fasts'' ( 《金籙大齋補職說戒儀》 Jinlu Dazhai Buzhi Shuojie Yi ) of the Tang and Five Dynasties regulates two roles for the Scripture Attendant. First, he should "cleanse the covers, put the rolls in order, and gather the books," and exhibit, arrange, and gather the scriptures. Second, he should "harmonize the voices, set an example for various roles, and thus please the spirits and men with splendid sight and songs," by preparing for chanting scriptures and singing odes. Also, according to the ''Supreme Yellow Register Ritual'' by [[Du Guangting]] of the Tang and Five Dynasties, the Scripture Attendant should, before the ritual, "arrange the Ritual Space, and inspect the desks, scriptures, and offerings." After the ritual, he should "gather the scriptures, cleanse the desks and the offerings, and keep others from the ritual altar. These are the tasks of the Scripture Attendant." Failing this, "the Scripture Attendant will suffer blame and punishments." [[zh:侍經]] 5bfe6d90c672a6c9ca64d6afb68055c28f8de2c4 0 581 723 2009-10-21T05:01:36Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Fasting Altar== Fasting Altars are altars for worship set up for the Ritual Masters ( 法師 Fashi ) and Daoist priests when large-scale Daoist ritual...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Fasting Altar== Fasting Altars are altars for worship set up for the Ritual Masters ( 法師 Fashi ) and Daoist priests when large-scale Daoist rituals are performed. The rituals led by the Daoist priests are all conducted at the Fasting Altar. This type of altar is different from the altar for general Daoist priests' burning incense, offering sacrifices, and kow-towing. Early Daoist rituals were fairly simple, so there was no special Fasting Altar. According to records in the literature, in early rituals a square earth platform, on which the incense burner was placed, was set up in the open. The Libationers ( 祭酒 Jijiu ) and Daoist priests living in mountains performed the rituals on the platform, and the ordinary believers did this below the platform. In the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Daoist rituals were well developed. According to The ''Pervasive Mystery Numinous Treasure's Book of Five Correspondences'' ( 洞玄靈寶五感文 Dongxuan Lingbao Wugan Wen ) written by the eminent Daoist Lu Xiujing of the Liu Song dynasty, the fasts of the Golden Register and of the Yellow Register both required setting up multi-level altars. After the Tang and Song dynasties, Daoist rituals became more and more complex, and the Ritual Space ( 壇場 Tanchang ) was arranged more and more luxuriously. After the Yuan and Ming dynasties, as Daoist Ritual Offerings gradually replaced Fasting Rituals, Offering Altars replaced the Fasting Altars in the arrangement of the ritual space. ==Arrangement== According to The ''Pervasive Mystery Numinous Treasure's Book of Five Correspondences'', in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Fasting Altars of the fasts of the Golden Register were three-''zhang''-wide Mysterious Altars set up in the open. On the altar was set another altar, which was two ''zhangs'' wide with fences and ten doors at the top and bottom. Placed in its center is a nine-chi-long lantern with nine other lanterns on it. Thirty-six colour lanterns are placed around the altars, and thousands of lanterns are lit beside the altar. In the fasts of the Yellow Register, altars are set up in the same way as the fasts of the Golden Register, but the number of lanterns surrounding the altar is different. The altar has two floors, signifying Heaven and Earth. Daoist rituals of fasts and offerings were greatly developed in the Tang and Song dynasties. According to ''The Numinous Treasure Golden Book of Instructions on Aid and Salvation'' ( 靈寶領教濟度金書 Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu ) written in the Southern Song dynasty, the fasting altars are square-shaped and have three floors. The inner altar is three ''chi'' high and one ''zhang'' and eight ''chi'' in area, with 20 Red Ribbons ( 纂 Zuan ) on it. The middle altar is one ''chi'' and five ''cun'' high and three ''zhang'' in area, with 24 red ribbons on it. The outer altar is on the ground. It is four ''zhang'' in area and has 28 red ribbons on it. Beyond the three altars, decorative pillars are also set up. The altar consists of three floors, signifying Heaven, Earth, and Man. It is said in ''[[The Highest Clarity Numinous Treasure Golden Book of the Great Achievement of Aid and Salvation]]'' ( 上清靈寶濟度大成金書 Shangqing Lingbao Jidu Dacheng Jinshu ) compiled by Zhou Side of the Ming dynasty, that the altar must be set up in a straight direction. "It should be located in the north and face the south. If its direction is different from that of the temple, the direction of the altar should be decided according to the east, the west, the south and the north. No matter whether the altar deviates from the direction of the temple, it must be set up in a straight direction." Hung on the left, the right and the northern inside walls of the altar are pictures of the Perfect Men of the Three Worlds. Incense, flowers, lanterns and candles are offered in the altar. Six curtains are set up on the left and right outside the altar. Daoist fasting altars have been gradually replaced by Ritual Offerings since the Qing dynasty. Besides, due to the turbulent society, there are now few occasions for the performance of large-scale rituals of fasts and offerings like those recorded in Daoist books, so Fasting Altars are now rarely seen in Daoist temples. [[zh:齋壇]] 6445ece52b07de7145401bd9c482daf2f298a7a2 0 582 724 2009-10-21T05:16:22Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Offering Altar== Offerings originally referred to rites for rendering cults to deities performed in large-scale Daoist rituals. The Offering Altar ori...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Offering Altar== Offerings originally referred to rites for rendering cults to deities performed in large-scale Daoist rituals. The Offering Altar originally referred to the Ritual Place ( 壇場 Tanchang ) where the Seats of Spirits ( 神位 Shenwei ) and the statues of spirits were set. After the Tang dynasty, fasts and offerings were performed together, so the difference between the Fasting Altar and the Offering Altar gradually faded. In ancient China, there already existed rituals for offering sacrifices to spirits. Giving offerings to spirits involved rendering cults to spirits, meaning "inviting the spirits of Heaven and Earth to enjoy the offerings". In the Wei, Jin, and the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Daoist rituals were fairly developed, hence the differentiation between "fasting" and " offerings" and the distinction between Fasting Altars and Offering Altars in the ritual space. It is cited in The '' Daoist Book of Accordance with Spirits'' ( 道書援神契 Daoshu Yuanshen Qi ) that "altars were always set up at cult rituals in ancient time. In later ages, the prefectures had their altars to the gods. It is recorded that altars were not set up in houses. The ancient Offering Rituals were set up in the open, and the altars are set up in houses nowadays just for simplicity". After the Tang dynasty, fasts and offerings were conducted together, and after the Yuan and Ming dynasties, Fasting Altars and Offering Altars gradually became integrated. In today's Daoist rituals, the seats of the spirits are usually set at the same time as the rituals for saving the souls of the dead. The rituals of fasts and offerings are both performed, and the Fasting Altars and the Offering Altars are integrated. The places where the rituals are held are generally named the ritual place, or the Sacred Place ( 道場 Daochang ). ==Arrangement== According to The ''Numinous Treasure Golden Book of Instructions on Aid and Salvation'' ( 靈寶領教濟度金書 Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu ), "the Offering Altar refers to the seats arranged at an offering banquet". The Offering Altar is the place for offering sacrifices to the seats of spirits. In the centre of the altar, the seats of the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ) are set up high. In front of the seats, a place of several chi is left for people to walk. In addition, the Seats of the Seven Heavenly Ministers ( 七御座 Qiyu Zuo ) are set up, and on each seat, there are signboards and small tables. On the left and right are the seats of spirits and sages. Two banquet places are linked together, and incense, flowers, lanterns and candles are offered according to rules. Three incense tables are set up from the centre to the outside, the outmost one for inviting sages, the second for holding the zodiacal light, and the one in the centre for assembling the offerings. If there are other spirits invited for salvation or averting by prayers, other seats of spirits will be set at the Offering Altar and "their order will be arranged" by the Daoist priests who conduct the ritual. At the ritual place where the Daoist priests nowadays perform rituals, the seats of the Three Pristine Ones and other spirits are always set up in the innermost space, and the incense table and offerings are also placed. The Fasting Altar for the performance of the ritual is established at the exterior of the ritual place. The seats of the souls of the dead to be saved are arranged in other places for the believers to offer sacrifices. [[zh:醮壇]] fe062bb7baecc764623263121cac42cdbcf7fc47 0 583 725 2009-10-21T06:13:25Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} Commandments altars are set up for the Transmission of Commandments by the Daoist priests of [[the Complete Perfection sect]] ( 全真派 Quanzhen Pai ). They are onl...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} Commandments altars are set up for the Transmission of Commandments by the Daoist priests of [[the Complete Perfection sect]] ( 全真派 Quanzhen Pai ). They are only established in big temples of the Complete Perfection sect which are qualified to transmit commandments. Between the Jin and the Yuan dynasties, Patriarch Wang Chongyang founded the Complete Perfection sect. His disciple [[Qiu Chuji]] founded the Three Commandments for Elementary Perfection ( 初真 Chuzhen ), Middle Perfection ( 中極 Zhongji ) and Heavenly Immortals ( 天仙 Tianxian ) according to the Buddhist commandment systems of Buddhist novices, monks and Bodhisattvas. He instated a system for transmitting the teachings of the Complete Perfection sect by passing commandments down from a master to a single disciple. [[Wang Changyue]], the eminent Daoist priest of the Qing dynasty, abbot of the White Cloud Temple ( 白雲觀 Baiyun Guan ) in Beijing, changed this method of transmission into a public system by setting up altars. Hence, Commandment Altars came into being in the temples of the Complete Perfection sect. The presently existing Commandments Altar in the White Cloud Temple is a long rectangular altar in a pavilion. There is wall on one side, and the other three sides are open. The open ground in front of the altar is where the Daoist believers are seated when the commandments are transmitted. On the altar are the seats of the Eight Great Masters, namely the Witness of the Covenant ( 証盟 Zhengmeng ), the Inspector of Commandments ( 監戒 Jianjie ), the Guarantor of Rituals ( 保舉 Baoju ), the Ritual Preacher ( 演禮 Yanli ), the Master Who Rectifies Rituals ( 糾儀 Jiuyi ), the Master Who Initiates Rituals ( 提科 Tike ), the Master Who Records Registers ( 登籙 Denglu ), and the Master Who Invites Deities ( 引儀 Yinqing ). The commandments altar in the White Cloud Temple in Beijing is a richly ornamented and elegant bulding. [[zh:戒壇]] bf86b8c038647f3db2b4ebcc22d816494bee6496 0 584 726 2009-10-21T06:46:53Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} The Ancestral Altar of All Skills is a court in the Celestial Masters' Mansion ( 天師府 Tianshi Fu ) on Dragon and Tiger Mountain ([[Mt. Longhu]]) in Jiangxi provi...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} The Ancestral Altar of All Skills is a court in the Celestial Masters' Mansion ( 天師府 Tianshi Fu ) on Dragon and Tiger Mountain ([[Mt. Longhu]]) in Jiangxi province. Before the Dade years of the Yuan dynasty, there were four schools of Daoist Skills, namely the Mysterious Altar of Orthodox Oneness ( 正一玄壇 Zhengyi Xuantan ) of [[the Celestial Masters' Sect]] ( 天師派 Tianshi Pai ) on Dragon and Tiger Mountain, the Mysterious Altar of the Numinous Treasure ( 靈寶玄壇 Lingbao Xuantan ) of Ge Xuan's sect on [[Mt. Gezao]], the Ritual Altar of the Pure Brightness ( 淨明法壇 Jingming Fatan ) of Xu Jingyang's sect on the Western Mountain in Nanchang, and the Ancestral Altar of the Great Grotto ( 大洞宗壇 Dadong Zongtan ) of [[the Highest Clarity Sect]] ( 上清派 Shangqing Pai ) on [[Mt. Mao]] in Jiangsu. Since the thirteenth Zhiyuan year of the Yuan dynasty (AD 1276), the emperors of the Yuan dynasty summoned the Celestial Masters of Dragon and Tiger Mountain many times. Among them, there were Zhang Zongyan of the 36th generation, Zhang Yudi of the 37th generation, Zhang Yucai of the 38th generation, Zhang Sicheng of the 39th generation, Zhang Side of the 40th generation, and Zhang Zhengyan of the 41st generation. The emperors always put the Dragon and Tiger Mountain in charge of Daoist affairs south of the Yangtze River. In the eighth Dade year of the Yuan dynasty (AD 1304), Emperor Cheng granted the title "Master of the Orthodox Oneness Teaching" ( 正一教主 Zhengyi Jiaozhu ) to Zhang Zhengyan, who "was in charge of the Talismans and Registers ( 符籙 Fulu ) of the three mountains". Then the Orthodox Oneness sect was formally founded, and the historical status of Dragon and Tiger Mountain in this sect was acknowledged publicly. To regard Dragon and Tiger Mountain as the Daoist Ancestral Altar of All Skills is a way of stating its supreme position in Daoism. In today's Celestial Masters' Mansion on Dragon and Tiger Mountain, there is a court for worshiping the spirits, and the horizontal tablet of the Ancestral Altar of All Skills is hung at the door of the court. This shows that the Daoist skills of Dragon and Tiger Mountain are still the center of Daoism south of Yangtze River. When the Register transmitting system of the Daoist priests of the Orthodox Oneness sect was re-instated on Dragon and Tiger Mountain in 1997, a sign of the Ancestral Altar of All Skills was printed on the certificates awarded, which manifested the authority of Daoist Skills ( 道法 Daofa ). [[zh:萬法宗壇]] 5442add9914751432b186cca286303a2d2b9f887 0 585 727 2009-10-21T06:59:10Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} The Wood Fish ( 木魚 Muyu ) is a kind of Daoist musical instrument used for striking during scripture recitation. It is a wood block shaped like a fish and so is na...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} The Wood Fish ( 木魚 Muyu ) is a kind of Daoist musical instrument used for striking during scripture recitation. It is a wood block shaped like a fish and so is named Wood Fish. Another saying goes that it is shaped like a man's head. The Wood Fish is used in combination with the Inverted Bell ( 馨 Qing ) during scripture recitation, for the Chinese word for bell sounds like the Chinese word for "awaken", and the term Wood Fish sounds like "enlighten". The scripture ''[[Essential Secrets of Most High]]'' says, "The Wood Fish and the Pure Bell awaken the universe". [[zh:木魚]] 5fe12e496fc4dde7e5df194d225d8b4cf316ea6f 0 586 728 2009-10-21T07:06:40Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Commandment Plaque== The Commandment Plaque is a Magical Instrument ( 法器 Faqi ) frequently used in Daoist rituals of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Commandment Plaque== The Commandment Plaque is a Magical Instrument ( 法器 Faqi ) frequently used in Daoist rituals of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ). It originates from the Tiger Talisman used for giving orders by the armies in ancient China. The item "commandment plaque" in the ''Daoist Book of Accordance with Spirits'' ( 道書援神契 Daoshu Yuanshen Qi ) states: "it is recorded in the ''Rites of the Zhou'' ( 周禮 Zhouli ) that an ivory plaque is used for arousing armies to action. The copper Tiger Talisman of the Han dynasty is round in the upper part and square in the lower part with five characters inscribed on it, and is shaped like a dewdrop. At the back of the talisman is carved a sitting tiger and an inscription with the words: the Tiger Talisman is made like an ancient ivory plaque. Recent use of the Commandment Plaque for summoning generals takes this as its model". ==Functions== The Commandment Plaques used in Daoism are usually made of wood or metal. They are rectangular lumps with pictures and characters carved or cast on all six sides. The ''Highest Clarity Numinous Treasure Golden Book of the Great Achievement of Aid and Salvation'' ( 上清靈寶濟度大成金書 Shangqing Lingbao Jidu Dacheng Jinshu ) of the Ming dynasty contains an illustration and text of the Commandment Plaque of the Five Thunders. On the front of the picture is a carving of a dragon brandishing a sword, and on the reverse side are the Talismanic Characters of the Thunder Commandment, which say: " the Right Commandment Plaque is made of jujube wood struck by lightning. It is five cun and five fen long, two cun and four fen wide, and five fen thick. It is made according to rules on auspicious days. The names of the Twenty-Eight Constellations are engraved on its four sides." The plaque is held in an embroidered bag. When Daoist priests perform rituals, they often strike the commandment plaque violently at the ritual altar when, in the name of the Heavenly Spirits or Celestial Masters, they give orders, summon wind and rain, convoke spirits and generals to descend to the ritual altar, escort the souls of the dead, or dispel evil spirits and control ghosts. [[zh:令牌]] 42d9cf685f85dc9e98dfb7b209f72a1312f00166 0 587 729 2009-10-21T07:27:12Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==Origin of Using S-shaped Ornamental Objects in Daoist Rituals of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ) == The S-shaped Ornamental Object is one of the Magical Ins...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Origin of Using S-shaped Ornamental Objects in Daoist Rituals of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ) == The S-shaped Ornamental Object is one of the Magical Instruments ( 法器 Faqi ) often used in the Ritual Space ( 壇場 Tanchang ) in Daoist temples and rituals of Fasts and Offerings. It is said that the S-shaped Ornamental Object is a ritual instrument in Buddhism, but neither it nor things like it appear in the records or art of Indian Buddhism. The Chinese left records about S-shaped Ornamental Objects around the Southern and Northern dynasties. According to historical records, when Wen Jiao of the Jin dynasty read a poem by Cao Mengde, which says, "an old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop a thousand li; a noble-hearted man retains his high aspirations even in old age", he hit the spittoon with an iron S-shaped Ornamental Object and completely broke it. Besides, '' Casual Records of the Nenggai Studio '' ( 能改齋漫錄 Nenggaizhai Manlu ) by Wu Zeng of the Song dynasty says, "the first emperor of the Qi dynasty bestowed to Ming Sengshao an S-shaped Ornamental Object made of bamboo root, Emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty bestowed to crown prince Zhaoming an S-shaped Ornamental Object made of sweet-scented osmanthus, and Shi Jilun and Wangdun hold iron S-shaped Ornamental Objects. These three S-shaped Ornamental Objects, which are made of bamboo, wood and iron, are called paw sticks. So the '' Glossary'' ( 音義指歸 Yinyi Zhigui ) says that the S-shaped Ornamental Object refers to the paw stick of ancient times. Bones, horns, bamboo or wood are cut into the shape of the fingers and palm of human hand, and the handle can be as long as about three chi. Sometimes when the back itches and the hand cannot scratch the sore spot, an S-shaped Ornamental Object is used to scratch as one wishes". Generally, S-shaped Ornamental Objects were held by people during their Pure Talk as an object to help their discussion during the Wei and Jin dynasties, and it was used as a pointing instrument at that time and in later ages. So it was not a specific Daoist invention. The S-shaped Ornamental Object signifies satisfying one's wishes, and it was originally an article for daily use in ancient China. It began to be used in Daoist temples and rituals of fasts and offerings in the Southern and Northern dynasties. ==Functions== There were records about the S-shaped Ornamental Object in the Daoist canon in the Southern and Northern dynasties. ''On Conducting the Pervasive Mystery Numinous Treasure Three Grotto Rituals and Commandments for Worshiping Dao'' ( 洞玄靈寶三洞奉道科戒營始 Dongxuan Lingbao Sandong Fengdao Kejie Yingshi ) says, "though the S-shaped Ornamental Object is not something badly needed by the Heavenly Lords ( 天尊 Tianzun ), it is necessary for male and female Daoist priests to give offerings. It must be ready at all times and cannot be replaced by other objects". The ''Supreme Clarity Jade Book of the Heavenly Emperor's Highest Dao'' ( 天皇至道太清玉冊 Tianhuang Zhidao Taiqing Yuce ) by Zhu Quan of the Qing dynasty says that the "S-shaped Ornamental Object" was "made by [[the Yellow Emperor]] ( 黃帝 Huangdi ) and was his weapon to fight Chiyou. It was changed into a stick-shaped weapon by later generations and held by heavenly perfect men to fight against demons". Some Daoist believers compare the shape of the S-shaped Ornamental Object to the Chinese character "heart", saying, "the S-shaped Ornamental Object signifies heart". The S-shaped Ornamental Object has three points. The two points at the beginning and the end are cloud-shaped or ganoderma-shaped, and the central point is round. This implies a trinity, which means that one heart respects three treasures. Hence in the sculptures of spirits in Daoist temples, there is the sculpture of the heavenly lords holding the S-shaped Ornamental Object in their hand. In the [[rituals of Fasts]] and [[rituals of Offerings]], when the [[High Priests]] ( 高功 Gaogong ) or the Ritual Masters ( 法師 Fashi ) preach in place of the heavenly lords, they also hold an S-shaped Ornamental Object in their hand. [[zh:如意]] c8b71d967b1212451db0e5f02cd439c882d21c31 0 588 730 2009-10-21T07:59:04Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Magical Seal== The Magical Seal is a kind of Magical Instrument ( 法器 Faqi ) often used in Daoist rituals of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Magical Seal== The Magical Seal is a kind of Magical Instrument ( 法器 Faqi ) often used in Daoist rituals of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ). Seals were used quite early in ancient China. The Interpretations of the Terms ( 釋名 Shiming ) says, "seals are tokens, so they are used for closing things to authenticate them. Seals are also things to rely on, and they are used for closing things and used as evidence for delivery". Seals should be regarded as a sign to check upon delivery. In ancient times, seals were differentiated according to their ranks. During the Warring States Period, seals used by sovereigns were called Imperial Seals and those used by subjects were just called seals. The ''Ancient Rituals of the Han Dynasty'' ( 漢舊儀 Han Jiuyi ) says that the seals of dukes are made of gold with camel-shaped loops and are called Xi in literary language; the seals of counts are made of gold with tortoise-shaped loops and are called Yin in literary language; the seals of prime ministers and generals are made of gold with tortoise-shaped loops and are called Zhang in literary language; the seals of two-thousand dan middle officials are made of silver with tortoise-shaped loops and are called Zhang in literary language; the seals of one-thousand, six-hundred and four-hundred dan officials are made of copper with nose-shaped loops and are called Yin in literary language. After the Song dynasty, seals were classified into gold seals, gold-plated seals and silver seals. The ''Inscriptions on Seals'' ( 印銘 Yinming ) by [[Ge Xuan]] of the Jin dynasty says that seals can "win the trust of other countries and take sundials as their model. The inscriptions on the seals are clear and concise". It is said that when [[the Five Pecks of Rice Tradition]] ( 五斗米道 Wudoumi Dao ), one of the early Daoist sects, divided the region of Ba and Shu into 24 Dioceses, the first Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ) Zhang Daoling used the "Seal of the Chief Official of Yangping Diocese" ( 陽平治都功印 Yangpingzhi Dugong Yin ), which functioned as the seal of the government offices. Seals began to be used in rituals of Fasts and Offerings in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. The types and content of seals gradually grew in number with the increase in the types of rituals. The "chapter on seals of the Numinous Treasure" in ''[[The Highest Clarity Numinous Treasure Golden Book of the Great Achievement of Aid and Salvation]]'' ( 上清靈寶濟度大成金書 Shangqing Lingbao Jidu Dacheng Jinshu ) of the Ming dynasty collects 46 kinds of seals often used in rituals, such as the "Seal of the Great Magician of the Numinous Treasure" ( 靈寶大法師印 Lingbao Dafashi Yin ), the "Seal of the Mysterious Altar of the Numinous Treasure" ( 靈寶玄壇印 Lingbao Xuantan Yin ), etc. ==Functions== Use of Magical Seals in Daoist rituals has two functions. One function is communicating with profundity. ''[[The Great Law of the Numinous Treasure of the Highest Clarity]]'' ( 上清靈寶大法 Shangqing Lingbao Dafa ) by Jin Yunzhong of the Southern Song dynasty says, "in the prosperous ancient times, men and ghosts had their respective habitations, and Yin and Yang were not mixed. Thus the function of Dao was only found in Cultivating Perfection and Refining one's Nature in order to Ascend to Immortality. Since medieval times, Perfection has been treated with less and less proper respect, and the orthodox Dao has been concealed day by day. The evil and the false have become popular, thus causing disorder. Then Magical Skills were recommended to rectify maladies, petitions were presented to express humans' sincerity, and seals were transmitted as evidence. So the aim of using seals was to suit the human world, that is to say, necessary adjustments were made to the efficacy of Dao". For example, the "Seal of the Great Magician of the Numinous Treasure" is affixed to the documents used in rituals before setting up altars, in order for the documents to ascend to Heaven and descend to Hell. The ''Great Law of the Numinous Treasure of the Highest Clarity'' by Jin Yunzhong of the Southern Song dynasty says that the seal of communication "is used for expressing sincerity to patriarchs". The General Seal of the Divine Tiger ( 神虎總印 Shenhu Zongyin ) "has its name taken from the seven Jade Maidens ( 玉女 Yunu ) and is only used for sealing the streamer for calling back souls". Another function of seals is to control the body and mind of those who cultivate Dao. The ''Highest Mysterious Origin Great Skills of the Jade Hall of the Three Heavens'' ( 無上玄元三天玉堂大法 Wushang Xuanyuan Santian Yutang Dafa ) says, "conducting skills with seals is for controlling the body and mind. People of later ages have no such knowledge, so they waste their minds and efforts. The ancients affixed seals to their minds, and the contemporaries carve seals in wood. One makes magical seals to establish one's religious position, holds seals during religious ordination, and affixes seals to find a final settling place". "One is dependent on wooden seals before enlightenment, and on mind seals after enlightenment. Therefore, if heaven has seals, the three rays are bright; if man has seals, his spiritual room is pure and bright". [[zh:法印]] f25bdd939256a2c55a3f1c49ab5b2ebe628ec9be 0 589 731 2009-10-21T08:24:18Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Magical Staff== The Magical Staff, which is also called " Staff" or " Nine-Segment Staff" ( 九節杖 Jiujie Zhang ), is a kind of Magical Instrument ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Magical Staff== The Magical Staff, which is also called " Staff" or " Nine-Segment Staff" ( 九節杖 Jiujie Zhang ), is a kind of Magical Instrument ( 法器 Faqi ) frequently used in Daoist rituals of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ). The staff is a tool for helping old people to stand up and walk. In ancient China, the staff was also taken to be the symbol of royal or military power, and was also an instrument of torture used for punishing prisoners. In the biographies of spirits published after the Eastern Han dynasty, the staff was taken to be a substitute for the human body after his Deliverance from the Corpse ( 屍解 Shijie ). In the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the staff was also a symbol of power. ''[[The Essential Secrets of the Most High]]'' ( 無上秘要 Wushang Miyao ) by Yuwen Yong, emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou dynasty, contains a "Chapter on Staffs", which says that [[the Primeval Lord of Heaven]] ( 元始天尊 Yuanhi Tianzun ) has a divine Staff. "It is made of seven-segment supreme Yang bamboo from the Numinous Mountain. The highest and the lowest segments of the bamboo are hollow, which corresponds to Heaven and Earth. However, most Daoist scriptures published afterwards say that the magical staff has nine segments. The ''Imperial Encyclopedia of the Taiping Era'' ( 太平御覽 Taiping Yulan ) cites the ''Original Register of Tortoise Mountain'' ( 龜山元錄 Guishan Yuanlu ), saying, "in the third month in winter, the Jade Lads of the Three Heavens ( 三天玉童 Santian Yutong ) transform into an old man holding a nine-segment gold staff". The use of the Magical Staff in Daoist rituals of Fasts and Offerings probably started after the Liu Song regime of the Southern Song dynasty. ==Functions== The ''Daoist Rituals of the Pervasive Mystery and Numinous Treasure'' ( 洞玄靈寶道學科儀 Dongxuan Lingbao Daoxue Keyi ) states: "all those who learn Daoism should master the Nine-Segment Staff. It assists old people and saves people in emergencies, and has different names. It is necessary to know it." The nine segments of the staff are named after the constellations, namely the Taihuang Constellation, the Yinghuo Constellation, the Jiao Constellation, the Heng Constellation, the Zhang Constellation, the Yingshi Constellation, the Zhen Constellation, the Dongjing Constellation and the Ju Constellation. When Daoist priests make Magical Staffs, "they must select famous mountains and Blissful Realms ( 福地 Fudi ), clean the region and any ruins, take clean bamboo facing south on an auspicious day, measuring five chi and five fen long and containing nine segments, and put it in a quiet and clean place. On the days of Jiawu, Bingwu and Dingmao, or the third day of the third lunar month, the fifth day of the fifth month, the seventh day of of the seventh month, and the ninth day of the ninth month, the priests slightly bend the first segment of bamboo to the left and to the right slightly. Then they open four holes below the the first segment to insert the secret names of the Four Sacred Mountains, and open one hole in the center at the top of the bamboo to insert the secret name of the Sacred Mountain of the Centre. Later, they fill the middle part of the bamboo with Numinous Scriptures and seal the whole with wax. Those who specially take the staff with them for cultivation fill it with the Talisman of the Five Emperors ( 五帝符 Wudi Fu ). Silk fabrics with yellow figures are used as pouches that are just large enough to hold a staff". In the rituals of Fasts and Offerings, Daoist priests can summon spirits or heavenly generals and destroy hells according to rules with Magical Staffs made in this way. "Point to Heaven with the staff and the heavenly spirits will pay homage; point to Earth with the staff and the Earth Spirits will welcome the Daoist; point to the northeast with the staff and the bodies of all the ghosts will be controlled". When the Ritual Master ( 法師 Fashi ) performs rituals, he often hangs a small yellow seven-cun long streamer under the second segment of the staff, on which are written the title of the Heavenly Lord of Salvation from Misery in the Ten Direction ( 十方救苦天尊 Shifang Jiuku Tianzun )s and the Talisman of Mysterious Transformations of the Ten Directions ( 十方玄化符 Shifang Xuanhua Fu ). The Great Law of the Numinous Treasure of the Highest Clarity by Wang Qizhen says that when the ritual master destroys hells, he gazes at the staff and "transforms it into a pillar in the form of the dragon's head and the tiger's tail. The dragon is brilliant and holds a splendid streamer in its mouth. Numinous wind and auspicious clouds coil around the dragon, shining limitlessly". [[zh:法杖]] fdfbf14377eed7a57e202c1320997b8316830250 0 590 732 2009-10-21T08:39:07Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Use of the Magical Sword== The Magical Sword is a Magical Instrument ( 法器 Faqi ) often used in Daoist rituals of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhai...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Use of the Magical Sword== The Magical Sword is a Magical Instrument ( 法器 Faqi ) often used in Daoist rituals of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ). The sword was an important weapon in ancient China. It is said that in the time of [[the Yellow Emperor]] ( 黃帝 Huangdi ), Chiyou smelted and produced swords on Mt. Ge Tianlu. There are also stories about Ganjiang and Moye, famous craftsmen who cast swords during the Warring States Period. Ancient custom dictated that the Emperor should wear a hat and carry a sword at the age of twenty, dukes at thirty, and senior officials at forty. Slaves could never wear hats, and the common people could carry swords only in formal occasions. It was regulated in the Han dynasty that when subjects of the Emperor went to court, those carrying swords should remove them upon reaching the steps. It was in the Jin dynasty that swords were replaced by wooden swords and were decorated with gold, silver and jade. By the Liu Song dynasty of the Southern Dynasties, swords began to be used as magical instruments in Daoist rituals of Fasts and Offerings. ==Functions== The ''Daoist Rituals of the Pervasive Mystery and Numinous Treasure'' ( 洞玄靈寶道學科儀 Dongxuan Lingbao Daoxue Keyi ) written in the Southern Dynasties contains a "chapter on the skills of casting divine swords". It says that "all those who study Daoism must know the skills of casting great swords. After the fast of one hundred days, people who cast swords are required to make sharp swords with quick iron on the day of Gengshen in the ninth momth and the day of Xinyou in the eighth month. The sword should be two ''cun'' and six ''fen'' in circumference, the handle of the sword shoud be one ''chi'', one ''cun'' and seven ''fen'' in length, the edge should be two chi, four cun and seven fen in length, and thus the whole sword should be three chi and nine cun long". When casting swords, people should chant secret incantations to the handle of the sword, and carve the Dippers and stars in the sword, "which must be equally distributed over the whole sword". If this Divine Sword is always carried, it can dispel all the evil ghosts and spirits. After the Sui and Tang dynasties, Magical Swords made of peach wood were widely used in Daoist rituals to order and summon heavenly generals, destroy hells and save the dead, and dispel the evil spirits and control ghosts. [[zh:法劍]] e0e55755457f1fb2b6e3215ea987698b884733a2 0 591 733 2009-10-21T09:04:15Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==Origin of Using Tablets in Daoist Rituals of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ) == The Tablet, also called Hand Board, Jade Board or Audience Board, is a Magic...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Origin of Using Tablets in Daoist Rituals of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ) == The Tablet, also called Hand Board, Jade Board or Audience Board, is a Magical Instrument ( 法器 Faqi ) often used in Daoist rituals. Tablets already existed in ancient China. The Interpretations of the Terms ( 釋名 Shiming ) says, "Tablet (hu) signifies carelessness. Subjects write sovereigns' teachings and orders and their own memorials on Tablets to avoid negligence". It means that Tablets were used by subjects when they had audiences with the sovereign. They treated Tablets as papers, and wrote directly on them in order to avoid forgetting things. The chapter ''Ornamental Strings of Jade'' ( 玉藻 Yuzao ) in the ''Book of Rites'' ( 禮記 Liji ) says, "to make Tablets, emperors use ball-shaped jade, dukes use ivories, senior officials use fish scales and asparagus ferns, and scholar-officials use bamboo roots and ivories." "Tablets are two chi and six cun long and three cun wide, and after being dried with fire, they shrink by one sixth". After the fourth Wude Year of the Tang dynasty (AD 621), officials above the fifth rank used Tablets made of ivory, and officials under the sixth rank used Tablets made of bamboo roots. Tablets used by officials above the third rank were coarse at the higher part and straight at the lower part. Tablets used by officials above the fifth rank were coarse at the higher part and flexible at the lower part, and later were changed into being round at the higher part and square at the lower part. ''Miscellaneous Matters Pertaining to Carts and Clothes'' ( 輿服雜事 Yufu Zashi ) says, "in ancient times, both noblemen and commoners held Tablets to write down the sovereign's government decrees. When necessary, they inserted the Tablets in their belts. Since the Five Dynasties, there have been only eight ministers who held Tablets. They tie white writing brushes to the top of the hand Tablets and wrap them with purple bags. Other dukes and officials just hold hand boards as a show of respect; they do not hold Tablets, in order to show that they are not officials in charge of records". There was no rite of holding Tablets in early Daoist rituals, and Tablets began to be used under the influence of imperial audiences. In Daoist rituals today, Tablets are still used. Daoists' Tablets are mostly made of bamboo or wood, and only [[High Priests]] ( 高功 Gaogong ) or Ritual Masters ( 法師 Fashi ) still use Tablets made of ivory. ==Functions== Daoist priests use Tablets in Audience Rituals ( 朝禮 Chaoli ). The Daoist Book of Accordance with Spirits ( 道書援神契 Daoshu Yuanshen Qi ) says, "all the dukes and marquis in ancient times held Tablets. The Rites of the Zhou ( 周禮 Zhouli ) records Tablets of permanence, Tablets of honesty and Tablets of respect. The ''Book of Rites'' says that officials hold fish scales, asparagus ferns, and wood Tablets". So the use of Tablets in Daoist rituals is only to show respect to spirits. "Even the nobleman should follow regulations, respecting emperors and revering the worthies. Using and making this tool is to avoid forgetting". A Daoist book says, "the [[Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ) orders Ling to inspect human beings when they receive instructions and demand them to kowtow and rise, to hold Tablets to the east of the door, and stand facing the west". [[zh:笏]] c27692a870106c77ef730c0609c690950532d67a 0 592 734 2009-10-21T09:08:45Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} The Cloud Gong ( 雲璈 Yun Ao ) is a kind of musical instrument. The ''History of the Yuan '' says: « The Cloud Gong is a small gong made of brass with a framework ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} The Cloud Gong ( 雲璈 Yun Ao ) is a kind of musical instrument. The ''History of the Yuan '' says: « The Cloud Gong is a small gong made of brass with a framework and a handle. It is held in the left hand and beaten on the rhythm of recitation with an ivory ball on the top of a small bamboo stick in the right hand ». The ''Daoist Book of Following the Spirits '' ( 《道書援神契》Daoshu Yuanshen Qi ) says, "The ancients had music in rites and this is an imitation of that. The Cloud Gong held in the hand symbolizes heavenly music and can be played in procession. So Daoists have adopted it. [[zh:雲鐺]] 59cda1634586aa8d8818bc1786cac866b2750f6a 0 593 735 2009-10-21T09:20:06Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==Origin of Using Streamers in the Rituals of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ) in Daoist Temples== The Streamer is one of the Magical Instruments ( 法器 Faqi...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Origin of Using Streamers in the Rituals of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ) in Daoist Temples== The Streamer is one of the Magical Instruments ( 法器 Faqi ) frequently used in the rituals of Fasts and Offerings in Daoist temples. According to the ''Great Law of the Numinous Treasure of the Highest Clarity'' ( 上清靈寶大法 Shangqing Lingbao Dafa ) of the Southern Song dynasty, there were only two kinds of streamers in early Daoism, namely the Streamer for Removing Spirits ( 遷神幡 Qianshen Fan ) and the Streamer for the Return of Light ( 回耀幡 Huiyao Fan ). In the Sui and Tang dynasties, Daoist steamers were already of grand scale. According to ''On Conducting the Pervasive Mystery Numinous Treasure Three Grotto Rituals and Commandments for Worshiping Dao'' ( 洞玄靈寶三洞奉道科戒營始 Dongxuan Lingbao Sandong Fengdao Kejie Yingshi ), "there are altogether 21 kinds of streamers. The first kind is made with gold, the second with jade, the third with pearls, the forth with silver, the fifth with silk, the sixth is woven, the seventh is made with motley brocade, the eighth with various kinds of gauze, the ninth with coloured silk, the tenth with filament, the eleventh is woven with silk, the twelfth is made of miscellaneous filaments, the thirteenth is like rosy clouds, the fourteenth has writings on it, the fifteenth is made of threads, the sixteenth is made of silk of uniform colour, the seventeenth is variegated, the eighteenth is made of figured fabrics, the nineteenth is drawn with characters, the twentieth is in five colours, and the twenty-first is in nine colours. The streamers are either long or short, broad or narrow. They are either three chi, five chi, seven chi, nine chi, one zhang, or two zhang long, or measure one shou, two shou, ten shou, one hundred shou, one thousand shou, or ten thousand shou. Different streamers are made for different occasions. For dead people, there are streamers for moving spirits, for transforming souls, for saving souls, of the Nine Heavens, of the Three Ways, etc. For the diseased, there are streamers for saving people from misfortune, for eliminating catastrophes, for getting rid of misfortune, for prolonging life, for longevity, for protection, etc. For the security of families, there are streamers for leading to good fortune, for prolonging auspiciousness, for attaining longevity, for protecting long life, for hoping to achieve old age, for increasing life spans, etc. They are made skillfully, hung to long rods in the court beside sculptures of deities, and beside corridors and temples where offerings are placed". In the Ming dynasty, the different types of streamers became more complex. In the '' Highest Clarity Numinous Treasure Golden Book of the Great Achievement of Aid and Salvation'' ( 上清靈寶濟度大成金書 Shangqing Lingbao Jidu Dacheng Jinshu ), there appeared not only the streamer for removing spirits and the streamer for the return of light, but also streamers for vowing, controlling souls, salvation, of the Black Mystery ( 青玄 Qingxuan ), of the Supreme Oneness ( 太乙 Taiyi ) of heaven, and for summoning Perfect Men and Spirits. According to the commentary of the ''Supreme Clarity Jade Book of the Heavenly Emperor's Highest Dao'' ( 天皇至道太清玉冊 Tianhuang Zhidao Taiqing Yuce ) by Zhu Quan of the Ming dynasty, streamers at that time mostly had lotus leaves as their tops and lotus flowers as their seats. Today streamers are still ornamented in this way in the Ritual Space ( 壇場 Tanchang ). ==Functions== It is said in the ''Great Law of the Numinous Treasure of the Highest Clarity'' that in Daoism, "at the beginning of fasts, in the spare space near the altar, a long rod is set up and the streamer flies before reporting to the deep heaven and all the spirits", in order that "the world and the netherworld see it together, and ghosts and spirits watch far away". As for the streamer for removing spirits in early Daoism, "one shou is made of red silk fabrics that are seven chi or forty-nine chi long. A dipper is drawn clearly at the top of the streamer and the name of the streamer is written on the body of the streamer with cinnabar and ointment. The Inner Secret Names ( 內諱 Neihui ) of the Three Heavens are written with the left hand, and the Secret Names ( 隱諱 Yinhui ) of the Three Heavens are written with the right hand. When the souls of the dead see the streamer, they can get rid of their sins and their spirit moves to the Southern Palace". As for the streamer for the return of light, "it is made of white and yellow silk fabric, twenty-four or forty-nine chi long, and with the complete name of the Black Mystery written on it. With the left foot, one writes down "Supreme Subtlety Banner for the Return of Yellow, Wuying's Streamer for Controlling Spirits", and with the right foot, one writes down "summoning ghosts in the mansion of the long night, saving souls which attain life again". With the left hand, one writes down "the boundless and infinite Fengdu", etc.; with the right hand, one writes down "the golden light of merits", etc. Hung to the long rod below the altar, the streamer flies with the wind. When the souls of the dead of the Ten Directions see it and think of converging to it, their past sins are eliminated in time, and even their sufferings and misfortunes in the human world may be gotten rid of. Their names are registered in the Southern Palace, hells are open, and the souls of the dead are reborn". [[zh:幡]] c44e26b13d06cf3d96c3127125e260755165484e 0 594 736 2009-10-31T02:29:36Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Use of Bells in Daoist Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao )== The Bell is one of the Magical Instruments ( 法器 Faqi ) often used in Daoist ritua...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Origin of the Use of Bells in Daoist Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao )== The Bell is one of the Magical Instruments ( 法器 Faqi ) often used in Daoist rituals of Fasts and Offerings and in Daoist temples. Copper bells were made as musical instruments in early ancient China. In ancient rituals, bells were used both in banquets and worship. The ''Imperial Encyclopedia of the Taiping Era'' ( 太平御覽 Taiping Yulan ) cites ''Accurate Divination by Mastering the Book of Changes'' ( 易通卦驗 Yitong Guayan ), saying, "on the day of the Winter Solstice, the emperor lets the officials of eight kinds of capacity hit the yellow bell, and so the emperor will respect the kind people and the ministers and senior officials will be loyal and trustworthy." It also quotes from the ''History of the Han Dynasty'' ( 漢書 Hanshu ), saying, "there are ten bells in the temple of the first emperor of the Han dynasty. Each of them weighs one thousand dan, and when they are stricken, the sound spreads 100 li". There was originally no record of bells being used as magical instruments, and viewing the sound of bells as Immortal Music appeared late in the Daoist literature of the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties. ''[[The Declarations of the Perfected]]'' ( 真誥 Zhengao ) written by Tao Hongjing, an eminent Daoist who lived between the Qi and Liang dynasties, states that "the sounds of gold, stone, bells and drums from heaven are suddenly heard", and "the Kunting sends out loud sounds, and the gold sheng sounds like a divine bell". After the Sui and Tang dynasties, many records of using bells appeared in Daoist temples and during rituals of Fasts and Offerings. ''On Conducting the Pervasive Mystery Numinous Treasure Three Grotto Rituals and Commandments for Worshiping Dao'' ( 洞玄靈寶三洞奉道科戒營始 Dongxuan Lingbao Sandong Fengdao Kejie Yingshi ), finished in the Southern and Northern dynasties, mentions the production of bells, saying, "there are altogether five kinds of bells, namely gold bells, silver bells, bells made of the five metals, copper bells, and iron bells. Some of them have eight or nine corners, some have two or four, and some have no corner. The big ones weigh ten thousand dan, and the small ones weigh one dou. They all have their own features. After being made, the bells should be inscribed with the name of the dynasty, the year, the prefecture and the county, and the name of the temple, so as to mark different dynasties and be permanent for ages". ==Functions of Using Bells in Temples and Rituals== There are two purposes of using bells in Daoist temples and rituals. One is to move spirits, the other is as a signal for Daoist priests who inhabit temples and conduct rituals. ''On Conducting the Pervasive Mystery Numinous Treasure Three Grotto Rituals and Commandments for Worshiping Dao'' says, "bells are used to assemble the four kinds of people, and for emergencies at any time. The rituals will be in disorder without this instrument. Scriptures say that during the long fasts, people assemble in the Mystery Metropolis, striking jade and jade bells, and hitting ritual drums to make the Immortals converge. The numinous singing is the same". ''Extracts of the Chief Rituals and Commandments'' ( 要修科儀戒律鈔 Yaoxiu Keyi Jielu Chao ), written by the Daoist priest Zhu Faman of the Tang dynasty, cites the Supreme Perfection Rituals ( 太真科 Taizhen Ke ), saying, "Golden Bells ( 金鐘 Jinzhong ) and Jade [[Inverted Bells]] ( 玉磬 Yuqing ) that are hung both in front of the Fasting Hall and above the Scripture Terrace, are stricken according to the hours. Daoist priests all strike bells before preaching, not only in order to warn human beings, but also to move spirits. When hearing the sound of the bells, spirits and human beings get together to carry forward Daoism and benefit things, and so great virtues are converged". In temples and rituals, Daoist bell striking has a specific order, and the times for striking bells have certain meanings. [[zh:鐘]] 35978c7c15b47f0773f067511940d8edef220633 0 595 737 2009-10-31T02:46:13Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} ==Origin of Using Inverted Bells in Daoist Rituals of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao )== The Inverted Bell is a kind of Magical Instrument ( 法器 Faqi ) ofte...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Origin of Using Inverted Bells in Daoist Rituals of Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao )== The Inverted Bell is a kind of Magical Instrument ( 法器 Faqi ) often used in Daoist temples and rituals. It was already used as a musical instrument in ancient China. Inverted bells are made of stone, jade, or metals, and are rectangular in shape. Hung from shelves and struck with wood or stones, they give out clear and melodious sounds. '' Explanations of the Chinese Characters'' ( 說文 Shuowen ) says, "inverted bells are stones for playing music". Striking inverted bells was practised in all the rituals of ancient China. ''Records of the Initial Knowledge'' ( 初學記 Chuxue Ji ) quotes from the '' Essential Meaning of the Five Classics'' ( 五經要義 Wujing Yaoyi ), saying, "inverted bells are used for playing music on the day of the Beginning of Autumn". The chapter '' Spring Official'' ( 春官 Chunguan ) in the Rites of the Zhou ( 周禮 Zhouli ) says, "the inverted bell master teaches how to strike inverted bells". ''Golden Sound and Jade Music'' by Mencius explains that [[bells]] are used to initiate music and inverted bells are used to complete it. The early Daoist rituals were fairly simple, and there is no record of striking inverted bells in early rituals. After the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern dynasties, inverted bells began to be used in Daoist temples and rituals as a complement to bells, and thus the sublime scene of bells and inverted bells' sounding together was formed. The scripture '' On Conducting the Pervasive Mystery Numinous Treasure Three Grotto Rituals and Commandments for Worshiping Dao'' ( 洞玄靈寶三洞奉道科儀營始 Dongxuan Lingbao Sandong Fengdao Kejie Yingshi ) says that inverted bells are made of six kinds of things, "namely jade, gold, silver, copper, iron and stone. Some of them have two or four corners and some have nine corners or no corner. They look like compasses and have inscriptions. They are worshipped forever. All the bells and inverted bells must be hung with tassels". Nowadays in Daoist temples and at Ceremonial Altars ( 儀壇 Yitan ), bowl-shaped copper inverted bells have replaced the hanging rectangular stone or jade inverted bells. There are also small bowl-shaped copper inverted bells that are called Bowl Inverted bells and Hand bells, or leading bells that are attached to the top of wood handles and can be held while walking. ==Functions== There are two purposes of using inverted bells in Daoist temples and rituals. One is to move spirits and link up human beings and deities, the other is to warn men that "what is important in behaviour is proper demeanor and dignified manner". The '' Daoist Rituals of the Pervasive Mystery and Numinous Treasure'' ( 洞玄靈寶道學科儀 Dongxuan Lingbao Daoxue Keyi ) says, "bells and inverted bells are hung from the terrace to the left in front of the house in the diocese. They are sounded not only to warn human beings, but also to move spirits". '' [[The Great Law of the Numinous Treasure of the Highest Clarity]] '' ( 上清靈寶大法 Shangqing Lingbao Dafa ) written by Jin Yunzhong of the Southern Song dynasty says, "when the ritual space is solemn, bells and inverted bells are sounded together. The Juntian melody is played as if deities are wandering around the emperor's realm, and Sanskrit is sung loudly as if in the Mystery Metropolis". ''The Great Law of the Numinous Treasure of the Highest Clarity'' written by Wang Qizhen also says, "bells are round in the higher part and depressed at the bottom. Their sounds are clear and spread far. At the top of the bells are coiling dragons. One secondary type is the golden bell, signifying Yang. Inverted bells are round in the lower part and face upward. Their sounds are intensive and slow. At the seat of inverted bells are crouching tigers. Another secondary type is the Inverted Jade Bell, signifying Yin". Hence bells and inverted bells play in harmony as Yin and Yang blend. They can summon the souls of the Yang virtues of the Ten Directions and assemble the controllers of the darkness of the Nine Realms to be present at the rituals and attain the merits of fasts. After the Song and Yuan dynasties, Daoism had many regulations about the time and procedures for using inverted bells in temples and rituals. [[zh:磬]] b45153695325f2f9dd70adfc999cc2fe6c4b292d 0 596 738 2009-10-31T02:49:46Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} The Deer Tail ( 麈尾Zhuwei ) is in fact a duster. Ancient preachers of Dao liked to use a deer tail as duster to point to the listening crowd. The ''Biography of Wa...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} The Deer Tail ( 麈尾Zhuwei ) is in fact a duster. Ancient preachers of Dao liked to use a deer tail as duster to point to the listening crowd. The ''Biography of Wang Yan in the History of the Jin'' says, "Yan, having great talent and merit, is bright as a deity and good at metaphysical talk. He is always talking about Lao Zi ( 老子Laozi ) and Zhuang Zi ( 莊子Zhuangzi ) with a jade-handled deer tail in his jade-colored hand." This kind of deer, living only in the Ningguta and Usuli River area, has a deer's head, an ox's hoofs, a donkey's bottom, and a camel's back. So it is commonly called the Four Unlike ( 四不像Sibuxiang ). [[zh:麈尾]] 86f3c00187b5c5d398dd9a8f5316cec8e6eb5de7 0 597 739 2009-10-31T02:54:16Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} The Cymbal ( 鐃鏺Nao Ba ) is a Daoist ritual instrument. The ''Jade Book of Supreme Clarity'' ( 《太清玉冊》Taiqing Yuche ) says, "Chi You drove tigers and le...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} The Cymbal ( 鐃鏺Nao Ba ) is a Daoist ritual instrument. The ''Jade Book of Supreme Clarity'' ( 《太清玉冊》Taiqing Yuche ) says, "Chi You drove tigers and leopards to fight the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor struck cymbals to repel them, for these beasts feared the sound of cymbals." The ''Commentary on the Book of Yibao'' ( 《夷寶經注》Yibao Jing Zhu ) says, "[[The Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery]] ( 太乙救苦天尊Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun ) rides a nine-headed lion ( 九頭獅子Jiu Tou Shizi ) whose roar is like the sound of cymbals and can destroy the hells [[zh:鐃鈸]] 6f6bb31a21816c1d897017f1f9c85f7b0ba7b5f1 0 598 740 2009-10-31T03:06:17Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} Celebrations of the Divine Birthdays of Deities ( 神誕慶典 Shendan Qingdian ) in Daoist temples often arouses neighbouring folk people's pilgrimage activities. Th...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} Celebrations of the Divine Birthdays of Deities ( 神誕慶典 Shendan Qingdian ) in Daoist temples often arouses neighbouring folk people's pilgrimage activities. They form a custom and religious festival common to local Daoist circles and local people. Daoism, as the Chinese aboriginal religion, had early absorbed the deities worshipped by the court and by the common people into its pantheon, and thus has natural relations with Chinese folklore. Daoism has many divine birthdays and correspondingly frequent religious and folk activities. [[zh:神誕慶典]] ac3bb5e9ab0539ed8985e7aa81947b45c6ebb90f 741 740 2009-10-31T03:53:19Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} Celebrations of the Divine Birthdays of Deities ( 神誕慶典 Shendan Qingdian ) in Daoist temples often arouses neighbouring folk people's pilgrimage activities. They form a custom and religious festival common to local Daoist circles and local people. Daoism, as the Chinese aboriginal religion, had early absorbed the deities worshipped by the court and by the common people into its pantheon, and thus has natural relations with Chinese folklore. Daoism has many divine birthdays and correspondingly frequent religious and folk activities. ==Birthdays of Lofty Deitie== According to the Dates of Divine Birthdays in the Collections of Jade Box Records of Divine Birthdays of Deities ( 《諸神聖誕日玉匣記等集》Zhushen Shengdanri Yuxia Ji Dengji ), there are many divine birthdays every month, and such "lofty festivals" total over fifty in a year. Except for the birthdays of Maitreya ( 彌勒Mile ), the Buddha, Avolokiteshvara ( 觀音Guanyin ) and Dizang Bodhisatva ( 地藏菩薩Dizang Pusa ), which were absorbed from Buddhism, all the others are birthdays of Daoist deities. The following are the divine birthdays of deities listed in the book: ===1st month of the lunar calendar=== *1st day: the divine birthday of the Jade Emperor ( 玉皇Yuhuang ) *13th day: the divine birthday of Fierce General Liu ( 劉猛將Liu Mengjiang ) *15th day: the divine birthday of the Heavenly Official of the Higher Origin ( 上元天官 Shangyan Tianguan ) ===2nd month of the lunar calendar=== *2nd day: the divine birthday of the Earth Spirit *3rd day: the divine birthday of the Imperial Sovereign of Zitong ( 梓潼帝君Zitong Dijun ) *15th day: the divine birthday of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign ( 太上老君Taishang Laojun ) ===3rd month of the lunar calendar=== *3rd day: the divine birthday of the Perfect Warrior High Emperor ( 真武上帝Zhenwu Shangdi ) *15th day: the divine birthdays of Chief Commander Zhao and of the Ancestral Celestial Master ( 祖天師Zu Tianhi ) *18th day: the divine birthday of the Earth Queen *20th day: the divine birthday of the Grandpa of Offspring *23rd day: the divine birthday of the Heavenly Princess ( 天妃Tianfei ) *28th day: the divine birthday of the Emperor of the Eastern Mountain ( 東嶽大帝Dongyue Dadi ) ===4th month of the lunar calendar=== *18th day: the divine birthdays of the Great Emperor of Purple Subtlety ( 紫微大帝Ziwei Dadi ) and of Grandma Dingshang ( 頂上娘娘Dingshang Niangniang ) *28th day: the divine birthday of the King of Medicine ( 藥王Yaowang ) ===5th month of the lunar calendar=== *5th day: the divine birthday of Chief Commander Wen *7th day: the divine birthday of Grand Defense Minister Zhu ( 朱太尉Zhu Taiwei ) *11th day: the divine birthday of the Chief City God ( 都城隍Duchenghuang ) *12th day: the divine birthday of the Duke of Fire ( 炳靈公Bingling Gong ) *13th day: the divine birthday of King Guan ( 關王Gaunwang ) ===6th month of the lunar calendar=== *13th day: the divine birthday of the Well Dragon *19th day: celebration of Avolokiteshvara's Attaining Buddhahood *23rd day: the divine birthdays of the Fire Spirit and of the Horse Spirit *24th day: the divine birthday of the Heavenly Lord of Universal Transformation Whose Voice of Thunder Resonates with the Origin of the Nine Heavens ( 九天應元雷聲普化天尊Jiutian Yingyuan Leisheng Puhau Tainzun ) ===7th month of the lunar calendar=== *15th day: the divine birthdays of the Earthly Official of the Middle Origin ( 中元地官Zhongyaun Diguan ) and of the Perfect Sovereign of Numinous Salvation ( 靈濟真君Lingji Zhenjun ) *18th day: the divine birthday of Grandma Queen of the West ( 王母娘娘Wangmu Niangniang ) *19th day: the divine birthday of Grand Year God Yin ===8th month of the lunar calendar=== *3rd day: the divine birthday of the Kitchen Sovereign ( 灶君Zaojun ) ===9th month of the lunar calendar=== *3rd day: the divine birthday of the Five Plague Spirits *9th day: the divine birthdays of Elder Immortal Ge ( 葛仙翁Ge Xianweng ) and of Haoli *17th day: the divine birthdays of the Spirit of Wealth ( 財神Caishen ) and of the Perfect Sovereign of Great Benevolence *23rd day: the divine birthday of Ancestral Patriarch Sa *28th day: the divine birthdays of Chief Commander Ma and of the Numinous Official of the Five Manifestations ( 五顯靈官Wuxian Lingguan ) ===10th month of the lunar calendar=== *3rd day: the divine birthday of the Three Mao Perfect Sovereigns ( 三茅真君Sanmao Zhenjun ) *15th day: the divine birthday of the Water Official of the Lower Origin ( 下元水官Xiayuan Shuiguan ) ===11th month of the lunar calendar=== *11th day: the divine birthday of the Supreme Oneness Heavenly Lord Who Saves From Sufferings ( 太乙救苦天尊Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun ) *19th day: the divine birthday of the Deity of Sunlight ( 日光天子Riguang Tianzi ) *23rd day: the divine birthday of Immortal Zhang The book records birthdays until the Ming Dynasty with some later additions. Some local deities aren't included in the book. Due to differences in time and area, the divine birthdays have different influences on local customs. Those whose influence has been enduring and widespread include the Venerable Sovereign, the Jade Emperor, the Great Emperor of the Eastern Mountain, the Earth Spirit, the Kitchen Sovereign, the Three Officials, the Thunder Spirit, the Fire Spirit, the Spirit of Wealth, the Original Sovereign of the Azure Cloud (Grandma Dingshang), the Heavenly Queen (Mazu or the Heavenly Princess, a title given in the Ming Dynasty), the Imperial Sovereign of Zitong (Deity of Wenchang), and Emperor Guan (King Guan, his title before the Wanli Era of the Ming). Besides, there are many ancestors of different sects, such as patriarch Lu Dongbing, patriarch Qiu Chuji, patriarch Perfect Sovereign Xu of Pure Brightness Sect, etc., whose birthdays are also celebrated. The dates of divine birthdays come mostly from legend, except for several divined historic people. Wang Qui cites Zhuding Yuwen in his Lihai Ji : "Divine birthdays come from symbolic meanings." "The Jade Emperor was born on the 9th of the 1st month, for Yang numbers begin with 1 and end with 9. The Black Emperor was born on the 3rd of the 3rd month, for 1 bears 2 and 2 bears 3. The Vital Breath of water begins with 1 and grows with 3." Birthdays of Daoist deities have various origins. Some come from the scripture author and some legends. Daoist circles follow them as rules and in folk people they grow into customs. All are careful for fear of missing the dates. Some moralistic storybooks as the Yuli Zhibao Chao mention divine birthdays and spread widely in the folk people. Daoists think that merits double if offerings and scripture recitations are conducted on divine birthdays. Folk people often center around some temples and hold some activities as offering fairs and deity processions. The celebrations differ in influence according to the status of the deities in Daoism and in people's lives. For some high-ranked deities such as the Venerable Sovereign, the Jade Emperor, the Nine Emperors, the Great Emperor of the Eastern Mountain, Patriarch Lu, the celebration custom covers all the country. For some deities closely connected with people's lives, such as the City God, the Earth Spirit, or the Kitchen Sovereign, the celebrations last long. Some deities influence a certain local area, such as the Five Sages south of the Yangtze River, and General Yang Si in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Some deities spread to all the country or even overseas. The Motherly Matriarch of Putian, Fujian is a good example. Azure Cloud in the north and the Heavenly Princess in the south are two of the most popular Daoist goddesses. Among the divine birthdays, that of the Three Officials has the greatest influence. The Three Origin days refer to the Upper Origin on the 15th of the 1st month, the Middle Origin on the 15th of the 7th month, and the Lower Origin on the 15th of the 10th month. These dates, originally the days when the Three Officials examined the merits and sins of people, became their birthdays in legend and thus important festivals. The Three Origin days actually evolved from the three meeting days of early Daoism, inheriting the belief in the Three Officials. The Supreme Pervasive Mystery Numinous Treasure Book on the Merits of the Triple Origins' Commandments says, "The Three Officials of Heaven, Earth and Water govern nine palaces, nine mansions and 120 agencies. They examine the sins and merits of the Three Classes daily and yearly without any mistake. Merits accumulated in the pursuit of Immortality and sins of malicious deeds are examined and written down by concerned officials." The Three Officials originally examined merits and sins on the Three Meeting Days. Except for the Lower Meeting day of the 15th of the 10th month, the Upper Origin day of the 7th of the 1st month and the Middle Origin Day of the 7th of the 7th month aren't full moon dates. Until the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the 15th of the 1st, 7th and 10th months became the days to set up Triple Origin Offerings. Later, the dates became the birthdays of Three Officials. The Three Origin days and the Three Meeting days thus separated. The Three Officials and other subordinate deities were said to "first examine sins and merits on the Three Meeting days and then ascend to the Golden Palace to give people blessings or punishments on the Three Origin days." After examining sins and merits, they ascend to Heaven and report to the Supreme Venerable Sovereign and then give corresponding blessings or punishment. The "Golden Palace" here usually refers to the palace of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign. On the Three Origin Days, Daoist temples often conduct offerings and repentance. These, combined with the folk new year celebration and sacrifices to ancestors and orphans, have become important festivals among the common people. [[zh:神誕慶典]] 15f88cd15c69b6d211519b8884627ee3dd826253 742 741 2009-10-31T03:56:20Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} Celebrations of the Divine Birthdays of Deities ( 神誕慶典 Shendan Qingdian ) in Daoist temples often arouses neighbouring folk people's pilgrimage activities. They form a custom and religious festival common to local Daoist circles and local people. Daoism, as the Chinese aboriginal religion, had early absorbed the deities worshipped by the court and by the common people into its pantheon, and thus has natural relations with Chinese folklore. Daoism has many divine birthdays and correspondingly frequent religious and folk activities. ==Birthdays of Lofty Deitie== According to ''the Dates of Divine Birthdays in the Collections of Jade Box Records of Divine Birthdays of Deities'' ( 《諸神聖誕日玉匣記等集》Zhushen Shengdanri Yuxia Ji Dengji ), there are many divine birthdays every month, and such "lofty festivals" total over fifty in a year. Except for the birthdays of Maitreya ( 彌勒Mile ), the Buddha, [[Avolokiteshvara]] ( 觀音Guanyin ) and Dizang Bodhisatva ( 地藏菩薩Dizang Pusa ), which were absorbed from Buddhism, all the others are birthdays of Daoist deities. The following are the divine birthdays of deities listed in the book: ===1st month of the lunar calendar=== *1st day: the divine birthday of [[the Jade Emperor]] ( 玉皇Yuhuang ) *13th day: the divine birthday of Fierce General Liu ( 劉猛將Liu Mengjiang ) *15th day: the divine birthday of [[the Heavenly Official of the Higher Origin]] ( 上元天官 Shangyan Tianguan ) ===2nd month of the lunar calendar=== *2nd day: the divine birthday of [[the Earth Spirit]] *3rd day: the divine birthday of the [[Imperial Sovereign of Zitong]] ( 梓潼帝君Zitong Dijun ) *15th day: the divine birthday of [[the Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君Taishang Laojun ) ===3rd month of the lunar calendar=== *3rd day: the divine birthday of [[the Perfect Warrior High Emperor]] ( 真武上帝Zhenwu Shangdi ) *15th day: the divine birthdays of Chief Commander Zhao and of the Ancestral Celestial Master ( 祖天師Zu Tianhi ) *18th day: the divine birthday of [[the Earth Queen]] *20th day: the divine birthday of the Grandpa of Offspring *23rd day: the divine birthday of [[the Heavenly Princess]] ( 天妃Tianfei ) *28th day: the divine birthday of [[the Emperor of the Eastern Mountain]] ( 東嶽大帝Dongyue Dadi ) ===4th month of the lunar calendar=== *18th day: the divine birthdays of the Great Emperor of Purple Subtlety ( 紫微大帝Ziwei Dadi ) and of Grandma Dingshang ( 頂上娘娘Dingshang Niangniang ) *28th day: the divine birthday of [[the King of Medicine]] ( 藥王Yaowang ) ===5th month of the lunar calendar=== *5th day: the divine birthday of Chief Commander Wen *7th day: the divine birthday of Grand Defense Minister Zhu ( 朱太尉Zhu Taiwei ) *11th day: the divine birthday of [[the Chief City God]] ( 都城隍Duchenghuang ) *12th day: the divine birthday of the Duke of Fire ( 炳靈公Bingling Gong ) *13th day: the divine birthday of [[King Guan]] ( 關王Gaunwang ) ===6th month of the lunar calendar=== *13th day: the divine birthday of the Well Dragon *19th day: celebration of Avolokiteshvara's Attaining Buddhahood *23rd day: the divine birthdays of the Fire Spirit and of the Horse Spirit *24th day: the divine birthday of [[the Heavenly Lord of Universal Transformation Whose Voice of Thunder Resonates with the Origin of the Nine Heavens]] ( 九天應元雷聲普化天尊Jiutian Yingyuan Leisheng Puhau Tainzun ) ===7th month of the lunar calendar=== *15th day: the divine birthdays of [[the Earthly Official of the Middle Origin]] ( 中元地官Zhongyaun Diguan ) and of the Perfect Sovereign of Numinous Salvation ( 靈濟真君Lingji Zhenjun ) *18th day: the divine birthday of [[Grandma Queen of the West]] ( 王母娘娘Wangmu Niangniang ) *19th day: the divine birthday of Grand Year God Yin ===8th month of the lunar calendar=== *3rd day: the divine birthday of [[the Kitchen Sovereign]] ( 灶君Zaojun ) ===9th month of the lunar calendar=== *3rd day: the divine birthday of the Five Plague Spirits *9th day: the divine birthdays of [[Elder Immortal Ge]] ( 葛仙翁Ge Xianweng ) and of Haoli *17th day: the divine birthdays of [[the Spirit of Wealth]] ( 財神Caishen ) and of the Perfect Sovereign of Great Benevolence *23rd day: the divine birthday of Ancestral Patriarch Sa *28th day: the divine birthdays of Chief Commander Ma and of the Numinous Official of the Five Manifestations ( 五顯靈官Wuxian Lingguan ) ===10th month of the lunar calendar=== *3rd day: the divine birthday of [[the Three Mao Perfect Sovereigns]] ( 三茅真君Sanmao Zhenjun ) *15th day: the divine birthday of [[the Water Official of the Lower Origin]] ( 下元水官Xiayuan Shuiguan ) ===11th month of the lunar calendar=== *11th day: the divine birthday of the Supreme Oneness Heavenly Lord Who Saves From Sufferings ( 太乙救苦天尊Taiyi Jiuku Tianzun ) *19th day: the divine birthday of the Deity of Sunlight ( 日光天子Riguang Tianzi ) *23rd day: the divine birthday of Immortal Zhang The book records birthdays until the Ming Dynasty with some later additions. Some local deities aren't included in the book. Due to differences in time and area, the divine birthdays have different influences on local customs. Those whose influence has been enduring and widespread include the Venerable Sovereign, the Jade Emperor, the Great Emperor of the Eastern Mountain, the Earth Spirit, the Kitchen Sovereign, the Three Officials, the Thunder Spirit, the Fire Spirit, the Spirit of Wealth, the Original Sovereign of the Azure Cloud (Grandma Dingshang), the Heavenly Queen (Mazu or the Heavenly Princess, a title given in the Ming Dynasty), the Imperial Sovereign of Zitong (Deity of Wenchang), and Emperor Guan (King Guan, his title before the Wanli Era of the Ming). Besides, there are many ancestors of different sects, such as patriarch Lu Dongbing, patriarch Qiu Chuji, patriarch Perfect Sovereign Xu of Pure Brightness Sect, etc., whose birthdays are also celebrated. The dates of divine birthdays come mostly from legend, except for several divined historic people. Wang Qui cites Zhuding Yuwen in his Lihai Ji : "Divine birthdays come from symbolic meanings." "The Jade Emperor was born on the 9th of the 1st month, for Yang numbers begin with 1 and end with 9. The Black Emperor was born on the 3rd of the 3rd month, for 1 bears 2 and 2 bears 3. The Vital Breath of water begins with 1 and grows with 3." Birthdays of Daoist deities have various origins. Some come from the scripture author and some legends. Daoist circles follow them as rules and in folk people they grow into customs. All are careful for fear of missing the dates. Some moralistic storybooks as the Yuli Zhibao Chao mention divine birthdays and spread widely in the folk people. Daoists think that merits double if offerings and scripture recitations are conducted on divine birthdays. Folk people often center around some temples and hold some activities as offering fairs and deity processions. The celebrations differ in influence according to the status of the deities in Daoism and in people's lives. For some high-ranked deities such as the Venerable Sovereign, the Jade Emperor, the Nine Emperors, the Great Emperor of the Eastern Mountain, Patriarch Lu, the celebration custom covers all the country. For some deities closely connected with people's lives, such as the City God, the Earth Spirit, or the Kitchen Sovereign, the celebrations last long. Some deities influence a certain local area, such as the Five Sages south of the Yangtze River, and General Yang Si in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Some deities spread to all the country or even overseas. The Motherly Matriarch of Putian, Fujian is a good example. Azure Cloud in the north and the Heavenly Princess in the south are two of the most popular Daoist goddesses. Among the divine birthdays, that of the Three Officials has the greatest influence. The Three Origin days refer to the Upper Origin on the 15th of the 1st month, the Middle Origin on the 15th of the 7th month, and the Lower Origin on the 15th of the 10th month. These dates, originally the days when the Three Officials examined the merits and sins of people, became their birthdays in legend and thus important festivals. The Three Origin days actually evolved from the three meeting days of early Daoism, inheriting the belief in the Three Officials. The Supreme Pervasive Mystery Numinous Treasure Book on the Merits of the Triple Origins' Commandments says, "The Three Officials of Heaven, Earth and Water govern nine palaces, nine mansions and 120 agencies. They examine the sins and merits of the Three Classes daily and yearly without any mistake. Merits accumulated in the pursuit of Immortality and sins of malicious deeds are examined and written down by concerned officials." The Three Officials originally examined merits and sins on the Three Meeting Days. Except for the Lower Meeting day of the 15th of the 10th month, the Upper Origin day of the 7th of the 1st month and the Middle Origin Day of the 7th of the 7th month aren't full moon dates. Until the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the 15th of the 1st, 7th and 10th months became the days to set up Triple Origin Offerings. Later, the dates became the birthdays of Three Officials. The Three Origin days and the Three Meeting days thus separated. The Three Officials and other subordinate deities were said to "first examine sins and merits on the Three Meeting days and then ascend to the Golden Palace to give people blessings or punishments on the Three Origin days." After examining sins and merits, they ascend to Heaven and report to the Supreme Venerable Sovereign and then give corresponding blessings or punishment. The "Golden Palace" here usually refers to the palace of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign. On the Three Origin Days, Daoist temples often conduct offerings and repentance. These, combined with the folk new year celebration and sacrifices to ancestors and orphans, have become important festivals among the common people. [[zh:神誕慶典]] 38e87694a73f67119812f1494d098a5b4f5da60a 0 599 743 2009-10-31T04:55:23Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} In ancient China, there used to be a custom whereby the habitants of a place collectively offered cults to the local spirits, or welcomed spirits to make a procession...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} In ancient China, there used to be a custom whereby the habitants of a place collectively offered cults to the local spirits, or welcomed spirits to make a procession through a certain region, thus praying to him for eliminating disasters and receiving good fortune. Concurrently, large-scale recreational activities and rites for praying for the spirits' protection were held among the people. The organization in charge of such activities was called the " Fair" ( 會 Hui ). For example, in order to worship the Village Grandpa Spirit ( 社神 Sheshen ) (i.e., the Earth Spirit ( 土地神 Tudi Shen ) in later ages), inhabitants of the same region needed to have a head who took the lead and formed a common organization, namely the Earth God Fair This tradition was also absorbed into Daoism. Activities to welcome spirits for a procession were often held for Daoist spirits as well. ==The Origin== Welcoming Spirits for a Procession is usually organized to celebrate spirits' birthdays. Sometimes people welcome spirits to make a procession in order to pray for blessings or pray for spirits' protection, owing to the severe calamities or epidemic situation of the place at that time. During the Procession ( 出會 Chuhui )., the sculpture of the spirit in the temple is lifted out and taken on a tour of the whole region. The spirit is made to inspect local places and dispel evil spirits and various ghosts. Which specific deity is carried depends on the exact belief of the local people. For example, in the past, the procession of the Lang Spirit in the Two Kings' Temple in Guankou, Sichuan was called the procession of the Erlang Spirit. The Perfect Sovereign ( 真君 Zhenjun ) Xu in the Wanshou Temple on Mt. Xiaoyao near Nanchang, Jiangxi paid audience to his teacher regularly every year. This was called the Southern Audience. His sculpture was lifted along a fixed route to visit his daughter and son-in-law. As it traveled to the west, it was called the Western Consolation. Whenever an epidemic occured in the area of Nantong, Jiangsu, or when it was the birthday of the Heavenly Governor Spirit, the Heavenly Governor Fair was held to invite the Heavenly Governor to go on a tour of the local places and dispel pestilence. There were different views about who was the Heavenly Governor Spirit, but a popular view was that he was Zhang Xun of the Tang dynasty, who was killed for condemning An Lushan. This person was simultaneously called the Hairy Numinous Duke in Longyou County, Zhejiang--perhaps because his statue wore a heavy beard and appeared very mighty. The sculpture was taken through the whole county to bring safety. In a word, any spirit having influence in one region is likely to be taken on a circuit of the whole region, and according to the procession activity, there is a related "Fair". Sometimes all the spirits of the whole region are welcomed for a procession together. They converge in a certain place and gather together. Among the activities of welcoming spirits for a procession usually held in different regions, a relatively popular one is the procession of the City God ( 城隍 Chenghuang ). Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming dynasty prescribed that the City God inspect local places three times a year, once during Qingming Festival, once during the Zhongyuan Festival, and once on the first day of the tenth lunar month. The main responsibility of the City God was to control fierce ghosts and protect the region and pacify the people. The City God's procession became a custom in every place, and was conducted on schedule every year. In some places, this custom was maintained till the modern times, or even until the contemporary age. == The Organization == To welcome spirits for a procession is usually well organized. The activities are usually named in the name of the spirit worshiped, or according to the guidelines of the organization, or the profession or region of the organization. For example, in Shanghai there used to be a Three Mao Temple that worshiped The Three Mao Perfect Sovereign Brothers ( 三茅真君Sanmao Zhenjun ). The believers carried the sculptures of them on to Mt. Mao, advancing by beating gongs and drums. This was popularly called the Three Mao Fair ( 三茅會 San Mao Hui ). == The Procession == The procession is always accompanied with exuberant entertainment, a grand manifestation of popular arts. The Procession is an important event in local places. The Chinese people have always had the tradition of entertaining spirits by singing and dancing, and in large processions, a well-organized display of performances and a variety of recreational activities take place. At the same time various kinds of operas are performed all night till dawn. The popular ones among them include Stilts ( 高蹺 Gaoqiao ), the Land Boat ( 旱船 Hanchuan ), Streamers ( 中幡 Zhongfan ) (playing with streamers over one zhang high), and Open-Air Opera ( 扮台閣 Ban Taige ) (displaying a scene in an opera and carried by people or on carts, proceeding in streets), etc. These performances are always given in public in the streets, and the people can watch freely. As the performers come from the common people and many are local natives, mass participation is an outstanding feature of this kind of performance. In fact, it is the carnival of the Chinese people. In Western countries, because the religions are basically unified or a certain religion is predominant, their religious festivals are almost identical within a country or even in many countries. In comparison, Chinese Processions, due to the great variety of Immortals, Buddhas, and popular spirits, the time for the Procession varies in different places, so that people can participate in the Procession in neighbouring places and thus take part in such carnivals several times. Many popular entertainment performances are especially prepared for the Procession. After assiduous training and competitions, learning and exchanges with many other performers in the Processions, the folk artists improve their level continuously. After some Procession activities died out this century, these performances became independent and turned into very influential folk artistic performances, quite a number of which are still lively on the present artistic stage. In the past twenty years, with the great development of tourism in the mainland of China, all kinds of folk arts are well utilized, and many of them originate from different sorts of Procession performances. Therefore, this kind of folk art, which is organized and exists for the divine Processions, has become an important cultural as well as economic resource. [[zh:迎神出會]] 5b03ba55da1cd060f019d7745b2dbdf1b01d8e96 0 600 744 2009-10-31T05:38:30Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} In large Daoist temples, or even famous Grotto Heavens ( 洞天 Dongtian ) and Blissful Realms ( 福地 Fudi ), every year there is usually a peak season when people ...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} In large Daoist temples, or even famous Grotto Heavens ( 洞天 Dongtian ) and Blissful Realms ( 福地 Fudi ), every year there is usually a peak season when people burn incense, which is called the Incense Season ( 香期 Xiangqi ). Also, there are regular activities such as offering sacrifices and celebrations, which are called the Temple Fair ( 廟會 Miaohui ). Both the Incense Season and the Temple Fair are centred on the temple and the spirits worshiped in it. In the development of Daoism, quite a number of temples and famous mountains that are very influential both within Daoism and among the people have emerged, some of which are even the seats of the ancestral altars of certain sects. Hence they are enormously appealing both inside and outside Daoism. The spirits worshiped in these famous mountains and temples attract believers and pilgrims from nearby and even from a thousand miles away to offer incense. Especially on significant festivals such as the birthdays of the spirits, large-scale activities of offering cults and celebrations are held with worshiping the spirits and patriarchs of the temples as major rituals. Therefore, Temple Fairs are usually named in different ways. Some are called Incense Temple Fairs so as to emphasize offering incense, while some others are called Processions ( 賽會 過會 出會 Saihui Guohui Chuhui ) so as to stress the characteristic of giving large-scale folk artistic performances to repay spirits' protection. Moreover, since Temple Fairs and Incense Seasons are times when the largest number of people are gathered, they stimulate and promote the business of food catering, hotels, renting carriages and horses, etc. Besides, they are good opportunities for the exchange of goods and materials between people in the countryside who seldom meet at ordinary times. Hence the Temple Fair is a synthetic folk fair, but it is based on the belief in and worship of spirits. For example, [[Mt. Mao]] is the seat of the ancestral altar of [[the Highest Clarity Sect]] ( 上清派 Shangqing Pai ), and the spirits worshiped there are mainly the Three Mao Perfect Sovereign Brothers ( 三茅真君 Sanmao Zhenjun ). According to the legend of the Han dynasty, the three brothers Mao Ying, Mao Gu and Mao Zhong once cultivated themselves at this place, and they became the Three Mao Perfect Sovereign Brothers after attaining Dao and ascending to Heaven. In the region of Jiangsu, there are a lot of believers, and the mountain's influence expands to Anhui, Shanghai, Zhejiang, etc. The Incense Season of Mt. Mao starts in the first lunar month, when the pilgrims form a continuous stream, and it reaches its climax in the third lunar month. According to the last chapter of the third volume of the ''China Folk Customs Gazeteer'' ( 中華全國風俗志 Zhonghua Quanguo Fengsu Zhi ) edited by Hu Pu'an in the period of the Republic of China, during that period, "Pilgrims, whether near or far, participate in it enthusiastically. Several villages in each prefecture form an association. They place the picture of Buddha (note: it should be a spirit or Immortal, but the people usually do not distinguish Immortals from Buddhas) in a small wooden shrine, which is one chi and five or six cun high, more than one chi wide, and shaped as a house. The wooden shrine is finely engraved and colourfully ornamented. In the middle sits a divine statue that is five or seven cun high, and small wooden sticks extend out from the shrine. One or two persons carry it on their shoulder, while an entourage advances behind them with gongs, drums and cymbals clanging. Occasionally some people, holding banners or umbrellas, show the statue in the street. Such activities are carried out several times every day before the fifteenth day of the third lunar month. Everyone carries a yellow cloth bag with the word ' pilgrimage' written on it." (This practise is not confined to Mt. Mao. Other places, such as Mt. Wudang (dedicated to the Highest Emperor of the Mysterious Northern Heaven ( 玄天上帝 Xuantian Shangdi )), Mt. Miaofeng (dedicated to the Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud ( 碧霞元君 Bixia Yuanjun ) -- who is also called the Mt. Tai Granny or the Summit Lady by folk believers, for she originally lived at the top of [[Mt. Tai]], and so offering incense to her is also called the Pilgrimage to the Summit), Mt. Qionglong in the former Suzhou (dedicated to [[the Great Jade Emperor]] ( 玉皇大帝 Yuhuang Dadi )), have their own Incense Seasons. Temple Fairs are usually concentrated in a shorter time than Incense Seasons. Usually they are fixed on the birthday of some spirit or several days before or after it, so they are even more jubilant. The celebration of the Temple Fair always focuses on the worship of spirits and develops into synthetic activities such as folk entertainment, typical local dish exhibitions and trade. The Temple Fair is usually focused on the temple and also expands to the area around the temple. During that period, grand rituals of celebration are held in temples, and the believers often come to watch and sometimes participate in them and raise money to accumulate merits. Such situations started a long time ago. For example, the sacred birthday of [[the Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ) was already greatly valued in the Tang and Song dynasties. Indeed, in the Tang dynasty, he was regarded as the first patriarch, the Emperor of the Mysterious Origin ( 玄元皇帝 Xuanyuan Huangdi ). In Hangzhou, the capital of the Southern Song dynasty, "the birthday party of the Venerable Sovereign is held every year in the Tianqing Temple. Ten thousand lamps are lighted, the sage is worshiped, and fasts are carried out to pray for blessings for the people. The officials and common people offering incense and worshiping spirits are numerous" (Volume One of the ''Record of the Golden Millet Dream'' ( 夢粱錄 Mengliang Lu ) by Wu Zimu of the Song dynasty). On the ninth day of the first lunar month, the birthday of the Great Jade Emperor, Daoist temples hold routine Offering Rituals to worship him and many nearby believers come to offer incense. The Temple Fair of the Sacred Mountain of the East ( 東嶽會 Dongyue Hui ) held on the 28th day of the third lunar month, birthday of the Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East ( 東嶽大帝 Dongyue Dadi ), and the Temple Fair of Immortals ( 神仙會 Shenxian Hui ) held in Jiangsu on the 14th day of the fourth lunar month, Lu Dongbin's birthday, and so on, all centre on the Offering Rituals in the temples, together with plenty of other folk customs. Most of the folk activities in Temple Fairs are mainly for elimination of disasters and for praying for good fortune. Wanshou Temple on Mt. Xiaoyao of Jiangxi is the Sacred Space ( 道場 Daochang ) of Perfect Sovereign Xu ( 真君 Zhenjun ). According to a local legend, after controlling the flood dragon in those days, Perfect Sovereign Xu planted a cypress in front of Wanshou Temple and predicted, "When the cypress branches reach the ground, I will revive." It implies that if the cypress branches touch the ground, the flood dragon will do harm again and Perfect Sovereign Xu will have to bring the demon under control once more. The people are afraid that the cypress branches' reaching the ground would tempt the flood dragon to cause floods and disasters, so in August every year, they hold a cypress cutting fair to crop the branches. During the Mt. Mao Incense Season, people climb up the mountain to offer incense. Usually the pilgrims Petition the Three Perfect Mao Brothers ( 三茅表 Sanmao Biao ) at the summit palace and affix the Nine Elders' Immortal Capital Sovereign Seal at the seal palace. It is said that by doing so, people can pray for good fortune and avoid evil. Moreover, they often bring home "One Incense Stick" and a "Golden Elixir Basket ( 黃丹籮 Huangdan Luo ) ". The incense stick implies "returning to the Xiang (a homophone for ' incense' and ' hometown') and obtaining good fortune". There are altogether 29 Golden Elixir Baskets, which are shaped like baskets and are similar to goose eggs in size. One of them represents the alchemical cauldron of the partriarch, and the others represent the Twenty-Eight Constellations. At the Temple Fair of the White Cloud Temple ( 白雲觀 Baiyun Guan ) held every year in Beijing, people enter the temple to touch the statues of three monkeys in order to get rid of bad luck. They also often Shoot into the Eye of the Big Coin ( 打金錢眼 Da Jinqian Yan ) beside the Wofeng Bridge (they toss a small coin into the eye of a large suspended coin; those who are able to toss the coin through the eye will be fortunate). Pilgrims to Mt. Miaofeng in the suburbs of Beijing often bring a small red flower home. This is called "Bringing Blessings Home" ( 帶福還家 Daifu Huanjia ). At the Temple Fair of the Shrine to the Duke of Chariots ( 車公廟 Chegong Miao ) in Hong Kong, people usually bring back a small paper pinwheel and let it turn round and round in the wind. This signifies "Changing One's Luck" ( 轉運 Zhuanyun ). Going below the Golden Summit, Pilgrims to Mt. Wudang often go through a narrow passage in a in a small temple, which is actually the summit temple of Mt. Wudang built in the Yuan dynasty, i.e., the Mysterious Emperor's Temple. While passing through the passage, the person is asked by another person standing nearby, "Have you turned round?" and he answers, "Yes." This signifies getting rid of bad fortune and changing it into good luck. Customs like these defy enumeration. During Temple Fairs, people often hold all kinds of folk artistic activities that entertain both spirits and men, and sometimes invite professional theatrical troupes to perform operas to Reward a Deity ( 酬神 Choushen ). For example, there exists the so-called Procession custom, i.e., giving a performance of all kinds of folk arts and sideshows in the period of the Temple Fairs. "The so-called Procession means that loafers in the capital play the roles of opening the way, holding streams, carrying boxes, holding Wuhu sticks, beating flower-drums, playing with stilts, doing the yangko dance, juggling with jars, and performing the lion dance, etc." (Records of the Yanjing Festivals by Fu Dunchong of the Qing dynasty). These are sideshows popular in the Beijing area. Since mass participation is the prominent characteristic of Temple Fairs, despite some professional entertainment, most activities come into being spontaneously in different regions or different professions. Furthermore, they take place in a single place at a single time and can be compared, so they are of strong competitive nature. This promotes the folk artists and ordinary participants to improve their artistic quality. Therefore, all the Temple Fairs having a certain influence always become a grand display of folk arts, sideshows and so on. At that time, the performances vie with each other for glamour and the spectators form a solid wall of humanity. It is a veritable grand entertainment gathering. Incense Seasons and Temple Fairs have local features. Every place has its influential Temple Fair. Both Incense Seasons and Temple Fairs are concentrated in some region or some temple in the region, so the first participants are mostly local people. The fame and the spirits' influence may extend several hundred miles, but generally speaking, Incense Seasons and Temple Fairs have evident local cultural characteristics. This is because they are generally connected with the local inhabitants' activities of praying for good fortune and eliminating disasters, and while organizing and operating such activities according to their local traditions, people are liable to absorb the local cultural elements into them. As a matter of fact, the Chinese have the tradition of holding "Earth God Fairs ( 社會 Shehui ) ". That is, out of the need to worship the Earth God collectively, inhabitants of the same region organize some worship organizations. They raise funds and offer sacrifices together and perform all kinds of folk arts together as well, so as to entertain and please the spirits. It is an important occasion for the regular contact between people in various regions. Hence the Chinese word for' society' (shehui) is actually the word for ' Earth God Fair'. The Temple Fairs of later ages developed from the Earth God Fairs. People in different places all attach great importance to the Temple Fair and make good arrangements regularly in traditional ways. Daoist temples are spread all over China, so almost every place has its own Temple Fair, and some places even have frequent Temple Fairs. For example, in Fengxian County, Shanghai City, there used to be over 50 Temple Fairs. The spirits worshiped, such as Guanyin, Dizang, [[Patriarch Lü]] ( 呂祖 Lü Zu ), [[Lord Guan]] ( 關公 Guan Gong ), the Sea Dragon King ( 海龍王 Hailong Wang ), the City God ( 城隍 Chenghuang ), the Snake Spirit ( 蛇神 Sheshen ), Brave General Liu ( 劉猛將 Liu Mengjiang ), and Gentleman Shi ( 施相公 Shi Xianggong ), are mostly Daoist spirits and Immortals, as well as folk spirits which were included in the Daoist pantheon. The Temple Fairs of the White Cloud Temple in Beijing, the Saintly Earth God Mother Temple in Shanxi Province, the Mysterious Sublimity Temple ( 玄妙觀 Xuanmiao Guan ) in Suzhou, and the fairs dedicated to Lord Guan, [[the Heavenly Motherly Matriarch]] ( 天后媽祖 Tianhou Mazu ) in Taiwan and mainland China, the Medicine King in Yao County, Shanxi (hometown of Sun Simiao, the Medicine King), and so on, are all Temple Fairs that are influential regionally or even in the whole country. [[zh:香期與廟會]] 893ef5266638f1bb1b64022cc29769018be0f4cc 10 555 745 692 2009-10-31T05:41:15Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <br clear=all> {| align=right id=toc |align=center align="center" | '''<font size=4>[[Rituals]]</font>''' |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Religious Practise |- |align=center align="center" |[[Morning and Evening Rites]] <br> [[Refining the Vital Breath]]<br>[[Wandering About and Seeking Masters ]] <br> [[Fasting]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Religious Discipline |- |align=center align="center" |[[Commandments of the Orthodox Oneness Sect]]<br>[[Commandments of the Complete Perfection Sect]]<br>[[Temple Regulations]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |[[Talismans, Registers, and Magic Skills]] |- |align=center align="center" |[[Talismans]] <br> [[Registers]] <br> [[Divine Incantations]] <br> [[Finger Gestures]] <br> [[Pacing the Big Dipper]]<br>[[Magical Transformation Skills]] <br> [[Praying for Happiness and Offering Sacrifice]] <br> [[Summoning Spirits for Interrogation]]<br>[[Exorcism]] <br> [[Healing Diseases]] <br> [[Expelling the God of Plague]] <br> [[Numerology]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |[[Rituals]] |- |align=center align="center" |[[Names of the Three Fasts]] <br> [[Great Ritual Offerings to the Overarching Heaven]] <br> [[Lantern Rituals for the Destruction of Hell]]<br>[[Rituals of Purification and of Sacrifice to the Ancestral Souls]] <br> [[Rituals of Purification and Salvation ]]<br>[[Rituals of Scattering Flowers and Communicating with Spirits through Lanterns]] <br> [[Rituals for Sending Petitions to the Heavens]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Ceremonial Altars |- |align=center align="center" |[[Altars for Fasts]] <br> [[Altars for Ritual Offerings]] <br> [[Altars for Commandments]] <br> [[The Ancestral Altar of All Skills]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |[[Daoist Headdresses and Dress]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Ritual Implements |- |align=center align="center" |[[Wooden Fish]] <br> [[Commandment Plaques]] <br> [[S-shaped Ornamental Objects]] <br> [[Magical Seals]]<br>[[Magical Staffs]] <br> [[Magical Swords]] <br> [[Tablets]] <br> [[Shallow Pans]] <br>[[Streamers]] <br> [[Inverted Bells]] <br> [[Horsetail Whisks]] <br> [[Bells]] <br> [[Large Cymbals]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |Ritual Specialists |- |align=center align="center" |[[High Priest]] <br> [[Cheif Cantor]] <br> [[Inspector of Fasts]]<br>[[Incense Attendant]] <br> [[Lantern Attendant]] <br> [[Scripture Attendant]] |- |align=center style="background:#ccccff" |[[Ceremonies to Celebrate the Birth of Spirits]] |- |align=center align="center" |[[Assemblies to Entice Spirits]] <br> [[Pilgrimage Times and Temple Fairs]] |} cce001ebef5cf63ece8a7226eae9201d634b5444 0 517 746 640 2009-10-31T06:31:21Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{ Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origin of the Jade Emperor == The Great Jade Emperor ( 玉皇大帝 Yuhuang Dadi ) is often simply called the 'Jade Emperor', as well as the 'Most Venerable Jade Emperor of the Heavenly Golden Palace' ( 昊天金闕至尊玉皇大帝 Haotian Jinque zhizun Yuhuang Dadi ) and 'Lofty Jade Emperor of the Mysterious Heaven" ( 玄穹高上玉皇大帝 Xuanqong Gaoshang Dadi ). In the Song Dynasty, Emperor Zhen honored him with the holy title 'Supreme Jade Emperor, Creator of Heaven, Holder of Talismans, Imperial Timesetter, Container of Perfection, and Embodiment of Dao"( 太上開天執符御歷含真體道玉皇大帝 Taishang Kaitian Yuli Hanhen Tidao Yuhuang Dadi ). Emperor Hui honored him as 'Supreme Highest Jade Emperor of the Heavens, Creator of Heaven, Holder of Talismans, Jade Timesetter, Container of Perfection, and Embodiment of Dao' ( 太上開天執符御歷含真體道昊天玉皇大帝 Taishang Kaitian Zhifu Yuli Hanzhen Tidao Haotian Yuhuang Dadi ). His complete name in Daoist scriptures is 'Most Venerable Highest Jade Emperor of All-Embracing Sublime Spontaneous Existence of the Heavenly Golden Palace" ( 昊天金闕無上至尊自然妙有彌羅至尊玉皇上帝 Haotian Jinque Wushang zhizun Ziran Miaoyou Miluo Zhizun Yuhuang Dadi ). According to the Original Deeds of the Lofty Jade Emperor ( 《高上玉皇本行經》 Gaoshang yuhuang Benxing Jing ), the Great Jade Emperor is the son of the King of the Pure Blissful Kingdom of Lofty Heavenly Lights and Ornaments ( 光嚴淨樂國王 Guanglian Jingle Guowang ) and of the Empress of Precious Moonlight ( 寶月光皇后 Bao Yueguang Huanghou ). At birth, the precious light of his glorious flames filled the country. He was smart and wise when young, and kind and benevolent when grown up. He devoted the entire state treasury to all sentient beings, the poor and suffering, the deserted and single, the hungry and disabled. After the death of the King of Pure Bliss ( 淨樂王 Jingle Wang ), he ruled ably as crown prince and told his ministers that, feeling merciful for all sentient beings, he would abandon the throne and cultivate Dao on the Mountain of Universal Light and Fragrant Rocks ( 普明香嚴 Puming Xiangyang Shan ). After 3200 aeons, he attained to the station of Golden Immortality ( 金仙 Jinxian ) and was called 'Emperor of Spontaneous Enlightenment" ( 自然覺皇 Ziran Jue Huang ). After another billion aeons, he ascended to the station of Jade Emperor. ==Emperor of Ten Thousand Spirits == The Jade Emperor is the emperor of all heavens, king of all Immortals, lord of saints, the highest divinity of the ten thousand spirits in the three realms and of all Immortals of the Three Grottoes ( 三洞仙真 Sandong Xianzhen ). He has the power to order the Immortals of the Nine Heavens and to invoke the spirits of the four seas and five sacred mountains. All the spirits follow and attend to him in queue, just like the emperor and his ministers in the human world. A poem of Bai Juyi says: "Immortals such as Anqi and Xianmen attend to him in queue like ministers. To his holy majesty I look up and bow to pay my sincere respect." ==In Charge of the Dao of Heaven == The Jade Emperor is an avatar of the Three Pristine Ones. The relationship between them is like Emptiness ( 虛無 Xuwu ) preceding Subtle Being ( 妙有 Miaoyou ), Infinity ( 無極 Wuji ) preceding the Supreme Ultimate ( 太極 Taiji ), Non-Interference ( 無為 Wuwei ) preceding Interfering Action ( 有為 Youwei ). Therefore, the Jade Emperor is the master of the three fundamentals in charge of the pivot of Heaven, Earth and Man. The Jade Emperor sends the Great Emperor of the North Pole Star of Purple Subtlety ( 紫微北極大帝 Ziwei Beifi Dadi ) to administer the longitudes and latitudes of Heaven and Earth; the Great Emperor of the Highest Palace of Polaris ( 勾陳上宮大帝 Gouchen Shanggong Dadi ) to administer the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Man and to control wars; and the Imperial God of Earth ( 后土皇地祇 Houtu Huang Di Qi ) to administer births, land, and rivers. In general, all things, Heaven, Earth, Yin and Yang, and creation, are in the charge of the Jade Emperor. ==Worship in Temples== The holy birthday of the Jade Emperor is the 9th of the first month of the lunar calendar. On this day, Daoist temples hold a Golden Register Ritual Offering ( 金籙齋儀 Jinlu Zhaiyi ) called 'Jade Emperor Ritual' ( 玉皇會 Yuhuang Hui ). The attendants, Daoist or laymen, worship the Jade Emperor with the "Offering to Heaven" ( 齋天大禮 Qitian Dadi ) rite, to pray for Luck and Longevity. Folk people in Taiwan and Fujian, calling the Jade Emperor "Grandpa Heaven" ( 天公 Tiangong ), worship him on the 9th of the first lunar month. All members of the family, after fasting and bathing, burn incense, prostrate, offer food, and recite scriptures. In some places, operas are performed to please the deity. In north China, sacrifices to the Jade Emperor were held in the past, where an image of the Jade Emperor was paraded around the village. The 25th of the twelfth month is the legendary day when the Jade Emperor descends and inspects the human world; folk people and temples all welcome and see off the Jade Emperor by burning incense and reciting scriptures. ===Welcoming the Jade Emperor=== The Great Jade Emperor( 玉皇大帝 Yuhuang Dadi ) is one of the major Daoist deities. According to the ''Original Deeds of the Lofty Jade Emperor'' ( 高上玉皇本行集經 Gaoshang Yuhuang Benxing Jijing ), after the Supreme Sovereign of the Great Dao ( 太上大道君 Taishang Dadaojun ) gave an infant to the Empress of Precious Moonlight ( 寶月光皇后 Baoyueguang Huanghou ), the latter bore a son. When he grew up, he declined the throne and renounced his family for cultivation. Having cultivated for 3,200 kalpas, he attained Golden Immortality ( 金仙 Jinxian ). He taught various Buddhas to understand the orthodox Great Vehicle and approach the empty sublime Dao. After cultivating for another 100 million kalpas, he was ranked as the Jade Emperor. In the Daoist pantheon of Immortals, the Jade Emperor is inferior to the Three Pristine Ones ( 三清 Sanqing ) and leads [[the Four Heavenly Ministers]] ( 四御 Siyu ) (consisting of the Jade Emperor, the Great Heavenly Emperor Gou Chen ( 勾陳天皇大帝 Gouchen Tianhuang Dadi ), the North Pole Emperor of Purple Subtlety ( 北極紫微大帝 Beiji Ziwei Dadi ), and the Earth Emperor ( 后土皇地 Houtu Huangdi )), or is superior to the Four Heavenly Ministers (consisting of Gou Chen, the Purple Subtlety Constellation ( 紫微 Ziwei ), [[the God of Earth]] ( 后土 Houtu ) and the Great South Pole Emperor of Longevity ( 南極長生大帝 Nanji Changsheng Dadi )). The common people do not quite know the origin of the Jade Emperor. They just regard him as the dominator of Heaven and a most honorable spirit, so worshipping him is indispensable. The ninth day of the first lunar month is said to be the birthday of the Jade Emperor. Usually in temples a grand Ritual Assembly ( 法會 Fahui ) is held to celebrate it while the people gather to burn incense. This ceremony is called the Jade Emperor Assembly. It can be very lively, since the Jade Emperor holds a very high position in Heaven, and therefore a large number of other divinities can be worshiped while worshipping him. One year before the Opium War started, Gong Zizhen, the well-known writer of the Qing dynasty, passed Zhejiang on his trip to the south. There he witnessed the local cult of the Jade Emperor and of the Wind Spirit ( 風神 Fengshen ) and Thunder Spirit ( 雷神 Leishen ), and saw ten thousand worshiping temples. Some Daoists asked him for petitions (documents for the worship of major lofty spirits, a special Daoist literary style in fixed form). Inspired, he wrote the Miscellaneous Poems of the Jihai Year ( 己亥雜詩 Jihai Zashi ), a masterpiece in the history of modern literature. It says, "Only in wind and thunder can the country show its vitality. Alas, the ten thousand horses are all muted! O Heaven! Bestir yourself, I beseech you, and send down men of all talents." "Send down men of all talents" is no doubt the call of the time, but it is also an inspiration from the magnificent spectacle of worshiping the Jade Emperor. Though spectacular and extremely lively, the Jade Emperor Assembly is usually held at the hall of the Jade Emperor, and can hardly become a national festival. As for most of the people, they welcome the Jade Emperor once a year on Chinese New Year's Eve. It is said that the Great Jade Emperor makes an inspection tour every New Year's Eve and rewards or punishes people who do good or evil. Hence on that day, all families place incense tables and give offerings of vegetarian food to welcome the Jade Emperor's carriage. This custom is called Welcoming the Jade Emperor. As the people regard the Jade Emperor as the supreme venerable divinity in Heaven and some even directly call him Heavenly Grandpa ( 天公 Tiangong ), this activity is called Offering to Heaven ( 齋天 Zhaitian ) in the south of Jiangsu. Concurrently with the folk activities of welcoming the Jade Emperor, there are conventional rituals of welcome and worship in Daoist temples. For example, in the White Cloud Temple ( 白雲觀 Baiyun Guan ) of Beijing, there is the Ritual to Welcome the Lord of Heaven ( 接天尊板 Jie Tianzun Ban ), which is a ritual for welcoming the Jade Emperor on New Year's Eve. [[zh:玉皇大帝]] 98ef96336b3bf987e135871f48a735f207208275 0 601 747 2009-11-01T01:52:28Z Admin 1 Created page with '*Burning Joss Sticks and Worshipping Spirits *Decorating Lanterns at the Lantern Festival *The Festival of the Spirits of the Dead *Hanging Up Zhongkui's Pictures and the Realgar...' wikitext text/x-wiki *Burning Joss Sticks and Worshipping Spirits *Decorating Lanterns at the Lantern Festival *The Festival of the Spirits of the Dead *Hanging Up Zhongkui's Pictures and the Realgar Wine *Divination by Drawing Lots *Divination *Planchette Writing *Pure Offerings for the Supreme Peace *Offerings for Prolong Life *Daoist Funeral Rites [[Category: Daoist Folk Customs]] 7036ba3287de131565a850062a6420ee0db83eff 748 747 2009-11-01T01:53:13Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki *[[Burning Joss Sticks and Worshipping Spirits]] *[[Decorating Lanterns at the Lantern Festival]] *[[The Festival of the Spirits of the Dead]] *[[Hanging Up Zhongkui's Pictures and the Realgar Wine]] *[[Divination by Drawing Lots]] *[[Divination]] *[[Planchette Writing]] *[[Pure Offerings for the Supreme Peace]] *[[Offerings for Prolong Life]] *[[Daoist Funeral Rites]] [[Category: Daoist Folk Customs]] 4921d9c15b1c3c5166cbf966102c6a7ec70f7ea3 749 748 2009-11-01T01:55:59Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki Daoism has enormous appeal among the people in China. As one of the "Three Teachings" of ancient China, it has had a deep influence on the mental life, customs and habits of the Chinese people. The common people have always venerated Daoist spirits. However, they do not have a thorough understanding of Daoism. Ordinary people always engage in the worship of Daoist spirits according to their own comprehension, with their own attitudes and with their own way of expressing emotions. As a result, Daoist folk worship stems from the belief in Daoist Immortals, is founded upon all kinds of Daoist temples, and has the characteristics of folk customs. It is a combination of belief in Immortals and folk customs, in which rich forms have naturally developed to manifest the various life interests and inner demands of the people. ==Related Pages== *[[Burning Joss Sticks and Worshipping Spirits]] *[[Decorating Lanterns at the Lantern Festival]] *[[The Festival of the Spirits of the Dead]] *[[Hanging Up Zhongkui's Pictures and the Realgar Wine]] *[[Divination by Drawing Lots]] *[[Divination]] *[[Planchette Writing]] *[[Pure Offerings for the Supreme Peace]] *[[Offerings for Prolong Life]] *[[Daoist Funeral Rites]] [[Category: Daoist Folk Customs]] 8c7481c9d1ed39ff90889eeae35dc298a599ebab 0 602 750 2009-11-01T02:22:38Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Chinese people have a two-sided attitude toward spirits. On the one hand, they hold them in awe and respect, and fear offending them; on the other hand, their motivation is stron...' wikitext text/x-wiki Chinese people have a two-sided attitude toward spirits. On the one hand, they hold them in awe and respect, and fear offending them; on the other hand, their motivation is strongly utilitarian, and they pray to spirits chiefly for their own protection. Hence, communication between men and spirits is rich in human feelings and reciprocity. This characteristic is expressed in the common peoples' worship of spirits. Below are a few examples: ==Burning Incense== Burning Incense ( 燒香 Shaoxiang ) is usually called Worship ( 拜拜 Baibai ) in Hong Kong and Taiwan. It is the commonest way of worshiping spirits. Lighting incense and candles, people worship spirits by bowing down on their knees several times; the more pious kneel down and kowtow and pray silently at the same time. Burning incense is a custom passed down from ancient worshiping rituals. When the ancient Chinese rendered cults to God and ancestors, they usually burned their sacrifices or simply certain plants to make heavy smoke, thinking that they could communicate with spirits through the smoke. Having evolved gradually and been popularized later, such a practice has become a way of showing respect for spirits by burning incense. But the incense of later ages was improved, and some fine incense produced specially for venerating spirits appeared, including some types of incense spread in from India and Iran, etc. The most common types at present include single incense and winded incense. Incense is also commonly used in Daoist rituals. The earliest known record of Daoists' using incense is mentioned in the History of Wu in the Annals of the Three Kingdoms ( 三國志 Sanguozhi ), which states that the Daoist Yu Ji taught people to burn incense and read Daoist books in the eastern reaches of the Yangtze River. Incense Burners ( 香爐 Xianglu ) were set up in the Daoist temples of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, showing that it was quite popular to use incense at the time. However, Daoism has strict prescriptions as to how to use incense. The procedure of offering incense is clearly instituted. Furthermore, Daoism has its own interpretations of the religious functions of incense. But burning incense among the people is not so strictly prescribed. It is mainly a way to show piety. Common people's burning incense always goes along with giving offerings. This is called Offering. The offerings include fruits and even pig heads, whole cocks, and the like. In fact, it is forbidden in Daoism to give things such as pig heads as offerings. But as the people have long been doing so, Daoism has to let things take their own course. There are many customs concerning the folk practice of burning incense. One of them is the so-called Burning the First Incense Stick ( 燒頭香 Shao Touxiang ). The First Incense Stick refers to the first stick burnt in the incense burner, especially in the New Year. Common folk think the first incense stick has the greatest merits and that they can receive the most good fortune from it, so they often try to burn the first incense stick. Though the first incense stick is burnt before dawn, believers begin to wait until midnight. If it is on New Year's Day (the first day of the first lunar month), pilgrims usually start waiting early before midnight of the New Year's Eve. Apart from burning the first incense stick, in some places there also exists the custom of Burning Incense at the Ten Temples ( 燒十廟香 Shao Shimiao Xiang ), i.e., carrying a basket of incense in hand, and going to the nearest ten or so temples to burn incense continuously on the morning of the first day of the first lunar month. The purpose of this custom is similar to that of burning the first incense stick. Another practice in the folk custom of burning incense is to Offer Incenss in Prostration ( 燒拜香 Shao Baixiang ). It refers to the practice of giving one prostration at every step or every several steps while heading toward a temple. For example, in the region of Hengyang of Hunan, there is the custom of offering incense in prostration on the Southern Sacred Mountain. Usually the person carries a small stool with an incense table placed on it and makes prostrations every several steps as he climbs up the mountain. Offering incense in prostration costs time, effort and money as well, so it is not frequently practiced. It is conducted only in situations of great difficulty, such as parents' being seriously ill. ==Redeeming Vows== To Redeem a Vow ( 還願 Huanyuan ) is also called "Yingdian" and "Jiannuo". When people pray for spirits' protection, they always make all kinds of promises, namely vows. The promises are always good deeds generally acknowledged by contemporaries or matters believed to please spirits, such as "Sculpting a New Deity ( 重塑金身 Chongsu Jinshen ) ", "Worshiping to Redeem a Vow ( 重禮祭祀 Chongli Jisi ) ", "Singing Operas ( 唱戲 Changxi ) ", "Vegetarianism ( 吃素 Chisi ) ", "Releasing a Captured Animal ( 放生 Fangsheng ) ", and "Offering Scriptures ( 送經 Songjing ) ", etc. Later, when their wishes are realized, which means that the spirits have protected and blessed them, they burn incense again to report to the spirits and keep their promises so as to give thanks. This is called "Rewarding a Deity" ( 酬神 Choushen ), but the folk prefer to call it "Redeeming a Vow". The usual ways of redeeming a vow are burning incense at temples and offering fruits and vegetarian meals. Since the people do not quite understand some of the Buddhist and Daoist rules and taboos, they sometimes give chicken, pig feet, and pig heads as offerings. For example, in the past the Bao'an Situ Temple (commonly called the Red Temple), a Daoist temple in Shanghai, enshrines Guanyin. At that time some people redeemed their vows with pig feet. It did not conform to religious rituals, but it was not considered odd, as it was the folk conduct. But in orthodox Daoist practice, offerings should essentially be incense, candles and vegetarian offerings. In large-scale activities of redeeming a vow, Performances to Please Deities ( 報賽 Baosai ) are often carried out. ==Performances to Please Deities== In folk activities of redeeming a vow to spirits and celebration of spirits' birthdays, Performances to Please Deities are always practiced, and collective activities of rewarding deities in certain regions can develop into large-scale fairs. Performances to please deities include pleasing deities by beating drums, music, singing and dancing. This custom has a very ancient origin. In ancient times among the people, witches used to serve spirits by beating drums and dancing. This custom was carried on in later times. In the folk worship of both Buddhist and Daoist Buddhas and Immortals, singing, dancing and entertainment are often practised. Daoism and its temples have great influence among the people, so most of the folk performances to please deities are connected with Daoism. There are two types of performance in terms of their organization. One kind is a performance held for praying and redeeming vows by a family or an individual. It is small-scale and held irregularly. Another kind is organized by local leaders and funded by the people. It is held on some fixed dates, such as the birthdays of spirits at Temple Fairs ( 廟會 Miaohui ). These performances are large-scale and called Performance Fairs.   ==Related Pages== *[[Burning Joss Sticks and Worshipping Spirits]] *[[Decorating Lanterns at the Lantern Festival]] *[[The Festival of the Spirits of the Dead]] *[[Hanging Up Zhongkui's Pictures and the Realgar Wine]] *[[Divination by Drawing Lots]] *[[Divination]] *[[Planchette Writing]] *[[Pure Offerings for the Supreme Peace]] *[[Offerings for Prolong Life]] *[[Daoist Funeral Rites]] [[Category: Daoist Folk Customs]] 8a49adcd06ce70447d2a985d8b61d0c89e1fe705 0 603 751 2009-11-07T01:55:27Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Among the Three Origin Days ( 三元日Sanyuan Ri ), the Upper Origin and Middle Origin days are important festivals. The religious and folk activities of the Upper Origin Festiv...' wikitext text/x-wiki Among the Three Origin Days ( 三元日Sanyuan Ri ), the Upper Origin and Middle Origin days are important festivals. The religious and folk activities of the Upper Origin Festival are mainly held at night, and so it is also called the First Eve ( 元夕Yuanxi ) or the First Night ( 元宵Yuanxiao ). On Upper Origin Day, the birthday of the Heavenly Official Who Gives Blessings, folk people celebrate with decorative lanterns and First Eve plays, and hold festival activities of amusements and begging for blessings. Daoist temples set up Offering Rituals to celebrate the Heavenly Official's Birthday; and people go to the temples to burn incense and beg for blessings. Lanterns are lit in the evening; cultural recreation and acrobatics are performed. Balls of glutinous rice are eaten everywhere; this is the custom of "eating on the First Eve". The origin of First Eve customs is related to the activities of the Magic and Immortality tradition. Ouyang ''Xiu's Affinity of Arts and Letters'' ( 藝文類聚Yiwen Leiju ) says in vol. 4, "The Han dynasty offered sacrifice to the Supreme Oneness on the eve of the full moon. The custom of playing and enjoying lanterns is its remainder." The Supreme Oneness, originally a deity of the Chu area, was worshipped in the Han Court by the Wu Emperor in his pursuit of Immortality. Singapore Daoism also worships the Supreme Oneness. Therefore, the custom of decorating lanterns on the First Eve is directly related to the Magic and Immortality tradition and Daoist activities. The 15th of the 1st month of the lunar calendar was set as the birthday of the Heavenly Official Who Gives Blessings; thus the lanterns were connected with celebrating this divine birthday. The auspicious atmosphere of the Heavenly Official giving blessings adds greatly to the happiness of the First Eve. Buddhism tried to exert its influence on the First Eve after its spread into China. The ''Record of Initial Studies'' ( 初學記Chuxue Ji ) of the Xuan Emperor era cites the ''Nirvana Sutra'' ( 涅磐經Niepan Jing ), stating that "Buddha's relics were collected on a golden bed after cremation. Deities, scattering flowers and playing music, burned lanterns at every step within a radius of 12 miles around the city." The Ming emperor of Han, knowing this from his envoy for Buddhist teachings, ordered the people to decorate lanterns on the evening of the 15th. In fact, this is very unreliable. Deities scattering flowers and playing music, as monks' exaggerated praise for Buddha, were not historic events. As for the Ming Emperor sending an envoy for Buddhist teachings, we can't ascertain whether it's true or not. The ''Forty-Two Chapter Scriptures'', which was brought back from India by the envoy according to the legend, was not an original Indian scripture, but just a compilation of abstracts of scriptures. Buddhism, at the time of its introduction into China, was regarded as mere low-class magic. It's impossible for it to have moved the emperor to order people to change their customs. Customs in ancient China were thought to be related to the education and transformation of people, and thus with the rise and fall of the country. So they were no trifling matter. Furthermore, the Buddha passed away in the 12th, not the 1st month. Nevertheless, Buddhist efforts to inflitrate the First Eve Festival somewhat contributed to its prosperity by attracting the interest of Buddhist followers. People have long followed the custom of decorating lanterns on the evening of the 15th of the 1st month. By the Northern Wei dynasty, the Daoist Upper Origin Festival, and consequently the custom of decorating lanterns, had already been fixed. In the Sui and Tang dynasties, the custom was magnificent, with lanterns of ever-higher quality. Cultural recreation became more and more varied and colorful, until modern times. The contents of the lanterns embodied Daoist features and Buddhist participation till the Song Dynasty. The lantern pictures often display Immortal Stories and occasionally the Buddha and Buddhisatvas. The ''Record of Dreamlike Prosperity of the Eastern Capital'' ( 東京夢華錄Dongjing Menghua Lu ) (of the Northern Song) by Meng Yuanlao and Vol. 1 of the ''Record of the Golden Millet Dream'' ( 夢粱錄Meng Liang Lu ) (of the Southern Song) by Wu Zimu mentioned Lanterns in the capitals of their day. The First Eve festival on the 15th of the 1st month was the birthday of the Heavenly Official of the Upper Origin. In front of the royal court in the capital Bian City, a mountain-like framework was set up opposite to Xuande Mansion. It was spread with color silk with pictures of Immortal stories. In the left and right, the Boddhisatvas Manjusri and Samantabadra of five-color silk rode a lion and a white elephant. Out of each of their hands flowed water, which was lifted to the top of the framework by pulleys and stored in wood box. Then the water was let to flow down in time as a waterfall. People knot dragons with grass, cover them with black cloth and put thousands of hidden lanterns in the dragons. Viewed far away, they are like two dragons flying. ? These kinds of lanterns obviously had both Daoist and Buddhist features. Decorating lanterns was also a great flourishing of folk entertainment. As early as the Song dynasty, all kinds of entertainment filled this night of lanterns and music everywhere. "To mention dancers alone, there are dozens of troupes, such as the Pure Voices, the Cloud Holders, the Sword Players, the Bao Elders, the Savage Girls, Immortal Liu, the Three Teachings Players, the Banquet Players, the Wedding Players, the Fighter Players, the Ladies, the Clothes Washers' Songs, the Various Royal Courts, the Bamboo Horses, the Village Music, the Deities and Ghosts, and the Ten Fasting Lads. Moreover, there are 24 puppet troupes, such as the Family Players, the Land Dragon Boats, the Lantern Kickers, the Bao Elders, the Camels and Elephants, the Official Street, and Su's Street. Colourfully dressed with flowers and pearl hats, some waist-thin puppets are like living women. In some noble houses, personal lad orchestras play all kinds of instruments beautifully with loud pure sound. People play happily in the streets all night long." We are not clear about the contents of some of these recreations. In general, they involve singing, dancing, acrobatics and plays. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, fireworks became popular. Gu Yu said in Vol. 1 of Qing Jia Lu, on the First Night festival, "the Earth Spirit temples in Suzhou celebrate with dozens of fireworks in the backyards to please the deities." From these records we know that ' Yuanxiao' originally meant to memorialize the offering to the Supreme Oneness in the court, and became a celebration of the Heavenly Official's birthday and entertained people in the name of pleasing the gods. The tradition is preserved till today. Every First Night has become a great meeting of lanterns, an exhibition of folk recreations, and a fine evening of all the people's happiness. ==Related Pages== *[[Burning Joss Sticks and Worshipping Spirits]] *[[Decorating Lanterns at the Lantern Festival]] *[[The Festival of the Spirits of the Dead]] *[[Hanging Up Zhongkui's Pictures and the Realgar Wine]] *[[Divination by Drawing Lots]] *[[Divination]] *[[Planchette Writing]] *[[Pure Offerings for the Supreme Peace]] *[[Offerings for Prolong Life]] *[[Daoist Funeral Rites]] [[Category: Daoist Folk Customs]] 4ba8f92884bf71c269f50e7715ffced3dcbc7b77 0 604 752 2009-11-07T02:17:31Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Festival of the Spirits of the Dead ( 中元節 Zhongyuan Jie ), commonly called Half Seven, is set on the 15th of the 7th month of the lunar calendar. According to legend, a...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Festival of the Spirits of the Dead ( 中元節 Zhongyuan Jie ), commonly called Half Seven, is set on the 15th of the 7th month of the lunar calendar. According to legend, all ghosts are set free from hell on that day and so folk people commonly hold offerings to ghosts. As a rule, those who suffered death recently must see their new tomb, and local people give sacrifice to lone souls and wandering ghosts. So, this is a festival totally focused on offering to ghosts. It is the major ghost festival in Chinese folk culture. The seventh lunar month is the minor autumn when some crops ripen. Folk people as a rule offer to ancestors with new rice to report the harvest. Meng Yuanlao said in vol. 1 of ''Dreamlike Prosperity of the Eastern Capital'' ( 《東京夢華錄》 Dongjing Menghua Lu ), "the day before the Festival of the Spirits of the Dead, people buy fragrant leaves for spreading on the sacrifice table, and tie small bowls of grains to the the foot of table to report the harvest to the ancestors." In the minor autumn of the seventh month when some crops ripen, the Chinese, stressing filial piety, as a rule offer new rice to ancestors and report the harvest. So people hold offerings to the ancestors in the seventh month. In the Eastern Han, Daoism set three meeting days and five days of offerings. The 7th of the 7th month was the Moral Offering Day as well as the middle meeting day when Daoists received examinations in the Diocese office. The five days of offering were focused on offerings to ancestors. The day in the seventh month was set on the 15th, as it became the birthday of the Earthly Official of the Middle Origin ( 中元地官 Zhongyuan Diguan ). The Festival of the Spirits of the Dead is both a religious and a folk festival. Early Daoism worshiped the Three Officials. [[The Orthodox Oneness Mighty Commonwealth Tradition]] ( 正一盟威道 Zhengyi Mengwei Dao ) believed in the Heavenly Official ( 天官 Tainguan ), the Earthly Official ( 地官 Diguan ) and the Water Official ( 水官 Shuiguan ), who were later called [[the Three Great Official Emperors]] ( 三官大帝 Sanguan Dadi ). They each have their respective tasks: the Heavenly Official of the Upper Origin gives blessings; the Earthly Official of the Middle Origin pardons sins; the Water Official of the Lower Origin dispels misfortune. Daoist books say that on the Three Origin days, the Three Officials examine people's merits and sins and decide on corresponding rewards and punishments. The Earthly Official, in charge of hell, surely focuses on examining ghosts and souls. On this day, all ghosts must leave the realm of the dead to accept examinations. Daoists celebrate the birthday of the Earthly Official with offering rites; Daoist believers have offering rites set to bless their ancestors, pardon their sins and pray for them to ascend to heaven early. This is the main reason that the Middle Origin day became a folk festival. The 15th of the 7th month is also the Buddhist Ulabhama festival ( 孟蘭盆節 Yulanpen Jie ). Ulabhama is a Sanskrit word that means loosening upside-down hanging. According to legend, Mujianlian, a disciple of the Buddha, asked the Buddha how to save his mother who was suffering in hell for her vicious deeds in life. Buddha told him that by offering food for the Sangha ( 僧 Seng ) on their Dismissal Day ( 解制日 Jiezhi Ri ), one can save souls from misery in hell. According to Buddhist rule, monks sit in meditation in temples without going out from the middle of the 4th month until the 15th of the 7th month, which is called the Dismissal Day, when monks can come out and accept believers' gifts. Chinese Buddhists created the Ulabhama Sutra to spread it and formed the custom of offering food for souls and ghosts. Thus, the festival is characterized by offering to ancestors and lone ghosts on Middle Origin day, and saving souls from hell and giving food to ghosts, in combination of Buddhism and Daoism. It is the most important ghost festival in folk culture. The folk activities centre on sacrificing to ancestors and lone souls. Also, the City God processions save the wrongly dead; Daoist and Buddhist temples hold universal salvation rituals; and people see new tombs. As Chinese migrated to Southeast Asia, the custom of the Festival of the Spirits of the Dead was brought to this area. The activities in Malaysian cities are very popular and famous. ==Related Pages== *[[Burning Joss Sticks and Worshipping Spirits]] *[[Decorating Lanterns at the Lantern Festival]] *[[The Festival of the Spirits of the Dead]] *[[Hanging Up Zhongkui's Pictures and the Realgar Wine]] *[[Divination by Drawing Lots]] *[[Divination]] *[[Planchette Writing]] *[[Pure Offerings for the Supreme Peace]] *[[Offerings for Prolong Life]] *[[Daoist Funeral Rites]] [[Category: Daoist Folk Customs]] [[zh:中元節]] 7ab46a6cfa17c28ff84c9e58fd183f057ec10807 0 603 753 751 2009-11-07T02:18:02Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki Among the Three Origin Days ( 三元日Sanyuan Ri ), the Upper Origin and Middle Origin days are important festivals. The religious and folk activities of the Upper Origin Festival are mainly held at night, and so it is also called the First Eve ( 元夕Yuanxi ) or the First Night ( 元宵Yuanxiao ). On Upper Origin Day, the birthday of the Heavenly Official Who Gives Blessings, folk people celebrate with decorative lanterns and First Eve plays, and hold festival activities of amusements and begging for blessings. Daoist temples set up Offering Rituals to celebrate the Heavenly Official's Birthday; and people go to the temples to burn incense and beg for blessings. Lanterns are lit in the evening; cultural recreation and acrobatics are performed. Balls of glutinous rice are eaten everywhere; this is the custom of "eating on the First Eve". The origin of First Eve customs is related to the activities of the Magic and Immortality tradition. Ouyang ''Xiu's Affinity of Arts and Letters'' ( 藝文類聚Yiwen Leiju ) says in vol. 4, "The Han dynasty offered sacrifice to the Supreme Oneness on the eve of the full moon. The custom of playing and enjoying lanterns is its remainder." The Supreme Oneness, originally a deity of the Chu area, was worshipped in the Han Court by the Wu Emperor in his pursuit of Immortality. Singapore Daoism also worships the Supreme Oneness. Therefore, the custom of decorating lanterns on the First Eve is directly related to the Magic and Immortality tradition and Daoist activities. The 15th of the 1st month of the lunar calendar was set as the birthday of the Heavenly Official Who Gives Blessings; thus the lanterns were connected with celebrating this divine birthday. The auspicious atmosphere of the Heavenly Official giving blessings adds greatly to the happiness of the First Eve. Buddhism tried to exert its influence on the First Eve after its spread into China. The ''Record of Initial Studies'' ( 初學記Chuxue Ji ) of the Xuan Emperor era cites the ''Nirvana Sutra'' ( 涅磐經Niepan Jing ), stating that "Buddha's relics were collected on a golden bed after cremation. Deities, scattering flowers and playing music, burned lanterns at every step within a radius of 12 miles around the city." The Ming emperor of Han, knowing this from his envoy for Buddhist teachings, ordered the people to decorate lanterns on the evening of the 15th. In fact, this is very unreliable. Deities scattering flowers and playing music, as monks' exaggerated praise for Buddha, were not historic events. As for the Ming Emperor sending an envoy for Buddhist teachings, we can't ascertain whether it's true or not. The ''Forty-Two Chapter Scriptures'', which was brought back from India by the envoy according to the legend, was not an original Indian scripture, but just a compilation of abstracts of scriptures. Buddhism, at the time of its introduction into China, was regarded as mere low-class magic. It's impossible for it to have moved the emperor to order people to change their customs. Customs in ancient China were thought to be related to the education and transformation of people, and thus with the rise and fall of the country. So they were no trifling matter. Furthermore, the Buddha passed away in the 12th, not the 1st month. Nevertheless, Buddhist efforts to inflitrate the First Eve Festival somewhat contributed to its prosperity by attracting the interest of Buddhist followers. People have long followed the custom of decorating lanterns on the evening of the 15th of the 1st month. By the Northern Wei dynasty, the Daoist Upper Origin Festival, and consequently the custom of decorating lanterns, had already been fixed. In the Sui and Tang dynasties, the custom was magnificent, with lanterns of ever-higher quality. Cultural recreation became more and more varied and colorful, until modern times. The contents of the lanterns embodied Daoist features and Buddhist participation till the Song Dynasty. The lantern pictures often display Immortal Stories and occasionally the Buddha and Buddhisatvas. The ''Record of Dreamlike Prosperity of the Eastern Capital'' ( 東京夢華錄Dongjing Menghua Lu ) (of the Northern Song) by Meng Yuanlao and Vol. 1 of the ''Record of the Golden Millet Dream'' ( 夢粱錄Meng Liang Lu ) (of the Southern Song) by Wu Zimu mentioned Lanterns in the capitals of their day. The First Eve festival on the 15th of the 1st month was the birthday of the Heavenly Official of the Upper Origin. In front of the royal court in the capital Bian City, a mountain-like framework was set up opposite to Xuande Mansion. It was spread with color silk with pictures of Immortal stories. In the left and right, the Boddhisatvas Manjusri and Samantabadra of five-color silk rode a lion and a white elephant. Out of each of their hands flowed water, which was lifted to the top of the framework by pulleys and stored in wood box. Then the water was let to flow down in time as a waterfall. People knot dragons with grass, cover them with black cloth and put thousands of hidden lanterns in the dragons. Viewed far away, they are like two dragons flying. ? These kinds of lanterns obviously had both Daoist and Buddhist features. Decorating lanterns was also a great flourishing of folk entertainment. As early as the Song dynasty, all kinds of entertainment filled this night of lanterns and music everywhere. "To mention dancers alone, there are dozens of troupes, such as the Pure Voices, the Cloud Holders, the Sword Players, the Bao Elders, the Savage Girls, Immortal Liu, the Three Teachings Players, the Banquet Players, the Wedding Players, the Fighter Players, the Ladies, the Clothes Washers' Songs, the Various Royal Courts, the Bamboo Horses, the Village Music, the Deities and Ghosts, and the Ten Fasting Lads. Moreover, there are 24 puppet troupes, such as the Family Players, the Land Dragon Boats, the Lantern Kickers, the Bao Elders, the Camels and Elephants, the Official Street, and Su's Street. Colourfully dressed with flowers and pearl hats, some waist-thin puppets are like living women. In some noble houses, personal lad orchestras play all kinds of instruments beautifully with loud pure sound. People play happily in the streets all night long." We are not clear about the contents of some of these recreations. In general, they involve singing, dancing, acrobatics and plays. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, fireworks became popular. Gu Yu said in Vol. 1 of Qing Jia Lu, on the First Night festival, "the Earth Spirit temples in Suzhou celebrate with dozens of fireworks in the backyards to please the deities." From these records we know that ' Yuanxiao' originally meant to memorialize the offering to the Supreme Oneness in the court, and became a celebration of the Heavenly Official's birthday and entertained people in the name of pleasing the gods. The tradition is preserved till today. Every First Night has become a great meeting of lanterns, an exhibition of folk recreations, and a fine evening of all the people's happiness. ==Related Pages== *[[Burning Joss Sticks and Worshipping Spirits]] *[[Decorating Lanterns at the Lantern Festival]] *[[The Festival of the Spirits of the Dead]] *[[Hanging Up Zhongkui's Pictures and the Realgar Wine]] *[[Divination by Drawing Lots]] *[[Divination]] *[[Planchette Writing]] *[[Pure Offerings for the Supreme Peace]] *[[Offerings for Prolong Life]] *[[Daoist Funeral Rites]] [[Category: Daoist Folk Customs]] [[zh:上元張燈]] 5ef89548225ab913ccba9fd0e79d080a27113301 0 605 754 2009-11-07T02:29:33Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The Duanwu ( 端午 Duanwu ) festival is one of the most important of Chinese traditional festivals. Daoism heavily influences this festival. The Duanwu festival is set on the...' wikitext text/x-wiki The Duanwu ( 端午 Duanwu ) festival is one of the most important of Chinese traditional festivals. Daoism heavily influences this festival. The Duanwu festival is set on the 5th of the 5th month of the lunar calendar. The ancients arranged numbers according to the Five Agents and Five is the middle number. The 5th of the 5th month, containing a double five or a double middle number, is also called the Heavenly Middle Festival ( 天中節 Tianzhong jie ). In the Twelve Celestial Trunks indicating time, the Wu hour is the middle of day; and so Wu represents midday. Thus the festival is called Right Wu or Double Wu. In ancient conceptions, the 5th of the 5th month is an inauspicious day. Babies born on this day can't grow to adulthood; otherwise, they will be harmful to their parents. Therefore, people had to find ways to dispel their misfortunes, and thus formed the Duanwu festival with such activities as dragon boat competitions. Some think the dragon boat competition commemorates the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan. In fact, it is one of the Duanwu activities to dispel the vices of the time. Some scholars such as Wen Yiduo think it originated from the totemic cult of the ancient Yue people of the south. In the Han dynasty at the latest, the vice-dispelling custom on Duanwu had come into form. Daoism, after its formation, developed its special talent in dispelling evil and deeply penetrated Duanwu customs. The important items are as follows: Celestial Master Talismans ( 天師符 Tianshi Fu ), Realgar Wine ( 雄黃酒 Xionghuang Jiu ), and Hanging up Zhong Kui's portrait ( 掛鍾馗 Gua Zhong Kui ). ==Hangging up Zhong Kui's portrait== This custom formed early with a development process. According to the ''Inner Chapters of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'' by [[Ge Hong]], an eminent Daoist of the Jin Dynasty, dressing numinous red Talismans can help avoid disasters from swords. Later people dressed Daoist Talismans for this reason. From dressing Talismans there evolved the custom of putting up Talismans. In the custom of the Ming and Qing dynasties, putting up the Celestial Master's Talisman became a custom of the Duanwu festival. In some places, people even put up Talismans from the beginning of the 5th month and put them down them as late as the 1st of the 6th month. So there is a poem saying, "Every year when new Talismans replace old ones, Daoists thus have business with their followers. Vital Breath is infused into their dragon-and-snake-like strokes when they draw Talismans with red brushes." The poet's own commentary to the poem says, "Talismans are put up between two pillars on Duanyang Festival to dispel evil and invite blessings. Several days earlier, Daoists draw Talismans in red and send them to all those families that often recite scriptures. These Daoist followers are like business customers." (''Street Song of the Year in Hu City'' by Zhang Chunhua of the Qing Dynasty) Naturally, Celestial Master's Talismans are drawn not necessarily by but in the name of the Celestial Master. They are written with the two words "Celestial Master" to show their authority. In the custom of the Song dynasty, people knit a grass Celestial Master riding a tiger and hung it on their door to dispel vices. Besides Celestial Master's Talismans, poor families put up small peach-wood-sealed color Talismans, or dress color cloth silk thread twined with silk threads as five-color Talismans. All these originated from Daoism. ==Realgar Wine== As a Duanwu custom, people always mix realgar in wine and let adults and children drink to avoid vice, and spray the rest in the four corners of the house. The wine is said to be very powerful. In the ''Story of White Snake'' ( 白蛇傳 Baishe Zhuan ), Lady White drank this wine under Xu Xian's repeated cajoling, and thus changed during sleep into her original shape of a snake. Realgar is a commonly used medicine in alchemy and Chinese traditional medicine. Kou Zongshi of Song Dynasty ranked it "middle class in jade and stones" in vol. 3 of his ''Reprint of the Expanded Meaning of the Materia Medica'', saying that it can kill spirits, malicious ghosts, and evil vital breath, and prevent all poisonous insects and five kinds of weapons. But it is poisonous. In Daoist nourishing food prescriptions, drinking its wine mixture is one of the many ways of taking realgar. This was mentioned in the ''Inner Chapters of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'' by Ge Hong. The Daoist Canon contains ''the Immortal's Prescription of Refining Realgar with Wine'' ( 神仙酒煉雄黃方 Shenxian Jiu Lian Xionghuang Fang ) in the ''Immortal's Ways of Taking Nourishing Food, Elixir and Medicine'' ( 神仙服餌丹石行藥法 Shenxian Fu'er Danshi Xingyao Fa ) by Jing Li. In the prescription, realgar is the main medicine and wine the aid. The afterword of the prescription says that after taking this medicine, "the three insects in the belly die; the mind becomes clever and the eyes become bright. One will become so mighty that dragons avoid him in water, wolves and tigers escape him in mountains, and the five kinds of weapons can't harm him in battle." This affirmation of the effect of realgar is such that it reached the level of superstition. It influenced folk people to form the custom of drinking realgar wine. Besides realgar, in some areas, people also drink cinnabar wine. Cinnabar is the fundamental medicine of alchemy and is more important than realgar. Meanwhile, it is the common material for drawing talismans. The way of drinking cinnabar wine also comes from Daoism. In some areas, cut sweet flag was put into the wine. This is called "drinking sweet flag". Sweet flag, also a commonly used medicine in Daoist food, is thought to be able to protect against poisonous insects and dispel the Three Worms. So, drinking sweet flag also shows the influence of Daoism on Duanwu customs. ==Hanging up Zhong Kui's portrait== A common custom in the Duanwu festival is putting up Zhong Kui's portrait. Zhong Kui was an expert in seizing ghosts. In portraits, he is a fierce man with wide-open eyes, a messy beard, and a sword at his waist, seizing ghosts with his bony hands and eating them. Zhong Kui's appearance was related a story about the Xuanzong Emperor of the Tang dynasty. According to the Complements to Written Talk by the famous Song Dynasty scientist Shen Kuo, in the Kaiyuan Era, the Xuanzong Emperor fell sick with malaria for over a month after seeing troops at Mt. Lishan. One night, he dreamed of two ghosts, a big one and a small one. The small one, blind in one eye and disabled in one foot, ran around the palace after stealing Noble Princess Yang's purple fragrance bag and the emperor's flute. The big one, with his arms bared and wearing a hat and boots, seized the small ghost and dug out its eye and swallowed it. The Emperor asked, "Who are you?" The big ghost answered, "My name is Zhong Kui. I failed in the general candidate examination and vowed to wipe out monsters in the world for Your Majesty." Waking from the dream, the emperor was well again. Then, the emperor ordered artist Wu Daozi to draw a portrait of Zhong Kui and printed many copies to give to his ministers. Thus the custom was born of avoiding ghosts with portraits of Zhong Kui. However, according to scholars' studies in the Ming and Qing dynasties, belief in Zhong Kui may have formed very early. At latest in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, some people were named after Zhong Kui. So Zhong Kui must have already been popular among the folk people for his heroism and bravery. Some say that Zhong Kui was originally the phonetic spelling for "Zhui", the ancient weapon for beating ghosts. Thus, in Emperor Xuanzong's time, Zhong Kui appeared in his dream and became popular under the emperor's order. Then he became deeply rooted in Chinese folklore. Besides Wu Daozi, many other artists drew portraits of Zhong Kui and gave him various images. According to Vol. 6 of the ''Records of Knowledge of Painting'' by Guo Ruoxu of the Song dynasty, Zhong Kui, as portrayed by Wu Daozi, is dressed in blue and wears one boot, and is blind in one eye. With his messy hair under a scarf, he has a court tablet in his belt. Zhong Kui caught a ghost with his left hand and dug its eye with his right hand. The portrait, with very powerful strokes, is really first-class in paintings. Someone got the portrait and offered it to the emperor of Shu who treasured it very much and put it up in his bedroom. One day, the emperor invited Huang Quan to enjoy the painting. Huang, at seeing the picture, exclaimed his praise. The emperor said, "This Zhong Kui will look more powerful with his thumb digging out the ghost's eye. Please change it for me." Huan Quan brought the portrait home. He watched several days but it didn't suffice for him to change the portrait. He had to paint another Zhong Kui digging out the ghost's eye with his thumb on a piece of silk. The next day, when he offered the silk paint and the original portrait, the emperor asked, "I wanted you to change it for me. Why did you paint another?" Huang answered, "Wu Daozi's Zhong Kui focuses all his strength and his eyes on his second finger instead of on his thumb. So I dared not change it. The one I painted, though it can't satisfy Your Majesty, focuses all its strength on the thumb. So I dared to paint another one." From this story we can know that many ancient artists were famous for painting Zhong Kui. They each had their own talents and thus their Zhong Kui were naturally different. However, with the model of Zhong Kui transmitted down from the Tang Dynasty and his duty of seizing and eating ghosts, his is characterized by a fierce and ugly look. Though ugly in look, he is a kind deity only fierce to evil ghosts. Folk portraits of Zhong Kui often stress this and add several bats descending from heaven symbolizing blessings from heaven. The portraits by Daoists were often sealed with the words "Treasures of Dao, Scripture, and Master" to add to their power. Daoists have absorbed Zhong Kui into their pantheon of Immortals and sometimes use him as the signer in drawing talismans. Zhong Kui was originally the Door God. According to folklore, he came first in examinations but the emperor rejected him for his ugliness. Out of anger, Zhong Kui killed himself by beating his head on the back gate of the court. So he was invited to be the Back Gate God. However, in later times, people often hung up Zhong Kui's portrait on Duanwu and made it a Duanwu custom. ==Related Pages== *[[Burning Joss Sticks and Worshipping Spirits]] *[[Decorating Lanterns at the Lantern Festival]] *[[The Festival of the Spirits of the Dead]] *[[Hanging Up Zhongkui's Pictures and the Realgar Wine]] *[[Divination by Drawing Lots]] *[[Divination]] *[[Planchette Writing]] *[[Pure Offerings for the Supreme Peace]] *[[Offerings for Prolong Life]] *[[Daoist Funeral Rites]] [[Category: Daoist Folk Customs]] [[zh:掛鍾馗和雄黃酒]] daa61c9464c5f5e72d201785f445ae3e6254d2d7 0 606 755 2009-11-07T05:06:11Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Daoist temples usually prepare divinatory sticks ( 籤筒 Qiantong ), which are put in divinatory stick holders ( 籤條 Qiantiao ). Divinatory sticks are usually made of bamboo....' wikitext text/x-wiki Daoist temples usually prepare divinatory sticks ( 籤筒 Qiantong ), which are put in divinatory stick holders ( 籤條 Qiantiao ). Divinatory sticks are usually made of bamboo. Believers one randomly by shaking a container of sticks until one falls out. They then judge the implications and the god's intention by interpreting the sentences on the stick. For simple operations, divinatory sticks in modern Daoist temples are separated into two parts. After people get a divinatory stick, they get a corresponding divinatory paper with poems on it. To get a divinatory stick, people should hold the stick holder, pray in front of the deities, and then shake the holder until one divinatory stick falls out. This one is thought to be bestowed by god. People like to cast divinatory sticks to predict their fortune in Daoist temples. This is a very common activity. ===The origin== The origin of the appearance of casting divinatory sticks in Daoist temples was at the end of the Tang Dynasty. It soon spread to all shrines, temples and monasteries. It is hard to ascertain the exact beginning of casting divinatory sticks, but their earliest appearance can be dated to the end of the Tang Dynasty. During the Five Dynasties, the child Lu Duoxun, was brought to Yunyang temple by his father to study with other kids. There were some divinatory sticks on a discarded altar. The kids got the sticks and played with them. At that time, Lu couldn't read many words, so he took a stick home and showed it to his father. The poem on it read: "One will get the position of prime minister, will ascend to immortality at fifty-two, and turn out to be a guest at Penglai." His father thought it was an auspicious sign and was very glad about it, so he kept that divinatory stick. Lu did become a prime minister. He once asked his subordinate to connect with Qin emperor Ting Mei. After this event was revealed, he was sent into exile in the South and died at Zhu Ya at the age of fifty-two. His life experience fit the poem exactly (Please refer to Shi Wenyin's the ''Pure Talk of the Jade Kettle'', vol.3.) ( 玉壺清話 Yuhu Qinghua ) The Five Dynasties didn't last long, and Lu Duoxun lived at the end of the Tang Dynasty. He found the divinatory stick holder when he was a child, so we can conclude that divinatory sticks must have appeared before that time. Daoist divinatory sticks were widely accepted. Later, Buddhist temples and folk shrines all had divinatory sticks. ==Divinatory sticks are mainly named after the patron gods of each temple== Divinatory sticks' predictions are the patron god's revelations. Sentences on the divinatory sticks are thought to be the god's instructions, revelations and prophecy. Therefore, divinatory sticks are generally named after the name of a certain god names, and they are called the Efficacious Sticks ( 靈籤 Lingqian ) of the god. Chinese are polytheistic, so divinatory sticks have many names. Theoretically speaking, there are as many kinds of divinatory sticks as there are gods worshipped in temples. The actual situation is different, however. But it is easy to find out various kinds of divinatory sticks in one place at one time. Seventy years ago, Rong Zhaozu collected eighteen kinds of divinatory sticks in different temples seventy years ago, including sticks named after [[Emperor Guan]], [[the City God]], [[the Earth God]], Hua Tuo, Duke Kang, the Highest Emperor, the Sagely Emperors of the Three Worlds, [[Patriarch Lü]], the Great Numinous Emperor of Medicine ( 醫靈大帝 Yiling Dadi ), [[the Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East]], [[the Heavenly Empress, the Stellar Sovereign of Wealth]], [[Guanyin]], etc. (Cf. '' Origin of Divination'' ( 占卜的源流 Zhanbu Di Yuanliu ) (70in the ''Gushi bian''). As far as the temples which offer divinatory sticks are concerned, most of them are Daoist temples or folk temples which were later integrated into Daoism. What Rong collected were modern divinatory sticks. The Daoist Canon collected Ming or earlier divinatory sticks. ''The Efficacious Divinatory Sticks of the Four Sagely and Perfected Sovereigns'' ( 四聖真君靈籤 Sisheng Zhenjun Lingqian ) may belong to the Yuan Dynasty, for the four sagely generals Tian Peng, Tian You, Hei Sha and the Guardian Sage ( 佑聖 Yousheng ) were popular in the Northern and Southern dynasties and less influential in the Ming Dynasty. The Guardian Sage General's position got increasingly higher since the Yuan Dynasty and was promoted to the position of Emperor of the Mysterious Northern Heaven in the Ming Dynasty; therefore, the divinatory sticks named after the Four Sages probably appeared in the Song Dynasty. Scriptures about Emperor Guan sometimes mentioned the Efficacious Divinatory Sticks of the Mysterious Northern Heaven. The ''Efficacious Divinatory Sticks of the Perfect Sovereign of Numinous Aid'' ( 靈濟真君靈籤 Lingji Zhenjun Lingqian ) certainly appeared in the Ming Dynasty, the two Perfect Sovereigns became popular during the reign of Yongle. Other divinatory sticks such as the ''Efficacious Divinatory Sticks of the Sacred Midwife Mother'' ( 房聖母靈籤 Weifang Shengmu Lingqian ) are harder to date. Most modern temples also have divinatory sticks whose names are the same as the temples or the gods in whose shrines they are cast. ==The credibility of divinatory sticks is closely related to people's piety to the gods== Belief in the Zhenwu Emperor was very popular in the Ming Dynasty, and so was his credibility. Gu Qiyuan lived in the Ming Dynasty. His book ''Records of the Guests Chatting'' ( 客座贅語 Kezuo Zhuiyu ), vol.7: ''Efficacious Divinatory Sticks of the Mystery Emperor'' ( 玄帝靈籤 Xuandi Lingqian ) reads: " There is a Temple of the Mystery Emperor. Legend said that his sacred image was enshrined in the tower over the Northern city gate and moved to this temple later. This temple offers divinatory sticks; they are too efficacious to record. People pray wholeheartedly, the god always knows the believer's secret and predicts their good or bad fortune. It is as efficacious as speaking to the person face to face. He has never failed me whenever I have something to pray. In the year of ''yiyou'', my four-year-daughter was sick. I prayed, and it replied: a small child is always troubled by illness; she will surely return her bones to the barren hill. She truly did die soon. I was sick in the year of ''gengzi'' and prayed in March. The stick replied: it is better not to waste time on medicine. When I prayed in April, the stick said: the disease gets worse, the people are as lean as a rake. This turned to be true later. I prayed in May, the stick reported: today you will get good news. I got a little better that day. When I prayed in June, the report went: Spring comes to the withered tree. My muscles began to grow that month, and I gradually returned to my former health. I once said that the god rewarded me as the sound follows the noise. I cannot forget his secret blessing even today. It also has unbelievable efficaciousness when other friends pray to him." We will not attempt to explain such efficacy here. But we want to point out that the god's prestige deepens people's belief in the divinatory sticks, which themselves further deepen people's belief in the god. Hence belief in divinatory stick became ingrained in society, and its spread has never come to an end. From the Qing Dynasty to modern times, Guanyin, Lu Dongbin and Emperor Guan have been very popular in folk belief. People also believe more deeply in divinatory sticks named after them. These sticks have been improved and revised over hundreds of years, allowing their forms to gradually become complete. Take Emperor Guan's divinatory sticks as an example. There are one hundred poems ( 籤詩 Qianshi ) with an extra king divinatory stick. Each of the divinatory stick has a title, which comes from history, myth and legends, novels and operas. The end of each poem is followed by a" holy intention", ""Dong Po's interpretation", "Bixian's Commentary", etc. Interpretations are attached to illustrate the poems. They were not composed by one person at one time. There was once a Hall for the Old Man of the Moon beside the West Lake at Hangzhou. It enshrined a god who was thought to be responsible for marriages in the world. Those who went there were mainly the unmarried individuals. So someone collected poems for the Old Man of the Moon from related poems, ci, and songs in history and from scriptures like the ''Four Books''. Here is the first poem: "Singing is a waterfowl, dwelling at the riverside; Lovely is the good lady, a fit bride for our lord", from the ''Book of Poems''. Number fifty-five is the last one, which says that " We wish all the lovers in the world will become family dependents in the end", from the ''Stories of the Western Chamber''. These words express peoples' good wishes for marriage. Besides, they are very interesting, too. To cast divinatory sticks is a Daoist activity among the masses and has developed into a custom in some places. The Temple of Immortal Huang is very typical in this aspect. The Temple of Immortal Huang is a Daoist temple as well as an attractive scenic spot. What is special at this temple is that there are lots of divinatory stick-seekers, and people come there together in crowds. People even make a living by interpreting divinatory sticks. Divinatory sticks in other temples attract numerous followers, too. For common people, whether the divinatory sticks are efficacious or not is less important, but those who interpret the divinatory sticks ( 解籤 Jieqian ) should be efficacious. As the content of the divinatory sticks mainly appears in the form of poems, their implications are not clear. So the people demand interpretation. The interpreters in the Daoist temples are Daoist priests. When they interpret the meaning of the divinatory sticks, they also suggest some insightful understandings of life, so that the interpretation is somewhat didactical. ==Related Pages== *[[Burning Joss Sticks and Worshipping Spirits]] *[[Decorating Lanterns at the Lantern Festival]] *[[The Festival of the Spirits of the Dead]] *[[Hanging Up Zhongkui's Pictures and the Realgar Wine]] *[[Divination by Drawing Lots]] *[[Divination]] *[[Planchette Writing]] *[[Pure Offerings for the Supreme Peace]] *[[Offerings for Prolong Life]] *[[Daoist Funeral Rites]] [[Category: Daoist Folk Customs]] [[zh:求籤]] f18164b42b0bd4432d45469a6e84ed381a391fb9 756 755 2009-11-07T05:07:31Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki Daoist temples usually prepare divinatory sticks ( 籤筒 Qiantong ), which are put in divinatory stick holders ( 籤條 Qiantiao ). Divinatory sticks are usually made of bamboo. Believers one randomly by shaking a container of sticks until one falls out. They then judge the implications and the god's intention by interpreting the sentences on the stick. For simple operations, divinatory sticks in modern Daoist temples are separated into two parts. After people get a divinatory stick, they get a corresponding divinatory paper with poems on it. To get a divinatory stick, people should hold the stick holder, pray in front of the deities, and then shake the holder until one divinatory stick falls out. This one is thought to be bestowed by god. People like to cast divinatory sticks to predict their fortune in Daoist temples. This is a very common activity. ==The origin== The origin of the appearance of casting divinatory sticks in Daoist temples was at the end of the Tang Dynasty. It soon spread to all shrines, temples and monasteries. It is hard to ascertain the exact beginning of casting divinatory sticks, but their earliest appearance can be dated to the end of the Tang Dynasty. During the Five Dynasties, the child Lu Duoxun, was brought to Yunyang temple by his father to study with other kids. There were some divinatory sticks on a discarded altar. The kids got the sticks and played with them. At that time, Lu couldn't read many words, so he took a stick home and showed it to his father. The poem on it read: "One will get the position of prime minister, will ascend to immortality at fifty-two, and turn out to be a guest at Penglai." His father thought it was an auspicious sign and was very glad about it, so he kept that divinatory stick. Lu did become a prime minister. He once asked his subordinate to connect with Qin emperor Ting Mei. After this event was revealed, he was sent into exile in the South and died at Zhu Ya at the age of fifty-two. His life experience fit the poem exactly (Please refer to Shi Wenyin's the ''Pure Talk of the Jade Kettle'', vol.3.) ( 玉壺清話 Yuhu Qinghua ) The Five Dynasties didn't last long, and Lu Duoxun lived at the end of the Tang Dynasty. He found the divinatory stick holder when he was a child, so we can conclude that divinatory sticks must have appeared before that time. Daoist divinatory sticks were widely accepted. Later, Buddhist temples and folk shrines all had divinatory sticks. ==Divinatory sticks are mainly named after the patron gods of each temple== Divinatory sticks' predictions are the patron god's revelations. Sentences on the divinatory sticks are thought to be the god's instructions, revelations and prophecy. Therefore, divinatory sticks are generally named after the name of a certain god names, and they are called the Efficacious Sticks ( 靈籤 Lingqian ) of the god. Chinese are polytheistic, so divinatory sticks have many names. Theoretically speaking, there are as many kinds of divinatory sticks as there are gods worshipped in temples. The actual situation is different, however. But it is easy to find out various kinds of divinatory sticks in one place at one time. Seventy years ago, Rong Zhaozu collected eighteen kinds of divinatory sticks in different temples seventy years ago, including sticks named after [[Emperor Guan]], [[the City God]], [[the Earth God]], Hua Tuo, Duke Kang, the Highest Emperor, the Sagely Emperors of the Three Worlds, [[Patriarch Lü]], the Great Numinous Emperor of Medicine ( 醫靈大帝 Yiling Dadi ), [[the Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East]], [[the Heavenly Empress, the Stellar Sovereign of Wealth]], [[Guanyin]], etc. (Cf. '' Origin of Divination'' ( 占卜的源流 Zhanbu Di Yuanliu ) (70in the ''Gushi bian''). As far as the temples which offer divinatory sticks are concerned, most of them are Daoist temples or folk temples which were later integrated into Daoism. What Rong collected were modern divinatory sticks. The Daoist Canon collected Ming or earlier divinatory sticks. ''The Efficacious Divinatory Sticks of the Four Sagely and Perfected Sovereigns'' ( 四聖真君靈籤 Sisheng Zhenjun Lingqian ) may belong to the Yuan Dynasty, for the four sagely generals Tian Peng, Tian You, Hei Sha and the Guardian Sage ( 佑聖 Yousheng ) were popular in the Northern and Southern dynasties and less influential in the Ming Dynasty. The Guardian Sage General's position got increasingly higher since the Yuan Dynasty and was promoted to the position of Emperor of the Mysterious Northern Heaven in the Ming Dynasty; therefore, the divinatory sticks named after the Four Sages probably appeared in the Song Dynasty. Scriptures about Emperor Guan sometimes mentioned the Efficacious Divinatory Sticks of the Mysterious Northern Heaven. The ''Efficacious Divinatory Sticks of the Perfect Sovereign of Numinous Aid'' ( 靈濟真君靈籤 Lingji Zhenjun Lingqian ) certainly appeared in the Ming Dynasty, the two Perfect Sovereigns became popular during the reign of Yongle. Other divinatory sticks such as the ''Efficacious Divinatory Sticks of the Sacred Midwife Mother'' ( 房聖母靈籤 Weifang Shengmu Lingqian ) are harder to date. Most modern temples also have divinatory sticks whose names are the same as the temples or the gods in whose shrines they are cast. ==The credibility of divinatory sticks is closely related to people's piety to the gods== Belief in the Zhenwu Emperor was very popular in the Ming Dynasty, and so was his credibility. Gu Qiyuan lived in the Ming Dynasty. His book ''Records of the Guests Chatting'' ( 客座贅語 Kezuo Zhuiyu ), vol.7: ''Efficacious Divinatory Sticks of the Mystery Emperor'' ( 玄帝靈籤 Xuandi Lingqian ) reads: " There is a Temple of the Mystery Emperor. Legend said that his sacred image was enshrined in the tower over the Northern city gate and moved to this temple later. This temple offers divinatory sticks; they are too efficacious to record. People pray wholeheartedly, the god always knows the believer's secret and predicts their good or bad fortune. It is as efficacious as speaking to the person face to face. He has never failed me whenever I have something to pray. In the year of ''yiyou'', my four-year-daughter was sick. I prayed, and it replied: a small child is always troubled by illness; she will surely return her bones to the barren hill. She truly did die soon. I was sick in the year of ''gengzi'' and prayed in March. The stick replied: it is better not to waste time on medicine. When I prayed in April, the stick said: the disease gets worse, the people are as lean as a rake. This turned to be true later. I prayed in May, the stick reported: today you will get good news. I got a little better that day. When I prayed in June, the report went: Spring comes to the withered tree. My muscles began to grow that month, and I gradually returned to my former health. I once said that the god rewarded me as the sound follows the noise. I cannot forget his secret blessing even today. It also has unbelievable efficaciousness when other friends pray to him." We will not attempt to explain such efficacy here. But we want to point out that the god's prestige deepens people's belief in the divinatory sticks, which themselves further deepen people's belief in the god. Hence belief in divinatory stick became ingrained in society, and its spread has never come to an end. From the Qing Dynasty to modern times, Guanyin, Lu Dongbin and Emperor Guan have been very popular in folk belief. People also believe more deeply in divinatory sticks named after them. These sticks have been improved and revised over hundreds of years, allowing their forms to gradually become complete. Take Emperor Guan's divinatory sticks as an example. There are one hundred poems ( 籤詩 Qianshi ) with an extra king divinatory stick. Each of the divinatory stick has a title, which comes from history, myth and legends, novels and operas. The end of each poem is followed by a" holy intention", ""Dong Po's interpretation", "Bixian's Commentary", etc. Interpretations are attached to illustrate the poems. They were not composed by one person at one time. There was once a Hall for the Old Man of the Moon beside the West Lake at Hangzhou. It enshrined a god who was thought to be responsible for marriages in the world. Those who went there were mainly the unmarried individuals. So someone collected poems for the Old Man of the Moon from related poems, ci, and songs in history and from scriptures like the ''Four Books''. Here is the first poem: "Singing is a waterfowl, dwelling at the riverside; Lovely is the good lady, a fit bride for our lord", from the ''Book of Poems''. Number fifty-five is the last one, which says that " We wish all the lovers in the world will become family dependents in the end", from the ''Stories of the Western Chamber''. These words express peoples' good wishes for marriage. Besides, they are very interesting, too. To cast divinatory sticks is a Daoist activity among the masses and has developed into a custom in some places. The Temple of Immortal Huang is very typical in this aspect. The Temple of Immortal Huang is a Daoist temple as well as an attractive scenic spot. What is special at this temple is that there are lots of divinatory stick-seekers, and people come there together in crowds. People even make a living by interpreting divinatory sticks. Divinatory sticks in other temples attract numerous followers, too. For common people, whether the divinatory sticks are efficacious or not is less important, but those who interpret the divinatory sticks ( 解籤 Jieqian ) should be efficacious. As the content of the divinatory sticks mainly appears in the form of poems, their implications are not clear. So the people demand interpretation. The interpreters in the Daoist temples are Daoist priests. When they interpret the meaning of the divinatory sticks, they also suggest some insightful understandings of life, so that the interpretation is somewhat didactical. ==Related Pages== *[[Burning Joss Sticks and Worshipping Spirits]] *[[Decorating Lanterns at the Lantern Festival]] *[[The Festival of the Spirits of the Dead]] *[[Hanging Up Zhongkui's Pictures and the Realgar Wine]] *[[Divination by Drawing Lots]] *[[Divination]] *[[Planchette Writing]] *[[Pure Offerings for the Supreme Peace]] *[[Offerings for Prolong Life]] *[[Daoist Funeral Rites]] [[Category: Daoist Folk Customs]] [[zh:求籤]] 3395e82518c7f7ec8c2b4de45a98ba785cd45881 0 607 757 2009-11-07T05:22:39Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Divination ( 占卜 Zhanbu ) is very common in China. Divination is a form of folk divinatory calculation ( 術數 Shushu ). When we talk about Divination, we mean that conducted...' wikitext text/x-wiki Divination ( 占卜 Zhanbu ) is very common in China. Divination is a form of folk divinatory calculation ( 術數 Shushu ). When we talk about Divination, we mean that conducted by specialists, to whom common people go for help, and to request their interpretation. In folk society, there are many occasions in which people and their relatives will directly engage in divination. This is true for Miscellaneous Divination ( 雜占 Zazhan ) and for divination on visible phenomena. The most common practise is taking the crow's squawk as a bad omen and the magpie's song as a good sign. People at Wu will cut the Evergreen plant in spring and judge if it will be a good year or a bad year according to its growth. The Evergreen is called the "thousand-year- ''yun ''" ("''yun ''" shares the same sound with luck in Chinese). Other popular types of divination in Daoist temples are dream divination and bamboo root divination. == Begging for dreams == Begging for dreams ( 乞夢 Qimeng ) is also called praying for dreams. People go to sleep in a temple and take their dreams there as a god's revelation. They will judge whether they will have good or ill luck and fortune or misfortune by it. Dream divination is a time-honored custom, its origin going back to primitive society. There are many records of it in ancient scriptures. Both the ''Chuci'' and the ''[[Book of Mountains and Seas]]'' mention that Empress Qi in the Xia Dynasty dreamed of flying to the Celestial Emperor and was bestowed the ''Nine Songs'', and then returned to this world. This shows that ancient people took dreams very seriously and regarded them as omens and revelations of gods or as hints to certain changes. People also believed that the soul left the body in dreams, and could contact with gods and go to where gods dwelled. When ancient people had a dream, they would prognosticate ( 圓夢 Yuanmeng ) by inviting shamans or generally acknowledged persons to interpret their dreams. Oneiromancy was the duty of shamans. The position of dream interpreter was mentioned in the ''Rites of the Zhou Dynasty''. This position belonged to the Great Administration of Spring Officials. The ''Book of Dream Interpretation'' ( 解夢書 Jiemeng Shu ) circulated in society. The ''[[Daoist Canon]]'' also collected some materials related to dream divination. The ''Extensive Records of the Taping Era'' has seven volumes of stories about dreams. These materials mainly mention the efficaciousness of dreams and prognostications, with few references to begging for dreams. As an interpretation given after the dream, prognostication is passive. Begging for dreams, however, is an active process. By praying piously, people hope that the gods appearing in one's dreams will foretell good or ill luck and guide one's actions. This depends on one's belief in dreams. The worship of immortals, Buddhas and folk gods are prerequisites. In Taiwan and even in Mainland China, the biggest place for begging dreams is the Temple of Guidance (Zhinan Gong). It once enshrined [[Lu Dongbin]], and contained more than eight hundred guest rooms for people to beg for dreams and get Patriarch Lu's "guidance' in dreams. Daoism and Buddhism's influence in folk beliefs is evident in begging for dreams. Most of those who go to temples are troubled by something and don't know what to do; they wish that the god will point out the way for them. They are not religious believers in a strict sense. For the concerned people, what they get from dreams is decisive. Generally speaking, those who go to beg for dreams will never doubt the revelations of dreams, will take its interpretation seriously, and try hard to do what the gods tell them to do. Lu You, the Southern Song poet, wrote a story in the ''Notes of the Laoxue Studio'' ( 老學庵筆記 Laoxue An Biji ), vol.1, which reads: "when Li Zhiji was a child, he begged for a dream in front of the god Zitong. He dreamed of going to Tianning Temple in Chengdu that evening. A Daoist priest pointed at the stone of the Weaving Maiden and said: 'if you name yourself after it, you will pass the civil exams.' So Li changed his name to ' stone', and styled himself Zhiji. He did pass the provincial exam that year." Mr.Li changed his name according to the revelation in his dream and made his wish come true. The Imperial Heaven didn't fail to live up his wish. People would beg for dreams when they encountered trouble. The dreams recorded in books are stories about dreams which have come true. From the stories we can judge that this way of divination must be efficacious. Gong Wei, who lived in the Qing Dynasty, wrote in his Writings in the Wood that: "He Zhuan was the king of Dongchuan. Before he succeeded in his civil exam, he begged for a dream in Patriarch Lü's temple in the capital. In the dream, he was led to one place and there was no door to get out. A god said: 'I will open a door for you.' When a door opened, he saw a god with a blue face who was very much like the worldly drawing of the fourth stellar god in the bowl of the Big Dipper. He was quite surprised when he woke up.' In the civil examination of the year of ''Kuisi'', he actually got the first place in the imperial examination ( 大魁 Dakui )."According to legend, the fourth stellar god in the bowl of the Big Dipper is in charge of scholarly ranks. Whoever circles by him will surely pass the civil exam. He Zhuan dreamed of this god, so it was natural for him to be successful in the exam. Other dreams are very complicated, and it is hard to see their connections superficially. Even if the connections with actual events may seem far-fetched, the dream will be considered to be efficacious. Once a person went to beg for a dream in famous Ming official Yu Qian's temple, and dreamed that the god's subordinate Xu Di touched his backside. He blamed the just god for being not just at all, allowing his subordinate to engage in homosexuality. Later, this person got a petty official position at Longyang. He suddenly realized that his dream had come true. It turned out that people called homosexuals "''Long-yang-xu''". His dream had indicated the place where he would get a position. Anyway, such dreams are hard to predict in advance. ==Bamboo root divination== In Bamboo root divination, people throw two pieces of bamboo root on the ground and judge their good or bad fortune by the side on which the pieces land. People cut a piece of bamboo root into two. People choose a bamboo root, for it is durable and beautiful. It looks like an open bamboo shoot. This form of divination has a very early origin; we have not found any historical records of its beginning. It may be inspired by the open or closed hexagrammatic lines of the ''Book of Changes''. Bamboo root divination is mainly practised in temples under a certain god's direction, similar to begging for dreams and casting divinatory sticks. Though it is difficult to date its beginning, the ''Great Collection of Daoist Skills'' in the ''Daoist Canon'' mentioned using bamboo roots for divination in Zhao Gongming's ''Ruyi Great Magic of the Golden Wheel''. The operation of bamboo root divination is very simple. First, pray in front of the god and tell him your problem and ask for his guidance, then cast the two pieces of bamboo root on the ground and make a judgment according to whether the pieces land on the obverse or reverse side. There are three possibilities: two obverse, two reverse, and one obverse and one reverse. Two obverse sides are called positive bamboo roots: this result implies neither good nor bad luck. Two reverse sides are called negative bamboo roots, and are a sign of ill luck. The third possibility is called holy bamboo roots or successive bamboo roots, and indicates good luck, meaning that the god has accepted your request. Bamboo root divination has undergone some changes in its forms of practise. One is to increase the number of throws to two or three times. Casting three times can lead to combinations similar to the Eight Trigrams. Attached explanations make it more systematic. There are twenty-seven appendices to the ''Records and Pictures of the Stories of the Sacred Heavenly Empress'' ( 天后聖母志圖 Tianhou Shengmu Jizhi Tu ). The "Negative, holy and holy" means getting to obverse side first, and holy and holy in the second and third throws. The explanation says: " Good. Travel across five lakes with a boat, you wanted to go but hesitated. You can make a living at a certain time, why choose to be a hermit Confucian." There are explanations for bamboo root divination at the back of the efficacious divinatory sticks of the Heavenly Empress and [[Guanyin]]. If interested, you may refer to them. ==Related Pages== *[[Burning Joss Sticks and Worshipping Spirits]] *[[Decorating Lanterns at the Lantern Festival]] *[[The Festival of the Spirits of the Dead]] *[[Hanging Up Zhongkui's Pictures and the Realgar Wine]] *[[Divination by Drawing Lots]] *[[Divination]] *[[Planchette Writing]] *[[Pure Offerings for the Supreme Peace]] *[[Offerings for Prolong Life]] *[[Daoist Funeral Rites]] [[Category: Daoist Folk Customs]] [[zh:占卜]] 5a66a3dd3324247973058494d2da14f2c0b01499 0 608 758 2009-11-07T05:49:07Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Planchette writing ( 扶乩 Fuji ) is also called '' ''fuluan'''' ( 扶鸞 Fuluan ) or '' ''jiangbi '''' ( 降筆 Jiangbi ). Its operation requires one or two persons to hold a r...' wikitext text/x-wiki Planchette writing ( 扶乩 Fuji ) is also called '' ''fuluan'''' ( 扶鸞 Fuluan ) or '' ''jiangbi '''' ( 降筆 Jiangbi ). Its operation requires one or two persons to hold a rack and reveal words or pictures on a prepared sand plate, and then give explanations. It is practised in the composition of Daoist scriptures and in discussing with Immortals. Common people use it for divination and relieving themselves of worries, and to help solve their problems. Planchette writing is very popular nationwide, and is commonly practised in Daoist temples in Taiwan, Hong Kong and at some folk shrines and altars in mainland China. Planchette writing began as a method for summoning the Lady of the Privy ( 異苑 Yiyuan ) during the Six Dynasties, and flourished in the Tang and Song dynasties. Liu Jingshu, who lived in the Southern Song, recorded in the ''''Exotic Garden'''', vol.5 ( 紫姑 Zigu ) that people believed in the Lady of the Privy. She was said to have been a concubine. The head wife was envious of her and so always ordered her to do the dirty jobs. She died of anger on the fifteenth day of the first month. Each year on that day, people made an idol of her and beckoned her in the washroom or beside the pigsty. If the idol got heavier, it showed that she had descended. Then people offered her juices and fruit, and the idol began to move. Then they asked her to tell them of their good or bad luck. Summoning the Lady of the Privy was the earliest origin of planchette writing. In Liu Jingshu's records, people only used her idol and didn't practise the planchette. Summoning the Lady of the Privy by means of a planchette appeared in the Tang Dynasty and became popular in the Song. Later, the date of summoning the goddess was no longer limited to the 15th of the first month; it could be done any day. Shen Kuo and Su Shi in the Northern Song also recorded the practise of summoning the Lady of the Privy. Su Shi's descriptions deserve our special attention. He mentioned that the method of summoning her was to make her idol with wood or straw, put clothes on her body and chopsticks in her hands, and then to ask two children to hold it. The chopsticks would write and tell the Lady of the Privy's stories and answers to people's questions (cf. The ''Collection of Dongpo'' ( 東坡集 Dongpo Ji ), vol.13: ''Records of the Lady of the Privy'' ( 子姑神記 Zigu Shenji )). Zhang Shichen of the Song dynasty also recorded that when summoning the Lady of the Privy, people inserted chopsticks in a planchette and put dust on the table, so that the chopsticks could write on it. Thus by the Song Dynasty, the method of planchette writing had become established. When brought into Daoism, planchette writing influenced the composition of Daoist scriptures. It is hard to tell when planchette writing was incorporated into Daoism, but it is certain that planchette writing was applied to reveal celestial writing and to compose other Daoist scriptures. Su Shi mentioned that when he was at Huangzhou (today's Huanggang in Hubei Province), he got the seal characters of the Lady of the Privy. The style was unusual and illegible, and so was called " Celestial seal characters"; the contents of the revelation were entitled The Divine Incantation of Tian Peng ( 天蓬神咒 Tianpeng Shenzhou ). The Tian Peng incantation spread into Daoism during the Southern Dynasties. Tao Hongjing had mentioned this fact. Tian Peng was one of the Four Sagely and Perfected Sovereigns, and was very well known. This incantation is one example in which we can see how planchette writing was practised to produce Daoist secret writings (cf. The Collection of Dong Po, vol.13: ''Records of the Heavenly Sealed Characters'' ( 天篆記 Tianzhuan Ji )). In the Song Dynasty, the gods involved in planchette writing were no longer limited to the Lady of the Privy, but various kinds of gods, ghosts and immortals also started speaking through the planchette. Hong Mai of the Southern Song mentioned that Daoist gods such as the Perfect Man of Jade Emptiness, the Perfect Man of Supreme Oneness and the Perfect Man of Nanhua were summoned in planchette writing. Immortals would descend through the planchette to educate people. Using planchette writing to write down immortals' instructions, composing Daoist books and transmitting Daoist skills thus frequently occurred in history. Lu Dongbin was very influential since the Song Dynasty both in Daoism and among common people. In the ''Preface to the Complete Works of Patriarch'' Lü by Chen Derong of the Qing dynasty, it is recorded that Patriarch Lu " made the planchette fly to educate the people; even women and children know his name." Lu Dongbin had descended to Han-san-gong altar in Jiang Xia for forty years and bestowed many scriptures. Some of them have been collected into the ''Complete Works of Patriarch Lü'' ( 呂祖全書序 Lüzu Quanshu Xu ). In fact, most of the poems and immortal scriptures in that compilation were composed through planchette writing. There are other Daoist scriptures written by planchette writing, too. Today's ''Infinite Precious Repentance of Patriarch Lü'' ( 呂祖無極寶懺 Lüzu Wuji Baochan ) circulating in Hong Kong was also composed by planchette writing. When planchette writing began to be practised on an altar, it was standardized and borrowed various Daoist skills, talismans, and incantations to summon the gods. A special planchette plate was adopted, with one or two persons to support its frame and write on the sand plate. There are occasions when planchette operators write directly on paper or other things. Large planchette writing altars have planchette supporters ( 扶乩者 Fujizhe ), readers ( 讀乩者 Dujizhe ) and persons to copy them down ( 抄乩者 Chaojizhe ). Planchette writing is used to resolve doubt, to ask for cures, to discus the Dao, to write and reply to poems, and for didactics. Originally, planchette writing was used for divination. This function was later maintained. In the past, intellectuals used it to predict their future, and even to ask for examination questions. Today, people apply planchette writing to foretell their future, their business, their journeys and their marriages. Some planchette writings discuss social problems and foretell historical changes. The ''Planchette Writings of Marquis Zhuge'' ( 諸葛武侯乩文 Zhuge Wuhou Jiwen ) has been popular in modern Hong Kong. It was composed from planchette writing in 1930s. Its believers think that many of its predictions have come true. Actually, most of these writings are vague in meaning and hard to guess. They are similar to the skills in the ''Back Massage Chart'' ( 推背圖 Tuibei Tu ) and the ''Songs of the Sesame Seed Cake'' ( 燒餅歌 Shaobing Ge ), which foretell social changes. Another important use of planchette writing is asking for medicinal prescriptions. When common people are confronted with difficult and complicated diseases, they like to ask for the Planchette Immortal's ( 乩仙 Jixian ) help. The planchette operator would then give oral prescriptions. There are occasions when people discuss medical questions with Planchette Immortals. They then collect and compile their discussions into books. Such is the case of the ''Return to the Origin of Medicine'' ( 醫道還元 Yidao Huanyuan ) popular in Hong Kong. This book discusses common things; there isn't much illustration of medical principles and even fewer creative ideas. The planchette altars in Daoist temples have planchette writings to discuss the Dao, and even whole books of such discussions. These writings or books may differ according to different people's requirements. Some discuss elixirs, some talk about Daoist doctrines, and some writings are for didactic purposes. Lu Xixing of the Ming dynasty , a resident of Jiangsu province, once claimed that Lu Dongbin and other Immortals descended and bestowed on him the great way of the Golden Elixir. His True ''Annotation of the Three Canons'' ( 三藏真詮 Sanzang Zhenquan ) is a collection of planchette scripts. Some of today's planchette writings discuss the Dao, too. Some people even perform operas by planchette writing, singing and replying with the ghosts and fox spirits. Taiwan has the most planchette altars, and Hong Kong has some. They play a didactic function among the people. Most of the planchette writing books record its mystery, but few discuss the phenomenon academically. Xu Dishan published the book ''Research on the Planchette Writing Superstition'' ( 扶乩迷信底研究 Fuji Mixin Di Yanjiu ) in 1940s to study its origins and development. Some modern scholars regard it as a form of hypnotism. Believers, however, think that Immortals and Buddhas do effectively descend to the altars. ==Related Pages== *[[Burning Joss Sticks and Worshipping Spirits]] *[[Decorating Lanterns at the Lantern Festival]] *[[The Festival of the Spirits of the Dead]] *[[Hanging Up Zhongkui's Pictures and the Realgar Wine]] *[[Divination by Drawing Lots]] *[[Divination]] *[[Planchette Writing]] *[[Pure Offerings for the Supreme Peace]] *[[Offerings for Prolong Life]] *[[Daoist Funeral Rites]] [[Category: Daoist Folk Customs]] [[zh:扶乩]] edfbc5ed2b86bd0bc9671bdfd23cf41046f3f3b3 0 609 759 2009-11-07T05:57:20Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Pure Offerings for the Supreme Peace ( 太平清醮Taiping Qingjiao ), also called Pure Offerings Assembly ( 清醮會Qingjiao Hui ), Giving Pure Offerings ( 打清醮Da Qingjiao...' wikitext text/x-wiki Pure Offerings for the Supreme Peace ( 太平清醮Taiping Qingjiao ), also called Pure Offerings Assembly ( 清醮會Qingjiao Hui ), Giving Pure Offerings ( 打清醮Da Qingjiao ), and Pure Auspicious Offerings ( 清吉醮Qingji Jiao ), have the function of protecting the peace of the area. The ritual was once widespread in many areas all over the country, especially Sichuan, Fujian and Guangdong. Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, which have the same customs as other areas of the motherland such as Guangdong and Fujian, are areas where Pure Offerings for the Supreme Peace prevail today. Pure Offerings for the Supreme Peace are a kind of large-scale Offering Ritual with strong local features, funded by local people and held by invited Daoists. Often they are held by a regional unit such as a village or town. Because Chinese extended families usually live together, the ritual is tinted with a color of family activity. The ritual is presided by invited Daoist priests. It lasts three or five days. As a large-scale religious and family activity requiring a great expense and a long time for fundraising, it is held once every 10, 20 or even 30 years in one area. Pure Offerings for the Supreme Peace, including Daoist rituals and folk activities to please the deities, have been a part of folk custom. As a large-scale ritual, Pure Offerings for the Supreme Peace are actually an assemblage of many rituals. They often include all kinds of sacrificing rituals, competition fairs, universal salvation, rites for sending away the god of plague ( 送瘟神Song Wenshen ), etc. Every ritual contains many parts. Let's take the Offering Ritual as an example. While always centering on the big temple of the Earth Spirit or an important deity, it invites all the Immortals, Buddhas and local deities in the area into the ritual. Often invoked are [[the Motherly Matriarch]] ( 媽祖Mazu ), [[Guanyin]] ( 觀音Guanyin ), [[Emperor Guan]] ( 關帝Guandi ), [[the City God]] ( 城隍Chenghuang ), [[the Earth Spirit]] ( 土地Tudi ), etc. First the ritual masters entice the deities, lifting the images or symbols of the deities into the divine tent. Besides setting up the altar, offering petitions, recitation and repentance, the main rites also include the salvation of lone souls, and sending away the God of Plague on prepared colorful ships cast adrift into the sea or a river after the ritual. Moreover, the ritual is often accompanied by such activities as setting lives free and floating lotus lanterns. During the ritual period, as a rule, operas are played all night from the eve before the ritual till its ending. The plays mainly entertain the deities, and also the people. The operas, being familiar to the audience and played till late night, are not often followed by many people. But it doesn't influence the actors' performances. To embody Heaven's virtue of loving life, killing is forbidden during the ritual period. Meanwhile, carrying excrement is forbidden, for fear that the smell would offend the spirits flying by in the heavens. In some areas, to protect the security of the whole area, Daoists first set up altars, recite scriptures, prostrate in temples, then empty water rice along the streets as food for souls and present numinous talismans to each family. The Pure Offering Ritual for the Supreme Peace is entirely aimed at pacifying the area, dispelling misfortune, and begging for auspicious blessings. Some books examine the ritual in combination with ancient exorcism rituals ( 儺禮Nuo Li ). The ''Zhongjiang County Annal'' says, "In March of the spring season, towns and villages all hold exorcism rituals called Pure Offering Rituals for the Supreme Peace." So the ritual is related to ancient exorcism rituals aiming to exorcise the ghosts of plague and evil spirits, and protect the security of the area. At least, they are the same kind of activity. Therefore, they have a strong folk flavour. ==Related Pages== *[[Burning Joss Sticks and Worshipping Spirits]] *[[Decorating Lanterns at the Lantern Festival]] *[[The Festival of the Spirits of the Dead]] *[[Hanging Up Zhongkui's Pictures and the Realgar Wine]] *[[Divination by Drawing Lots]] *[[Divination]] *[[Planchette Writing]] *[[Pure Offerings for the Supreme Peace]] *[[Offerings for Prolong Life]] *[[Daoist Funeral Rites]] [[Category: Daoist Folk Customs]] [[zh:太平清醮]] 2d296d0cc3285484e241dd8eb37bdb3721305947 0 610 760 2009-11-07T07:17:52Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Conducting longevity offerings ( 打延生醮 Da Yansheng Jiao ) is a popular folk activity. Its earliest origin can be traced back to the worship of the Big Dipper. The ancient ...' wikitext text/x-wiki Conducting longevity offerings ( 打延生醮 Da Yansheng Jiao ) is a popular folk activity. Its earliest origin can be traced back to the worship of the Big Dipper. The ancient Chinese believed that the Southern Dipper ( 南斗 Nandou ) was in charge of life and the Big (Northern) Dipper was in charge of death. In order to live longer, one needed to pray to the Stellar Sovereign of the Big Dipper to take one's name off the Death Registration ( 死籍 Siji ). In early times, Daoism practiced various kinds of star worship. In the Three Kingdoms period, Lu Meng, senior general of the Wu Kingdom, was seriously ill. Sun Quan asked a Daoist priest to plead on Lu Meng's behalf in front of the Big Dipper ( 北斗星君 Beidou Xingjun ). Later scriptures and Offering ceremonies for longevity were related to the East, South, West, North and Central dippers - the constellations of the five directions ( 五方星斗 Wufang Xingdou ), but the Big (Northern) Dipper was the most important. ''The Perfect Book of Fundamental Destiny and Prolonging Life of the Supreme Mysterious Soul'' ( 太上玄靈北斗本命延生真經 Taishang Xuanling Beidou Benming Yansheng Zhenjing ) states that the Big Dipper is capable of dispelling any type of adversity. If entangled with disasters, how can one be rescued? " Hasten to [[the Big Dipper]], give offerings to thank the Perfect Sovereign, turn to the true scriptures, identify one's Stellar Sovereign of Fundamental Destiny. Doing so, one can attain safety and even health and fame." By chanting this scripture frequently, worshipping the stellar gods and giving litanies ( 禮懺 Lichan ), one can protect one's life and achieve longevity. This is a common understanding of believers in Daoism and in folk religions. That's why Longevity Offerings are usually addressed to the Big Dipper. Longevity Offerings are rich in content and diversified in form. As far as their content is concerned, Longevity Offerings are described in the ''Book of the East Dipper in Charge of Lifespans'' ( 東斗主算經 Dongdou Zhusuan Jing ), the ''Book of the Big Dipper in Charge of Fundamental Destiny and Prolonging Life'' ( 北斗本命延生經 Beidou Benming Yansheng Jing ), the ''Book of the Big Dipper in Charge of Fundamental Destiny and Longevity'' ( 北斗本命長生經 Beidou Benming Changsheng Jing ), the ''Book of the South Dipper's Six Offices in Charge of Longevity and Salvation'' ( 南斗六司延壽度人經 Nandou Liusi Yanshou Duren Jing ), the ''Heart Book of the Big Dipper in Charge of Fundamental Destiny and Longevity'' ( 斗姆本命延生心經 Doumu Benming Yansheng Xinjing ), etc. As for form, there are general offering rituals as well as lantern rituals. The ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' ( 三國演義 Sanguo Yanyi ) recorded that when Zhu Geliang was seriously ill, he himself arranged a lantern ritual. But Wei Yan unexpectedly stepped on the lantern of his fundamental sovereign. Zhu Geliang could not do anything to undo the misfortune, so he died in the army. Though this is a fictional novel, it has its archetype in real social life. Daoist priests commonly hold longevity lantern rituals among the masses. The Daoist Canon contains the "South Dipper Longevity Lantern Ritual" and "Big Dipper Longevity Lantern Ritual". Longevity Offerings are frequently conducted for folk believers; they satisfy peoples' longing for longevity, health and peaceful life. The Chinese have a strong sense of the joy of life. The ancient classic Hong Fan proposed five happinesses; the first of them is long life. So the eminent Daoist Priest and famous doctor Sun Simiao stated that long life was superior to the other four happinesses. Daoism regards life as most important. As a life-cherishing religion, it has whole system of methods to pursue long life, including popular rituals for praying to the stars in order to lengthening one's life span. When common people reach an advanced age or don't feel good, they will think of this special Daoist skill and invite a Daoist priest to conduct offerings for themselves and their relatives. Nowadays, after several decades of social turbulence, people look forward to stability. Enjoying good health, peace, longevity, and getting rid of illnesses are wishes of people. Those who believe in Daoism regard offerings as significant. Generally speaking, there are two occasions when people conduct offerings ( 打醮 Dajiao ). Firstly, when people get sick, or feel aged and weakened, they go to the temple for offerings. Secondly, when people celebrate their birthdays, they will invite Daoist priests to conduct offerings for them. As modern society is changing rapidly, longevity offering rituals have correspondingly been simplified, and chances for Longevity Lantern Rituals are reduced. The Longevity Lantern Ritual is often conducted at night; it is not convenient to have it done in the cities. There are occasions when people still make longevity lanterns, but move the activity to the daytime. ==Related Pages== *[[Burning Joss Sticks and Worshipping Spirits]] *[[Decorating Lanterns at the Lantern Festival]] *[[The Festival of the Spirits of the Dead]] *[[Hanging Up Zhongkui's Pictures and the Realgar Wine]] *[[Divination by Drawing Lots]] *[[Divination]] *[[Planchette Writing]] *[[Pure Offerings for the Supreme Peace]] *[[Offerings for Prolong Life]] *[[Daoist Funeral Rites]] [[Category: Daoist Folk Customs]] [[zh:延生醮]] b4cf85080384a75536127a4f93946c3e15afcb3e 0 611 761 2009-11-07T08:14:51Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Daoism has been involved with funerals since the time of its formation. Daoist funerals or funerals involving Daoism are a part of Chinese folklore. The Chinese are very serious ...' wikitext text/x-wiki Daoism has been involved with funerals since the time of its formation. Daoist funerals or funerals involving Daoism are a part of Chinese folklore. The Chinese are very serious about nourishing life and sending off the dead. The Confucians advocated being serious with death and reminiscing over the departed, which implies the idea of emphasizing death and recalling ancestors. Such Confucian thought needs certain rituals for its expression and intensification. Confucian rites have strong rational connotations, but there are also religious ceremonies among the commoners and in upper-class society. Their main purpose is to secure peace for the souls of the deceased, and separate the living and the dead, so that the shadow of death will not linger among the living, in order to guarantee their safety. At the same time, ancient people also tried hard to help the souls of the dead to ascend to Heaven to join their ancestors. On a silk book excavated in the Mawangdui Han tomb buried at the time of emperor Wen of the Western Han dynasty, the woman who was the owner of the tomb was shown being guided across a bridge and accompanied to Heaven. One person is in front of her holding a plate with the golden elixir. It was evident that the contemporaries associated the ascending of the deceased's soul with the refined elixirs of the Magicians (predecessors of the Daoists). This became an important ideological basis to Daoist funerals. Early Daoism was more active among the common masses, and taking part in their funerals was very natural. Relieving Rituals ( 解除 Jiechu ) (magic rituals conducted for the dead at the tomb gate, aimed at separating the living people and ghosts and guarding the tomb ( 鎮墓 Zhenmu )), which were conducted at the gate of tombs, were very popular. They relieved deadly contagions ( 復連 Fulian ) (by protecting the living against the adversity and misfortune which cause death). The theme of filial piety was stressed in the later development of funerals. It emphasized that Daoist priests' magic could make the dead ascend to heaven quickly and let them leave the sufferings of the nether world ( 幽冥 Youming ). Such activities have long been popular customs among the masses. In the Tang Dynasty, Tang emperor Xuan Zong did not allow the literati and commoners to keep contact with Buddhist and Daoist priests. If one family had good or ill fortune and needed rituals, it should first present a certificate to the prefecture or county government, which would inform the temple, and only then was permission given to go to the temple. This shows that inviting Buddhists and Daoists to deal with unlucky incidents had become a custom. In the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang recognized Daoism and Buddhism's position and influence in common people's funerals, and tried to make them into fixed forms. So he had the ''Efficient Ritual of Fasts and Offerings of the Doctrine of Mysteries of the Great Ming Dynasty'' ( 大明立成玄教齋醮儀 Daming Licheng Xuanjiao Zhaijiao Yi ) compiled and personally wrote a preface to it. It reads: " when the families of officials and of the masses have funeral arrangements, they have to invite Buddhists and Daoists. If they are not invited to take part in the funeral, parents will be regarded as not benevolent if it is the funeral of their child, and children will be thought of as unfilial if it is the funeral of their parent. They will feel ashamed to meet their neighbors." This emperor was once a monk; he knew that the custom of inviting Buddhists and Daoists for funerals was deeply rooted, so he made it into a fixed form for disseminating filial piety and benevolence. Confucian scholars in the Ming Dynasty complained about Buddhist and Daoist participation in funerals, but they couldn't stop it. Wang Langchuan once said: "Nowadays, when somebody dies in a family, people employ Buddhists and Daoists to conduct rituals, have Water and Land Rituals ( 水陸會 Shuiluhui ), copy scriptures, and print Buddhist and Daoist images, in order to reduce the dead's sins and demerits and allow them to ascend to heaven and enjoy happiness. If not, the dead will descend to hell. Even the national laws cannot prohibit it, nor reasoning can make them understand. The literati also follow this custom, saying that they cannot help being vulgar, etc. " ([Ming] Wang Langchuan, ''Collection of Words and Deeds'') ( 言行匯輯 Yanxing Huiji ). The literati he mentioned were the literate Confucian scholars. As followers of Confucius, they were supposed to guard the sage's teaching and not invite Buddhists and Daoists to attend their funerals. They failed to do so, for they wanted to follow the customs. Daoist funerals have a complete ritual. It is mixed with folklore when conducted among the masses. Strictly speaking, Daoist funerals belong to the category of Fasting. After the Song Dynasty, Offering was more widespread than Fasting. There are Fasting and Offering Rituals whether the dead is a Daoist priest or a common lay person. When Qiu Chuji, the Complete Perfection's patriarch, died, his disciples conducted the Yellow Register Fasting Rituals of the Numinous Treasure ( 靈寶黃籙齋儀 Lingbao Huanglu Zhaiyi ). In the thirteenth chapter of the Dream of the Red Mansion ( 紅樓夢 Hongloumeng ), when Qin Keqing died, it was decided to keep her corpse for forty-nine days. One hundred and eight monks and ninety-nine Complete Perfection Daoists were invited to conduct the Offering for Renouncing Misfortune and Clearing Bad Karma ( 解怨洗業醮 Jieyuan Xiye Jiao ) for forty-nine days. This is surely a description of the ostentation and extravagance of the aristocrats. Common people just went to the temple to have one or two Offerings, or invite Daoist priests to their home for some rituals. The Seven Day Ritual ( 做七 Zuoqi ) was most frequently performed, i.e., rituals were performed every seven days after the death. The process usually began from the first Seven to the fifth Seven; the longest ritual being performed on the seventh Seven. Daoist rituals are quite rich in content. If you have a look at the ''Most High Efficient Fasting Ritual of the Yellow Register'' ( 無上黃籙大齋立成儀 Wushang Huanglu Dazhai Licheng Yi ) and at various kinds of important magic in the Numinous Treasure School, the perfection of their funeral rituals and richness of their content will make you astonished. The rituals examined and approved by Ming emperor Zhu Yuanzhang himself are comparatively simple. They are divided into a one-day Offering and a three-day Offering. Take the one-day Offering as an example. It has the following fifteen stages: #Granting talismans ( 發符 Fafu ); #Setting up the supervising altar; #Chanting scriptures; #Inviting the master; #Inviting the gods and ascertaining their intention; #Communicating with spirits through the lantern ( 關燈 Guandeng ); #Summoning the dead and taking a bath; #Saluting and uttering incantations over the food; #Sacrificing food for the lonely soul and transmitting commandments; #Arranging offerings; #Presenting offerings; #Sacrificing wine ( 祭酒 Jijiu ); #Reading memorials; #Sending gods off; and #Communicating with spirits through the lantern ( 化財滿意 Huacai Manyi ). This long process has been much simplified, and several items have been combined into one. The practice of these rituals among the masses changes in accordance with the financial ability of the hosts and the amount of time available. Connecting with folk culture, it also absorbs local cultures and customs in different areas. From the perspective of folk customs, we can find that Daoist funerals have the following stages: ==Chanting scriptures== For Daoism, chanting scriptures is the foremost merit. Chanting sutras for the dead will release them of the sufferings in darkness. The ''Book of Salvation'', the ''Book of the Jade Emperor'' ( 玉皇經 Yuhuang Jing ) and the ''Book of the Three Officials'' are often recited in funerals. When common people have funerals, they either invite Monks or Daoists, or even both; there are no fixed rules. Thus after the Ming and Qing dynasties, there have been Buddhist monks chanting Daoist scriptures, or Daoists chanting the Buddhist ''Universal Salvation Chapter of Guanyin'' ( 拜懺 Baichan ). If the funerals are conducted in Daoist temples, however, they will surely chant Daoist scriptures. ==Litanies and Water and Land Rituals== A Litany means a ritual conducted in front of gods for confessing one's sins and imploring forgiveness. Litany rites conducted in a funeral are to pardon the dead's guilt and help them to ascend to heaven or have a good reincarnation. In its later development, specialized litany rites such as "relieving disaster in the nine dark hells" ( 九幽脫厄 Jiuyou Tuo’E ), and "dispelling crimes in the nine dark hells" ( 九幽拔罪 Jiuyou Bazhui ) also evolved. The common believers would go to the temples and have litany rituals for the dead. The rich would invite Daoists to their home to build an altar and conduct litany rituals. The more ostentatious and extravagant litany ritual is the Water and Land Ritual. It lasts seven days or longer. "Water and Land" means to enshrine and worship the spirits in the Heaven above, in the Earth in the middle and in the Water below. It covers the dead's soul and hungry ghosts ( 餓鬼 E’gui ) in the three worlds and six paths, and helps them to break away from suffering and bitterness, so it requires a large scale, many segments, and plenty of deliverance rites. Parts of the ritual can be conducted independently as small-scale rites. There is a Water and Land Ritual in Buddhism, too. It contains Daoist techniques such as distributing talismans, showing the clear influence of Daoist Water and Land Rituals. ==Lighting Lanterns and Disposing Water Lanterns== Both Buddhism and Daoism conduct these rituals. For Daoism, the Numinous Treasure Rituals usually involve lighting lanterns and candles. Daoism also has some independent lantern rituals. The Nine Darkness Lantern Ritual ( 九幽燈 Jiuyou Deng ) can make the divine light shine over Hell, so that the soul of the dead will be enlightened by the light and be guided to leave the realm of death. The ''Jade Reflection of the Numinous Treasure'' ( 靈寶玉 Lingbao Yujian ) doesn't regard lantern rituals as "glorious and beautiful". Instead, it implies "using light to break the darkness", for "the soul of the dead, once it has fallen into the darkness of the endless night, can hardly leave it without the shining of the light. So the ritual must have lights patterned on the sky and earth and distribute talismans." To show the pattern of the sky and earth, the arrangement of the lantern altar must be disposed according to the locations of the sun, moon, stars and constellations above, and the Eight Trigrams and Nine Palaces below. The sunshine is let in to mix and break the darkness, so that the soul of the dead can be delivered through the light. Following folk custom, when someone dies, an oil lamp will be placed by the corpse's feet for the purpose of illuminating the dark path ( 冥途 Mingtu ). Besides lighting lanterns in rituals, an additional water lantern will also be used in the funeral. The legend goes that when people die, they need to pass a dark river. To avoid falling into it, it is necessary to light a lantern and illuminate the dark river. So people put paper lamps in rivers or lakes as symbols. The paper lamp is in the shape of a ship or lotus with a tile or wood board bottom, and candles burning in it. It will be put into water after chanting incantations and empowering magic. Generally speaking, if the water lamp floats a long time without turning, it shows that the magician is more powerful and that the dead will have a better fortune. ==Feeding Hungry Ghosts ( 施食 Shishi ) == This is also called ''hushi'' ( 斛食 Hushi ) or ''panshi'' ( 判斛 Panhu ) in Chinese. Such rituals in Buddhism are called Rituals for Feeding the Hungry Ghosts ( 放焰口 Fang Yankou ). Some Buddhist scriptures tell people that those who have fallen into the path of a hungry ghost ( 餓鬼道 E’gui Dao ), do so as a result of their previous Dharmic actions ( 業力 Yeli ). The throats of hungry ghosts are as small as a needle, so it is hard for them to drink even a drop of water. Whenever there is food in front of their month, a flame will spurt out automatically and burn the food. So they are eternally hungry and in suffering. Only magic power can make the flame die out and open their throat, and release them from such suffering. We call these rituals ''fangyankou'' or just ''yankou'' for short. Buddhist ''yankou'' rituals ( 焰口儀 Yankouyi ) were finally completed by the Dharmic Tantric master Bu Kong. The most important part of the ritual is ''fangyankou'', which gives free food to the hungry ghosts. Such rituals in Daoism were recorded in the Tang document ''yiwen leiju'', which is earlier than Bu Kong's compilation. Thus Bu Kong may have consulted Daoist methods. Later, Buddhism and Daoism borrowed from each other. In Daoist Deliverance rituals, there are elements such as ' opening the throat'. So people like to call such Daoist and Buddhist rituals together as fangyankou. But the original Daoist term is Relieving Refinement, Refinement Deliverance or Sacrificing Refinement. Its purpose is not only to relieve the soul of the dead from the suffering of hunger and thirst. The Daoist master will also use his positive spirit and energy to refine the negativity of the dead and free them from spiritual suffering, so that they can ascend to Heaven as soon as possible. During the time of Refining, it is necessary to build a water pond and fire zhao (zhao is a fire basin lit after the master gives magic power, which symbolizes the fire god). Water is used for cleaning and fire for refining, so it is also called Refining and Deliverance through Water and Fire ( 水火煉度 Shuihou Liandu ). The Three Pristine Ones' Refining Deliverance is a popular ritual in Hong Kong. This ritual doesn't use water and fire as symbols, believing that the master's inner energy is powerful enough. But it still keeps the functions of water and fire, if not their form. There are other rituals emphasizing the suffering of the dead's soul. They are given a general term: "giving free food". They discard the typical Daoist Refining and Deliverance. These rituals are generally conducted for ghosts who haven't been relieved from the darkness during important festivals. The conduct of these rituals is mainly determined by the host ( 齋主 Zhaizhu ), so they have a close relationship with folk customs, and have strong folk and local characters. These rituals may vary in different places, but their purpose is the same, i.e. to practice filial piety, bring security to the family, and help people to get rid of the psychological fear of death. ==Related Pages== *[[Burning Joss Sticks and Worshipping Spirits]] *[[Decorating Lanterns at the Lantern Festival]] *[[The Festival of the Spirits of the Dead]] *[[Hanging Up Zhongkui's Pictures and the Realgar Wine]] *[[Divination by Drawing Lots]] *[[Divination]] *[[Planchette Writing]] *[[Pure Offerings for the Supreme Peace]] *[[Offerings for Prolong Life]] *[[Daoist Funeral Rites]] [[Category: Daoist Folk Customs]] [[zh:道門葬禮]] 944a75cabd7e1f0dcc5842fc99d299f334b6ad9a 762 761 2009-11-07T08:15:28Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki Daoism has been involved with funerals since the time of its formation. Daoist funerals or funerals involving Daoism are a part of Chinese folklore. The Chinese are very serious about nourishing life and sending off the dead. The Confucians advocated being serious with death and reminiscing over the departed, which implies the idea of emphasizing death and recalling ancestors. Such Confucian thought needs certain rituals for its expression and intensification. Confucian rites have strong rational connotations, but there are also religious ceremonies among the commoners and in upper-class society. Their main purpose is to secure peace for the souls of the deceased, and separate the living and the dead, so that the shadow of death will not linger among the living, in order to guarantee their safety. At the same time, ancient people also tried hard to help the souls of the dead to ascend to Heaven to join their ancestors. On a silk book excavated in the Mawangdui Han tomb buried at the time of emperor Wen of the Western Han dynasty, the woman who was the owner of the tomb was shown being guided across a bridge and accompanied to Heaven. One person is in front of her holding a plate with the golden elixir. It was evident that the contemporaries associated the ascending of the deceased's soul with the refined elixirs of the Magicians (predecessors of the Daoists). This became an important ideological basis to Daoist funerals. Early Daoism was more active among the common masses, and taking part in their funerals was very natural. Relieving Rituals ( 解除 Jiechu ) (magic rituals conducted for the dead at the tomb gate, aimed at separating the living people and ghosts and guarding the tomb ( 鎮墓 Zhenmu ), which were conducted at the gate of tombs, were very popular. They relieved deadly contagions ( 復連 Fulian ) (by protecting the living against the adversity and misfortune which cause death). The theme of filial piety was stressed in the later development of funerals. It emphasized that Daoist priests' magic could make the dead ascend to heaven quickly and let them leave the sufferings of the nether world ( 幽冥 Youming ). Such activities have long been popular customs among the masses. In the Tang Dynasty, Tang emperor Xuan Zong did not allow the literati and commoners to keep contact with Buddhist and Daoist priests. If one family had good or ill fortune and needed rituals, it should first present a certificate to the prefecture or county government, which would inform the temple, and only then was permission given to go to the temple. This shows that inviting Buddhists and Daoists to deal with unlucky incidents had become a custom. In the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang recognized Daoism and Buddhism's position and influence in common people's funerals, and tried to make them into fixed forms. So he had the ''Efficient Ritual of Fasts and Offerings of the Doctrine of Mysteries of the Great Ming Dynasty'' ( 大明立成玄教齋醮儀 Daming Licheng Xuanjiao Zhaijiao Yi ) compiled and personally wrote a preface to it. It reads: " when the families of officials and of the masses have funeral arrangements, they have to invite Buddhists and Daoists. If they are not invited to take part in the funeral, parents will be regarded as not benevolent if it is the funeral of their child, and children will be thought of as unfilial if it is the funeral of their parent. They will feel ashamed to meet their neighbors." This emperor was once a monk; he knew that the custom of inviting Buddhists and Daoists for funerals was deeply rooted, so he made it into a fixed form for disseminating filial piety and benevolence. Confucian scholars in the Ming Dynasty complained about Buddhist and Daoist participation in funerals, but they couldn't stop it. Wang Langchuan once said: "Nowadays, when somebody dies in a family, people employ Buddhists and Daoists to conduct rituals, have Water and Land Rituals ( 水陸會 Shuiluhui ), copy scriptures, and print Buddhist and Daoist images, in order to reduce the dead's sins and demerits and allow them to ascend to heaven and enjoy happiness. If not, the dead will descend to hell. Even the national laws cannot prohibit it, nor reasoning can make them understand. The literati also follow this custom, saying that they cannot help being vulgar, etc. " ([Ming] Wang Langchuan, ''Collection of Words and Deeds'') ( 言行匯輯 Yanxing Huiji ). The literati he mentioned were the literate Confucian scholars. As followers of Confucius, they were supposed to guard the sage's teaching and not invite Buddhists and Daoists to attend their funerals. They failed to do so, for they wanted to follow the customs. Daoist funerals have a complete ritual. It is mixed with folklore when conducted among the masses. Strictly speaking, Daoist funerals belong to the category of Fasting. After the Song Dynasty, Offering was more widespread than Fasting. There are Fasting and Offering Rituals whether the dead is a Daoist priest or a common lay person. When Qiu Chuji, the Complete Perfection's patriarch, died, his disciples conducted the Yellow Register Fasting Rituals of the Numinous Treasure ( 靈寶黃籙齋儀 Lingbao Huanglu Zhaiyi ). In the thirteenth chapter of the Dream of the Red Mansion ( 紅樓夢 Hongloumeng ), when Qin Keqing died, it was decided to keep her corpse for forty-nine days. One hundred and eight monks and ninety-nine Complete Perfection Daoists were invited to conduct the Offering for Renouncing Misfortune and Clearing Bad Karma ( 解怨洗業醮 Jieyuan Xiye Jiao ) for forty-nine days. This is surely a description of the ostentation and extravagance of the aristocrats. Common people just went to the temple to have one or two Offerings, or invite Daoist priests to their home for some rituals. The Seven Day Ritual ( 做七 Zuoqi ) was most frequently performed, i.e., rituals were performed every seven days after the death. The process usually began from the first Seven to the fifth Seven; the longest ritual being performed on the seventh Seven. Daoist rituals are quite rich in content. If you have a look at the ''Most High Efficient Fasting Ritual of the Yellow Register'' ( 無上黃籙大齋立成儀 Wushang Huanglu Dazhai Licheng Yi ) and at various kinds of important magic in the Numinous Treasure School, the perfection of their funeral rituals and richness of their content will make you astonished. The rituals examined and approved by Ming emperor Zhu Yuanzhang himself are comparatively simple. They are divided into a one-day Offering and a three-day Offering. Take the one-day Offering as an example. It has the following fifteen stages: #Granting talismans ( 發符 Fafu ); #Setting up the supervising altar; #Chanting scriptures; #Inviting the master; #Inviting the gods and ascertaining their intention; #Communicating with spirits through the lantern ( 關燈 Guandeng ); #Summoning the dead and taking a bath; #Saluting and uttering incantations over the food; #Sacrificing food for the lonely soul and transmitting commandments; #Arranging offerings; #Presenting offerings; #Sacrificing wine ( 祭酒 Jijiu ); #Reading memorials; #Sending gods off; and #Communicating with spirits through the lantern ( 化財滿意 Huacai Manyi ). This long process has been much simplified, and several items have been combined into one. The practice of these rituals among the masses changes in accordance with the financial ability of the hosts and the amount of time available. Connecting with folk culture, it also absorbs local cultures and customs in different areas. From the perspective of folk customs, we can find that Daoist funerals have the following stages: ==Chanting scriptures== For Daoism, chanting scriptures is the foremost merit. Chanting sutras for the dead will release them of the sufferings in darkness. The ''Book of Salvation'', the ''Book of the Jade Emperor'' ( 玉皇經 Yuhuang Jing ) and the ''Book of the Three Officials'' are often recited in funerals. When common people have funerals, they either invite Monks or Daoists, or even both; there are no fixed rules. Thus after the Ming and Qing dynasties, there have been Buddhist monks chanting Daoist scriptures, or Daoists chanting the Buddhist ''Universal Salvation Chapter of Guanyin'' ( 拜懺 Baichan ). If the funerals are conducted in Daoist temples, however, they will surely chant Daoist scriptures. ==Litanies and Water and Land Rituals== A Litany means a ritual conducted in front of gods for confessing one's sins and imploring forgiveness. Litany rites conducted in a funeral are to pardon the dead's guilt and help them to ascend to heaven or have a good reincarnation. In its later development, specialized litany rites such as "relieving disaster in the nine dark hells" ( 九幽脫厄 Jiuyou Tuo’E ), and "dispelling crimes in the nine dark hells" ( 九幽拔罪 Jiuyou Bazhui ) also evolved. The common believers would go to the temples and have litany rituals for the dead. The rich would invite Daoists to their home to build an altar and conduct litany rituals. The more ostentatious and extravagant litany ritual is the Water and Land Ritual. It lasts seven days or longer. "Water and Land" means to enshrine and worship the spirits in the Heaven above, in the Earth in the middle and in the Water below. It covers the dead's soul and hungry ghosts ( 餓鬼 E’gui ) in the three worlds and six paths, and helps them to break away from suffering and bitterness, so it requires a large scale, many segments, and plenty of deliverance rites. Parts of the ritual can be conducted independently as small-scale rites. There is a Water and Land Ritual in Buddhism, too. It contains Daoist techniques such as distributing talismans, showing the clear influence of Daoist Water and Land Rituals. ==Lighting Lanterns and Disposing Water Lanterns== Both Buddhism and Daoism conduct these rituals. For Daoism, the Numinous Treasure Rituals usually involve lighting lanterns and candles. Daoism also has some independent lantern rituals. The Nine Darkness Lantern Ritual ( 九幽燈 Jiuyou Deng ) can make the divine light shine over Hell, so that the soul of the dead will be enlightened by the light and be guided to leave the realm of death. The ''Jade Reflection of the Numinous Treasure'' ( 靈寶玉 Lingbao Yujian ) doesn't regard lantern rituals as "glorious and beautiful". Instead, it implies "using light to break the darkness", for "the soul of the dead, once it has fallen into the darkness of the endless night, can hardly leave it without the shining of the light. So the ritual must have lights patterned on the sky and earth and distribute talismans." To show the pattern of the sky and earth, the arrangement of the lantern altar must be disposed according to the locations of the sun, moon, stars and constellations above, and the Eight Trigrams and Nine Palaces below. The sunshine is let in to mix and break the darkness, so that the soul of the dead can be delivered through the light. Following folk custom, when someone dies, an oil lamp will be placed by the corpse's feet for the purpose of illuminating the dark path ( 冥途 Mingtu ). Besides lighting lanterns in rituals, an additional water lantern will also be used in the funeral. The legend goes that when people die, they need to pass a dark river. To avoid falling into it, it is necessary to light a lantern and illuminate the dark river. So people put paper lamps in rivers or lakes as symbols. The paper lamp is in the shape of a ship or lotus with a tile or wood board bottom, and candles burning in it. It will be put into water after chanting incantations and empowering magic. Generally speaking, if the water lamp floats a long time without turning, it shows that the magician is more powerful and that the dead will have a better fortune. ==Feeding Hungry Ghosts ( 施食 Shishi ) == This is also called ''hushi'' ( 斛食 Hushi ) or ''panshi'' ( 判斛 Panhu ) in Chinese. Such rituals in Buddhism are called Rituals for Feeding the Hungry Ghosts ( 放焰口 Fang Yankou ). Some Buddhist scriptures tell people that those who have fallen into the path of a hungry ghost ( 餓鬼道 E’gui Dao ), do so as a result of their previous Dharmic actions ( 業力 Yeli ). The throats of hungry ghosts are as small as a needle, so it is hard for them to drink even a drop of water. Whenever there is food in front of their month, a flame will spurt out automatically and burn the food. So they are eternally hungry and in suffering. Only magic power can make the flame die out and open their throat, and release them from such suffering. We call these rituals ''fangyankou'' or just ''yankou'' for short. Buddhist ''yankou'' rituals ( 焰口儀 Yankouyi ) were finally completed by the Dharmic Tantric master Bu Kong. The most important part of the ritual is ''fangyankou'', which gives free food to the hungry ghosts. Such rituals in Daoism were recorded in the Tang document ''yiwen leiju'', which is earlier than Bu Kong's compilation. Thus Bu Kong may have consulted Daoist methods. Later, Buddhism and Daoism borrowed from each other. In Daoist Deliverance rituals, there are elements such as ' opening the throat'. So people like to call such Daoist and Buddhist rituals together as fangyankou. But the original Daoist term is Relieving Refinement, Refinement Deliverance or Sacrificing Refinement. Its purpose is not only to relieve the soul of the dead from the suffering of hunger and thirst. The Daoist master will also use his positive spirit and energy to refine the negativity of the dead and free them from spiritual suffering, so that they can ascend to Heaven as soon as possible. During the time of Refining, it is necessary to build a water pond and fire zhao (zhao is a fire basin lit after the master gives magic power, which symbolizes the fire god). Water is used for cleaning and fire for refining, so it is also called Refining and Deliverance through Water and Fire ( 水火煉度 Shuihou Liandu ). The Three Pristine Ones' Refining Deliverance is a popular ritual in Hong Kong. This ritual doesn't use water and fire as symbols, believing that the master's inner energy is powerful enough. But it still keeps the functions of water and fire, if not their form. There are other rituals emphasizing the suffering of the dead's soul. They are given a general term: "giving free food". They discard the typical Daoist Refining and Deliverance. These rituals are generally conducted for ghosts who haven't been relieved from the darkness during important festivals. The conduct of these rituals is mainly determined by the host ( 齋主 Zhaizhu ), so they have a close relationship with folk customs, and have strong folk and local characters. These rituals may vary in different places, but their purpose is the same, i.e. to practice filial piety, bring security to the family, and help people to get rid of the psychological fear of death. ==Related Pages== *[[Burning Joss Sticks and Worshipping Spirits]] *[[Decorating Lanterns at the Lantern Festival]] *[[The Festival of the Spirits of the Dead]] *[[Hanging Up Zhongkui's Pictures and the Realgar Wine]] *[[Divination by Drawing Lots]] *[[Divination]] *[[Planchette Writing]] *[[Pure Offerings for the Supreme Peace]] *[[Offerings for Prolong Life]] *[[Daoist Funeral Rites]] [[Category: Daoist Folk Customs]] [[zh:道門葬禮]] b0b95e0dd7aa8a20b78873bb4841833e2c85b4bc 0 539 763 669 2009-11-07T08:25:35Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism }} ==Origins of the Kitchen Spirit== The Kitchen Spirit ( 灶神 Zaoshen ), known as the Kitchen Sovereign Who Controls Destinies and Good Fortune ( 東廚司命定福灶君 Dongchu Siming Dingfu Zaojun ), is commonly called the Kitchen Sovereign( 灶君 Zaojun ), the Kitchen King ( 灶王 Zaowang ) or the Kitchen Duke ( 灶王爺 Zaowangye ). The worship of the Kitchen Spirit already existed in ancient China. The section "Sacrificial Rites ( 祭法 Jifa ) " of the ''Book of Rites'' ( 禮記 Liji ) says, "the king established seven cults for the people", one of which was the cult of the Kitchen Spirit. But ordinary people could only worship one spirit, either the Door Spirit ( 門神 Menshen ) or the Kitchen Spirit. Fire is made in a kitchen range, so it was said during the two Han dynasties that the Fire Spirit or Yan Di Shengnong was worshiped through the medium of the kitchen after his death; or it was said that Zhurong and Huirong, the former fire officials of the Gaoxins', turned into Fire Spirits after their death and were worshiped through the medium of the kitchen. One should wash pots and basins to worship the Kitchen Spirit, so the section "Ritual Instruments ( 禮器 Liqi ) " of the Book of Rites says that the worship of the Kitchen Spirit was "the worship of the Old Woman ( 老婦之祭 Laofu Zhi Ji ) ", which requires "only to fill basins with food and fill bottles with wine, so it is a lowly worship. But though lowly, it is necessary, for the Kitchen Spirit benefits food and drink, and thus should be repaid". The Kitchen Spirit began to have a name after the Wei and Jin dynasties. The ''Treasury of the Jade Candle'' ( 王燭寶典 Yuzhu Baodian ) by Du Taiqing of the Sui dynasty quoted the ''Book of the Kitchen'' ( 灶書 Zaoshu ), saying, "the Kitchen Spirit has the family name Su and the given name Jili, and its woman's name is Bojia". Li Xian of the Tang dynasty annotated and quoted the ''Miscellaneous Book of the Five Agents'' ( 雜五行書 Za Wuzing Shu ), saying, "the Kitchen Spirit is named Chan and styled Ziguo, who is dressed in yellow and wears the hair down, and comes from the kitchen range". The Kitchen Spirit was originally a goddess, who, in various versions, was said to be an old woman or a beautiful woman. The Complete Book of Kitchen Spirit Worship ( 敬灶全書 Jingzao Quanshu ) written in the Qing dynasty says that the Kitchen Sovereign ( 灶君 Zaojun ) has the family name Zhong, the given name Dan and the style Ziguo. It should be a male Spirit. On papers burned by the people in sacrificial rituals, showing the picture of the Kitchen Sovereign Who Controls Destinies and Good Fortune, there is always a portrait of an elderly couple, namely the Kitchen Sovereign and his wife. ==Functions== The function of the Kitchen Spirit was formerly to be in charge of cooking in the human world. Before the beginning of the Eastern Jin dynasty, the Kitchen Spirit began to acquire the functions of supervising human evils and dominating a family's life and death, misfortune and happiness. The section "Subtle Guidelines ( 微旨 Weizhi )" of the ''Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'' ( 抱樸子內篇 Baopuzi Neipian ) by [[Ge Hong]] of the Eastern Jin dynasty says, "on the night of the last day of the lunar month, the Kitchen Spirit ascends to Heaven to report human crimes. People who have committed great crimes will have a large part of their life span, 300 days, removed, while people who have committed minor crimes will have a short part of their life span, 3 days, removed". ''The Lantern Rituals for the Kitchen Controller of Destinies'' ( 東廚司命燈儀 Dongchu Siming Dengyi ), published between the Yuan and Ming dynasties, says that "the Kitchen Spirit bears an important responsibility and governs people's misfortune and happiness in the human world". "As an envoy of the Seven Origins ( 七元 Qiyuan ) of Heaven, it attends to numerous affairs in the Heavenly court every other day", and "governs Yin and Yang alternatively. Although people may either do good or do evil, it meticulously records every good and bad deed". The ''Complete Book of Kitchen Spirit Worship'' says that the Kitchen Sovereign protects a family's health and safety when receiving incense and candles from the family. Also, it inspects the family's good and evil deeds and presents its merits and misdoings. On every day of Gengshen, it reports to [[the Jade Emperor]] ( 玉帝 Yudi ) and makes a calculation at the end of each month. After three years, Heaven will certainly bring happiness and longevity to people with lots of merits, while disasters and misfortune will be sent to those who have committed many misdeeds. ==Worship== On the 24th day of the 12th lunar month of every year, the Kitchen Spirit ascends to Heaven to report the merits and misdoings of the human world, and determines people's fortune and misfortune. Therefore people worship and send off the Kitchen Sovereign by burning incense and offering sacrifices on the night of the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month. In the old days, there existed a difference between gentry families, who sent off the Kitchen Spirit on the 23rd day, and the common families who did so on the 24th day. The sacrifices offered to the Kitchen Spirit are always sugar ingots, parched rice, peanut brittle, sesame candies, dumplings made of glutinous rice and the like, for people expect to fill the stomach of the Kitchen Spirit so that he would not report the evils of the human world. People call this "reporting good deeds to Heaven and keeping safety in the world of mortals". When the sacrificial ritual is over, the used paper printed with the pictures of the Kitchen Sovereign which has been worshiped for a year, is taken off the kitchen range and burnt with paper ingots and the like to indicate that the Kitchen Spirit is ascending to Heaven. When the spirit is received on New Year's Eve, the ritual of receiving the Kitchen Spirit is held. New paper printed with pictures of the Kitchen Spirit is pasted on the kitchen range after the offering of sacrifices to the Kitchen Spirit. ===Seeing off and Welcoming the Kitchen Spirit ( 送灶 Songzao 辭灶 Cizao )=== The Kitchen Spirit ( 灶神 Zaoshen ) was originally one of the objects worshiped by families in China, and old women in charge of cooking took the lead in the cult. But later, this custom evolved into an important family cult and is almost indispensable in the customs of Spring Festival. The Kitchen Spirit was listed in the Daoist spirits' pedigree quite early and was called the Controller of Destinies of the Eastern Kitchen ( 東廚司命 Dongchu Siming ). Then he was promoted to the rank of emperor at an unknown time and was titled Great Emperor and Controller of Destinies of the Eastern Kitchen ( 東廚司命大帝 Dongchu Siming Dadi ). The birthday of the Kitchen Spirit is on the third day of the eighth lunar month (some say it is on the fifteenth day), on which every family light kitchen lamps to worship him. But nowadays Seeing Off the Kitchen Spirit and Welcoming the Kitchen Spirit ( 接灶 Jiezao ) have become customs of Spring Festival. In fact, according to ''The Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'' ( 抱朴子內篇 Baopuzi Neipian ), the Kitchen God is obliged to inspect the people under Heaven. He should report to the Heavenly Court the merits, demerits, and good and evil deeds of the family, while Heaven, according to his report, determines the fortunes and misfortunes of the family in the following year. It is generally held that he ascends to Heaven on the 23rd (or 24th, as some think) day of the last lunar month every year. At that time people should see him off carefully. When he has reported to Heaven and returns on New Year's Eve, people must certainly welcome him. The former custom is called Seeing off the Kitchen Spirit, while the latter is called Welcoming the Kitchen Spirit. ====Seeing off the Kitchen Spirit==== The Kitchen Spirit is usually pictured on paper, which is called the Hearth Horse ( 灶馬 Zaoma ). "Horse" should be pronounced as Ma, which refers to the sign of spirit. Different kinds of spirits have their different "''Ma''". The Hearth Horses are posted on the spirit's shrine on the hearth at ordinary times and are torn off and burnt when seeing off the Kitchen Spirit in order for him to ascend to Heaven by smoke. Nevertheless, the people understand that his purpose in ascending to Heaven is to report the merits and demerits of the family, so they play a trick on him. Firstly, before seeing him off, they light lamps in the kitchen and apply some distillers' grains to the hearth. This is called "Inebriating the Controller of Deities" ( 醉司命 Zui Siming ). It means to make him so intoxicated as to forget the demerits of the family. Concurrently, they give him some special offerings, one of which is the indispensable teeth-gluing maltose. Teeth-gluing maltose is a type of maltose that is very sticky in the mouth. Its function is just sticking -- if the sweet maltose sticks to his teeth, he cannot speak when meeting the Jade Emperor ( 玉帝 Yudi ) and is thus surely unable to inform against them. In addition, in some places, people ingeniously make use of homophones in their dialect. For example, in the south of the Yangtze River, people add water caltrops, water chestnuts, taros and the like to their offerings. It is said that before the Jade Emperor, who asks, "Are the family members good persons?" the drunken Kitchen Spirit, thinking of the water chestnuts he has eaten, replies, "Yeah, yeah! (the homophone of water chestnuts in the Wu dialect just means, "yes")" The Jade Emperor asks, "Have they behaved well?" He replies, "Very well, very well! (the homophone of water caltrops in the Wu dialect means, "very well, great")". Or "Yes, yes! (the homophone of taros in the Wu dialect means, "that's right", "yes"). Then this family gives the Jade Emperor a good impression and will certainly be rewarded with good luck next year. Apart from the offerings, people should also provide the Kitchen Spirit with vehicles. This varies in different times and places. Generally, in ancient times, people usually made carriages and horses with paper, grass, and bamboo, and in the Ming and Qing dynasties, since officials usually traveled on sedan-chairs, people made sedan-chairs with paper. In modern times, northerners usually make small horses with grass, while southerners are used to making sedan sticks with chopsticks and sedans with paper. Both the sedans and horses are burnt together with the Hearth Horse for the Kitchen Sovereign ( 灶君 Zaojun ) to ride on them to Heaven. ====Welcoming the Kitchen Spirit==== After reporting to Heaven, the Kitchen Spirit returns to the shrine prepared by every family on New Year's Eve. Now people must welcome him. They generally give offerings and set off firecrackers, and especially affix the new Hearth Horse. Some of the Hearth Horses are drawn with a single Kitchen Spirit, but some are also drawn with the Kitchen Grandma shoulder to shoulder with him. These two elders are placed in a newly painted shrine, just as they return to their own palace. Hung on the two sides of the palace is usually a couplet which says, "Report good deeds to Heaven, and ensure safety back in the palace." [[zh:灶神]] 8e61a69ebe9d82250c1f2507637fe3ee6303af66 0 538 764 668 2009-11-07T08:39:23Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Immortals and Immortalism}} ==Origin and Duties of the Martial Spirit of Wealth== The Spirits of Wealth refer to the Civil Spirit of Wealth and to the Martial Spirit of Wealth. In contemporary Daoist temples, the Spirit of Wealth is depicted riding on a black tiger, with a black and long-bearded face, a rod and treasure in both hands, and wearing an ancient military uniform. In fact, this is a depiction of Marshal Zhao, the Martial Spirit of Wealth, who is popularly known as Zhao Gongming or Zhao Xuantan. Stories about the Spirit of Wealth can be found in books such as ''Investigations into the Divine and Declarations of the Perfected'', which were written during the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern dynasties. In these stories, he is either a deity in charge of burials or the god of plagues. It wasn't until the Yuan and Ming dynasties that the stories about him evolved into their present form. Marshal Zhao's surname was Zhao, and his personal name Lang or Xuanlang. He styled himself Gongming. A native of [[Mt. Zhongnan]], he was one of the Sun Spirits, in reference to the ancient myth of the Nine Suns. After they were shot down by Hou Yi with his arrows, the Nine Suns transformed themselves into nine birds which fell down onto Mt. Qingcheng and transformed themselves into nine ghosts. While the other eight ghosts spread diseases among the people, Zhao Xuanlang was transformed into a man who stayed as a hermit in the Shu state (the western area of Sichuan) and cultivated Dao there. When Celestial Master Zhang Lin practiced alchemy on Mt. Qingcheng, Zhao Xuanlang became his disciple, acting as the protector of the Elixir Chamber. After Zhang finished his elixir, he offered it to Zhao. After eating the drug, Zhao was able to change his form at will, and took the appearance of a Celestial Master. Zhang designated him as the protector of the Mystery Altar. Henceforth, he was called the Supreme Commader of the Mystery Altar. The Complete Investigation into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines claims that he controls thunder and lightning, dominates wind and rain, eliminates plague and disease, resists disasters and bad luck, and that he brings justice to the victims of wrong verdicts, brings wealth to fair business, and brings good results to pious prayer. In the Romance of the Gods, a fiction of the Ming dynasty, in which the heroes were designated as gods, Zhao Gongming was granted the title 'Perfect Sovereign of the Orthodox Oneness Dragon Tiger Mystery Altar of Wish-Fulfilment of the Golden Dragon'. He controls worldy wealth; under his command are the Heavenly Lord Who Invokes Treasure, the Heavenly Lord Who Collects Jewelry, the Envoy for Raising Wealth and the Immortal Official Who Benefits Commerce. Besides Marshal Zhao, Emperor Guan and general Wu Luna, who died in the defense of Wuxi city during the Ming dynasty, were also regarded as Martial Spirits of Wealth in folk culture. ==Origin of the Civil Spirit of Wealth== There are many versions of the Civil Spirit of Wealth, including Bi Gan, Fan Li, Stellar Sovereign Caibo and the Star of Wealth which, along with the Star of Luck and the Star of Longevity, was one of the Three Stars of Luck, Wealth and Longevity. In the sculptures and New Year pictures which are popular in folk culture, the Civil Spirit of Wealth normally wears good clothing, a hat and shoes, with a white and smiling face which fits the happy atmosphere of the new year. At that time he can be seen in every family, on walls or doors. It is said that the Civil Spirit of Wealth was so rich throughout his life that, even after his ascension to heaven, he was designated to run worldly wealth as well as official posts and ranks. However, the Civil Spirit of Wealth was never incorporated into the pantheon of Daoist Immortals. That's the reason why there aren't many Daoist scriptures attributed to him. ==Worship of the Spirit of Wealth== It was said that the fifteenth day of the third lunar month (in another version, the second day of the first lunar month) was Zhao Xuannang's birthday. On his birthday, Daoist adepts came to Daoist temples to attend memorial ceremonies. They prayed for good harvests and great wealth. But according to some popular tales, it was on the fifth day of the first lunar month that the Spirit of Wealth descended to inspect worldly society. So on the morning of that day, people let off firecrackers and played lion games, which was known as Enticing the Spirit of Wealth. Everyone one hopes he will have a good start and make a big fortune after spring festival. ===Enticing the Spirit of Wealth=== When the Chinese people spend Spring Festival, they have a custom of Welcoming the Spirit of Wealth ( 迎財神 Ying Caishen 接財神 Jie Caishen ). They usually set off firecrackers on the morning of the second or fifth day of the first lunar month to welcome the Spirit of Wealth. The Spirit of Wealth is a spirit which appeared late in China. The Chinese people have long lived in an agricultural society and have been somewhat indifferent to the pursuit of wealth. As a result, there was originally no clear concept of the Spirit of Wealth, and his duties were assumed by many spirits or even all the spirits. Around the Song dynasty or sometime earlier, the custom of inviting the Magic Horse of Wealth ( 財馬 Caima ) appeared in the Spring Festival. The Horse, or Magic Horse ( 神馬 Shenma ), refers to a piece of paper on which the icon of some spirit is drawn. In ancient China, people regarded emoluments as important. Because merits, honour and ranks could result in fixed salaries, wealth was included in one's emolument. Now wealth and emoluments both appear in folk customs. This implies that the Chinese had begun to attach more and more importance to wealth. The Magic Horse of Wealth is the symbol of the Spirit of Wealth. In the Ming dynasty, the duties of the Spirit of Wealth were assigned to certain souls, among whom the most important ones were Zhao Gongming, Lord Guan ( 關公 Guangong ), and Bigan. Zhao Gongming, who is also called Supreme Commander Zhao ( 趙公元帥 Zhaogong Yuanshuai ), was originally one of the Daoist spirits guarding laws. He is said to have cultivated Dao on Mt. Zhongnan, following the Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ) Zhang Daoling, who ordered him to look after the alchemical cauldron. Having succeeded, he was entitled the Supreme Commander of the Mysterious Altar of the Orthodox Oneness ( 正一玄壇元帥 Zhengyi Xuantan Yuanshuai ), one of the Supreme Commanders of the Thunder Agency ( 雷部 Leibu ), and is therefore usually called Mysterious Altar Zhao or Supreme Commander Zhao. Riding on a black tiger, he is also called the Mysterious Altar of the Black Tiger ( 黑虎玄壇 Heihu Xuantan ). His main duty is to control and capture demons and ghosts, with a gold wheel in one hand and an iron chain in the other. According to Daoist books, as the incarnation of the Golden Vital Breath of the west and holding a golden wheel in his hand, he is in charge of successful and profitable trade. The ritual for him as a major general is called the Great Satisfactory Ritual of the Golden Wheel. Hence he is taken to be the Spirit of Wealth among the people. His birthday is on the second day of the first lunar month. On that day, as early as before dawn, every family sets off firecrackers to welcome him home early. The merchants of the Ming dynasty used to worship Lord Guan in order that his righteousness would unite people of the same trade or from the same village. As he was able to protect the businessmen, he was also regarded as the Spirit of Wealth. Both Lord Guan and Lord Zhao are military commanders, so they are called the Military Spirits of Wealth. Corresponding to them is another Spirit of Wealth, Bigan (the Prime Minister of the Shang dynasty), who is called the Civil Spirit of Wealth. There exists in the south of the Yangtze River a custom of receiving road spirits on the fifth day of the lunar New Year. They are also called Spirits of Wealth, but it is uneasy to investigate their origin. They probably stem from folk beliefs and are difficult to be researched. However, the custom of receiving road spirits on the fifth day of the lunar New Year has a great influence on the way and time of worshiping the Spirits of Wealth. Ordinary shops are closed during the New Year holidays after doing business on New Year's Eve, and do not open until the fifth day of the lunar New Year when they have welcomed the Spirits of Wealth. This is called the first transaction of a year's business. Hence the Spirits of Wealth can be welcomed either on the second or the fifth day of the first lunar month, and different places have their own local customs as to the fixed time of this activity. In the Ming dynasty, wealthy merchants from Western Asia used to trade in China, and possibly Western Asian countries even sent emissaries to China to pay tribute to the imperial court. People from those places were habitually called "the Hui people", for most of them believed in the Hui Religion, namely Islam. After entering China, the Muslims were well known for being good at doing business. Consequently, according to some legends, Supreme Commander Zhao is of the Hui nationality. Pork cannot be given as an offering to him, and only beef can take its place. [[zh:財神]] d37bd7d56fb8b14c2fe84b5b56e9705d3afb2ebb 0 612 765 2009-11-07T09:08:25Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Imparting Registers ( 授籙 Shoulu ) is an essential method used by [[Talismans]] and [[Registers]] sects to set up and expand their religious organizations. The so-called Regis...' wikitext text/x-wiki Imparting Registers ( 授籙 Shoulu ) is an essential method used by [[Talismans]] and [[Registers]] sects to set up and expand their religious organizations. The so-called Register, or Daoist Register and Magic Register, is a script recording spiritual officials' and generals' names. We have briefly explained it when talking about Daoist Talismans. Imparting a Register to someone means to accept him as a disciple in one's sect; Receiving a Register means someone has been formally converted to Daoism. It is also a symbol of his position in that sect. When Imparting a Register, a talisman is also imparted, so the act is generally called Imparting Talismans and Registers. Imparting Registers originated in the Mighty Commonwealth of [[the Orthodox Oneness sect]]. The later Talismans and Registers sects had their own imparting systems. The Mighty Commonwealth of the Orthodox Oneness sect was founded at the end of the Eastern Han and set many restrictions and commandments, which played an important role in helping folk Daoism develop into an organized religion. One of the sect's commandments was Imparting Registers. It is hard to know the details of Imparting Registers used by [[Zhang Daoling]] when he founded organized Daoism. In the Chapter on Petitioning to Officials of the Book of Magic Writs of the Orthodox Oneness ( 正一法文經官章品 Zhengyi Fawen Jing Guanzhang Pin ), " registered students" were mentioned several times, suggesting that a complete system for Imparting Registers existed at that time. Zhang Sheng, the fourth generation grandson of Zhang Daoling, was said to have moved to Mt. Longhu in Guixi of Jiangxi Province, and thus Mt. Longhu became the ancestral altar of the Orthodox Oneness Sect. Zhang Sheng continued the system of Imparting Registers there. It was said that he set the system of the Three Origin Festivals ( 三元日 Sanyuan Ri ). Many other Talismans and Registers sects formed at the same time or after Zhang Daoling founded the Celestial Masters Tradition. They learned the Dao from certain masters. The disciples would vow to their masters that their determination to learn the Dao would not change, and that they would not disobey their masters and seniors. This practice was suitable for single lineages, but not appropriate for consolidation and expansion of religious societies. Later Talismans and Registers sects witnessed the advantages of imparting registers in the sect of the Mighty Commonwealth of Orthodox Oneness. The Highest Clarity Sect and [[the Numinous Treasure Sect]] formed in the Southern and Northern dynasties began to use their own magic registers and adopted the method of Imparting Registers to recruit new members. In the Sui and Tang dynasties, various Talismans and Registers sects appeared. In order to differentiate themselves from Buddhism, they made register arrangements recognized by each sect. In the Tang Dynasty, the most basic register was that of the Orthodox Oneness Sect, and the highest was that of[[ the Highest Clarity Sect]]. There were a total of one hundred and twenty steps, thus forming a strict system. New Talismans and Registers sects such as [[the Divine Heaven Sect]], [[the Pristine Subtlety Sect]] and [[the Pure Brightness Sect]] appeared after the Song dynasty, which had different methods of imparting registers. Since the time of the Northern Wei there were emperors who believed in Daoism and received registers, and the Tang Dynasty led other periods in numbers of registered emperors. More high officials, noble lords and literati received registers, which helped Daoism to complete its system of Imparting Registers and raised Daoism's position in society. There are many steps for registration in Talismans and Registers sects. Receiving a register is a certificate to enter Daoism. To receive a register is a sign of the promotion of one's position in Daoism. So Daoists need to receive registers several times. If they want to attain a high position in the entire Daoist community, they must receive registers recognized by all the sects. From the Southern Song to the Yuan and early Ming, various Talismans and Registers sects joined the Orthodox Oneness Sect; Imparting Registers became the main method for Orthodox Daoism to pass on its traditions. Since the Han and Song dynasties, there appeared many kinds of registers. The most influential were the those of [[Mt. Longhu]] (the ancestral altar of the Orthodox Oneness sect), [[Mt. Mao]] (the ancestral altar of the Highest Clarity sect) and [[Mt. Gezhao]] (the ancestral altar of the Numinous Treasure sect). They were called the Registers of the Three Mountains. At the end of the Southern Song and Yuan Dynasties, the imperial courts ordered the Perfect Man of Orthodox Oneness (who was conventionally called Celestial Master Zhang in Daoism and among the common people) to be in charge of the Registers of the Three Mountains, putting the various Talismans and Registers sects under the authority of Celestial Master Zhang. In the Ming Dynasty, many Talismans and Registers sects joined the Orthodox Oneness sect, which became the general name for all Talismans and Registers sects. The sect carried on the old methods of Imparting Registers, changing only some procedural arrangements. In modern times, Celestial Master Zhang on Mt. Longhu has claimed that the Orthodox Oneness sect has thirty-six kinds of registers and seventy-two types of talismans. Due to the disorder in society and to political revolutions, their registers and talismans are no longer complete. Imparting a Register is a strict ritual. It has undergone some changes in development. Modern Register Imparting has been largely simplified. Imparting a Register is a significant event both to the individual and to the sect. The Brief Rituals for the Cultivation of Perfection of the Orthodox Oneness ( 正一修真略儀 Zhengyi Xiuzhen Lueyi ) says: " Registers can keep an eye on one's temper, stop one's mistakes, cut off evil roots, and help to produce Daoist karma". " Separate from the profane to become sacred, stick to it from the very beginning to the end, receive a Register in the beginning and ascend to Perfection in the end". So receiving registers is a prerequisite to becoming Immortal; it implies holiness. So rituals for Imparting Registers are solemn, dignified and strict. The Rituals for Imparting Deliverance of the Orthodox Oneness ( 正一授度儀 Zhengyi Shoudu Yi ) in the Tang Dynasty are rich in content. As there were high officials and noble lords receiving registers, much attantion was paid to the design of altars, and offerings for immortals and masters were abundant. Major Register-Imparting rituals have many parts and need to be performed in several cycles, sometimes taking years to finish. In modern times, rituals for Imparting Registers have been difficult to conduct due to social and political turbulence. Even when the rituals are conducted, it is impossible to follow the tradition exactly. Since the mid-twentieth century, political movements such as the Cultural Revolution have led to the near disappearance of Imparting Registers. When Daoist temples were re-established in the 1980s, Imparting Registers gradually resumed. First, Imparting Registers was conducted for Daoists abroad and from Taiwan at the Celestial Master's Residence at Mt. Longhu in Jiangxi. At the Lower Origin Festival ( 下元節 Xiayuan Jie ) in the Yihai Year (Dec.6, 1995), [[the Chinese Daoist Association]] formally conducted the first Imparting of Registers for mainland Daoists. This activity restored the traditional organization system, though it made some changes in its concrete practice. One change was that the duration of the ritual was shortened. It lasted three days while the old Imparting of Registers took at least seven days. The main programme was retained, though some performances were omitted. The whole ritual went through the following stages: Inform the Master; Worship the Stellar Sovereign; Transmit and Deliver; Offer Sacrifice; Submit Memorials; Send off the Holy. They also established the positions of Transmission Master, Supervising Master, and Recommending Master. They also established the Great Master for Protecting Registers, the Great Master for Protecting the Law ( 護法大師 Huda Dashi ), the Great Master for Protecting Scriptures, the Great Master for Protecting Commandments, the Great Master for Protecting the Altar, and the Great Master for protecting the Dao. Now imparting registers has been normalized. Besides Mt. Longhu, other ancestral altars such as Mt. Mao are capable of imparting registers, too. [[zh:授籙]] 42dd43a1cc93f47545fb368611bdf51384e233d8 0 613 766 2009-11-07T09:16:28Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Transmission of Commandments is practiced by [[the Complete Perfection sect]] to recruit followers. It was said that [[Qiu Chuji]] began this practice, but it was Wang Changyue w...' wikitext text/x-wiki Transmission of Commandments is practiced by [[the Complete Perfection sect]] to recruit followers. It was said that [[Qiu Chuji]] began this practice, but it was Wang Changyue who made it accessible to the public in the early Qing Dynasty. When Qiu Chuji began this practice before the end of the Ming Dynasty, it was not open to all. Wang Changyue was the first to made it accessible to the public. He handed down the Commandments for Elementary Perfection ( 初真戒 Chuzhen Jie ), the Commandments for Middle Perfection ( 中極戒 Zhongji Jie ), and the Commandments for Heavenly Immortals ( 天仙戒 Tianxian Jie ). They were called the Great Commandments for the Illumination of the Three Altars ( 三壇圓滿大戒 Santan Yuanman Dajie ). Wang Changyue traveled from Beijing to Yunnan, applying the method of Transmitting Commandments to recruit new members. When the Complete Perfection Sect spread all over China, its Transmission of Commandments became widely accepted. Transmission of Commandments follows strict rituals. In modern times, Transmission of Commandments has been simplified to catch up with fashion. The old Transmission of Commandments lasted one hundred days and included many rituals. Nowadays, due to social turbulence, it has been hard to continue this practise. In 1947, Erxian temple in Chengdu conducted this ritual. The White Cloud Temple of Beijing held the ritual for the first time in forty years in November of 1989 (it was from the 15th of the tenth lunar month to the 15th of the eleventh lunar month). It was shortened to twenty days, but the main elements were retained. These included: Rite for Receiving the Master; Rites for Performance; Test of Daoist Hymns ( 考偈 Kaoji ); Examination of Commandments; Chanting Scriptures; Litanies; Discussion of Commandment Items; Passing on the Mantle; issuing Commandment Certificates; Presenting Petitions to Thank the Gods; and Rites for Feeding the Hungry. Ritual positions include Master of Law for Transmitting the Commandments, and assistant masters for recommending, certifying the pledge, supervising the commandment, supervising the rituals ( 糾儀 Jiuyi ), performing the rituals and registrations. Another position is that of Master of Invitations.[[ The Chinese Daoist Association]] has decided that the Transmission of Commandments ritual has been normalized. The temples which are capable of conducting it will maintain this practice. After the White Cloud Temple in Beijing, [[Mt. Qingcheng]] in Sichuan held the ritual, too. The recruitment of followers of the Complete Perfection sect has thus become more regularized. [[zh:放戒]] a0a13c9b250b22cb7bee521c85750b7442dd0c97 767 766 2009-11-07T09:16:48Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki Transmission of Commandments is practiced by [[the Complete Perfection sect]] to recruit followers. It was said that [[Qiu Chuji]] began this practice, but it was Wang Changyue who made it accessible to the public in the early Qing Dynasty. When Qiu Chuji began this practice before the end of the Ming Dynasty, it was not open to all. Wang Changyue was the first to made it accessible to the public. He handed down the Commandments for Elementary Perfection ( 初真戒 Chuzhen Jie ), the Commandments for Middle Perfection ( 中極戒 Zhongji Jie ), and the Commandments for Heavenly Immortals ( 天仙戒 Tianxian Jie ). They were called the Great Commandments for the Illumination of the Three Altars ( 三壇圓滿大戒 Santan Yuanman Dajie ). Wang Changyue traveled from Beijing to Yunnan, applying the method of Transmitting Commandments to recruit new members. When the Complete Perfection Sect spread all over China, its Transmission of Commandments became widely accepted. Transmission of Commandments follows strict rituals. In modern times, Transmission of Commandments has been simplified to catch up with fashion. The old Transmission of Commandments lasted one hundred days and included many rituals. Nowadays, due to social turbulence, it has been hard to continue this practise. In 1947, Erxian temple in Chengdu conducted this ritual. The White Cloud Temple of Beijing held the ritual for the first time in forty years in November of 1989 (it was from the 15th of the tenth lunar month to the 15th of the eleventh lunar month). It was shortened to twenty days, but the main elements were retained. These included: Rite for Receiving the Master; Rites for Performance; Test of Daoist Hymns ( 考偈 Kaoji ); Examination of Commandments; Chanting Scriptures; Litanies; Discussion of Commandment Items; Passing on the Mantle; issuing Commandment Certificates; Presenting Petitions to Thank the Gods; and Rites for Feeding the Hungry. Ritual positions include Master of Law for Transmitting the Commandments, and assistant masters for recommending, certifying the pledge, supervising the commandment, supervising the rituals ( 糾儀 Jiuyi ), performing the rituals and registrations. Another position is that of Master of Invitations.The [[ Chinese Daoist Association]] has decided that the Transmission of Commandments ritual has been normalized. The temples which are capable of conducting it will maintain this practice. After the White Cloud Temple in Beijing, [[Mt. Qingcheng]] in Sichuan held the ritual, too. The recruitment of followers of the Complete Perfection sect has thus become more regularized. [[zh:放戒]] c297067d3c4ffcaa12d81a48408ae4ebe5ab1250 768 767 2009-11-07T09:17:04Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki Transmission of Commandments is practiced by [[the Complete Perfection sect]] to recruit followers. It was said that [[Qiu Chuji]] began this practice, but it was Wang Changyue who made it accessible to the public in the early Qing Dynasty. When Qiu Chuji began this practice before the end of the Ming Dynasty, it was not open to all. Wang Changyue was the first to made it accessible to the public. He handed down the Commandments for Elementary Perfection ( 初真戒 Chuzhen Jie ), the Commandments for Middle Perfection ( 中極戒 Zhongji Jie ), and the Commandments for Heavenly Immortals ( 天仙戒 Tianxian Jie ). They were called the Great Commandments for the Illumination of the Three Altars ( 三壇圓滿大戒 Santan Yuanman Dajie ). Wang Changyue traveled from Beijing to Yunnan, applying the method of Transmitting Commandments to recruit new members. When the Complete Perfection Sect spread all over China, its Transmission of Commandments became widely accepted. Transmission of Commandments follows strict rituals. In modern times, Transmission of Commandments has been simplified to catch up with fashion. The old Transmission of Commandments lasted one hundred days and included many rituals. Nowadays, due to social turbulence, it has been hard to continue this practise. In 1947, Erxian temple in Chengdu conducted this ritual. The White Cloud Temple of Beijing held the ritual for the first time in forty years in November of 1989 (it was from the 15th of the tenth lunar month to the 15th of the eleventh lunar month). It was shortened to twenty days, but the main elements were retained. These included: Rite for Receiving the Master; Rites for Performance; Test of Daoist Hymns ( 考偈 Kaoji ); Examination of Commandments; Chanting Scriptures; Litanies; Discussion of Commandment Items; Passing on the Mantle; issuing Commandment Certificates; Presenting Petitions to Thank the Gods; and Rites for Feeding the Hungry. Ritual positions include Master of Law for Transmitting the Commandments, and assistant masters for recommending, certifying the pledge, supervising the commandment, supervising the rituals ( 糾儀 Jiuyi ), performing the rituals and registrations. Another position is that of Master of Invitations.[[ The Chinese Daoist Association]] has decided that the Transmission of Commandments ritual has been normalized. The temples which are capable of conducting it will maintain this practice. After the White Cloud Temple in Beijing, [[Mt. Qingcheng]] in Sichuan held the ritual, too. The recruitment of followers of the Complete Perfection sect has thus become more regularized. [[zh:放戒]] a0a13c9b250b22cb7bee521c85750b7442dd0c97 0 614 769 2009-11-07T09:20:55Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Renunciation of Family is a custom with a long history. [[Talismans]] and [[Registers]] sects have no strict regulations in this regard, but [[the Complete Perfection sect ]]enco...' wikitext text/x-wiki Renunciation of Family is a custom with a long history. [[Talismans]] and [[Registers]] sects have no strict regulations in this regard, but [[the Complete Perfection sect ]]encourages Renunciation of Family. Its full-time practitioners are required to leave their families. Renunciation of Family ( 出家 Chujia ) means to give up one's family life, and to devote one's full time and energy to learn the Dao. Those who have no family will not build a family while those who already have families will give it up. Buddhism always advocated renunciation of family; its full-time monks must leave their families. It is hard to know when this tradition began in Daoism. The earliest influential sect of [[the Mighty Commonwealth of Orthodox Oneness]] didn't ask its followers to leave their families. [[Zhang Daoling]], Zhang Heng and Zhang Lu all had wives; they were called the " Three Zhangs and Three Madams". The later Orthodox Oneness sect was passed down from one generation to another and formed several old and well-known families in the Wei and Jin dynasties. Though there were some Daoists who left their families, this was not required of Daoist followers. This is also true of other Talismans and Registers sects. The Complete Perfection sect was founded in the Jin Dynasty. Its advocacy of Renunciation of Family may have been influenced by Buddhism. In the earliest days of the movement, [[Wang Chongyang]] encouraged his disciples to leave their families. Lay Daoists affiliated to the sect only appeared later. Generally speaking, Complete Perfection followers gave up their families. Daoist priests who have left their families live in temples and are engaged in pure Cultivation and in the care of the temples. The '' Fifty Treatises on the Establishment of the Complete Perfection Doctrine'' says: "whoever leaves his family needs to live in a temple. The temple is a home which one depends on for one's life. If one's life has something to depend on, one's mind will be peaceful, one's Vital Breath will be in harmony, and then one can be at one with the true Dao." Daoist priests can also wander about and stay temporarily in other temples of the same school. Some radical groups, however, think that living in temples just means leaving one's family of blood kin and replacing it with a substitute family; it is not complete Renunciation of Family. True Renunciation of Family does not allow for living in temples. Daoists should live by begging alms. There are few who hold such radical ideas now. Daoist priests who choose to leave their home think that the family is a cage, and that living at home will prevent them from gaining the right spiritual fruit. Some think that leaving the home shows their determination to contribute their lives to Immortality and Daoism. The '' Sublime Rituals of Renunciation of Family and Imparting Deliverance'' ( 太上出家傳度儀 Taishang Chujia Chuandu Yi ) says: in the name of the Heavenly Lord, Renunciation of Family has rich implications and brings great benefits. If beginners in Daoism stay at home and are influenced by the love of their parents and wives, they will not follow their teachers to learn the Dao freely. So they should better leave home and live in remote mountains and temples. Such Renunciation of Family cuts off the family love. Some who have attained the Dao and want to give up all worlds of sex and desire, are said to have Renounced the Families of all beings. There have always been Daoist priests who have not left their families. The Orthodox Oneness sect doesn't have strict commandments to leave one's family. In the Complete Perfection sect, there are both persons who have renounced their families, and persons who are lay Daoists. As modern society changes rapidly, stable social relationships no longer exist. The development of the market economy has changed peoples' life and ideas. Though the Complete Perfection sect stresses Renunciation of Family, some Daoist priests have given up this custom. They live in temples, but they also have their own families. This is very common South of the Five Ridges and in Hong Kong, where the market economy is quite developed. [[zh:出家]] 62d6ed373cff0a5094ddf619426075cc7292b55e 0 615 770 2009-11-07T09:23:51Z Admin 1 Created page with 'The title " Lay Daoist" (居士 Jushi ) existed as a form of address in ancient China. In the Qing dynasty, Zhao Yi cited Wu Hui's Random Records in the Nenggai Room, in the 36th...' wikitext text/x-wiki The title " Lay Daoist" (居士 Jushi ) existed as a form of address in ancient China. In the Qing dynasty, Zhao Yi cited Wu Hui's Random Records in the Nenggai Room, in the 36th scroll of his Haiyu congkao, stating that the title of " Layman" originated in Shang and Zhou times. Buddhism started in opposition to the orthodox Brahmanism and was called " Sramana Thought". ' Sramana' referred to those who renounced their families. So Buddhism began the practice of [[renunciation of family]] from its earliest beginning. Laymen who converted to Buddhism without leaving their families, became more numerous as Buddhism developed. The well-known Buddhist theorist Vimalakirti was a layman. Chinese laymen also appeared after Buddhism came to China. The spread of Chan Buddhism and Pure Land Buddhism attracted large number of intellectuals and other people who were pestered by worldly matters, so the number of laymen increased largely. [[The Complete Perfection sect]] of Daoism was founded in the Jin Dynasty by [[Wang Chongyang]]. He renounced his family, as well as his first seven disciples. So the Complete Perfection sect had adopted this practice from the very beginning. Later, there appeared laymen of the Complete Perfection. In [[the Orthodox Oneness tradition]], one can be a formal disciple once one receives the sect's registers. There is no strict requirement to leave one's family. So there is no need to stress the difference between living with or without one's family. Those who have families are generally called lay Daoists. Generally speaking, lay Daoists in the Complete Perfection sect have a good education and have made great contributions to its[[ Inner Elixir]] cultivation and doctrines. Take the eminent Daoist scholar Chen Yingning as an example. [[Chen Yingning]] was a layman in the Complete Perfection sect, his Daoist name was Yuan Dun, and he served as the nineteenth patriarch of the Dragon Gate School of the Complete Perfection sect. There are many disciples of [[the Dragon Gate School]] of the Complete Perfection sect in Hong Kong; most of them are lay Daoists. [[zh:居士]] 4b5bea8cf6ca50050a095a815711314247a4a6af 0 616 771 2009-11-07T09:28:06Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Formally becoming a disciple to a master ( 拜師 Baishi ) is the common method applied in Daoism to recruit new members. It establishes the relationship between a new adept and ...' wikitext text/x-wiki Formally becoming a disciple to a master ( 拜師 Baishi ) is the common method applied in Daoism to recruit new members. It establishes the relationship between a new adept and his master, who will pass down Daoist techniques to him. This is a basic system in Daoism. Generally speaking, a Daoist practioner needs to become a disciple of a famous master. This is a prerequisite for learning the Dao and further one's studies. The learning of the Dao is through the master's oral transmission to his students. There was a saying that went: " Daoist techniques will not be taught to the six ears", meaning that they will not be revealed to anyone. This implies the significance of formally becoming a disciple to a master. Early Daoism had no such thing as registration. Formally becoming a disciple to a famous master not only established the relationship with the master, it was also the first step in entering the Dao. So it was taken seriously. When Daoist scriptures were obtained at the start, it was stipulated that they could only be transmitted after forty years. So formally becoming a disciple to a master and recruiting new adepts was taken very solemnly. The later [[Complete Perfection Sect]] and [[Orthodox Oneness Sect]] have established regular systems for formally becoming a disciple to a master. Before registration, one must formally become a disciple to a master in the Orthodox Oneness sect. The beginners follow their masters to learn scriptures and commandments. During this period, masters can teach some knowledge and techniques, as well as observe the disciple's behavior. If his character is suitable, he can be recommended to receive registration. The first item in the ''Monastic Rules of the Complete Perfection'' ( 全真清規 Quanzhen Qinggui ) is ''Guidance for Elementary Daoists'' ( 指蒙規式 Zhimeng Guishi ), which says: " when most beginners give up their families, they look for a famous master first, and formally become a disciple to him. As he has left his family and followed his master's instructions, he will surely become a Perfect Man." The master has to investigate the potential adept's behavior, and only recruit asitable individuals. Due to historical reasons, the customs of Transmission of Commandments in the Complete Perfection Sect and Registration in the Orthodox Oneness Sect were discontinued in Hong Kong and other areas for some time, so formally becoming a disciple to a master has been practised to establish the new adepts's relationship with certain Daoist temples and with the entire Daoist community. Formally becoming a disciple to a master is the beginning of entering the Dao. But if you want to be a formal disciple, the Complete Perfection Sect also requires that one undergo Transmission of Commandments, while the Orthodox Oneness Sect requires Registration. However, as Hong Kong was a British colony, and Taiwan fell into Japanese hands for fifty years from the end of the 19th century, these areas were separated from their ancestral temples on the mainland. Consequently the rituals for [[Bestowing Registers]] and [[Transmitting Commandments]] were discontinued. Instead, Daoist priests in Hong Kong and Taiwan recruited followers individually, or temples recruited followers in the community, in order to develop their organization and meet believers' needs. As these areas have had close relationships with foreign countries, there have been both Chinese and foreigners formally becoming disciples to masters, including Daoist priests in Japan and other Asian, European and American countries. In order to adapt to the situation, some temples have adopted their own rituals for formally becoming a disciple to a master, some of which have become fixed styles. [[zh:拜師]] b4c05adb86fa33f83e97c3eac82ca54abb432946 0 617 772 2009-11-08T02:25:13Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} If the formation of talismans is derived from the methods of making witch talismans, then the appearance of Daoist registers suggests the wisdom of the Daoist founder...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} If the formation of talismans is derived from the methods of making witch talismans, then the appearance of Daoist registers suggests the wisdom of the Daoist founders themselves. Daoist registers are also called Magical Registers or Treasure Registers. They are a kind of Daoist talisman book that is used as the foundation for conducting Magical Skills and the trust of membership. According to Daoist doctrine, the registers are condensations of the Vital Breath of nature and are transmitted by divine persons. The ''Simplified Rituals for Cultivating Perfection of the Orthodox Oneness'' ( 《正一修真略儀》 Zhengyi Xiuzhen Lueyi ) says that the divine talismans and Treasure Registers are condensations of the Vital Breath of nature. And at the very beginning of the Original Red Brightness Kalpa ( 元始赤明浩劫 Yuanshi Chiming Haojie ), the soaring breath of mystery and sublimity concentrated itself in the primordial chaos, and the writ of the Dragon Seal characters was formed. It is because [[the Primeval Divine Lord]] ( 元始神尊 Yuanshi Shenzun ) transforms His soul to interact with the Vital Breath. The functions of the registers lie in invoking and controlling spirits. "The registers are to operate the mysterious origin and inspect and impeach the officials of the three worlds, mastering their personalities, interrogating their merit or guilt and identifying their crimes or happiness so as to record them in the files. Moreover, the registers are used to check the writs of declaration, master the numinous charts, and deduct the number of the heavenly original kalpa of the Yang nine hundred and sixty." The registers are also applied to invoke the ten thousand souls of Heaven and Earth, to work them according to their achievements, and to differentiate the immortal ranks of officers and warriors with their horses. And registers are used to determine the number of immortal lads and jade maidens, and that of the officials and servants of various departments. The great chaos is endless and the supreme perfect sages of the ten directions can form the alliance, be masters for each other, and impart each other. Consequently they can ascend to the immortal world from this world with the skills of nourishing life" (See the ''Simplified Rituals for Cultivating Perfection of the Orthodox Oneness''). Therefore a Daoist who has got a register can invoke the divine officers, warriors and generals listed on the register to protect his body, or work them to conduct Daoist skills. At the same time, registers can also restrain Daoists who have been imparted with them. So there is a saying that the registers can guard against your emotions and personality, stop your errors and control the evil root, and generate a Daoist karma for you. If you want to change from a common person to a sage, you must follow the commandments from the beginning to the end before you become Immortal. The main body of Daoist registers is the names of the spirits together with the corresponding talismans, diagrams, and divine images. But at the beginning of all Daoist registers, there is always the oath of the Daoist candidates, which is the fixed form of the registers. For example, in the magical registers of the Supreme Clarity sect is the Register for Invoking Dragons by the Eight Divine Warriors ( 八威召龍籙 Bawei Zhaolong Lu ). In its first paragraph there is the oath: " On a certain day of a certain month in a certain year, in a certain Daoist temple of a certain county, a certain candidate is ready to be imparted the Magical Register from a certain Perfect Man. I am honored to come to the Supreme Clarity Master of the Great Grottoes ( 上清大洞法師 Shangqing Dadong Fashi ) to acknowledge you to be the master and to be imparted the Highest Clarity Jade Clarity Secret Register of the Return of the Chariot from the Heavenly Way ( 上清回車畢道玉清密籙 Shangqing Huiche Bidao Yuqing Milu ) and the Perfect Books. I swear to cultivate myself and treat man and material things according to the mysterious rituals. If I break my oath, I am willing to be interrogated and to thank the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water without any hatred. Promptly, Promptly, in accordance to the Supreme Mysterious Ritual, Statutes, and Ordinances ( 太上玄科律令 Taishang Xuanke Luling )." This fixed form is similar to other Daoist registers. " The Supreme Clarity Master of the Great Grottoes " may be replaced by the name of the specific altar or Daoist leader of other sects. In the register of the Orthodox Oneness, it is " The Celestial Master Descended from the Han Dynasty of the Mountain of the Dragon and Tiger" ( 龍虎山嗣漢天師 Longhu Shan Sihan Tianshi ). But the oaths are similar to one another except for this difference, as well as some other details on Daoist commandments that Daoists should obey and deeds that Daoists should perform. Over a long time, each sect of Daoism formed its own registers, including [[the Orthodox Oneness Tradition]], the Numinous Treasure Tradition, the Supreme Clarity Tradition, [[the Divine Heaven Sect]] ( 神霄派 Shenxiao Pai ), [[the Pristine Subtlety Sect]] ( 清微派 Qingwei Pai ), and the Pure Brightness Tradition. The registers became the trust of Daoist membership and the symbol of Daoist ranks. The Daoist sects which use registers as their trust of transmission and as the foundation for conducting Daoist skills are called the Talisman and Register Tradition ( 符籙派 Fulu Pai ). The registers of the different sects are classified into various types, each of which performs different functions when conducting Daoist skills. The Register of the Five Big Dippers of the Orthodox Oneness is matched with [[Big Dipper pacing]], whereas the Register for Summoning and Invoking Spirits is applied to conduct the skill to [[summon and invoke spirits]]. At the same time, Magical Registers correspond with Daoist ranks. There are 24 ranks of Magical Registers in the Orthodox Oneness Tradition and 7 ranks in the Divine Heaven Sect. In the Tang Dynasty there were 120 complete ranks of the Magical Registers from the Orthodox Oneness, through the three August Ones, the Numinous Treasure, up to the Supreme Clarity. After the Yuan Dynasty, the registers of the Divine Heaven Sect and the Pristine Subtlety Sect were mixed together with those of the Orthodox Oneness. In the Yuan and Ming dynasties, the Great Perfect Man of Mt. Longhu became the leader of the [[Mt. Mao]] (the Supreme Clarity), [[Mt. Gezao]] (the Numinous Treasure), and [[Mt. Longhu]] (the Orthodox Oneness). It was called the Talisman and Registers of the Three Mountains ( 三山符籙 Sanshan Fulu ). So the Orthodox Oneness Tradition was regarded as the representative of the Talismans and Registers Tradition, and the registers of the Orthodox Oneness were increased to 36 types. So far the imparting of the magical registers is still an important activity of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition. A grand ritual is held when the Daoists are imparted with registers, at which point they obtain the qualification of a magical master. [[zh:籙]] 8dea7c0d7a3cce2fbee2036111b68acaea10c70b 0 618 773 2009-11-08T03:08:47Z Admin 1 Created page with '{{Rituals}} In the process of conducting magic skills, Daoists usually make use of the mysterious functions of Talismans and Registers. Usually in Daoism, only those who have bee...' wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} In the process of conducting magic skills, Daoists usually make use of the mysterious functions of Talismans and Registers. Usually in Daoism, only those who have been imparted Talismans and Registers are qualified to be ritual masters in activities of carrying out magical skills. Magic arts cannot be done without Talismans and Registers as well as incantations, finger gestures, and Big Dipper pacing. That's why we'd like to talk about Talismans and Registers first when discussing magic skills. Talismanic writings are all written in twisted characters, and look like drawings as well as calligraphy. The talisman is mainly used to invoke and impeach ghosts and cast spells in order to control the evil spirits. All of the registers are simplified books ( 素書 Sushu ), in which are inscribed the numbers of the heavenly officials. With talismans mixed into them, the writs are exceptionally strange and cannot be recognized by the ordinary people. At the same time they are considered as trusts to prove that a man has become a Daoist and also as a symbol of his right to control the divine officers on the talismans, and to conduct magical skills. Traditionally, Daoist sects characterized by imparting Talismans and Registers are said to belong to the Talisman and Registers tradition ( 符籙派 Fulu Pai ), but the use of Talismans and Registers is not restricted to these sects. When [[the Golden Elixir Sect]] ( 金丹派 Jindan Pai ) sets up an altar, it also applies Talismans and Registers. [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ) that sprang up in the Jin Dynasty paid more attention to Refinement and Nourishing Life. Nevertheless, its founder [[Wang Chongyang]] once applied talismans, and in the days after the Seven Perfect Ones of the Complete Perfection, adherents of the sect often applied talismans when they were invited by the imperial court or by officials to conduct grand Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ) of various kinds. Therefore some Daoists have said that the secret of magic arts are merely talismans, vital breath and medicine. Talismans, divine medicine and skills of vital breath are all elementary factors of Daoist magic skills. ==The Origin of Talismans== Talismans are thought to be the strange writing of writs that can invoke spirits and control the ghosts. Talismanic characters, with their twisted strokes, look like drawings as well as calligraphy, and are not easy to recognize. They are applied quite a lot in Daoist skills. Where do they come from? According to the descriptions in Daoist scriptures, a talisman is a condensation of the clouds in the sky. In the ''Records of the Divine Talismans of the Three Grottoes'' ( 《三洞神符記》 Sandong Shenfu Ji ), it is written that " the talisman is originally condensed in the sky. The Supreme Perfection ( 太真 Taizhen ) faced upward, wrote the heavenly writings, differentiated the directions, and distinguished pictures and drawings from the writings of the talismans." Later, [[the Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ) and other immortals imparted them to this world. Recently Mr. Meng Wentong has suggested that the characters of talismans with twisted strokes originated from the scripts of the minorities of the southwest, but this hypothesis is questionable. As a matter of fact, the writings of talismans came from our ancestors' worship of Chinese characters. When the ''Collective Explanations of the Biography of Xie Gunu'' ( 《解奴辜傳。集解》 Xienugu Zhuan Jijie ) from the ''Stories of Magical Arts in the History of the Later Han'' ( 《後漢書。方術傳》 Houhan Shu Fangshu Zhuan ) quoted Hui Dong, it said that in ancient times, there were ways of controlling spirits. Therefore the ''[[Book of Master Huainan]]'' ( 《淮南子》 Huainan Zi ) said that a long time ago when Cang Ji created Chinese characters, there was millet falling down from the sky, and spirits crying at night. In Gaoyou's commentary, he states that spirits were crying at night, afraid of being controlled by the talisman. So it is thus clear that the idea existed long ago that some special words or characters were able to impeach and control spirits. In civilized times, official documents such as mandates and decrees carried heavy authority, and their influence foisted the worship of the characters on the common people. Judging from the existing literature, Daoist talismans formed in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and resulted from the fact that the concept of absolute power over the common people in this world was transferred to the world of spirits. When Daoists made their own talismans, they actually imitated those made in the Qin and Han dynasties. And the talismans were mainly derived from the characters of central China. The talisman was originally a trust ( 憑信 Pingxin ) of the ancient sovereigns to invoke troops or deliver orders. At first, it was made of bamboo, and later of gold, jade, and bronze. Both the court and the generals held half of it, and applied it as a trust. The two halves of it put together indicated the fact that the messenger, with the talisman, represented the will of the ruler. So the generals had to follow the order he delivered. After talismans were transferred to the spiritual world, there appeared heavenly talismans and divine talismans. The witches and wizards might have been the first to put them into use, and the Yu Talisman was widely used in the Warring States period. In such activities as the dispelling of illnesses in the tomb, the witches or wizards of the Han Dynasty often applied them, and so we can call them " witch talismans" since they were the direct ancestors of the Daoist talisman. The witch talismans we can observe today are written on receptacles unearthed from Han Dynasty tombs. Getting rid of ghosts with talismans was a sort of witchcraft to dispel the spirits. On such receptacles, the talismans and incantations have been discovered, which are a mixture of Chinese characters and diagrams of stars, which were thought capable of arresting ghosts. According to the records in the book ''On Judgements of Opinions'' ( 《論衡》 Lunheng ) of Wang Chong, it was the witches and wizards who conducted such activities. Most of the Daoist sects originated from sorcery and as a result the activities of dispelling the spirits became one of the magical skills of early Daoism. The book ''On the Two Teachings'' ( 《二教論》 Erjiao Lun ) of the Buddhist Dao'an mocked the witchcraft of the Three Zhangs, in which he mentioned the activity of using talismans to get rid of errors that annoyed the ghosts. The early Daoist sects from the folk society inherited and developed folk sorcery, which became a part of the system of Daoism. So the witch talismans were turned into Daoist talismans, and developed into volumes and volumes of talisman books. Such books produced in the Eastern Han Dynasty are ''The Double Character Book of the Supreme Peace'' ( 《太平經復文》 Taipingjing Fuwen ), ''The Five Talismans of the Numinous Treasure'' ( 《靈寶五符》 Lingbao Wufu ), ''The Perfect Writs of the Five Sprouts'' ( 《五芽真文》 Wuya Zhenwen ), ''The Writs of the Three August Ones'' ( 《三皇文》 Sanhuang Wen ), and so on. Of them, the ''Double Character Book of the Supreme Peace'' had most of its talismans made by doubling popular characters, in which the trace of witch talismans was easily seen. As far as the implications of the writings of the talismans are concerned, Daoist talisman books illustrate certain religious ideas with coherent sentences. Compared to the witch talismans used by the folk witches and wizards, there are more characters in Daoist talismans, which are also more varied. This implies the transformation of Daoism from spontaneous folk witchcraft to a conscious religion with systematic theories. As far as the form of the talisman is concerned, there was a mixture or deformation of the official script of the Han Dynasty. Apart from it, the Daoist talisman borrowed seal characters and the worm-shaped and bird-shaped characters of the ancient times; these became the mainstream of the Daoist talisman. Such change began in the later stage of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the main representative of which is the Perfect Writs of the Five Sprouts and the Writs of the Three August Ones from the ancient Books of the Numinous Treasure. The talisman characters in the Perfect Writs of the Five Sprouts are in seal type writing. In the ''Great Skill of the Heavenly Immortal Gold Mother'' (《 天仙金母大法》 Tianxian Jinmu Dafa ) and the ''Numinous Treasure Golden Book of Salvation and Guidance'' ( 《靈寶領教濟度金書》 Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu ), the pronunciations of the seal characters were given, but they were different from the pronunciations of the corresponding seal characters in philology books. The talismanic writing style in the ''Writs of the Three August Ones'' is called Heavenly Cloud-shaped Seal Character ( 天篆雲書 Tianzhuan Yunshu ) or Cloud-shaped Seal Character ( 雲篆 Yunzhuan ) in Daoism. It is mixed with seal type writing, ancient characters, and overlapped characters similar to double characters in the ''Double Character Book of the Supreme Peace''. In Daoist thought, such a talisman was the secret of the supreme heaven, so it was called "Heavenly Seal Character". At the same time, the talisman was condensed with the vapor of clouds in the sky, and the Immortals in heaven imitated it and imparted it to the human world. So it was called "Cloud-shaped seal character" or "Cloud-shaped Writing", which was an imitation of popular seal characters and of the worm-shaped and bird-shaped characters of ancient times. And to focus on its features, the strokes are twisted like clouds that are winding around. Since such an idea was accepted, the Daoists tried to have the strokes of talismans twisted even when they drew double character talismans. Thus it became the general characteristic of the Daoist talisman. Since the Eastern Han Dynasty, more and more Daoist talismans were produced. The fifth chapter of the ''Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'' (《抱朴子內篇》 Baopu Zi ) recorded that there were 56 kinds of great talismans, amounting to over 500 volumes. The new sects that appeared later often created their own talismans and compiled their own books of talismans. Daoist Talismans and Registers became the trust of the succession of Daoist sects. ==The Structure of Talismans== Daoist Talismans are mainly composed of Chinese characters while others consist of astrological diagrams or objects for casting spells ( 厭勝物 Yansheng Wu ), and some of them even have divine images on them. But the majority of them are made up of characters and transformed characters. Because of this, talismans should have been understandable. Lu Xiujing once pointed out that in all the writings of the talisman there were Chinese characters, but they were not easily understood. If one was able to understand them, one could register and invoke thousands of souls and control hundreds of spirits. There was nothing that could not be done. (''Supreme Pervasive Mysterious Perfect Talisman of Simple Numinosity'' ( 《太上洞玄靈寶素靈真符》 Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Suling Zhenfu )) He took the Dujiang Talisman ( 《都匠符》 Doujiang Fu ) as an example to illustrate that it was composed of the five overlapped characters of the "Peaceful Bright Day of the Heavenly Emperor" ( “合明天帝日” Heming Tiandi Ri ). As we observe the five characters, we may find that their shape was changed a little, especially the character "Bright" formed by four characters meaning "sunshine". It was different from the common way of writing it, and this kind of change was as free as the talisman maker wanted it to be. And the character "Bright" can also be made up of two characters meaning "sunshine". Offered by the emperor in the Song Dynasty, The Talisman for Controlling the Mind ( 《鎮心符》 Zhenxin Fu ) in [[Mt. Mao]], composed of half of the Dujiang Talisman, was made in this way. The formation of the Dujiang Talisman was comparatively simple and easy to be understood whereas other talismans greatly changed in their shapes were hard to be recognized. [[Ge Hong]] mentioned that an assistant interpreter of the talismans in the distant past was able to read the talismans and know if there was anything wrong with them. Someone showed him the images of the talismans for casting spells and impeaching ghosts and those for curing diseases after taking their names, and he succeeded in recognizing them and telling the names of the talismans (see the ''Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'', Chapter 5) ( 《抱朴子•內篇•遐覽》 Baopu Zi Neipian Xialan ). In the Eastern Han Dynasty, most Daoist talismans were comparatively simple and could be understood by the people who were good at them. But talismans such as the Five Talismans of the Numinous Treasure ( 《靈寶五符》 Lingbao Wufu ), similar to stone seals or worm-shaped characters with interlocking patterns, adjoining against each other along a zigzag borderline, were difficult to pronounce except if their maker told you how to read them. The special characters for making talismans are called Talismanic Characters. Talismanic Characters have their own pronunciations, which are called Talismanic Sounds. Talismans are constituted of the Talismanic Characters and other elements, including the diagrams of the stars ( 星圖 Xingtu ), divine images, and objects for casting spells. Knowing the implications of these elements can help you to know the structure of the talisman. With the introduction above, we can see that talismans consist of Talismanic Characters made according to certain principles, together with some other elements. Simple talismans are made up of one or several simple Talismanic Characters, but complicated ones are composed of many mixed parts. Therefore they are hard for us to read. Not only do the elements of talismans differ from sect to sect, but also the ways of making and reading them are passed down secretly from master to disciple within the sects. Laymen seldom have had a chance to see them. Moreover, the collocation, the order, and the positions of the various parts of the talismans are not easy for laymen to know. For example, in the ''Five Talismans of the Numinous Treasure'', also called the ''Numinous Treasure Talisman Mandate of the Five Directions'' ( 靈寶五方符命 Lingbao Wufang Fu Ming ), it is hard for us to distinguish the talisman's parts and structure. As far as the images of the talismans are concerned, there are some other talismans with shades of layers of different colors. Sometimes they look like a large dripping-wet ink ball, and sometimes they seem to look like an outline of the spirits. They seem to be too mysterious to be understood because of their obscure structure. As a matter of fact, they can be understood and analyzed. Of course, you have to track down the process of its making, instead of racking your brains in front of the finished product. Such talismans with ink balls and obscure structures were once prevalent in the Daoist sects of Thunder Skills ( 雷法 Leifa ) after the Song Dynasty. Now let's take the Prompt Fire Talisman of the Great Spirits ( 《火大神符》 Xuhuo Dashen Fu ) as an example. The title of the Great Spirit of Prompt Fire is Heavenly Sovereign Deng, Fire Emperor and Grand Spirit of Statutes and Ordinances in Charge of the Prompt Fire of the Nine Heavens ( 《九天火律令大神炎帝鄧天君》 Jiutian Xuhuo Luling Yandi Deng Tianjun ). His name is Xie, and he is also called Bowen. He is the commander in chief of the Thunder Agency. He looks very strong and ferocious. This talisman is obviously the sketch of his appearance after being assembled. On the right hand is the decomposed image of the talisman ---- one part or one stroke of the talisman, and the complete image ---- the complete shape made up of several parts or strokes of the talisman, together with the corresponding incantation for writing the talisman. According to the incantation for writing talismans, each part of the talisman has some specific symbolic meaning. All the parts assembled together make a writ to praise the mighty power of the heavenly sovereign and a call to burn the ghosts and dispel disasters. The left eye is the sun, and the right eye is the moon. As soon as the heavenly sovereign opens his eyes, the flames will be tremendous, illuminating Heaven and Earth and dispelling the evil spirits. Heaven is round and the Earth is square, with the Nine Songs of the Six Temperaments ( 六律九章 Liulu Jiuzhang ) and the Eight Trigrams. ( This image implies the secret of transformation, and the Nine Songs of the Six Temperaments are thought to indicate the principles of the universe.) The Messenger of the Eastern Heaven ( 東方蠻霄使者 Dongfang Manxiao Shizhe ) and the Messenger of the Five Directions ( 五方使者 Wufang Shizhe ) spring up promptly. The Highest Emperor has ordered to annihilate the evil spirits at the Nine Quarters, arrest and tie up those who do not obey the orders in the Five Mountains. Promptly, Promptly, in Accordance with the Statues and Ordinances! ( 急急如律令 Ji Ji Ru Luling ) The thunder and fire have burned out. The spirits have feared and the divine ones worried. Beat the ghosts on the Kunlun Mountains and the hills on the right, so that the water in the Four Seas stops flowing. Strike the spirits in the Five Mountains, so that the heavenly stars crash down to the earth. Pull the Heaven and drag the Earth. With flaming clouds in his hands, the Highest Emperor soars over the Six Realms ( 六合 Liuhe ) and the universe. When seeing him, the dragons tie themselves up and the ghosts are wiped out. The shining Fire Chariot comes over promptly, and Mars comes to burn the ghosts and dispel disasters. Promptly, Promptly!" Every stroke of the talisman is a special sign of the incantation. But in the assembled drawing of the talisman on the left, the separated parts are mixed together, unrecognizable. The talismans, matched with the objects for casting spells, the diagrams of the stars, and the divine images, are composed of Chinese characters or Daoist coinage (Talismanic Characters) by imitating the six philological ways of constructing Chinese characters ( 六書 Liushu ) according to certain religious ways of thinking. The simple talismans are made up of one or several elements mentioned above, and the symbolic meaning is relatively uncomplicated. But the complicated ones consist of many of the elements with quite a few procedures for making them and rich symbolic meanings. In fact, they are similar to the official call to arms or notices with long writs. It is very natural that the elements of the talismans and the corresponding ideas are accepted among the makers and successors of the talismans. Consequently, laymen are unable to know the secret and understand the talismans. Talismans are widely applied in the various stages of Daoist skills, fasts and offerings, and rituals. They are used when setting up altars, invoking the generals, offering petitions, casting spells, destroying Darkness, refining and saving by water and fire. At the same time, Daoists often use Talismanic Water to cure diseases, control the spirits, and dispel ghosts for the people. So talismans are popular among the folks, and part of the custom of the common people. For instance, the customs of putting up the Celestial Master Talisman ( 天師符 Tianshi Fu ) on Dragon Boat Day, and wearing protective talisman bags, are quite prevalent all over many areas of China. [[zh:符]] 775be1fd17d512f7d7a305a2f6bdbb73e5656755 774 773 2009-11-08T03:44:29Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Formation== In the process of conducting magic skills, Daoists usually make use of the mysterious functions of Talismans and Registers. Usually in Daoism, only those who have been imparted Talismans and Registers are qualified to be ritual masters in activities of carrying out magical skills. Magic arts cannot be done without Talismans and Registers as well as incantations, finger gestures, and Big Dipper pacing. That's why we'd like to talk about Talismans and Registers first when discussing magic skills. Talismanic writings are all written in twisted characters, and look like drawings as well as calligraphy. The talisman is mainly used to invoke and impeach ghosts and cast spells in order to control the evil spirits. All of the registers are simplified books ( 素書 Sushu ), in which are inscribed the numbers of the heavenly officials. With talismans mixed into them, the writs are exceptionally strange and cannot be recognized by the ordinary people. At the same time they are considered as trusts to prove that a man has become a Daoist and also as a symbol of his right to control the divine officers on the talismans, and to conduct magical skills. Traditionally, Daoist sects characterized by imparting Talismans and Registers are said to belong to the Talisman and Registers tradition ( 符籙派 Fulu Pai ), but the use of Talismans and Registers is not restricted to these sects. When [[the Golden Elixir Sect]] ( 金丹派 Jindan Pai ) sets up an altar, it also applies Talismans and Registers. [[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ) that sprang up in the Jin Dynasty paid more attention to Refinement and Nourishing Life. Nevertheless, its founder [[Wang Chongyang]] once applied talismans, and in the days after the Seven Perfect Ones of the Complete Perfection, adherents of the sect often applied talismans when they were invited by the imperial court or by officials to conduct grand Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 Zhaijiao ) of various kinds. Therefore some Daoists have said that the secret of magic arts are merely talismans, vital breath and medicine. Talismans, divine medicine and skills of vital breath are all elementary factors of Daoist magic skills. ==The Origin of Talismans== Talismans are thought to be the strange writing of writs that can invoke spirits and control the ghosts. Talismanic characters, with their twisted strokes, look like drawings as well as calligraphy, and are not easy to recognize. They are applied quite a lot in Daoist skills. Where do they come from? According to the descriptions in Daoist scriptures, a talisman is a condensation of the clouds in the sky. In the ''Records of the Divine Talismans of the Three Grottoes'' ( 《三洞神符記》 Sandong Shenfu Ji ), it is written that " the talisman is originally condensed in the sky. The Supreme Perfection ( 太真 Taizhen ) faced upward, wrote the heavenly writings, differentiated the directions, and distinguished pictures and drawings from the writings of the talismans." Later, [[the Supreme Venerable Sovereign]] ( 太上老君 Taishang Laojun ) and other immortals imparted them to this world. Recently Mr. Meng Wentong has suggested that the characters of talismans with twisted strokes originated from the scripts of the minorities of the southwest, but this hypothesis is questionable. As a matter of fact, the writings of talismans came from our ancestors' worship of Chinese characters. When the ''Collective Explanations of the Biography of Xie Gunu'' ( 《解奴辜傳。集解》 Xienugu Zhuan Jijie ) from the ''Stories of Magical Arts in the History of the Later Han'' ( 《後漢書。方術傳》 Houhan Shu Fangshu Zhuan ) quoted Hui Dong, it said that in ancient times, there were ways of controlling spirits. Therefore the ''[[Book of Master Huainan]]'' ( 《淮南子》 Huainan Zi ) said that a long time ago when Cang Ji created Chinese characters, there was millet falling down from the sky, and spirits crying at night. In Gaoyou's commentary, he states that spirits were crying at night, afraid of being controlled by the talisman. So it is thus clear that the idea existed long ago that some special words or characters were able to impeach and control spirits. In civilized times, official documents such as mandates and decrees carried heavy authority, and their influence foisted the worship of the characters on the common people. Judging from the existing literature, Daoist talismans formed in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and resulted from the fact that the concept of absolute power over the common people in this world was transferred to the world of spirits. When Daoists made their own talismans, they actually imitated those made in the Qin and Han dynasties. And the talismans were mainly derived from the characters of central China. The talisman was originally a trust ( 憑信 Pingxin ) of the ancient sovereigns to invoke troops or deliver orders. At first, it was made of bamboo, and later of gold, jade, and bronze. Both the court and the generals held half of it, and applied it as a trust. The two halves of it put together indicated the fact that the messenger, with the talisman, represented the will of the ruler. So the generals had to follow the order he delivered. After talismans were transferred to the spiritual world, there appeared heavenly talismans and divine talismans. The witches and wizards might have been the first to put them into use, and the Yu Talisman was widely used in the Warring States period. In such activities as the dispelling of illnesses in the tomb, the witches or wizards of the Han Dynasty often applied them, and so we can call them " witch talismans" since they were the direct ancestors of the Daoist talisman. The witch talismans we can observe today are written on receptacles unearthed from Han Dynasty tombs. Getting rid of ghosts with talismans was a sort of witchcraft to dispel the spirits. On such receptacles, the talismans and incantations have been discovered, which are a mixture of Chinese characters and diagrams of stars, which were thought capable of arresting ghosts. According to the records in the book ''On Judgements of Opinions'' ( 《論衡》 Lunheng ) of Wang Chong, it was the witches and wizards who conducted such activities. Most of the Daoist sects originated from sorcery and as a result the activities of dispelling the spirits became one of the magical skills of early Daoism. The book ''On the Two Teachings'' ( 《二教論》 Erjiao Lun ) of the Buddhist Dao'an mocked the witchcraft of the Three Zhangs, in which he mentioned the activity of using talismans to get rid of errors that annoyed the ghosts. The early Daoist sects from the folk society inherited and developed folk sorcery, which became a part of the system of Daoism. So the witch talismans were turned into Daoist talismans, and developed into volumes and volumes of talisman books. Such books produced in the Eastern Han Dynasty are ''The Double Character Book of the Supreme Peace'' ( 《太平經復文》 Taipingjing Fuwen ), ''The Five Talismans of the Numinous Treasure'' ( 《靈寶五符》 Lingbao Wufu ), ''The Perfect Writs of the Five Sprouts'' ( 《五芽真文》 Wuya Zhenwen ), ''The Writs of the Three August Ones'' ( 《三皇文》 Sanhuang Wen ), and so on. Of them, the ''Double Character Book of the Supreme Peace'' had most of its talismans made by doubling popular characters, in which the trace of witch talismans was easily seen. As far as the implications of the writings of the talismans are concerned, Daoist talisman books illustrate certain religious ideas with coherent sentences. Compared to the witch talismans used by the folk witches and wizards, there are more characters in Daoist talismans, which are also more varied. This implies the transformation of Daoism from spontaneous folk witchcraft to a conscious religion with systematic theories. As far as the form of the talisman is concerned, there was a mixture or deformation of the official script of the Han Dynasty. Apart from it, the Daoist talisman borrowed seal characters and the worm-shaped and bird-shaped characters of the ancient times; these became the mainstream of the Daoist talisman. Such change began in the later stage of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the main representative of which is the Perfect Writs of the Five Sprouts and the Writs of the Three August Ones from the ancient Books of the Numinous Treasure. The talisman characters in the Perfect Writs of the Five Sprouts are in seal type writing. In the ''Great Skill of the Heavenly Immortal Gold Mother'' (《 天仙金母大法》 Tianxian Jinmu Dafa ) and the ''Numinous Treasure Golden Book of Salvation and Guidance'' ( 《靈寶領教濟度金書》 Lingbao Lingjiao Jidu Jinshu ), the pronunciations of the seal characters were given, but they were different from the pronunciations of the corresponding seal characters in philology books. The talismanic writing style in the ''Writs of the Three August Ones'' is called Heavenly Cloud-shaped Seal Character ( 天篆雲書 Tianzhuan Yunshu ) or Cloud-shaped Seal Character ( 雲篆 Yunzhuan ) in Daoism. It is mixed with seal type writing, ancient characters, and overlapped characters similar to double characters in the ''Double Character Book of the Supreme Peace''. In Daoist thought, such a talisman was the secret of the supreme heaven, so it was called "Heavenly Seal Character". At the same time, the talisman was condensed with the vapor of clouds in the sky, and the Immortals in heaven imitated it and imparted it to the human world. So it was called "Cloud-shaped seal character" or "Cloud-shaped Writing", which was an imitation of popular seal characters and of the worm-shaped and bird-shaped characters of ancient times. And to focus on its features, the strokes are twisted like clouds that are winding around. Since such an idea was accepted, the Daoists tried to have the strokes of talismans twisted even when they drew double character talismans. Thus it became the general characteristic of the Daoist talisman. Since the Eastern Han Dynasty, more and more Daoist talismans were produced. The fifth chapter of the ''Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'' (《抱朴子內篇》 Baopu Zi ) recorded that there were 56 kinds of great talismans, amounting to over 500 volumes. The new sects that appeared later often created their own talismans and compiled their own books of talismans. Daoist Talismans and Registers became the trust of the succession of Daoist sects. ==The Structure of Talismans== Daoist Talismans are mainly composed of Chinese characters while others consist of astrological diagrams or objects for casting spells ( 厭勝物 Yansheng Wu ), and some of them even have divine images on them. But the majority of them are made up of characters and transformed characters. Because of this, talismans should have been understandable. Lu Xiujing once pointed out that in all the writings of the talisman there were Chinese characters, but they were not easily understood. If one was able to understand them, one could register and invoke thousands of souls and control hundreds of spirits. There was nothing that could not be done. (''Supreme Pervasive Mysterious Perfect Talisman of Simple Numinosity'' ( 《太上洞玄靈寶素靈真符》 Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Suling Zhenfu )) He took the Dujiang Talisman ( 《都匠符》 Doujiang Fu ) as an example to illustrate that it was composed of the five overlapped characters of the "Peaceful Bright Day of the Heavenly Emperor" ( “合明天帝日” Heming Tiandi Ri ). As we observe the five characters, we may find that their shape was changed a little, especially the character "Bright" formed by four characters meaning "sunshine". It was different from the common way of writing it, and this kind of change was as free as the talisman maker wanted it to be. And the character "Bright" can also be made up of two characters meaning "sunshine". Offered by the emperor in the Song Dynasty, The Talisman for Controlling the Mind ( 《鎮心符》 Zhenxin Fu ) in [[Mt. Mao]], composed of half of the Dujiang Talisman, was made in this way. The formation of the Dujiang Talisman was comparatively simple and easy to be understood whereas other talismans greatly changed in their shapes were hard to be recognized. [[Ge Hong]] mentioned that an assistant interpreter of the talismans in the distant past was able to read the talismans and know if there was anything wrong with them. Someone showed him the images of the talismans for casting spells and impeaching ghosts and those for curing diseases after taking their names, and he succeeded in recognizing them and telling the names of the talismans (see the ''Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity'', Chapter 5) ( 《抱朴子•內篇•遐覽》 Baopu Zi Neipian Xialan ). In the Eastern Han Dynasty, most Daoist talismans were comparatively simple and could be understood by the people who were good at them. But talismans such as the Five Talismans of the Numinous Treasure ( 《靈寶五符》 Lingbao Wufu ), similar to stone seals or worm-shaped characters with interlocking patterns, adjoining against each other along a zigzag borderline, were difficult to pronounce except if their maker told you how to read them. The special characters for making talismans are called Talismanic Characters. Talismanic Characters have their own pronunciations, which are called Talismanic Sounds. Talismans are constituted of the Talismanic Characters and other elements, including the diagrams of the stars ( 星圖 Xingtu ), divine images, and objects for casting spells. Knowing the implications of these elements can help you to know the structure of the talisman. With the introduction above, we can see that talismans consist of Talismanic Characters made according to certain principles, together with some other elements. Simple talismans are made up of one or several simple Talismanic Characters, but complicated ones are composed of many mixed parts. Therefore they are hard for us to read. Not only do the elements of talismans differ from sect to sect, but also the ways of making and reading them are passed down secretly from master to disciple within the sects. Laymen seldom have had a chance to see them. Moreover, the collocation, the order, and the positions of the various parts of the talismans are not easy for laymen to know. For example, in the ''Five Talismans of the Numinous Treasure'', also called the ''Numinous Treasure Talisman Mandate of the Five Directions'' ( 靈寶五方符命 Lingbao Wufang Fu Ming ), it is hard for us to distinguish the talisman's parts and structure. As far as the images of the talismans are concerned, there are some other talismans with shades of layers of different colors. Sometimes they look like a large dripping-wet ink ball, and sometimes they seem to look like an outline of the spirits. They seem to be too mysterious to be understood because of their obscure structure. As a matter of fact, they can be understood and analyzed. Of course, you have to track down the process of its making, instead of racking your brains in front of the finished product. Such talismans with ink balls and obscure structures were once prevalent in the Daoist sects of Thunder Skills ( 雷法 Leifa ) after the Song Dynasty. Now let's take the Prompt Fire Talisman of the Great Spirits ( 《火大神符》 Xuhuo Dashen Fu ) as an example. The title of the Great Spirit of Prompt Fire is Heavenly Sovereign Deng, Fire Emperor and Grand Spirit of Statutes and Ordinances in Charge of the Prompt Fire of the Nine Heavens ( 《九天火律令大神炎帝鄧天君》 Jiutian Xuhuo Luling Yandi Deng Tianjun ). His name is Xie, and he is also called Bowen. He is the commander in chief of the Thunder Agency. He looks very strong and ferocious. This talisman is obviously the sketch of his appearance after being assembled. On the right hand is the decomposed image of the talisman ---- one part or one stroke of the talisman, and the complete image ---- the complete shape made up of several parts or strokes of the talisman, together with the corresponding incantation for writing the talisman. According to the incantation for writing talismans, each part of the talisman has some specific symbolic meaning. All the parts assembled together make a writ to praise the mighty power of the heavenly sovereign and a call to burn the ghosts and dispel disasters. The left eye is the sun, and the right eye is the moon. As soon as the heavenly sovereign opens his eyes, the flames will be tremendous, illuminating Heaven and Earth and dispelling the evil spirits. Heaven is round and the Earth is square, with the Nine Songs of the Six Temperaments ( 六律九章 Liulu Jiuzhang ) and the Eight Trigrams. ( This image implies the secret of transformation, and the Nine Songs of the Six Temperaments are thought to indicate the principles of the universe.) The Messenger of the Eastern Heaven ( 東方蠻霄使者 Dongfang Manxiao Shizhe ) and the Messenger of the Five Directions ( 五方使者 Wufang Shizhe ) spring up promptly. The Highest Emperor has ordered to annihilate the evil spirits at the Nine Quarters, arrest and tie up those who do not obey the orders in the Five Mountains. Promptly, Promptly, in Accordance with the Statues and Ordinances! ( 急急如律令 Ji Ji Ru Luling ) The thunder and fire have burned out. The spirits have feared and the divine ones worried. Beat the ghosts on the Kunlun Mountains and the hills on the right, so that the water in the Four Seas stops flowing. Strike the spirits in the Five Mountains, so that the heavenly stars crash down to the earth. Pull the Heaven and drag the Earth. With flaming clouds in his hands, the Highest Emperor soars over the Six Realms ( 六合 Liuhe ) and the universe. When seeing him, the dragons tie themselves up and the ghosts are wiped out. The shining Fire Chariot comes over promptly, and Mars comes to burn the ghosts and dispel disasters. Promptly, Promptly!" Every stroke of the talisman is a special sign of the incantation. But in the assembled drawing of the talisman on the left, the separated parts are mixed together, unrecognizable. The talismans, matched with the objects for casting spells, the diagrams of the stars, and the divine images, are composed of Chinese characters or Daoist coinage (Talismanic Characters) by imitating the six philological ways of constructing Chinese characters ( 六書 Liushu ) according to certain religious ways of thinking. The simple talismans are made up of one or several elements mentioned above, and the symbolic meaning is relatively uncomplicated. But the complicated ones consist of many of the elements with quite a few procedures for making them and rich symbolic meanings. In fact, they are similar to the official call to arms or notices with long writs. It is very natural that the elements of the talismans and the corresponding ideas are accepted among the makers and successors of the talismans. Consequently, laymen are unable to know the secret and understand the talismans. Talismans are widely applied in the various stages of Daoist skills, fasts and offerings, and rituals. They are used when setting up altars, invoking the generals, offering petitions, casting spells, destroying Darkness, refining and saving by water and fire. At the same time, Daoists often use Talismanic Water to cure diseases, control the spirits, and dispel ghosts for the people. So talismans are popular among the folks, and part of the custom of the common people. For instance, the customs of putting up the Celestial Master Talisman ( 天師符 Tianshi Fu ) on Dragon Boat Day, and wearing protective talisman bags, are quite prevalent all over many areas of China. [[zh:符]] 4e83f085bc40c239362acb1178f8711d78935628 0 619 775 2009-11-08T03:52:42Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Origin== Taiji Boxing aims at benefiting the internal organs. This practice appeared during the time of the Six Dynasties. The Wudang Daoist priest [[Zhang Sanfeng]] founded th...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Origin== Taiji Boxing aims at benefiting the internal organs. This practice appeared during the time of the Six Dynasties. The Wudang Daoist priest [[Zhang Sanfeng]] founded the thirteen forms of Taiji Boxing in the Ming dynasty and was respected as the earliest ancestor of Taiji Boxing. In the Qing dynasty, martial artist Wang Zongyue of Shanxi interpreted the principles of Taiji Boxing using the concepts of ''taiji'' (the Supreme Ultimate) and yin and yang in the ''Book of Changes''. He wrote the book On ''Taiji Boxing'' ( 太極拳論 Taijiquan Lun ). From then on, Taiji Boxing got its formal name. Taiji Boxing has three origins: firstly, it synthesizes various forms of martial art skills common in the Ming Dynasty, especially the thirty-two-movement Long Punch. Secondly, it integrates Daoist gymnastics, exhalation and inhalation exercises, and the Daoist medical theory of Channels and Collaterals. Thirdly, it interprets the principles of Taiji Boxing in light of yin and yang, the [[Five Phrases]], [[Inner Alchemy]], and [[the Book of Changes]]. ==Characteristics== Taiji Boxing is divided into Chen, Yang, Wu, Wu and Sun styles. Each of them shares these characteristics: #Quietly using one's consciousness, and making the body move with it. Closely coordinating breath and movement. Keeping the breath steady, deep and natural. #Keeping the body upright and comfortable, flexible and slow, with strength and weakness complementing each other. #Making the forms round and smooth, coherent and harmonious, integrating emptiness and fullness. ==Theories== Taiji Boxing contains rich Daoist concepts. The practitioners always locate themselves in the transformations of the Supreme Ultimate and yin and yang. There are unity of opposites between strong and weak, empty and full, movement and stillness, quick and slow, opening and closing, bending and stretching. ==Contents== In a broad sense, Taiji Boxing includes the arts of the Taiji broadsword, Taiji sword, Taiji spear, and pushing hands. [[zh:太極拳]] bd32c018129440bb27ff71f84e9e6f75be32ad64 776 775 2009-11-08T03:52:56Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki ==Origin== Taiji Boxing aims at benefiting the internal organs. This practice appeared during the time of the Six Dynasties. The Wudang Daoist priest [[Zhang Sanfeng]] founded the thirteen forms of Taiji Boxing in the Ming dynasty and was respected as the earliest ancestor of Taiji Boxing. In the Qing dynasty, martial artist Wang Zongyue of Shanxi interpreted the principles of Taiji Boxing using the concepts of ''taiji'' (the Supreme Ultimate) and yin and yang in the ''Book of Changes''. He wrote the book On ''Taiji Boxing'' ( 太極拳論 Taijiquan Lun ). From then on, Taiji Boxing got its formal name. Taiji Boxing has three origins: firstly, it synthesizes various forms of martial art skills common in the Ming Dynasty, especially the thirty-two-movement Long Punch. Secondly, it integrates Daoist gymnastics, exhalation and inhalation exercises, and the Daoist medical theory of Channels and Collaterals. Thirdly, it interprets the principles of Taiji Boxing in light of yin and yang, the [[Five Phrases]], [[Inner Alchemy]], and the [[Book of Changes]]. ==Characteristics== Taiji Boxing is divided into Chen, Yang, Wu, Wu and Sun styles. Each of them shares these characteristics: #Quietly using one's consciousness, and making the body move with it. Closely coordinating breath and movement. Keeping the breath steady, deep and natural. #Keeping the body upright and comfortable, flexible and slow, with strength and weakness complementing each other. #Making the forms round and smooth, coherent and harmonious, integrating emptiness and fullness. ==Theories== Taiji Boxing contains rich Daoist concepts. The practitioners always locate themselves in the transformations of the Supreme Ultimate and yin and yang. There are unity of opposites between strong and weak, empty and full, movement and stillness, quick and slow, opening and closing, bending and stretching. ==Contents== In a broad sense, Taiji Boxing includes the arts of the Taiji broadsword, Taiji sword, Taiji spear, and pushing hands. [[zh:太極拳]] 6d063e63ddc58b13f7875bec5abf61330774744f 0 620 777 2009-11-08T03:57:13Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Xingyi Boxing ( 形意拳 Xingyi Quan ) was originally known as Xinyi Boxing ( 心意拳 Xinyi Quan ), which means boxing by carrying out the mind's will. Later it was mistaken a...' wikitext text/x-wiki Xingyi Boxing ( 形意拳 Xingyi Quan ) was originally known as Xinyi Boxing ( 心意拳 Xinyi Quan ), which means boxing by carrying out the mind's will. Later it was mistaken as Xingyi Boxing, which means boxing by form and will. Legendarily transmitted by Yue Fei, this type of Boxing holds the [[five agents]] ( 五行 Wuxing ) and twelve forms as its essence, and the eight movements of spreading, cutting, swathing, straddling, stabbing, clouding, and leading as its functions. Its basic training method is pole standing ( 站樁 Zhanzhuang ) and steady squatting. The key formulae of Xingyi Pole Standing ( 形意樁 Xingyi Zhuang ) are: but up the head, straighten the neck, droop the shoulders, contract the crotch, stretch the forearm, wrap the elbows, erect the knees, contract the anus, and hold the palms down. Xingyi Boxing comprises the boxing of the Five Agents (cleaving, blocking, assembling, rubbing, and crossing correspond to metal, wood, water, fire and earth), the boxing of the twelve forms (dragon, tiger, monkey, horse, cock, swallow, snipe, snake, eagle and bear), and the boxing of interlinked advance and retreat. It has developed into the art of the sword and the art of the spear. This type of boxing starts with obvious strength, develops into hidden strength and ends with melting strength reaching the ends of the hands and feet. Its later developments integrated its strong points into a grand art. [[zh:形意拳]] 3681081a4764c844f912012455bc0a29ba2f3847 0 621 778 2009-11-08T04:03:42Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Originally named the Twenty-Three Formulae of the Supreme Oneness Five-Agents Arresting and Striking ( 太乙五行擒撲二十三式 Taiyi Wuxing Qinpu Ershisan Shi ), it was an...' wikitext text/x-wiki Originally named the Twenty-Three Formulae of the Supreme Oneness Five-Agents Arresting and Striking ( 太乙五行擒撲二十三式 Taiyi Wuxing Qinpu Ershisan Shi ), it was an extremely secret boxing art of the Wudang lineage. In 1980, Jin Zitao (1904-1985) performed this boxing method at the National Martial Arts Viewing and Emulation Conference in Taiyuan, Shanxi, and moved all those present. Since then, this boxing form has been revealed to the public and simply known as the Wudang Supreme Oneness Five-Agents Boxing ( 武當太乙五行拳 Wudang Taiyi Wuxing Quan ). Later, Jin was invited back to Mt. Wudang and transmitted the tradition to Zhao Jianying. Zhao, in turn, transmitted it to the Daoist Zhong Yunlong, the present boxing drillmaster of the Wudang Lineage. Jin Zitao, originally named Aixinjueluo Puxuan, was a royal member of the Qing court and the younger brother of Xuntong Emperor Puyi. Starting in 1929 he went to Wudang Mountain and learned this boxing tradition from Li Helin. Puxuan kept practicing this boxing secretly. He didn't reveal and transmit this boxing to anybody until the public performance in 1980. With high technique and deep principle, this boxing method has always been considered the Mountain Guarding Treasure of Wudang. Even among the present disciples of the Wudang lineage, few have the opportunity to learn this boxing method, for only the most promising Daoist can be initiated. Zhang Shouxing, an 8th generation disciple of the Dragon Gate Lineage ( 龍門 Longmen ) in the Ming Dynasty, invented this boxing art. Based on Zhang Sanfeng's Thirteen formulae of the Supreme Oneness ( 太極十三式 Taiji Shisan Sh ), this boxing is very suited for group scuffling owing to its attention to all directions, and its high mobility in prancing, warding, fighting. Simple and unadorned, its laws for footwork and bodily movements value combining softness with strength. As for striking and defense, it stresses arrest techniques, including locking up the neck, blocking the steps, seizing the arms, and dislocating the joints, etc. It is good at the "interposing strike" with the second joint of finger enhanced with bodily movements and footwork. With this technique, one cuts in with a foot to block the enemy's vanguard foot, and then turns a knee and presses the enemy to freeze him or even break his shank, and strikes the enemy in his ribs with "twining strength". Besides, its palm-strike, with relaxation and softness as its basis and strength from the interior, is very heavy and explosive and fully shows the Wudang lineage's characteristics of internal-force martial arts. ==Formulae of the Wudang Supreme Oneness Five-Agents Boxing== *Preparation: Vital breath of Chaotic Oneness, circumrotation of heaven and earth #The white ape bounes out; double peaks stab toward the sun #Drawing the horse reins at the cliff; propping up the clouds from the seabed #The flood-dragon flying in chaos; the thunderbolt striking the mountain flood #The rhinoceros watching towards the moon; turning round and lifting the sky #The black lion holding a ball; golden rays flashing in the court #The panther standing quietly; raising his neck #The roc stretching his wings; beasts escaping with fear #The deer picking glossy ganoderma; the deer bowing to drink in the brook #The yellow boa spitting dribble; flirting and attracting ants # The carp springing; waves surging forward #The lanneret exploring the mountains; seizing chickens with two claws # The immortal crane blasting off; dancing in wind and clouds #The golden monkey stealing the elixir; calming the fire in the furnace #The black maiden reaching for the moon; pacifying billows #The black bear striking backhanded; overawing the forest #The golden toad gaining salvation; lying drunken in the Jade Pond #The magpie stepping on a bough; standing cool in the plum-tree shade #The black dragon entering the sea; pacifying the mind #The mustang's quivering mane; temper getting violent #The divine ape entering the cave; the spirit returning to the heart #The phoenix high up in the air; all birds singing in chorus #Taming the tiger in the numinous platform; guarding the yellow court forever #Embracing the origin and keeping to oneness; vital breath of righteousness eternally existing #Conclusion: combining motion and stillness, circumrotating heaven and earth [[zh:武當太乙五行拳]] 78b636511e28851b36ba56c11973d6aa11c907b0 0 622 779 2009-11-08T04:16:39Z Admin 1 Created page with '''[[The Daoist Canon]]'' ( 道藏 Daozang ) is a comprehensive collection of Daoist scriptures. Its compilation began in the Tang dynasty. Daoist books increased day by day after...' wikitext text/x-wiki ''[[The Daoist Canon]]'' ( 道藏 Daozang ) is a comprehensive collection of Daoist scriptures. Its compilation began in the Tang dynasty. Daoist books increased day by day after the Wei and Jin dynasties. Chapter "Xialan" (extensive review) of ''[[The Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity]] '' ( 抱朴子内篇 Baopuzi Neipian ) had already registered over 600 volumes of Daoist books by then. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Lu Xiujing classified the books into "Three Grottoes" ( 三洞 Sandong ) and compiled The ''Catalogue of Scriptures of the Three Grottoes'' ( 三洞經書目錄 Sandong Jingshu Mulu ), the first catalogue of scriptures in the history of Daoism. Afterwards, ritual master Zheng compiled ''The Catalogue of the Seven Sections of the Jade Apocrypha'' ( 玉緯七部經書目 Yuwei Qibu Jing Shumu ) according to the classification of the Three Grottoes and the Four Complements ( 四輔 Sifu ). Later, Tao Hongjing compiled ''The Catalogue and The Catalogue of All the Supreme Scriptures'' ( 太上衆經目 Taishang Zhongjing Mu ). It was not until the Kaiyuan era of the Tang dynasty (A.D. 713-741) that for the first time Daoist books were compiled into a corpus, namely ''The Daoist Canon of the Kaiyuan Era'', the first Daoist corpus in Chinese history. Daoist books were missing in large numbers due to the turmoil at the end of the Tang dynasty and in the Five Dynasties. After the founding of the Song dynasty, Daoist scriptures were collected and collated on five occasions, and The Daoist Canon was re-compiled. Completed altogether were ''The Comprehensive Catalogue of Precious Literature'' ( 寶文統目 Baowen Tonglu ), ''The Precious Canon of Heavenly Palace'' ( 天宮寶藏 Tiangong Baozang ), The Daoist Canon of the Wanshou Era, and ''The Precious Canon of Exquisite Writing''s ( 瓊章寶藏 Qiongzhang Baozang ). Compiled in the Jin dynasty was ''The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis of the Great Jin'' ( 大金玄都寶藏 Dajin Xuandu Baozang ), and compiled in the Yuan dynasty was ''The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis''. These Daoist canons were lost long before after suffering from wars and the burning in the Yuan dynasty. Extant today are ''[[The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ) printed in the tenth Zhengtong year of the Ming dynasty (1445) and ''The Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Wanli Era'' ( 萬曆續道藏 Wanli Xu Daozang ) compiled and printed by Zhang Guoxiang in the 35th Wanli year (1607). [[zh:道教經典]] 82ab2b4947a4eecfc7a547cb60fbc953296d8a52 780 779 2009-11-08T04:17:08Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki The Daoist Canon ( 道藏 Daozang ) is a comprehensive collection of Daoist scriptures. Its compilation began in the Tang dynasty. Daoist books increased day by day after the Wei and Jin dynasties. Chapter "Xialan" (extensive review) of ''[[The Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity]] '' ( 抱朴子内篇 Baopuzi Neipian ) had already registered over 600 volumes of Daoist books by then. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Lu Xiujing classified the books into "Three Grottoes" ( 三洞 Sandong ) and compiled The ''Catalogue of Scriptures of the Three Grottoes'' ( 三洞經書目錄 Sandong Jingshu Mulu ), the first catalogue of scriptures in the history of Daoism. Afterwards, ritual master Zheng compiled ''The Catalogue of the Seven Sections of the Jade Apocrypha'' ( 玉緯七部經書目 Yuwei Qibu Jing Shumu ) according to the classification of the Three Grottoes and the Four Complements ( 四輔 Sifu ). Later, Tao Hongjing compiled ''The Catalogue and The Catalogue of All the Supreme Scriptures'' ( 太上衆經目 Taishang Zhongjing Mu ). It was not until the Kaiyuan era of the Tang dynasty (A.D. 713-741) that for the first time Daoist books were compiled into a corpus, namely ''The Daoist Canon of the Kaiyuan Era'', the first Daoist corpus in Chinese history. Daoist books were missing in large numbers due to the turmoil at the end of the Tang dynasty and in the Five Dynasties. After the founding of the Song dynasty, Daoist scriptures were collected and collated on five occasions, and The Daoist Canon was re-compiled. Completed altogether were ''The Comprehensive Catalogue of Precious Literature'' ( 寶文統目 Baowen Tonglu ), ''The Precious Canon of Heavenly Palace'' ( 天宮寶藏 Tiangong Baozang ), The Daoist Canon of the Wanshou Era, and ''The Precious Canon of Exquisite Writing''s ( 瓊章寶藏 Qiongzhang Baozang ). Compiled in the Jin dynasty was ''The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis of the Great Jin'' ( 大金玄都寶藏 Dajin Xuandu Baozang ), and compiled in the Yuan dynasty was ''The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis''. These Daoist canons were lost long before after suffering from wars and the burning in the Yuan dynasty. Extant today are ''[[The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ) printed in the tenth Zhengtong year of the Ming dynasty (1445) and ''The Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Wanli Era'' ( 萬曆續道藏 Wanli Xu Daozang ) compiled and printed by Zhang Guoxiang in the 35th Wanli year (1607). [[zh:道教經典]] aed717ee22991cce84bbe62c9d0ab59ac6f48182 785 780 2009-11-11T01:33:44Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki The Daoist Canon ( 道藏 Daozang ) is a comprehensive collection of Daoist scriptures. Its compilation began in the Tang dynasty. Daoist books increased day by day after the Wei and Jin dynasties. Chapter "Xialan" (extensive review) of ''[[The Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity]] '' ( 抱朴子内篇 Baopuzi Neipian ) had already registered over 600 volumes of Daoist books by then. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Lu Xiujing classified the books into "Three Grottoes" ( 三洞 Sandong ) and compiled The ''Catalogue of Scriptures of the Three Grottoes'' ( 三洞經書目錄 Sandong Jingshu Mulu ), the first catalogue of scriptures in the history of Daoism. Afterwards, ritual master Zheng compiled ''The Catalogue of the Seven Sections of the Jade Apocrypha'' ( 玉緯七部經書目 Yuwei Qibu Jing Shumu ) according to the classification of the Three Grottoes and the Four Complements ( 四輔 Sifu ). Later, Tao Hongjing compiled ''The Catalogue and The Catalogue of All the Supreme Scriptures'' ( 太上衆經目 Taishang Zhongjing Mu ). It was not until the Kaiyuan era of the Tang dynasty (A.D. 713-741) that for the first time Daoist books were compiled into a corpus, namely ''The Daoist Canon of the Kaiyuan Era'', the first Daoist corpus in Chinese history. Daoist books were missing in large numbers due to the turmoil at the end of the Tang dynasty and in the Five Dynasties. After the founding of the Song dynasty, Daoist scriptures were collected and collated on five occasions, and The Daoist Canon was re-compiled. Completed altogether were ''The Comprehensive Catalogue of Precious Literature'' ( 寶文統目 Baowen Tonglu ), ''The Precious Canon of Heavenly Palace'' ( 天宮寶藏 Tiangong Baozang ), The Daoist Canon of the Wanshou Era, and ''The Precious Canon of Exquisite Writing''s ( 瓊章寶藏 Qiongzhang Baozang ). Compiled in the Jin dynasty was ''The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis of the Great Jin'' ( 大金玄都寶藏 Dajin Xuandu Baozang ), and compiled in the Yuan dynasty was ''The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis''. These Daoist canons were lost long before after suffering from wars and the burning in the Yuan dynasty. Extant today are ''[[The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ) printed in the tenth Zhengtong year of the Ming dynasty (1445) and ''The Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Wanli Era'' ( 萬曆續道藏 Wanli Xu Daozang ) compiled and printed by Zhang Guoxiang in the 35th Wanli year (1607). [[zh:道藏]] ab7468b827c28bae0871e3a6d9b675a1869b42ba 786 785 2009-11-11T01:39:57Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki The Daoist Canon ( 道藏 Daozang ) is a comprehensive collection of Daoist scriptures. Its compilation began in the Tang dynasty. Daoist books increased day by day after the Wei and Jin dynasties. Chapter "Xialan" (extensive review) of ''[[The Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity]] '' ( 抱朴子内篇 Baopuzi Neipian ) had already registered over 600 volumes of Daoist books by then. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Lu Xiujing classified the books into "Three Grottoes" ( 三洞 Sandong ) and compiled The ''Catalogue of Scriptures of the Three Grottoes'' ( 三洞經書目錄 Sandong Jingshu Mulu ), the first catalogue of scriptures in the history of Daoism. Afterwards, ritual master Zheng compiled ''The Catalogue of the Seven Sections of the Jade Apocrypha'' ( 玉緯七部經書目 Yuwei Qibu Jing Shumu ) according to the classification of the Three Grottoes and the Four Complements ( 四輔 Sifu ). Later, Tao Hongjing compiled ''The Catalogue and The Catalogue of All the Supreme Scriptures'' ( 太上衆經目 Taishang Zhongjing Mu ). It was not until the Kaiyuan era of the Tang dynasty (A.D. 713-741) that for the first time Daoist books were compiled into a corpus, namely ''The Daoist Canon of the Kaiyuan Era'', the first Daoist corpus in Chinese history. Daoist books were missing in large numbers due to the turmoil at the end of the Tang dynasty and in the Five Dynasties. After the founding of the Song dynasty, Daoist scriptures were collected and collated on five occasions, and The Daoist Canon was re-compiled. Completed altogether were ''The Comprehensive Catalogue of Precious Literature'' ( 寶文統目 Baowen Tonglu ), ''The Precious Canon of Heavenly Palace'' ( 天宮寶藏 Tiangong Baozang ), The Daoist Canon of the Wanshou Era, and ''The Precious Canon of Exquisite Writing''s ( 瓊章寶藏 Qiongzhang Baozang ). Compiled in the Jin dynasty was ''The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis of the Great Jin'' ( 大金玄都寶藏 Dajin Xuandu Baozang ), and compiled in the Yuan dynasty was ''The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis''. These Daoist canons were lost long before after suffering from wars and the burning in the Yuan dynasty. Extant today are ''[[The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ) printed in the tenth Zhengtong year of the Ming dynasty (1445) and ''The Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Wanli Era'' ( 萬曆續道藏 Wanli Xu Daozang ) compiled and printed by Zhang Guoxiang in the 35th Wanli year (1607). [[zh:道藏]] ==History of the Canon's Compilation== ===The Daoist Canon of the Kaiyuan Era ( 開元道藏 Kaiyuan Daozang )=== It is the first Daoist canon in Chinese history and was compiled in the Kaiyuan years of the Tang dynasty (A.D. 713-741). After ascending the throne, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty ordered more than 40 persons, including Shi Chongxuan, to compile ''[[The Pronunciation and Meaning of All Daoist Scriptures]]'' ( 一切道經音義 Yiqie Daojing Yinyi ). Subsequently, on this basis, he sent people to search for Daoist scriptures here and there in the Kaiyuan era, and together with those collected in the capital, a corpus named ''The Exquisite Compendium of the Three Grottos'' ( 三洞瓊綱 Sandong Qionggang ) was compiled, which consisted of 3,744 volumes (some say there are 5,700 volumes, some say there are 7,300 volumes) altogether. ''The Daoist Canon of the Kaiyuan Era'' was compiled according to the classification into Three Grottoes ( 三洞 Sanding ). It was composed of three grottoes, containing 36 books in all. Each of the sections, the Pervasive Perfection ( 洞真 Dongzhen ), the Pervasive Mystery ( 洞玄 Dongxuan ) and the Pervasive Divinity ( 洞神 Dongshen ) consisted of 12 books. In the seventh year of the Tianbao era (748), an imperial order to copy the canon was given in order to spread it widely. At the end of the Tang dynasty and in the Five Dynasties, the canon was destroyed in wars and is no longer extant. ===The Comprehensive Catalogue of Precious Literature ( 寶文統錄 Baowen Tonglu )=== It was one of the Daoist corpuses compiled in the Song dynasty, in the era of Dazhong Xiangfu during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song dynasty (1008-1016) to be exact. After the rebellion of An Lushan in the Tang dynasty, most of the Daoist books collected in the two capitals were burnt. Later, ordered by Emperor Suzong and Emperor Daizong of the Tang dynasty, the Daoists Shen Fu, Du Guangting and Ji Qiwu searched all over the country for Daoist books, but "few of the precious excellent books still existed" (Volume 52 of ''The Supreme Yellow Register Fasting Rituals'' ( 太上黃籙齋儀 Taishang Huanglu Zhaiyi )), and most had been lost. After the founding of the Song dynasty, more than 7,000 volumes of Daoist books were collected during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Song dynasty, and Sanqi-Changshi (imperial attendant) Xu Xuan and Zhizhigao (official in charge of imperial documents) Wang Yuchen were ordered to collate, delete and copy them. After this, there were 3,737 volumes. During the first years of the Dazhong Xiangfu era, Emperor Zhenzong of the Song dynasty ordered Prime Minister Wang Qinruo to be in charge, choosing Daoists Zhu Yiqian, Feng Dezhi, etc. to collate the canon. Based on Xu Xuan and Wang Yuchen's edition, they supplemented 622 volumes. There were altogether 4,359 volumes, including 620 volumes of the Pervasive Perfection Section, 1,013 volumes of the Pervasive Mystery Section, 172 volumes of the Pervasive Divinity Section, 1,407 volumes of the Supreme Mystery Section ( 太玄部 Taixuan Bu ), 192 volumes of the Supreme Peace Section ( 太平部 Taiping Bu ), 576 volumes of the Supreme Clarity Section ( 太清部 Taiqing Bu ), and 379 volumes of the Orthodox Oneness Section ( 正一部 Zhengyi Bu ). A catalogue of the corpus was compiled and presented to the emperor and was given the title ''The Comprehensive Catalogue of Precious Literature''. It has been lost today. ===The Precious Canon of Heavenly Palace of the Great Song ( 大宋天宮寶藏 Dasong Tiangong Baozang )=== It was one of the Daoist canons compiled in the Song dynasty. Since the compilation of The Comprehensive Catalogue of Precious Literature was not too ideal, in the fifth year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era (1012) Emperor Zhenzong of the Song dynasty appointed Zhang Junfang Zhuzuo-Zuolang (assistant historian) who was to compile the canon specially. Based on the existent Daoist books and scriptures collected from Suzhou, Yuezhou, Taizhou and so on, Zhang Junfang and Daoist priests discussed the stylistic rules, examined different versions, selected and arranged them in the order of the Three Grottoes and the Four Complements ( 四輔 Sifu ), and compiled a corpus of 4,565 volumes. With the item "heaven" in the 1000-Word Writ ( 千字文 Qianzi Wen ) as its first heading and the item "palace" as the last, the canon was titled ''The Precious Canon of Heavenly Palace of the Great Song''. It is not currently extant. ===The Longevity Daoist Canon ( 萬壽道藏 Wanshou Daozang )=== It was one of the Daoist canons compiled in the Song dynasty. In the Chongning era of the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty (1102-1106), an imperial order was given again to search for Daoist books, and Daoist priests were ordered at the publishing office to collate ''The Precious Canon of Heavenly Palace'', which added up to 5, 387 volumes. In the Zhenghe era (1111-1118), the emperor ordered to look for missing Daoist books and set up an office in charge of scriptures. He ordered Daoists Yuan Miaozong and Wangdaojian to collate the scriptures and sent them to Minxian County, Fuzhou. Huang Shang, a court scholar, official and prefect of Fuzhou, employed workers to print them. The canon, 5,481 volumes altogether, filled 540 boxes. It was called ''The Longevity Daoist Canon'', or ''The Longevity Canon of the Zhenghe Era'' as it was compiled in the Zhenghe era. This is the first printed Daoist canon. In the turmoil of the Jiajing era (1126-1127), it was lost, and in the Jin dynasty, it was completed. Today it does not exist. ===The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis of the Great Jin ( 大金玄都寶藏 Dajin Xuandu Baozang )=== It was a Daoist canon compiled in the Jin dynasty. In the 26th Dading year during the reign of Emperor Shizong of the Jin dynasty (1186), the emperor ordered to give the printing board of The Daoist Canon in the southern capitcal (i.e. today's Kaifeng, Henan) to the Tianchang Temple in Zhongdu (i.e. today's Beijing). In the first Mingchang year during the reign of Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin dynasty (1190), the emperor ordered the temple's inspector Sun Mingdao to search for missing books and re-compile The Daoist Canon. Sun Mingdao sent Daoists looking for the missing scriptures in different places of the country, and got 1,074 volumes. Together with the more than 21,800 books that survived, there were 83,198 books in all. They classified them into Three Grottoes and Four Complements, discussed the stylistic rules, examined different versions, and compiled one corpus, which totaled 602 books, 6,455 volumes and was titled The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis of the Great Jin. Due to the fire of the Tianchang Temple in the second Taihe year during the reign of Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin dynasty (1202), the canon was burnt and does not exist today. ===The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis ( 玄都寶藏 Xuandu Baozang )=== It was a Daoist canon compiled in the Yuan dynasty. In the ninth year during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Yuan dynasty (1237), the Daoists Song Defang and Qin Zhi'an searched for the missing scriptures and planned to reprint The Daoist Canon. After eight years of compilation, the canon was completed in the third year during the reign of Empress Naima Zhen of the Yuan dynasty (1244). The canon consisted of over 7,800 volumes in all and was still titled ''The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis''. The printing board was kept at the Temple of Mysterious Metropolis in Pingyang. In the eighth Zhiyuan year during the reign of Emperor Shizu of the Yuan dynasty (1281), an imperial order was given to burn the printing boards of all Daoist canons except'' [[The Book of Dao and Its Virtue]] '' ( 道德經 Daodejing ). So the printing board of the Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis was burnt and many scriptures collected were lost as a result. The canon does not exist today. ===The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era ( 正统道藏 Zhengtong Daozang )=== It was a Daoist canon compiled in the Ming dynasty. At the beginning of the reign of Emperor Chengzu of the Ming dynasty (1403), Zhang Yuchu, the Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ) of the 43rd generation was ordered to re-compile ''The Daoist Canon''. After his death in the eighth Yongle year (1410), Zhang Yuqing, the Celestial Master of the 44th generation was ordered to continue the compilation. The board of the canon began to be made in the ninth Zhengtong year during the reign of Emperor Yingzong of the Ming dynasty (1444). Then Daoist Shao Yizheng was ordered to collate and supplement the canon. It was completed and printed in the tenth Zhengtong year (1445). The canon, titled The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era, consisted of 5,305 volumes and filled 480 boxes. The scriptures were classified into Three Grottoes, Four Complements, and Twelve Subsections. The headings, from "tian" to "ying", were taken from the 1,000-Word Writ. Under each heading, there were a few volumes. The canon was spread in the country and kept in famous mountains and Daoist temples. In the 35th Wanli year during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Ming dynasty (A.D. 1607), Zhang Guoxiang, the Celestial Master of the 50th generation, was ordered to complement The Daoist Canon. The headings, from "du" to "ying", were also taken from the 1,000-Word Writ. There were altogether 32 sections, 180 volumes. This canon was titled ''The Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Wanli Era'' ( 萬曆續道藏 Wanli Xu Daozang ). Together with ''The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era'', there were 5,485 volumes in all which filled 512 boxes. Only the edition of the Ming dynasty now exists. It is the only existent government-compiled Daoist canon of our country. From 1923 to 1926, Shanghai Commercial Press borrowed ''The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era'' printed in the Ming dynasty, which was kept in Beijing White Cloud Temple ( 白雲觀 Baiyun Guan ), and photocopied it in the name of Hanfen Tower. The canon was reduced into 6 mo. The books amounted to 1,476 and were included in 1,120 volumes. Today, there is the photocopied edition of The Daoist Canon published in 1987 by Wenwu Press, Shanghai Shudian Press, and Tianjin Guji Press. In addition, a photocopied edition published by Taiwan Yiwen Yinshuguan Press and Taiwan Xinwenfeng Publishing House is in circulation. 2844f2b4f9daff7ce030f32655766c990b3ac510 788 786 2009-11-11T02:48:24Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki The Daoist Canon ( 道藏 Daozang ) is a comprehensive collection of Daoist scriptures. Its compilation began in the Tang dynasty. Daoist books increased day by day after the Wei and Jin dynasties. Chapter "Xialan" (extensive review) of ''[[The Inner Book of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity]] '' ( 抱朴子内篇 Baopuzi Neipian ) had already registered over 600 volumes of Daoist books by then. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Lu Xiujing classified the books into "Three Grottoes" ( 三洞 Sandong ) and compiled The ''Catalogue of Scriptures of the Three Grottoes'' ( 三洞經書目錄 Sandong Jingshu Mulu ), the first catalogue of scriptures in the history of Daoism. Afterwards, ritual master Zheng compiled ''The Catalogue of the Seven Sections of the Jade Apocrypha'' ( 玉緯七部經書目 Yuwei Qibu Jing Shumu ) according to the classification of the Three Grottoes and the Four Complements ( 四輔 Sifu ). Later, Tao Hongjing compiled ''The Catalogue and The Catalogue of All the Supreme Scriptures'' ( 太上衆經目 Taishang Zhongjing Mu ). It was not until the Kaiyuan era of the Tang dynasty (A.D. 713-741) that for the first time Daoist books were compiled into a corpus, namely ''The Daoist Canon of the Kaiyuan Era'', the first Daoist corpus in Chinese history. Daoist books were missing in large numbers due to the turmoil at the end of the Tang dynasty and in the Five Dynasties. After the founding of the Song dynasty, Daoist scriptures were collected and collated on five occasions, and The Daoist Canon was re-compiled. Completed altogether were ''The Comprehensive Catalogue of Precious Literature'' ( 寶文統目 Baowen Tonglu ), ''The Precious Canon of Heavenly Palace'' ( 天宮寶藏 Tiangong Baozang ), The Daoist Canon of the Wanshou Era, and ''The Precious Canon of Exquisite Writing''s ( 瓊章寶藏 Qiongzhang Baozang ). Compiled in the Jin dynasty was ''The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis of the Great Jin'' ( 大金玄都寶藏 Dajin Xuandu Baozang ), and compiled in the Yuan dynasty was ''The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis''. These Daoist canons were lost long before after suffering from wars and the burning in the Yuan dynasty. Extant today are ''[[The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era]]'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ) printed in the tenth Zhengtong year of the Ming dynasty (1445) and ''The Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Wanli Era'' ( 萬曆續道藏 Wanli Xu Daozang ) compiled and printed by Zhang Guoxiang in the 35th Wanli year (1607). ==History of the Canon's Compilation== ===The Daoist Canon of the Kaiyuan Era ( 開元道藏 Kaiyuan Daozang )=== It is the first Daoist canon in Chinese history and was compiled in the Kaiyuan years of the Tang dynasty (A.D. 713-741). After ascending the throne, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty ordered more than 40 persons, including Shi Chongxuan, to compile ''[[The Pronunciation and Meaning of All Daoist Scriptures]]'' ( 一切道經音義 Yiqie Daojing Yinyi ). Subsequently, on this basis, he sent people to search for Daoist scriptures here and there in the Kaiyuan era, and together with those collected in the capital, a corpus named ''The Exquisite Compendium of the Three Grottos'' ( 三洞瓊綱 Sandong Qionggang ) was compiled, which consisted of 3,744 volumes (some say there are 5,700 volumes, some say there are 7,300 volumes) altogether. ''The Daoist Canon of the Kaiyuan Era'' was compiled according to the classification into Three Grottoes ( 三洞 Sanding ). It was composed of three grottoes, containing 36 books in all. Each of the sections, the Pervasive Perfection ( 洞真 Dongzhen ), the Pervasive Mystery ( 洞玄 Dongxuan ) and the Pervasive Divinity ( 洞神 Dongshen ) consisted of 12 books. In the seventh year of the Tianbao era (748), an imperial order to copy the canon was given in order to spread it widely. At the end of the Tang dynasty and in the Five Dynasties, the canon was destroyed in wars and is no longer extant. ===The Comprehensive Catalogue of Precious Literature ( 寶文統錄 Baowen Tonglu )=== It was one of the Daoist corpuses compiled in the Song dynasty, in the era of Dazhong Xiangfu during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song dynasty (1008-1016) to be exact. After the rebellion of An Lushan in the Tang dynasty, most of the Daoist books collected in the two capitals were burnt. Later, ordered by Emperor Suzong and Emperor Daizong of the Tang dynasty, the Daoists Shen Fu, Du Guangting and Ji Qiwu searched all over the country for Daoist books, but "few of the precious excellent books still existed" (Volume 52 of ''The Supreme Yellow Register Fasting Rituals'' ( 太上黃籙齋儀 Taishang Huanglu Zhaiyi )), and most had been lost. After the founding of the Song dynasty, more than 7,000 volumes of Daoist books were collected during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Song dynasty, and Sanqi-Changshi (imperial attendant) Xu Xuan and Zhizhigao (official in charge of imperial documents) Wang Yuchen were ordered to collate, delete and copy them. After this, there were 3,737 volumes. During the first years of the Dazhong Xiangfu era, Emperor Zhenzong of the Song dynasty ordered Prime Minister Wang Qinruo to be in charge, choosing Daoists Zhu Yiqian, Feng Dezhi, etc. to collate the canon. Based on Xu Xuan and Wang Yuchen's edition, they supplemented 622 volumes. There were altogether 4,359 volumes, including 620 volumes of the Pervasive Perfection Section, 1,013 volumes of the Pervasive Mystery Section, 172 volumes of the Pervasive Divinity Section, 1,407 volumes of the Supreme Mystery Section ( 太玄部 Taixuan Bu ), 192 volumes of the Supreme Peace Section ( 太平部 Taiping Bu ), 576 volumes of the Supreme Clarity Section ( 太清部 Taiqing Bu ), and 379 volumes of the Orthodox Oneness Section ( 正一部 Zhengyi Bu ). A catalogue of the corpus was compiled and presented to the emperor and was given the title ''The Comprehensive Catalogue of Precious Literature''. It has been lost today. ===The Precious Canon of Heavenly Palace of the Great Song ( 大宋天宮寶藏 Dasong Tiangong Baozang )=== It was one of the Daoist canons compiled in the Song dynasty. Since the compilation of The Comprehensive Catalogue of Precious Literature was not too ideal, in the fifth year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era (1012) Emperor Zhenzong of the Song dynasty appointed Zhang Junfang Zhuzuo-Zuolang (assistant historian) who was to compile the canon specially. Based on the existent Daoist books and scriptures collected from Suzhou, Yuezhou, Taizhou and so on, Zhang Junfang and Daoist priests discussed the stylistic rules, examined different versions, selected and arranged them in the order of the Three Grottoes and the Four Complements ( 四輔 Sifu ), and compiled a corpus of 4,565 volumes. With the item "heaven" in the 1000-Word Writ ( 千字文 Qianzi Wen ) as its first heading and the item "palace" as the last, the canon was titled ''The Precious Canon of Heavenly Palace of the Great Song''. It is not currently extant. ===The Longevity Daoist Canon ( 萬壽道藏 Wanshou Daozang )=== It was one of the Daoist canons compiled in the Song dynasty. In the Chongning era of the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty (1102-1106), an imperial order was given again to search for Daoist books, and Daoist priests were ordered at the publishing office to collate ''The Precious Canon of Heavenly Palace'', which added up to 5, 387 volumes. In the Zhenghe era (1111-1118), the emperor ordered to look for missing Daoist books and set up an office in charge of scriptures. He ordered Daoists Yuan Miaozong and Wangdaojian to collate the scriptures and sent them to Minxian County, Fuzhou. Huang Shang, a court scholar, official and prefect of Fuzhou, employed workers to print them. The canon, 5,481 volumes altogether, filled 540 boxes. It was called ''The Longevity Daoist Canon'', or ''The Longevity Canon of the Zhenghe Era'' as it was compiled in the Zhenghe era. This is the first printed Daoist canon. In the turmoil of the Jiajing era (1126-1127), it was lost, and in the Jin dynasty, it was completed. Today it does not exist. ===The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis of the Great Jin ( 大金玄都寶藏 Dajin Xuandu Baozang )=== It was a Daoist canon compiled in the Jin dynasty. In the 26th Dading year during the reign of Emperor Shizong of the Jin dynasty (1186), the emperor ordered to give the printing board of The Daoist Canon in the southern capitcal (i.e. today's Kaifeng, Henan) to the Tianchang Temple in Zhongdu (i.e. today's Beijing). In the first Mingchang year during the reign of Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin dynasty (1190), the emperor ordered the temple's inspector Sun Mingdao to search for missing books and re-compile The Daoist Canon. Sun Mingdao sent Daoists looking for the missing scriptures in different places of the country, and got 1,074 volumes. Together with the more than 21,800 books that survived, there were 83,198 books in all. They classified them into Three Grottoes and Four Complements, discussed the stylistic rules, examined different versions, and compiled one corpus, which totaled 602 books, 6,455 volumes and was titled The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis of the Great Jin. Due to the fire of the Tianchang Temple in the second Taihe year during the reign of Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin dynasty (1202), the canon was burnt and does not exist today. ===The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis ( 玄都寶藏 Xuandu Baozang )=== It was a Daoist canon compiled in the Yuan dynasty. In the ninth year during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Yuan dynasty (1237), the Daoists Song Defang and Qin Zhi'an searched for the missing scriptures and planned to reprint The Daoist Canon. After eight years of compilation, the canon was completed in the third year during the reign of Empress Naima Zhen of the Yuan dynasty (1244). The canon consisted of over 7,800 volumes in all and was still titled ''The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis''. The printing board was kept at the Temple of Mysterious Metropolis in Pingyang. In the eighth Zhiyuan year during the reign of Emperor Shizu of the Yuan dynasty (1281), an imperial order was given to burn the printing boards of all Daoist canons except'' [[The Book of Dao and Its Virtue]] '' ( 道德經 Daodejing ). So the printing board of the Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis was burnt and many scriptures collected were lost as a result. The canon does not exist today. ===The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era ( 正统道藏 Zhengtong Daozang )=== It was a Daoist canon compiled in the Ming dynasty. At the beginning of the reign of Emperor Chengzu of the Ming dynasty (1403), Zhang Yuchu, the Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ) of the 43rd generation was ordered to re-compile ''The Daoist Canon''. After his death in the eighth Yongle year (1410), Zhang Yuqing, the Celestial Master of the 44th generation was ordered to continue the compilation. The board of the canon began to be made in the ninth Zhengtong year during the reign of Emperor Yingzong of the Ming dynasty (1444). Then Daoist Shao Yizheng was ordered to collate and supplement the canon. It was completed and printed in the tenth Zhengtong year (1445). The canon, titled The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era, consisted of 5,305 volumes and filled 480 boxes. The scriptures were classified into Three Grottoes, Four Complements, and Twelve Subsections. The headings, from "tian" to "ying", were taken from the 1,000-Word Writ. Under each heading, there were a few volumes. The canon was spread in the country and kept in famous mountains and Daoist temples. In the 35th Wanli year during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Ming dynasty (A.D. 1607), Zhang Guoxiang, the Celestial Master of the 50th generation, was ordered to complement The Daoist Canon. The headings, from "du" to "ying", were also taken from the 1,000-Word Writ. There were altogether 32 sections, 180 volumes. This canon was titled ''The Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Wanli Era'' ( 萬曆續道藏 Wanli Xu Daozang ). Together with ''The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era'', there were 5,485 volumes in all which filled 512 boxes. Only the edition of the Ming dynasty now exists. It is the only existent government-compiled Daoist canon of our country. From 1923 to 1926, Shanghai Commercial Press borrowed ''The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era'' printed in the Ming dynasty, which was kept in Beijing White Cloud Temple ( 白雲觀 Baiyun Guan ), and photocopied it in the name of Hanfen Tower. The canon was reduced into 6 mo. The books amounted to 1,476 and were included in 1,120 volumes. Today, there is the photocopied edition of The Daoist Canon published in 1987 by Wenwu Press, Shanghai Shudian Press, and Tianjin Guji Press. In addition, a photocopied edition published by Taiwan Yiwen Yinshuguan Press and Taiwan Xinwenfeng Publishing House is in circulation. ==Organization of the Canon== ''The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ) is classified into Three Grottoes ( 三洞 Sanding ), Four Complements ( 四輔 Sifu ), and twelve subsections. The "Three Grottoes" refer to those of Pervasive Perfection ( 洞真 Dongzhen ), Pervasive Mystery ( 洞玄 Dongxuan ) and Pervasive Divinity ( 洞神 Dongshen ). When Daoist Lu Xiujing (A.D. 406-477) of Liusong of the Southern Dyansty compiled ''The Catalogue of Scriptures of the Three Grottoe''s ( 三洞經書目錄 Sandong Jingshu Mulu ), he classified the Daoist books into three categories: Pervasive Perfection, Pervasive Mystery and Pervasive Divinity. The first kind mainly consists of ''Scriptures of the Highest Clarity'' ( 靈寶經 Lingbao Jing ) and is known as the first-class; the second kind mainly consists of ''Scriptures of the Numinous Treasure'' ( 上清經Shangqing Jing ) and is known as the second-class; the third kind mainly consists of ''The Book of the Three August Ones'' ( 三皇經Sanhuang Jing ) and is known ad the third-class. This classifying method originated by Lu Xiujing sorted out numerous Daoist books and laid a foundation for the subsequent compilation of The Daoist Canon. The "Four Complements" were first seen in ritual master Meng's ''The Catalogue of the Seven Sections of the Jade Apocrypha'' ( 玉緯七部經書目 Yuwei Qibu Jing Shumu ). Because the classification as Three Grottoes could not include all the Daoist books, the "Four Complements" came into being as a supplement. They refer to the sections of Supreme Clarity ( 太清 Taiqing ), Supreme Peace ( 太平 Taiping ), Supreme Mystery ( 太玄 Taixuan ) and Orthodox Oneness ( 正一 Zhengyi ), which supplement Pervasive Perfection, Pervasive Mystery, Pervasive Divinity and all the above six divisions and the three classes respectively. The twelve subsections are: #Original texts, which refer to the original true texts of the scriptures; #Divine talismans, which refer to the scripts of characters on seals and numinous talismans; #Jade formulae, which refer to the commentaries of Daoist books; #Numinous charts, which refer to the illustrations of the texts or scriptures mainly composed of charts; #Records of lineages, which refer to Daoist scriptures recording the deeds of Perfect Men and Sages' transformation and their merits and ranks; #Precepts, which refer to scriptures about commandments and Ledgers of Merits and Demerits ( 功過格 gongguo ge ); #Rituals, which refer to scriptures about Fasts and Offerings ( 齋醮 zhaijiao ) and rituals; #Methods, which refer to Daoist books on methods of cultivation of perfection, nourishing spiritual nature, worship and refinement; # Techniques, which refer to Daoist books on Outer Alchemy ( 外丹 waidan ) and Divinatory Calculation ( 術數 shushu ); #Biographies, which refer to the biographies and stele inscriptions of immortals and Perfect Men and annals of Daoist temples; #Hymns, which refer to scriptures lauding spirits; #Petitions and memorials, which refer to the petitions and Qingci (Daoist prayers written in vermilion on a kind of special paper) presented in fasts and offerings. The existent Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era is classified into Three Grottoes, Four Complements and twelve subsections. This classifying method has its shortcomings. For example, there is no further classification under the Four Complements so that the stylistic rule is in disorder and reference is not convenient. A recent scholar Chen Yingning re-classified the Daoist Canon in the 1930s. He classified the canon into 14 categories according to the character of the scriptures. We believe that there will be a more scientific and reasonable classification of The Daoist Canon when it is re-compiled. The extant canon, though not so scientific in its levels of classification, is rich in content. In addition to Daoist scriptures, it collects works of the various schools of thought and their exponents during the period from pre-Qin times to the early years of the Han dynasty. It provides valuable materials for the study of philosophic ideas, social history, science and techniques, literature and arts, peoples' conditions and customs, and the national psychology of ancient China. Moreover, it can be used for the study of versions and collations. Presently scholars are planning and preparing for the compilation of a new China Daoist Canon. ==Reference Aids== ''The Catalogue of the Scriptures of the Daoist Canon'' ( 道藏經目錄 Daozang Jing Mulu ): The author is unknown. It is a four-volume Daoist catalogue. At the very beginning are "The Origin and Lineage of Daoism" and notes on the use of the canon that explain the classification of Three Grottoes ( 三洞 Sanding ), Four Complements ( 四輔 Sifu ), and twelve subsections. The first volume is the catalogue of the Pervasive Perfection Section ( 洞真部 Dongzhen Bu ), the second volume is the catalogue of the Pervasive Mystery Section ( 洞玄部 Dongxuan Bu ), the third volume is the catalogue of the Pervasive Divinity Section ( 洞神部 Dongshen Bu ), and the fourth volume consists of the catalogue of the Supreme Mystery Section ( 太玄部 Taixuan Bu ), the Supreme Peace Section ( 太平部 Taiping Bu ), the Supreme Clarity Section ( 太清部 Taiqing Bu ), and the Orthodox Oneness Section ( 正一部 Zhengyi Bu ). A catalogue of 1,415 Daoist scriptures, it is arranged in 4,517 volumes and numbered according to ''the 1000-Word Writ'' ( 千字文 Qianzi Wen ). Attached to the catalogue is ''The Supplementary Catalogue of the Scriptures of the Daoist Canon'' ( 續道藏經目錄 Xu Daozang Jing Mulu ). Numbered from "du" to "ying", it collects 52 Daoist scriptures and is arranged in 180 volumes. At the end of the catalogue is written: Zhang Guoxian collated and printed it by imperial order in the 35th Wanli year of the Ming dynasty (1607). Zhang Guoxiang was the Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ) of the 50th generation. He compiled ''The Supplementary Daoist Canon (of the Wanli Era)'' (（萬曆）續道藏 (Wanli) Xu Daozang ) by imperial order in the Wanli era. Therefore, The Catalogue of the Scriptures of the Daoist Canon must have been completed at the same time as ''The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ) and ''The Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Wanli Era''. It is collected in the Orthodox Oneness Section of ''The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era''. ''The Catalogue of the Missing Scriptures of the Daoist Canon'' ( 道藏缺經目錄 Daozang Quejing Mulu ): The author is unknown. It is a two-volume Daoist catalogue. A note to the title of its first volume says, "It is copied from the former catalogue". A recent scholar Chen Yuan believes that this is just the catalogue of missing scriptures collected in the Daoist canon of the Yuan dynasty, but not in ''The Daoist Canon of the Zhenggtong Era''. It is a catalogue of 768 missing scriptures. Attached at the end is ''The Detailed Outline of the Venerable Scriptures of the Past Dynasties Collected in the Daoist Canon '' ( 道藏尊經歷代綱目 Daozang Zunjing Lidai Gangmu ). As for the Three Grottoes and Four Complements, it says that the Supreme Clarity and Orthodox Oneness Sections supplement the Pervasive Divinity Section, which is slightly different from the traditional view that the Supreme Clarity supplements the Pervasive Divinity Section and the Orthodox Oneness Section supplements all the six sections. This catalogue provides reference material for the study of the evolution of ''The Daoist Canon''. It is collected in the Orthodox Oneness Section of ''The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era''. ===The Detailed Annotations of the Contents of the Daoist Canon=== ''The Detailed Annotations of the Contents of the Daoist Canon'' ( 《道藏目錄詳注》 Daozang Mulu Xiangzhu ) (4 volumes) was written by Bai Yunzhai at the White Cloud Temple of Beijing (Mr. Cheng Guofu considers that Bai Yunzhai was from the Temple Facing the Heaven) in the 6th Tianqi year of Emperor Xixong in the Ming dynasty. The book is based on ''the Daoist Canon'', being classified by the Three Grottoes, the Four Complements, and the Twelve Types. Each entry has some interpretations on the title: the ''Chongwen Comprehensive Bibliography'' ( 《崇文總目》 Chongwen Zongmu ) and ''Reading at the Junzhai'' ( 《郡齋讀書志》 Junzhai Dushu Zhi ) are suitable examples. The book is titled as detailed annotations, but in fact it is fairly brief, and later it was included in the ''Four Repositories''. It is a reference book for the ''Daoist Canon''. ===Annotated Bibliography of the Daoist Canon=== The ''Annotated Bibliography of the Daoist Canon' '( 道藏提要 Daozang Tiyao ) was first published by the China Social Sciences Press in January 1997, with Ren Jiyu as the Editor in Chief and Zhong Zhaopeng as assistant editor. Numerous in volumes and rich in contents, the ''Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ) and the ''Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Wanli Era'' ( 萬曆續道藏 Wanli Xu Daozang ) of the Ming dynasty are the main materials for the study of Daoism. But it is inconvenient to search for books in the canons, due to their lack of a systematic classification system as well as the unknown authors and times of some books. Imitating the compilation methods of the ''Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography of the Four Repositories, the Annotated Bibliography of the Daoist Canon'' adopted the fruits of the research of previous scholars, including Liu Shipei, Chen Yuan, ChenYique, Tang Yongtong, Chen Guofu, Wang Ming, Chen Yingning, and Weng Dujian in China, and Yoshioka Yoshitoyo, Ofuchi Ninji, and Fukunaga Mitsuji in Japan. Aiming at examining the time, author and contents of each book in the canon, it adopts traditional methods of textual criticism and gloss explanation. Besides, it also compares Daoism with Buddhism in their mutual influence. Meanwhile, it judges the dates of texts based on the historic development of Chinese philosophy. As appendixes, it contains a "Brief Introduction to the Authors of Daoist Scriptures", a "Bibliography with New Classification of the Scriptures in the Daoist Canon", a "Bibliography of the Daoist Canon and of the Supplementary Daoist Canon", an "Index to the Authors of Daoist Scriptures", and an "Index to the Books in the Daoist Canon". As a complete and useful reference book with high academic value, it provides readers with great convenience. ===Index to the Daoist Canon=== The ''Index to the Daoist Canon'' ( 《道藏索引》 Daozang Suoyin ) was originally compiled by Kristofer M. Schipper and recomposed by Chen Yaoting. With the subtitle ''Concordance of the Daozang'', it was published by the Shanghai Bookstore Press in 1996. The traditional classification of the voluminous Daoist Canon makes it inconvenient for modern scholars to search scriptures, and they commonly adopt the ''Concordance du Tao-tsang'' ( 《道藏通檢》 Daozang Tongjian ) composed by Prof. Kristofer M. Schipper in 1975. With this concordance, it is rather convenient for users to search a text in the canon. In 1989, Prof. Chen Yaoting, the director of the Institute of Religions of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, during his academic visit to France, obtained Prof. Schipper's agreement to recompose his index without any fee. Schipper's index arranges all Daoist books according to clear classifications as petitions, rituals, etc. Moreover, it simplifies the names of the scriptures into the most important parts as clues to related scriptures as well as the original scriptures. Also, it helps the reader to search for scriptures with changed titles. The principles of the recomposition include: #Keeping the concordance. #Following the order of Schipper's index, compiling a United Bibliography of the Titles of the Books in Five Versions of the Daoist Canon, listing the different sections, volumes and numbers of pages of each scripture in each of the five different versions. #Compiling an alphabetical index following Chinese reading habits. #Compiling two new appendixes for readers' convenience. As a fruit of cooperation between Chinese and French scholars, this index of five versions of the Daoist canon is very beneficial for the promotion of Daoist studies worldwide and nationwide. ==Other Daoist Compilations== ===Collections of Daoist Scriptures Outside the Canon === Besides ''Selections from the Daoist Canon'' ( 道藏輯要 Daozang Jiyao ), ''Extracts from the Daoist Canon'' ( 道藏精華錄 Daozang Jinghua Lu ) compiled by Ding Fubao, "master who guards the oneness", in the era of the Republic of China collects some Daoist scriptures outside the Daoist canon as well. Having collected Daoist books since the 1950s, the Taiwanese scholar Xiao Tianshi compiled ''Essence of the Daoist Canon'' (daozang jinghua), bringing together several Daoist scriptures outside the Daoist canon and amounting to more than 800. ''The Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Zhuang and Lin Lineages'' ( 莊林續道藏 Zhuanglin Xu Daozang ) compiled by the American scholar Michael Saso collects plenty of Taiwanese Daoist scriptures on talismans, registers and rituals, most of which are secret hand-written copies. At the end of 1994, Bashu Press published ''The Collection of Daoist Scriptures Outside the Canon'' ( 藏外道書 Zangwai Daoshu ) in 36 volumes. It is known as "a comprehensive collection of new supplementary Daoist scriptures". Its chief editors are Hu Daojing, Chen Yaoting, Duan Wenjia, Lin Wanqing, etc. The scriptures are not classified into Three Grottoes ( 三洞 Sandong ), Four Complements ( 四輔 Sifu ) and twelve subsections in the traditional way adopted by ''The Daoist Canon'' ( 道藏 Daozang ). Instead, they are classified into 11 categories, namely missing ancient Daoist books, scriptures, doctrines, Nourishing Life ( 攝養 Sheyang ), precepts and Moralistic Storybooks ( 善書 Shanshu ), rituals, hagiographies, annals of temples and geographical records, literature and arts, catalogues, and other books. This book is the largest Daoist collection since the edition and publication of ''The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ). Among the books collected, some are the only existing copies throughout the country, some are rare copies, and some have never been published. This collection has a very high reference value. ===The Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Zhuang and Lin Lineages=== The 25-volume ''Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Zhuang and Lin Lineages'' ( 道藏輯要 Daozang Jiyao ) compiled by U.S. Scholar Michael Saso (Su Haihan in Chinese) was published in photocopied form by Chengwen Publication Co. Ltd. Of Taiwan in 1975. The work collected 104 kinds of Daoist scriptures frequently used in the north of Taiwan, including many secret manuscripts of talismans and rituals. It is divided into four parts according to the rituals and usage: #The Golden registers ( 道藏精華錄 Daozang Jinghua Lu ) section, containing 50 volumes of scriptures about Golden Register rituals and Five-Time offerings for audience rituals ( 莊林續道藏 Zhuanglin Xu Daozang ). #The Yellow registers ( 藏外道書 Zangwai Daoshu ) section, containing 19 volumes of Daoist texts of the numinous treasure ( 三洞 Sandong ), salvation of the dead ( 四輔 Sifu ), refinement and salvation ( 道藏 Daozang ), and blood lake ( 攝養 Sheyang ), etc. #The Ritual Documents ( 善書 Shanshu ) section, containing 10 volumes of texts of talismans, incantations and secret formulae. Its first volume contains the talismans, incantations, registers and formulae brought to Taiwan by Huashan Daoist Wu Jingchun. #The Minor Divine Heaven Rituals of the Lushan Lineage ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ), containing 25 volumes of registers and talismans of Divine Heaven lineage granted to lushan Daoists by Celestial Master Zhang on the Dragon and Tiger Mountain. The ''Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Zhuang and Lin Lineages'' provides valuable materials for the study of Taiwan Daoism. ===Selections from the Daoist Canon === ''The Daoist Canon'' ( 道藏 Daozang ) was not re-compiled in the Qing dynasty, but a selected version of ''The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era'' ( 正統道藏 Zhengtong Daozang ) (some Daoist books of the Qing dynasty were supplemented in it) ---- ''The Selections from the Daoist Cano''n ( 道藏輯要 Daozang Jiyao ) was produced. In the Kangxi era of the Qing dynasty (1662-1722), Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) Peng Dingqiu selected about 200 important books from The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era, and divided them into 28 collections according to the names of the 28 constellations. They compose more than 200 volumes, where major Daoist scriptures, rituals and precepts, stele inscriptions, biographies and lineage records are all collected. In the Jiaqing era (1796-1820), Jiang Yuanting compiled the ''one-volume Catalogue of the Selections from the Daoist Canon'', which records 279 Daoist books in 268 books. In the 32nd year of the Guangxu era (1906), because the original Selections from the Daoist Canon were rarely seen, the Temple of the Two Immortals ( 二仙庵 Erxian An ) in Chengdu reprinted it and supplemented the five-volume ''Sub-catalogue of the Selections from the Daoist Canon'' compiled by He Longxiang and Daoist books appearing afterwards in the Qing dynasty. The Daoist books and catalogues of Daoist scriptures add up to 319, and newly supplemented Daoist books total 114. The printing board is now kept in Black Sheep Temple ( 青羊宮 Qingyang Gong ) in Chengdu, and Bashu press reprinted the book according to it. In Taiwan, there is the clothbound edition of Selections from the Daoist Canon. The scriptures not collected in ''The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era'' of the Ming dynasty in this edition are important references for the study of the Daoist thought and history of the Ming and Qing dynasties. [[zh:道藏]] 2477b5e8451b5647c789c1d5e0bca56c182dec09 0 623 781 2009-11-08T04:58:16Z Admin 1 Created page with '==The Daoist Canon of the Kaiyuan Era ( 開元道藏 Kaiyuan Daozang )== It is the first Daoist canon in Chinese history and was compiled in the Kaiyuan years of the Tang dynasty...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Daoist Canon of the Kaiyuan Era ( 開元道藏 Kaiyuan Daozang )== It is the first Daoist canon in Chinese history and was compiled in the Kaiyuan years of the Tang dynasty (A.D. 713-741). After ascending the throne, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty ordered more than 40 persons, including Shi Chongxuan, to compile ''[[The Pronunciation and Meaning of All Daoist Scriptures]]'' ( 一切道經音義 Yiqie Daojing Yinyi ). Subsequently, on this basis, he sent people to search for Daoist scriptures here and there in the Kaiyuan era, and together with those collected in the capital, a corpus named ''The Exquisite Compendium of the Three Grottos'' ( 三洞瓊綱 Sandong Qionggang ) was compiled, which consisted of 3,744 volumes (some say there are 5,700 volumes, some say there are 7,300 volumes) altogether. ''The Daoist Canon of the Kaiyuan Era'' was compiled according to the classification into Three Grottoes ( 三洞 Sanding ). It was composed of three grottoes, containing 36 books in all. Each of the sections, the Pervasive Perfection ( 洞真 Dongzhen ), the Pervasive Mystery ( 洞玄 Dongxuan ) and the Pervasive Divinity ( 洞神 Dongshen ) consisted of 12 books. In the seventh year of the Tianbao era (748), an imperial order to copy the canon was given in order to spread it widely. At the end of the Tang dynasty and in the Five Dynasties, the canon was destroyed in wars and is no longer extant. ==The Comprehensive Catalogue of Precious Literature ( 寶文統錄 Baowen Tonglu )== It was one of the Daoist corpuses compiled in the Song dynasty, in the era of Dazhong Xiangfu during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song dynasty (1008-1016) to be exact. After the rebellion of An Lushan in the Tang dynasty, most of the Daoist books collected in the two capitals were burnt. Later, ordered by Emperor Suzong and Emperor Daizong of the Tang dynasty, the Daoists Shen Fu, Du Guangting and Ji Qiwu searched all over the country for Daoist books, but "few of the precious excellent books still existed" (Volume 52 of ''The Supreme Yellow Register Fasting Rituals'' ( 太上黃籙齋儀 Taishang Huanglu Zhaiyi )), and most had been lost. After the founding of the Song dynasty, more than 7,000 volumes of Daoist books were collected during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Song dynasty, and Sanqi-Changshi (imperial attendant) Xu Xuan and Zhizhigao (official in charge of imperial documents) Wang Yuchen were ordered to collate, delete and copy them. After this, there were 3,737 volumes. During the first years of the Dazhong Xiangfu era, Emperor Zhenzong of the Song dynasty ordered Prime Minister Wang Qinruo to be in charge, choosing Daoists Zhu Yiqian, Feng Dezhi, etc. to collate the canon. Based on Xu Xuan and Wang Yuchen's edition, they supplemented 622 volumes. There were altogether 4,359 volumes, including 620 volumes of the Pervasive Perfection Section, 1,013 volumes of the Pervasive Mystery Section, 172 volumes of the Pervasive Divinity Section, 1,407 volumes of the Supreme Mystery Section ( 太玄部 Taixuan Bu ), 192 volumes of the Supreme Peace Section ( 太平部 Taiping Bu ), 576 volumes of the Supreme Clarity Section ( 太清部 Taiqing Bu ), and 379 volumes of the Orthodox Oneness Section ( 正一部 Zhengyi Bu ). A catalogue of the corpus was compiled and presented to the emperor and was given the title ''The Comprehensive Catalogue of Precious Literature''. It has been lost today. ==The Precious Canon of Heavenly Palace of the Great Song ( 大宋天宮寶藏 Dasong Tiangong Baozang )== It was one of the Daoist canons compiled in the Song dynasty. Since the compilation of The Comprehensive Catalogue of Precious Literature was not too ideal, in the fifth year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era (1012) Emperor Zhenzong of the Song dynasty appointed Zhang Junfang Zhuzuo-Zuolang (assistant historian) who was to compile the canon specially. Based on the existent Daoist books and scriptures collected from Suzhou, Yuezhou, Taizhou and so on, Zhang Junfang and Daoist priests discussed the stylistic rules, examined different versions, selected and arranged them in the order of the Three Grottoes and the Four Complements ( 四輔 Sifu ), and compiled a corpus of 4,565 volumes. With the item "heaven" in the 1000-Word Writ ( 千字文 Qianzi Wen ) as its first heading and the item "palace" as the last, the canon was titled ''The Precious Canon of Heavenly Palace of the Great Song''. It is not currently extant. ==The Longevity Daoist Canon ( 萬壽道藏 Wanshou Daozang )== It was one of the Daoist canons compiled in the Song dynasty. In the Chongning era of the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty (1102-1106), an imperial order was given again to search for Daoist books, and Daoist priests were ordered at the publishing office to collate ''The Precious Canon of Heavenly Palace'', which added up to 5, 387 volumes. In the Zhenghe era (1111-1118), the emperor ordered to look for missing Daoist books and set up an office in charge of scriptures. He ordered Daoists Yuan Miaozong and Wangdaojian to collate the scriptures and sent them to Minxian County, Fuzhou. Huang Shang, a court scholar, official and prefect of Fuzhou, employed workers to print them. The canon, 5,481 volumes altogether, filled 540 boxes. It was called ''The Longevity Daoist Canon'', or ''The Longevity Canon of the Zhenghe Era'' as it was compiled in the Zhenghe era. This is the first printed Daoist canon. In the turmoil of the Jiajing era (1126-1127), it was lost, and in the Jin dynasty, it was completed. Today it does not exist. ==The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis of the Great Jin ( 大金玄都寶藏 Dajin Xuandu Baozang )== It was a Daoist canon compiled in the Jin dynasty. In the 26th Dading year during the reign of Emperor Shizong of the Jin dynasty (1186), the emperor ordered to give the printing board of The Daoist Canon in the southern capitcal (i.e. today's Kaifeng, Henan) to the Tianchang Temple in Zhongdu (i.e. today's Beijing). In the first Mingchang year during the reign of Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin dynasty (1190), the emperor ordered the temple's inspector Sun Mingdao to search for missing books and re-compile The Daoist Canon. Sun Mingdao sent Daoists looking for the missing scriptures in different places of the country, and got 1,074 volumes. Together with the more than 21,800 books that survived, there were 83,198 books in all. They classified them into Three Grottoes and Four Complements, discussed the stylistic rules, examined different versions, and compiled one corpus, which totaled 602 books, 6,455 volumes and was titled The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis of the Great Jin. Due to the fire of the Tianchang Temple in the second Taihe year during the reign of Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin dynasty (1202), the canon was burnt and does not exist today. ==The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis ( 玄都寶藏 Xuandu Baozang )== It was a Daoist canon compiled in the Yuan dynasty. In the ninth year during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Yuan dynasty (1237), the Daoists Song Defang and Qin Zhi'an searched for the missing scriptures and planned to reprint The Daoist Canon. After eight years of compilation, the canon was completed in the third year during the reign of Empress Naima Zhen of the Yuan dynasty (1244). The canon consisted of over 7,800 volumes in all and was still titled ''The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis''. The printing board was kept at the Temple of Mysterious Metropolis in Pingyang. In the eighth Zhiyuan year during the reign of Emperor Shizu of the Yuan dynasty (1281), an imperial order was given to burn the printing boards of all Daoist canons except'' [[The Book of Dao and Its Virtue]] '' ( 道德經 Daodejing ). So the printing board of the Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis was burnt and many scriptures collected were lost as a result. The canon does not exist today. ==The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era ( 正统道藏 Zhengtong Daozang )== It was a Daoist canon compiled in the Ming dynasty. At the beginning of the reign of Emperor Chengzu of the Ming dynasty (1403), Zhang Yuchu, the Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ) of the 43rd generation was ordered to re-compile ''The Daoist Canon''. After his death in the eighth Yongle year (1410), Zhang Yuqing, the Celestial Master of the 44th generation was ordered to continue the compilation. The board of the canon began to be made in the ninth Zhengtong year during the reign of Emperor Yingzong of the Ming dynasty (1444). Then Daoist Shao Yizheng was ordered to collate and supplement the canon. It was completed and printed in the tenth Zhengtong year (1445). The canon, titled The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era, consisted of 5,305 volumes and filled 480 boxes. The scriptures were classified into Three Grottoes, Four Complements, and Twelve Subsections. The headings, from "tian" to "ying", were taken from the 1,000-Word Writ. Under each heading, there were a few volumes. The canon was spread in the country and kept in famous mountains and Daoist temples. In the 35th Wanli year during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Ming dynasty (A.D. 1607), Zhang Guoxiang, the Celestial Master of the 50th generation, was ordered to complement The Daoist Canon. The headings, from "du" to "ying", were also taken from the 1,000-Word Writ. There were altogether 32 sections, 180 volumes. This canon was titled ''The Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Wanli Era'' ( 萬曆續道藏 Wanli Xu Daozang ). Together with ''The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era'', there were 5,485 volumes in all which filled 512 boxes. Only the edition of the Ming dynasty now exists. It is the only existent government-compiled Daoist canon of our country. From 1923 to 1926, Shanghai Commercial Press borrowed ''The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era'' printed in the Ming dynasty, which was kept in Beijing White Cloud Temple ( 白雲觀 Baiyun Guan ), and photocopied it in the name of Hanfen Tower. The canon was reduced into 6 mo. The books amounted to 1,476 and were included in 1,120 volumes. Today, there is the photocopied edition of The Daoist Canon published in 1987 by Wenwu Press, Shanghai Shudian Press, and Tianjin Guji Press. In addition, a photocopied edition published by Taiwan Yiwen Yinshuguan Press and Taiwan Xinwenfeng Publishing House is in circulation. 44aa112499c68443a0dfc831e69c77df384d95f8 782 781 2009-11-08T04:58:40Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki ==The Daoist Canon of the Kaiyuan Era ( 開元道藏 Kaiyuan Daozang )== It is the first Daoist canon in Chinese history and was compiled in the Kaiyuan years of the Tang dynasty (A.D. 713-741). After ascending the throne, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty ordered more than 40 persons, including Shi Chongxuan, to compile ''[[The Pronunciation and Meaning of All Daoist Scriptures]]'' ( 一切道經音義 Yiqie Daojing Yinyi ). Subsequently, on this basis, he sent people to search for Daoist scriptures here and there in the Kaiyuan era, and together with those collected in the capital, a corpus named ''The Exquisite Compendium of the Three Grottos'' ( 三洞瓊綱 Sandong Qionggang ) was compiled, which consisted of 3,744 volumes (some say there are 5,700 volumes, some say there are 7,300 volumes) altogether. ''The Daoist Canon of the Kaiyuan Era'' was compiled according to the classification into Three Grottoes ( 三洞 Sanding ). It was composed of three grottoes, containing 36 books in all. Each of the sections, the Pervasive Perfection ( 洞真 Dongzhen ), the Pervasive Mystery ( 洞玄 Dongxuan ) and the Pervasive Divinity ( 洞神 Dongshen ) consisted of 12 books. In the seventh year of the Tianbao era (748), an imperial order to copy the canon was given in order to spread it widely. At the end of the Tang dynasty and in the Five Dynasties, the canon was destroyed in wars and is no longer extant. ==The Comprehensive Catalogue of Precious Literature ( 寶文統錄 Baowen Tonglu )== It was one of the Daoist corpuses compiled in the Song dynasty, in the era of Dazhong Xiangfu during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song dynasty (1008-1016) to be exact. After the rebellion of An Lushan in the Tang dynasty, most of the Daoist books collected in the two capitals were burnt. Later, ordered by Emperor Suzong and Emperor Daizong of the Tang dynasty, the Daoists Shen Fu, Du Guangting and Ji Qiwu searched all over the country for Daoist books, but "few of the precious excellent books still existed" (Volume 52 of ''The Supreme Yellow Register Fasting Rituals'' ( 太上黃籙齋儀 Taishang Huanglu Zhaiyi )), and most had been lost. After the founding of the Song dynasty, more than 7,000 volumes of Daoist books were collected during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Song dynasty, and Sanqi-Changshi (imperial attendant) Xu Xuan and Zhizhigao (official in charge of imperial documents) Wang Yuchen were ordered to collate, delete and copy them. After this, there were 3,737 volumes. During the first years of the Dazhong Xiangfu era, Emperor Zhenzong of the Song dynasty ordered Prime Minister Wang Qinruo to be in charge, choosing Daoists Zhu Yiqian, Feng Dezhi, etc. to collate the canon. Based on Xu Xuan and Wang Yuchen's edition, they supplemented 622 volumes. There were altogether 4,359 volumes, including 620 volumes of the Pervasive Perfection Section, 1,013 volumes of the Pervasive Mystery Section, 172 volumes of the Pervasive Divinity Section, 1,407 volumes of the Supreme Mystery Section ( 太玄部 Taixuan Bu ), 192 volumes of the Supreme Peace Section ( 太平部 Taiping Bu ), 576 volumes of the Supreme Clarity Section ( 太清部 Taiqing Bu ), and 379 volumes of the Orthodox Oneness Section ( 正一部 Zhengyi Bu ). A catalogue of the corpus was compiled and presented to the emperor and was given the title ''The Comprehensive Catalogue of Precious Literature''. It has been lost today. ==The Precious Canon of Heavenly Palace of the Great Song ( 大宋天宮寶藏 Dasong Tiangong Baozang )== It was one of the Daoist canons compiled in the Song dynasty. Since the compilation of The Comprehensive Catalogue of Precious Literature was not too ideal, in the fifth year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era (1012) Emperor Zhenzong of the Song dynasty appointed Zhang Junfang Zhuzuo-Zuolang (assistant historian) who was to compile the canon specially. Based on the existent Daoist books and scriptures collected from Suzhou, Yuezhou, Taizhou and so on, Zhang Junfang and Daoist priests discussed the stylistic rules, examined different versions, selected and arranged them in the order of the Three Grottoes and the Four Complements ( 四輔 Sifu ), and compiled a corpus of 4,565 volumes. With the item "heaven" in the 1000-Word Writ ( 千字文 Qianzi Wen ) as its first heading and the item "palace" as the last, the canon was titled ''The Precious Canon of Heavenly Palace of the Great Song''. It is not currently extant. ==The Longevity Daoist Canon ( 萬壽道藏 Wanshou Daozang )== It was one of the Daoist canons compiled in the Song dynasty. In the Chongning era of the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song dynasty (1102-1106), an imperial order was given again to search for Daoist books, and Daoist priests were ordered at the publishing office to collate ''The Precious Canon of Heavenly Palace'', which added up to 5, 387 volumes. In the Zhenghe era (1111-1118), the emperor ordered to look for missing Daoist books and set up an office in charge of scriptures. He ordered Daoists Yuan Miaozong and Wangdaojian to collate the scriptures and sent them to Minxian County, Fuzhou. Huang Shang, a court scholar, official and prefect of Fuzhou, employed workers to print them. The canon, 5,481 volumes altogether, filled 540 boxes. It was called ''The Longevity Daoist Canon'', or ''The Longevity Canon of the Zhenghe Era'' as it was compiled in the Zhenghe era. This is the first printed Daoist canon. In the turmoil of the Jiajing era (1126-1127), it was lost, and in the Jin dynasty, it was completed. Today it does not exist. ==The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis of the Great Jin ( 大金玄都寶藏 Dajin Xuandu Baozang )== It was a Daoist canon compiled in the Jin dynasty. In the 26th Dading year during the reign of Emperor Shizong of the Jin dynasty (1186), the emperor ordered to give the printing board of The Daoist Canon in the southern capitcal (i.e. today's Kaifeng, Henan) to the Tianchang Temple in Zhongdu (i.e. today's Beijing). In the first Mingchang year during the reign of Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin dynasty (1190), the emperor ordered the temple's inspector Sun Mingdao to search for missing books and re-compile The Daoist Canon. Sun Mingdao sent Daoists looking for the missing scriptures in different places of the country, and got 1,074 volumes. Together with the more than 21,800 books that survived, there were 83,198 books in all. They classified them into Three Grottoes and Four Complements, discussed the stylistic rules, examined different versions, and compiled one corpus, which totaled 602 books, 6,455 volumes and was titled The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis of the Great Jin. Due to the fire of the Tianchang Temple in the second Taihe year during the reign of Emperor Zhangzong of the Jin dynasty (1202), the canon was burnt and does not exist today. ==The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis ( 玄都寶藏 Xuandu Baozang )== It was a Daoist canon compiled in the Yuan dynasty. In the ninth year during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Yuan dynasty (1237), the Daoists Song Defang and Qin Zhi'an searched for the missing scriptures and planned to reprint The Daoist Canon. After eight years of compilation, the canon was completed in the third year during the reign of Empress Naima Zhen of the Yuan dynasty (1244). The canon consisted of over 7,800 volumes in all and was still titled ''The Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis''. The printing board was kept at the Temple of Mysterious Metropolis in Pingyang. In the eighth Zhiyuan year during the reign of Emperor Shizu of the Yuan dynasty (1281), an imperial order was given to burn the printing boards of all Daoist canons except'' [[The Book of Dao and Its Virtue]] '' ( 道德經 Daodejing ). So the printing board of the Precious Canon of the Mysterious Metropolis was burnt and many scriptures collected were lost as a result. The canon does not exist today. ==The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era ( 正统道藏 Zhengtong Daozang )== It was a Daoist canon compiled in the Ming dynasty. At the beginning of the reign of Emperor Chengzu of the Ming dynasty (1403), Zhang Yuchu, the Celestial Master ( 天師 Tianshi ) of the 43rd generation was ordered to re-compile ''The Daoist Canon''. After his death in the eighth Yongle year (1410), Zhang Yuqing, the Celestial Master of the 44th generation was ordered to continue the compilation. The board of the canon began to be made in the ninth Zhengtong year during the reign of Emperor Yingzong of the Ming dynasty (1444). Then Daoist Shao Yizheng was ordered to collate and supplement the canon. It was completed and printed in the tenth Zhengtong year (1445). The canon, titled The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era, consisted of 5,305 volumes and filled 480 boxes. The scriptures were classified into Three Grottoes, Four Complements, and Twelve Subsections. The headings, from "tian" to "ying", were taken from the 1,000-Word Writ. Under each heading, there were a few volumes. The canon was spread in the country and kept in famous mountains and Daoist temples. In the 35th Wanli year during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Ming dynasty (A.D. 1607), Zhang Guoxiang, the Celestial Master of the 50th generation, was ordered to complement The Daoist Canon. The headings, from "du" to "ying", were also taken from the 1,000-Word Writ. There were altogether 32 sections, 180 volumes. This canon was titled ''The Supplementary Daoist Canon of the Wanli Era'' ( 萬曆續道藏 Wanli Xu Daozang ). Together with ''The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era'', there were 5,485 volumes in all which filled 512 boxes. Only the edition of the Ming dynasty now exists. It is the only existent government-compiled Daoist canon of our country. From 1923 to 1926, Shanghai Commercial Press borrowed ''The Daoist Canon of the Zhengtong Era'' printed in the Ming dynasty, which was kept in Beijing White Cloud Temple ( 白雲觀 Baiyun Guan ), and photocopied it in the name of Hanfen Tower. The canon was reduced into 6 mo. The books amounted to 1,476 and were included in 1,120 volumes. Today, there is the photocopied edition of The Daoist Canon published in 1987 by Wenwu Press, Shanghai Shudian Press, and Tianjin Guji Press. In addition, a photocopied edition published by Taiwan Yiwen Yinshuguan Press and Taiwan Xinwenfeng Publishing House is in circulation. 2b97a2eee012503230fa20fccaed3097e8ef9170 0 624 783 2009-11-08T05:31:09Z Admin 1 Created page with '==Scarf== ===Scarf of Original Chaos=== The Scarf of Original Chaos ( 混元巾Hunyuan Jin ) is a kind of headdress usually worn by Daoists. It has a round hard brim of black sil...' wikitext text/x-wiki ==Scarf== ===Scarf of Original Chaos=== The Scarf of Original Chaos ( 混元巾Hunyuan Jin ) is a kind of headdress usually worn by Daoists. It has a round hard brim of black silk and a hole in the top. When wearing this scarf, the Daoist wears a coiffure with a topknot through the hole in the top of the hat. Contemporary Complete Perfection ( 全真Quanzhen ) Daoists often wear this scarf in contrast with the Nine-Fold Scarf ( 九梁巾Jiuliang Jin ) of Orthodox Oneness ( 正一Zhengyi ) Daoists. ===Nine-Fold Scarf=== The Nine-Fold Scarf ( 九梁巾Jiuliang Jin ) is a kind of hat usually worn by Daoists. It has a lean top like the lean roof of Chinese tiled houses. The front has nine folds and nine beams. It is similar to the Chunyang Scarf ( 重陽巾 Chongyang Jin ) or the Nine-Fold Huayang Scarf ( 九轉華陽巾Jiuzhuan Huayang Jin ). The ''Chart of Three Rites'' ( 《三禮圖》Sanli Tu ) says, "The Chunyang Scarf, also named the Letian Scarf, is rather similar to the scarves of the Han and Tang Dynasties. Its top has an inch of silk folded like bamboo tablets hanging in the back. It is called the Chunyang Scarf after the immortal Lu Chunyang and the Letian Scarf after the poet Bai Letian." [[Wang Chongyang]], the founder of [[the Complete Perfection Sect]] ( 全真派Quanzhen Pai ), also wore such a hat. According to the Pervasive Mystery Collections of Gold and Jade ( 《洞玄金玉集》Dongxuan Jinyu Ji ), "Perfect Man Chongyang Who Saves with Mercy and Subtlety ( 重陽憫化妙行真人Chingyang Minhua Miaoxing Zhenren ), then living in a hut on Kunlun Mountain, made a scarf with three and half feet of blue cloth with nine folds and nine beams on the top. He said he had seen this hat in dreams, named the Nine-Fold Huayang Scarf. The Master, looking dignified and alike to Immortal Zhongli ( 鍾離Zhongli ), with this scarf adding to his grace, was a true transcendent." So Complete Perfection Daoists wore a Nine-Fold Scarf at first. But contemporary Complete Perfection Daoists wear the Scarf of Original Chaos ( 混元巾Hunyuan Jin ), while Orthodox Oneness ( 正一Zhengyi ) Daoists wear the Nine-Fold Scarf in rituals, in order to differentiate themselves from Complete Perfection Daoists. ==Dress== {{Rituals}} ===Ritual Dress=== Ritual Dress ( 法衣Fa Yi ) is the general name of the clothes Daoists wear in rituals. Zhu Quan of the Ming Dynasty says in the ''Heavenly Emperor's Jade Book of Great Dao and Supreme Clarity'' ( 《天皇至道太清玉冊》Tianhuang Zhidao Taiqing Yuce ): Seeing a god wearing a golden lotus crown and golden stars and colorful clouds dress, [[the Yellow Emperor]] ( 黃帝Huangdi ) walked forward with a Jade Tablet ( 玉圭Yugui ) in his hand. He said, "It's so kind and virtuous of Your Holiness to take care of the world and of human beings." The Yellow Emperor then invented the Ritual Dress in imitation of the god's image, as the Daoist dress for worshiping Heaven. Today, the term ' Ritual Dress' refers to what the Ritual Master wears, while the term ' Daoist Dress' refers to what ordinary Daoists wear. Compared with Daoist Dress, Ritual Dress is more colorful and magnificent. ====Scarlet Robe==== The Scarlet Robe ( 絳袍Jiangpao ) is a kind of Ritual Dress ( 法衣Fayi ) which the Ritual Master ( 法師Fashi ) wears in large-scale rituals. Its two sleeves are so big as to touch the ground. When the ritual master opens his arms, the sleeves and the body form a square symbolizing the earth with four angles. The Scarlet Robe is embroidered with magnificent golden ornaments on the sleeves and body. In rituals, the Ritual Master often wears a Black Robe under the Scarlet Robe. Ritual masters of the Orthodox Oneness Sect often wear this in rituals for offering petitions. The Ritual Master, [[Pacing the Dipper]] ( 步罡Bugang ) with his scarlet robe flying, looks like a real Immortal communicating between Heaven and Man. ===Daoist Dress==== The term ' Daoist Dress' ( 道衣Dao Yi ) is the general name for the clothes Daoists wear in rituals and daily life. Nowadays it usually refers to what Daoists wear in rituals, including the Repentance Dress ( 懺衣Chan Yi ), the Daoist Robe ( 道袍Dao Pao ), the Ritual Dress ( 法衣Fa Yi ), and the Scarlet Robe ( 絳衣Jiang Yi ). However, in rituals, in contrast with the Ritual Dress of ritual masters, the term Daoist Dress refers only to the clothes of ordinary Daoists, which are inferior to Ritual Dress in look and quality. ===Repentance Dress==== The Repentance Dress ( 懺衣 Chan Yi ) is a kind of Daoist Dress ( 道衣 Dao Yi ), which ordinary Daoists wear when reciting scriptures for repentance in rituals. Of simple make, the Repentance Dress is scarlet in Golden Register Rituals ( 金籙齋 Jinlu Zhai ) and yellow in Yellow Register Rituals ( 黃籙齋 Huanglu Zhai ). It is made of cotton or linen, with few ornaments, except for an embroidered crane on the chest or back, and sometimes Trigrams5 on the sleeves. ==Shoes== ===Cloud Shoes=== Cloud Shoes ( 雲鞋Yunxie ) are a kind of shoe worn by [[High Priests]] ( 高功Gaogong ) in rituals. With low sides of colorful silk, a round front top and a thin sole, the shoes are embroidered with a cloud pattern on the vamp. According to the ''Commentaries of Chinese Ancients and Contemporaries'', "In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, shoes made of grass were decorated as Phoenix Head Shoes, Cloud Shoes, and Five Flower Shoes. In the Song dynasty there were double-soled shoes. In the Liang dynasty, there were Jade Tablet Head shoes, Divided Head shoes, Standing Phoenix shoes, and Five-Colour Cloud shoes." In the Southern and Northern Dynasties, ritual masters were not allowed to wear shoes with colorful ornaments. So Cloud Shoes may have become popular only after the Song and Yuan Dynasties. In contemporary rituals, the High Priest often wears Cloud Shoes when he Paces the Dipper ( 步罡Bugang ) in rituals for offering petitions. ===Pilgrimage Boots=== Pilgrimage Boots ( 朝靴Chaoxue ) are a kind of shoe worn by Ritual Masters ( 法師Fashi ) such as [[High Priests]] ( 高功Gaogong ), [[Chief Cantors]] ( 都講Dujiang ) and [[Fast Supervisors]] ( 監齋Jianzhai ) in large-scale rituals. They have thick white painted soles, high black sides, and long legs. The Ancients already had boots. The ''Commentaries of Chinese Ancients and Contemporaries'' says, "The boot was invented by ancient westerners. In the past, King Wuling of Zhao often wore short yellow leather boots in casual occasion. In Zhou of the Ma Family, men made long boots with felt inside and slips for all the officials and officers to wear in the royal court and when riding." It was after the Song and Yuan that Daoists used pilgrimage boots in rituals. Zhu Quan of the Ming Dynasty says in the ''Heavenly Emperor's Jade Book of Great Dao and Supreme Clarity'' ( 《天皇至道太清玉冊》Taihuang Zhidao Taiqing Yuce ), "Shoes with round heads and wide soles were called boots by the ancients. One who comes by dirty places should not enter Daoist halls, for boots are used by the profane world and are unfit for mountain people." [[zh:道冠服飾]] 5e0005c90eab646e74d0dafb27c516f127401cea 784 783 2009-11-08T05:31:46Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{Rituals}} ==Scarf== ===Scarf of Original Chaos=== The Scarf of Original Chaos ( 混元巾Hunyuan Jin ) is a kind of headdress usually worn by Daoists. It has a round hard brim of black silk and a hole in the top. When wearing this scarf, the Daoist wears a coiffure with a topknot through the hole in the top of the hat. Contemporary Complete Perfection ( 全真Quanzhen ) Daoists often wear this scarf in contrast with the Nine-Fold Scarf ( 九梁巾Jiuliang Jin ) of Orthodox Oneness ( 正一Zhengyi ) Daoists. ===Nine-Fold Scarf=== The Nine-Fold Scarf ( 九梁巾Jiuliang Jin ) is a kind of hat usually worn by Daoists. It has a lean top like the lean roof of Chinese tiled houses. The front has nine folds and nine beams. It is similar to the Chunyang Scarf ( 重陽巾 Chongyang Jin ) or the Nine-Fold Huayang Scarf ( 九轉華陽巾Jiuzhuan Huayang Jin ). The ''Chart of Three Rites'' ( 《三禮圖》Sanli Tu ) says, "The Chunyang Scarf, also named the Letian Scarf, is rather similar to the scarves of the Han and Tang Dynasties. Its top has an inch of silk folded like bamboo tablets hanging in the back. It is called the Chunyang Scarf after the immortal Lu Chunyang and the Letian Scarf after the poet Bai Letian." [[Wang Chongyang]], the founder of [[the Complete Perfection Sect]] ( 全真派Quanzhen Pai ), also wore such a hat. According to the Pervasive Mystery Collections of Gold and Jade ( 《洞玄金玉集》Dongxuan Jinyu Ji ), "Perfect Man Chongyang Who Saves with Mercy and Subtlety ( 重陽憫化妙行真人Chingyang Minhua Miaoxing Zhenren ), then living in a hut on Kunlun Mountain, made a scarf with three and half feet of blue cloth with nine folds and nine beams on the top. He said he had seen this hat in dreams, named the Nine-Fold Huayang Scarf. The Master, looking dignified and alike to Immortal Zhongli ( 鍾離Zhongli ), with this scarf adding to his grace, was a true transcendent." So Complete Perfection Daoists wore a Nine-Fold Scarf at first. But contemporary Complete Perfection Daoists wear the Scarf of Original Chaos ( 混元巾Hunyuan Jin ), while Orthodox Oneness ( 正一Zhengyi ) Daoists wear the Nine-Fold Scarf in rituals, in order to differentiate themselves from Complete Perfection Daoists. ==Dress== {{Rituals}} ===Ritual Dress=== Ritual Dress ( 法衣Fa Yi ) is the general name of the clothes Daoists wear in rituals. Zhu Quan of the Ming Dynasty says in the ''Heavenly Emperor's Jade Book of Great Dao and Supreme Clarity'' ( 《天皇至道太清玉冊》Tianhuang Zhidao Taiqing Yuce ): Seeing a god wearing a golden lotus crown and golden stars and colorful clouds dress, [[the Yellow Emperor]] ( 黃帝Huangdi ) walked forward with a Jade Tablet ( 玉圭Yugui ) in his hand. He said, "It's so kind and virtuous of Your Holiness to take care of the world and of human beings." The Yellow Emperor then invented the Ritual Dress in imitation of the god's image, as the Daoist dress for worshiping Heaven. Today, the term ' Ritual Dress' refers to what the Ritual Master wears, while the term ' Daoist Dress' refers to what ordinary Daoists wear. Compared with Daoist Dress, Ritual Dress is more colorful and magnificent. ====Scarlet Robe==== The Scarlet Robe ( 絳袍Jiangpao ) is a kind of Ritual Dress ( 法衣Fayi ) which the Ritual Master ( 法師Fashi ) wears in large-scale rituals. Its two sleeves are so big as to touch the ground. When the ritual master opens his arms, the sleeves and the body form a square symbolizing the earth with four angles. The Scarlet Robe is embroidered with magnificent golden ornaments on the sleeves and body. In rituals, the Ritual Master often wears a Black Robe under the Scarlet Robe. Ritual masters of the Orthodox Oneness Sect often wear this in rituals for offering petitions. The Ritual Master, [[Pacing the Dipper]] ( 步罡Bugang ) with his scarlet robe flying, looks like a real Immortal communicating between Heaven and Man. ===Daoist Dress=== The term ' Daoist Dress' ( 道衣Dao Yi ) is the general name for the clothes Daoists wear in rituals and daily life. Nowadays it usually refers to what Daoists wear in rituals, including the Repentance Dress ( 懺衣Chan Yi ), the Daoist Robe ( 道袍Dao Pao ), the Ritual Dress ( 法衣Fa Yi ), and the Scarlet Robe ( 絳衣Jiang Yi ). However, in rituals, in contrast with the Ritual Dress of ritual masters, the term Daoist Dress refers only to the clothes of ordinary Daoists, which are inferior to Ritual Dress in look and quality. ===Repentance Dress=== The Repentance Dress ( 懺衣 Chan Yi ) is a kind of Daoist Dress ( 道衣 Dao Yi ), which ordinary Daoists wear when reciting scriptures for repentance in rituals. Of simple make, the Repentance Dress is scarlet in Golden Register Rituals ( 金籙齋 Jinlu Zhai ) and yellow in Yellow Register Rituals ( 黃籙齋 Huanglu Zhai ). It is made of cotton or linen, with few ornaments, except for an embroidered crane on the chest or back, and sometimes Trigrams5 on the sleeves. ==Shoes== ===Cloud Shoes=== Cloud Shoes ( 雲鞋Yunxie ) are a kind of shoe worn by [[High Priests]] ( 高功Gaogong ) in rituals. With low sides of colorful silk, a round front top and a thin sole, the shoes are embroidered with a cloud pattern on the vamp. According to the ''Commentaries of Chinese Ancients and Contemporaries'', "In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, shoes made of grass were decorated as Phoenix Head Shoes, Cloud Shoes, and Five Flower Shoes. In the Song dynasty there were double-soled shoes. In the Liang dynasty, there were Jade Tablet Head shoes, Divided Head shoes, Standing Phoenix shoes, and Five-Colour Cloud shoes." In the Southern and Northern Dynasties, ritual masters were not allowed to wear shoes with colorful ornaments. So Cloud Shoes may have become popular only after the Song and Yuan Dynasties. In contemporary rituals, the High Priest often wears Cloud Shoes when he Paces the Dipper ( 步罡Bugang ) in rituals for offering petitions. ===Pilgrimage Boots=== Pilgrimage Boots ( 朝靴Chaoxue ) are a kind of shoe worn by Ritual Masters ( 法師Fashi ) such as [[High Priests]] ( 高功Gaogong ), [[Chief Cantors]] ( 都講Dujiang ) and [[Fast Supervisors]] ( 監齋Jianzhai ) in large-scale rituals. They have thick white painted soles, high black sides, and long legs. The Ancients already had boots. The ''Commentaries of Chinese Ancients and Contemporaries'' says, "The boot was invented by ancient westerners. In the past, King Wuling of Zhao often wore short yellow leather boots in casual occasion. In Zhou of the Ma Family, men made long boots with felt inside and slips for all the officials and officers to wear in the royal court and when riding." It was after the Song and Yuan that Daoists used pilgrimage boots in rituals. Zhu Quan of the Ming Dynasty says in the ''Heavenly Emperor's Jade Book of Great Dao and Supreme Clarity'' ( 《天皇至道太清玉冊》Taihuang Zhidao Taiqing Yuce ), "Shoes with round heads and wide soles were called boots by the ancients. One who comes by dirty places should not enter Daoist halls, for boots are used by the profane world and are unfit for mountain people." [[zh:道冠服飾]] feecde52ee945cf14372f8f197da5cce6b96dc10 0 625 787 2009-11-11T01:46:46Z Admin 1 Created page with 'Daoist scriptures are both the written records of Daoist teachings and records of Daoist history. In the course of their origination, formation and evolution, they have been clas...' wikitext text/x-wiki Daoist scriptures are both the written records of Daoist teachings and records of Daoist history. In the course of their origination, formation and evolution, they have been classified according to specific categories to form [[the Daoist Canon]] ( 道藏 Daozang). During this process, their social influence spread. Some Daoist scriptures even spread overseas so as to promote the cultural communication between China and foreign countries. In addition to their religious value, Daoist scriptures are also valuable as historic materials in Chinese social history and history of philosophy. What is even more valuable is that a large quantity of Chinese ancient technological data indispensable to the study of Chinese technological history has been kept in Daoist scriptures. Plenty of precious materials about Chinese ancient literature and arts can also be found in Daoist scriptures. As a "museum" of Chinese traditional culture, Daoist scriptures are all-inclusive. They are a treasure for us to understand not only Daoism but also Chinese culture. [[zh:道教經典]] 17a4d7b23c973b5bf63773c609ab9b6cdf96b637 10 626 789 2009-12-15T04:36:46Z Admin 1 Created page with '{| style="width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc;" |- | style="color: black;" | {| border="0" style="width: 280px; background: none;" |- | id="EnWpMpBook2" s...' wikitext text/x-wiki {| style="width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc;" |- | style="color: black;" | {| border="0" style="width: 280px; background: none;" |- | id="EnWpMpBook2" style="white-space: nowrap; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: 0% 20%; text-align: center;" | <div style="font-size:95%;">'''The Daoist Encyclopedia '''</div> <div style="margin-top: .2em; font-size: 150%;">'''[[FYSK Daoist Culture Center Database]]'''</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;">'''{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}'''</span>]] articles in English</div> |} | style="width: 8em; font-size: 90%;" | <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> | style="width: 11em; font-size: 90%;" | <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> |} <div align="center">[[Portal:道教歷史|History]]|[[Portal:道教信仰|Beliefs]]|[[Portal:道教經典|Scriptures]]|[[Portal:神仙|Immortals]]|[[Portal:宮觀|Temples and Sacred Places]]|[[Portal:修持|Religious Practise]]|[[Portal:齋醮科儀|Rituals]]|[[Portal:道教音樂|Music]]|[[Portal:道教文學|Literature]]|[[Portal:道教研究|Academic Research]]</div> 9f2e62e166e31354fa76380f387a44d1af1c9ad6 791 789 2009-12-16T17:13:13Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {| style="width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc;" |- | style="color: black;" | {| border="0" style="width: 280px; background: none;" |- | id="EnWpMpBook2" style="white-space: nowrap; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: 0% 20%; text-align: center;" | <div style="font-size:95%;">'''The Daoist Encyclopedia '''</div> <div style="margin-top: .2em; font-size: 150%;">'''[[FYSK Daoist Culture Center Database]]'''</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;">'''{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}'''</span>]] articles in English</div> |} | style="width: 8em; font-size: 90%;" | <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> | style="width: 11em; font-size: 90%;" | <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> |} <div align="center">[[Portal:道教歷史|History]] | [[Portal:道教信仰|Beliefs]] | [[Portal:道教經典|Scriptures]] | [[Portal:神仙|Immortals]] | [[Portal:宮觀|Temples and Sacred Places]] | [[Portal:修持|Religious Practise]] | [[Portal:齋醮科儀|Rituals]] | [[Portal:Daoist Music|Music]] | [[Portal:道教文學|Literature]] | [[Portal:道教研究|Academic Research]]</div> df0166bb185b9f08fbc0783286864c68fc157778 792 791 2009-12-30T09:20:51Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {| style="width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc;" |- | style="color: black;" | {| border="0" style="width: 280px; background: none;" |- | id="EnWpMpBook2" style="white-space: nowrap; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: 0% 20%; text-align: center;" | <div style="font-size:95%;">'''The Daoist Encyclopedia '''</div> <div style="margin-top: .2em; font-size: 150%;">'''[[FYSK Daoist Culture Center Database]]'''</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;">'''{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}'''</span>]] articles in English</div> |} | style="width: 8em; font-size: 90%;" | <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> | style="width: 11em; font-size: 90%;" | <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> |} <div align="center">[[Portal:Daoist History and Development|History]] | [[Portal:Daoist Beliefs|Beliefs]] | [[Portal:Daoist Scriptures|Scriptures]] | [[Portal:Immortals|Immortals]] | [[Portal:Temples and Sacred Places|Temples and Sacred Places]] | [[Portal:Religious Practise|Religious Practise]] | [[Portal:Daoist Rituals|Rituals]] | [[Portal:Daoist Music|Music]] | [[Portal:Daoist Literature|Literature]] | [[Portal:Research|Academic Research]]</div> acfb87002a6e559ec2cbf689fede19b441bf0f1f 0 1 790 9 2009-12-15T04:37:04Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> [[zh:首頁]] ab2fd8d4db3e019a460c45fcd4dcee6a0a3382e6 0 627 793 2009-12-30T09:22:28Z Admin 1 Created page with '__NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 -->' wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> ff991da92fcb596be82e4ab92ee4245a4e6b183f 0 628 794 2009-12-30T09:22:30Z Admin 1 Created page with '__NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 -->' wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> ff991da92fcb596be82e4ab92ee4245a4e6b183f 0 629 795 2009-12-30T09:22:32Z Admin 1 Created page with '__NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 -->' wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> ff991da92fcb596be82e4ab92ee4245a4e6b183f 0 630 796 2009-12-30T09:22:34Z Admin 1 Created page with '__NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 -->' wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> ff991da92fcb596be82e4ab92ee4245a4e6b183f 0 631 797 2009-12-30T09:22:37Z Admin 1 Created page with '__NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 -->' wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> ff991da92fcb596be82e4ab92ee4245a4e6b183f 0 632 798 2009-12-30T09:22:39Z Admin 1 Created page with '__NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 -->' wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> ff991da92fcb596be82e4ab92ee4245a4e6b183f 0 633 799 2009-12-30T09:22:41Z Admin 1 Created page with '__NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 -->' wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> ff991da92fcb596be82e4ab92ee4245a4e6b183f 0 634 800 2009-12-30T09:22:43Z Admin 1 Created page with '__NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 -->' wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> ff991da92fcb596be82e4ab92ee4245a4e6b183f 0 635 801 2009-12-30T09:22:46Z Admin 1 Created page with '__NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 -->' wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> ff991da92fcb596be82e4ab92ee4245a4e6b183f 0 636 802 2009-12-30T09:23:06Z Admin 1 Created page with '__NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 -->' wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> ff991da92fcb596be82e4ab92ee4245a4e6b183f 815 802 2009-12-30T11:01:49Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第二行--> |- <!--Terms for Daoist Rituals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Terms for Daoist Rituals</h2> |- | *[[Names of the Three Fasts]] *[[Great Ritual Offerings to the Overarching Heaven]] *[[High Priest]] *[[Cheif Cantor]] *[[Inspector of Fasts]] *[[Incense Attendant]] *[[Lantern Attendant]] *[[Scripture Attendant]] |} <!--Examples of Rituals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Examples of Rituals</h2> |- | *[[Rituals of Purification and of Sacrifice to the Ancestral Souls]] *[[Rituals of Scattering Flowers and Communicating with Spirits through Lanterns]] *[[Rituals of Purification and Salvation]] *[[Lantern Rituals for the Destruction of Hell]] *[[Rituals for Sending Petitions to the Heavens]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Ceremonial Altars--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Ceremonial Altars</h2> |- | *[[Altars for Fasts]] *[[Altars for Ritual Offerings]] *[[Altars for Commandments]] *[[The Ancestral Altar of All Skills]] |} <!--Daoist Headdresses, Dress and Ritual Implements & Ritual Implements--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Headdresses, Dress and Ritual Implements & Ritual Implements</h2> |- | *[[Daoist Headdresses and Dress]] Ritual Implements *[[Magical Swords]] *[[Magical Seals]] *[[Commandment Plaques]] *[[Magical Staffs]] *[[Bells]] *[[Inverted Bells]] *[[Tablets]] *[[S-shaped Ornamental Objects]] *[[Streamers]] *[[Shallow Pans]] *[[Wooden Fish]] *[[Large Cymbals]] *[[Horsetail Whisks]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--Talismans, Registers, and Magic Skills--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Talismans, Registers, and Magic Skills</h2> |- | [[Talismans, Registers, and Magic Skills]] *[[Talismans]] *[[Registers]] *[[Divine Incantations]] *[[Finger Gestures]] *[[Pacing the Big Dipper]] *[[Magical Transformation Skills]] *[[Praying for Happiness and Offering Sacrifice]] *[[Summoning Spirits for Interrogation]] *[[Exorcism]] *[[Healing Diseases]] *[[Expelling the God of Plague]] *[[Numerology]] |} |} 2c287ab0ec9f4394c3539f970e34342b7b02ecf4 0 637 803 2009-12-30T09:31:35Z Admin 1 Created page with '　　　.' wikitext text/x-wiki 　　　. 79bc3ca32bbf8f6497bddf039ed2374a83b5093f 10 626 804 792 2009-12-30T09:32:45Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {| style="width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc;" |- | style="color: black;" | {| border="0" style="width: 280px; background: none;" |- | id="EnWpMpBook2" style="white-space: nowrap; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: 0% 20%; text-align: center;" | <div style="font-size:95%;">'''The Daoist Encyclopedia '''</div> <div style="margin-top: .2em; font-size: 150%;">'''[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]'''</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;">'''{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}'''</span>]] articles in English</div> |} | style="width: 8em; font-size: 90%;" | <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> | style="width: 11em; font-size: 90%;" | <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> |} <div align="center">[[Portal:Daoist History and Development|History]] | [[Portal:Daoist Beliefs|Beliefs]] | [[Portal:Daoist Scriptures|Scriptures]] | [[Portal:Immortals|Immortals]] | [[Portal:Temples and Sacred Places|Temples and Sacred Places]] | [[Portal:Religious Practise|Religious Practise]] | [[Portal:Daoist Rituals|Rituals]] | [[Portal:Daoist Music|Music]] | [[Portal:Daoist Literature|Literature]] | [[Portal:Research|Academic Research]]</div> [[]] e4efbb6a3bc9c2ca90f7947bf8d97a15ec4bc55b 805 804 2009-12-30T09:32:57Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {| style="width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc;" |- | style="color: black;" | {| border="0" style="width: 280px; background: none;" |- | id="EnWpMpBook2" style="white-space: nowrap; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: 0% 20%; text-align: center;" | <div style="font-size:95%;">'''The Daoist Encyclopedia '''</div> <div style="margin-top: .2em; font-size: 150%;">'''[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]'''</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;">'''{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}'''</span>]] articles in English</div> |} | style="width: 8em; font-size: 90%;" | <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> | style="width: 11em; font-size: 90%;" | <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> |} <div align="center">[[Portal:Daoist History and Development|History]] | [[Portal:Daoist Beliefs|Beliefs]] | [[Portal:Daoist Scriptures|Scriptures]] | [[Portal:Immortals|Immortals]] | [[Portal:Temples and Sacred Places|Temples and Sacred Places]] | [[Portal:Religious Practise|Religious Practise]] | [[Portal:Daoist Rituals|Rituals]] | [[Portal:Daoist Music|Music]] | [[Portal:Daoist Literature|Literature]] | [[Portal:Research|Academic Research]]</div> d9932459523082e5b19b0fbad350e0c2fa6453c7 806 805 2009-12-30T09:35:07Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {| style="width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc;" |- | style="color: black;" | {| border="0" style="width: 280px; background: none;" |- | id="EnWpMpBook2" style="white-space: nowrap; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: 0% 20%; text-align: center;" | <div style="font-size:95%;">'''The Daoist Encyclopedia '''</div> <div style="margin-top: .2em; font-size: 150%;">'''[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]'''</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;">'''{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}'''</span>]] articles in English</div> |} | style="width: 8em; font-size: 90%;" | <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> | style="width: 11em; font-size: 90%;" | <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> |} <div align="center">[[Portal:Daoist History and Development|History]] | [[Portal:Daoist Beliefs|Beliefs]] | [[Portal:Daoist Scriptures|Scriptures]] | [[Portal:Immortals|Immortals]] | [[Portal:Temples and Sacred Places|Temples and Sacred Places]] | [[Portal:Religious Practise|Religious Practise]] | [[Portal:Daoist Rituals|Rituals]] | [[Portal:Daoist Music|Music]] | [[Portal:Daoist Literature|Literature]] | [[Portal:Academic Research on Daoism|Research]]</div> 2e42a21fb559fad839d05fcb762556036cc4f21d 837 806 2020-07-22T07:57:25Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <div class="nomobile"> <div style="white-space: nowrap; padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; overflow-x: auto; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; width: 380px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="font-weight: bold; color: black; font-size:95%;">'''The Daoist Encyclopedia '''</div> <div style="font-size: 150%;">[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;"><b>{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</b></span>]] articles in English</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mobileonly"> <div style="white-space: nowrap; padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; width: 380px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="font-weight: bold; color: black; font-size:95%;">The Daoist Encyclopedia</div> <div style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 150%;">[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;">{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</span>]]articles in English</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 auto; text-align: center;">[[Portal:Daoist History and Development|History]] | [[Portal:Daoist Beliefs|Beliefs]] | [[Portal:Daoist Scriptures|Scriptures]] | [[Portal:Immortals|Immortals]] | [[Portal:Temples and Sacred Places|Temples and Sacred Places]] | [[Portal:Religious Practise|Religious Practise]] | [[Portal:Daoist Rituals|Rituals]] | [[Portal:Daoist Music|Music]] | [[Portal:Daoist Literature|Literature]] | [[Portal:Academic Research on Daoism|Research]]</div> bcc39766536e5aa1dc11d0989cac08971667fc20 838 837 2020-07-22T07:58:20Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <div class="nomobile"> <div style="white-space: nowrap; padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; overflow-x: auto; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; width: 380px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="color: black; font-size:95%;">'''The Daoist Encyclopedia '''</div> <div style="font-size: 150%;">'''[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]'''</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;"><b>{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</b></span>]] articles in English</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mobileonly"> <div style="white-space: nowrap; padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; width: 380px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="font-weight: bold; color: black; font-size:95%;">The Daoist Encyclopedia</div> <div style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 150%;">[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;">{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</span>]]articles in English</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 auto; text-align: center;">[[Portal:Daoist History and Development|History]] | [[Portal:Daoist Beliefs|Beliefs]] | [[Portal:Daoist Scriptures|Scriptures]] | [[Portal:Immortals|Immortals]] | [[Portal:Temples and Sacred Places|Temples and Sacred Places]] | [[Portal:Religious Practise|Religious Practise]] | [[Portal:Daoist Rituals|Rituals]] | [[Portal:Daoist Music|Music]] | [[Portal:Daoist Literature|Literature]] | [[Portal:Academic Research on Daoism|Research]]</div> 2ca5387b2cf2df541135ad2e3b0ec9f9b0e532d2 845 838 2020-07-22T10:36:28Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <div class="nomobile"> <div style="white-space: nowrap; padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; overflow-x: auto; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; width: 380px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="color: black; font-size:95%;">'''The Daoist Encyclopedia '''</div> <div style="font-size: 150%;">'''[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]'''</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;"><b>{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</b></span>]] articles in English</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mobileonly"> <div style="padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; width: 380px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="font-weight: bold; color: black; font-size:95%;">The Daoist Encyclopedia</div> <div style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 150%;">[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;">{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</span>]]articles in English</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 auto; text-align: center;">[[Portal:Daoist History and Development|History]] | [[Portal:Daoist Beliefs|Beliefs]] | [[Portal:Daoist Scriptures|Scriptures]] | [[Portal:Immortals|Immortals]] | [[Portal:Temples and Sacred Places|Temples and Sacred Places]] | [[Portal:Religious Practise|Religious Practise]] | [[Portal:Daoist Rituals|Rituals]] | [[Portal:Daoist Music|Music]] | [[Portal:Daoist Literature|Literature]] | [[Portal:Academic Research on Daoism|Research]]</div> 0037020234e5c1bfd5eaa897961887f3ff01c07b 846 845 2020-07-22T10:37:41Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <div class="nomobile"> <div style="white-space: nowrap; padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; overflow-x: auto; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; width: 380px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="color: black; font-size:95%;">'''The Daoist Encyclopedia '''</div> <div style="font-size: 150%;">'''[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]'''</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;"><b>{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</b></span>]] articles in English</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mobileonly"> <div style="padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="font-weight: bold; color: black; font-size:95%;">The Daoist Encyclopedia</div> <div style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 150%;">[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;">{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</span>]]articles in English</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 auto; text-align: center;">[[Portal:Daoist History and Development|History]] | [[Portal:Daoist Beliefs|Beliefs]] | [[Portal:Daoist Scriptures|Scriptures]] | [[Portal:Immortals|Immortals]] | [[Portal:Temples and Sacred Places|Temples and Sacred Places]] | [[Portal:Religious Practise|Religious Practise]] | [[Portal:Daoist Rituals|Rituals]] | [[Portal:Daoist Music|Music]] | [[Portal:Daoist Literature|Literature]] | [[Portal:Academic Research on Daoism|Research]]</div> 136829e895babfc2d3da6c137a1c516f9112c153 847 846 2020-07-22T10:38:24Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <div class="nomobile"> <div style="white-space: nowrap; padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; overflow-x: auto; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; width: 380px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="color: black; font-size:95%;">'''The Daoist Encyclopedia '''</div> <div style="font-size: 150%;">'''[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]'''</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;"><b>{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</b></span>]] articles in English</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mobileonly"> <div style="margin-top: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="font-weight: bold; color: black; font-size:95%;">The Daoist Encyclopedia</div> <div style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 150%;">[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;">{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</span>]]articles in English</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 auto; text-align: center;">[[Portal:Daoist History and Development|History]] | [[Portal:Daoist Beliefs|Beliefs]] | [[Portal:Daoist Scriptures|Scriptures]] | [[Portal:Immortals|Immortals]] | [[Portal:Temples and Sacred Places|Temples and Sacred Places]] | [[Portal:Religious Practise|Religious Practise]] | [[Portal:Daoist Rituals|Rituals]] | [[Portal:Daoist Music|Music]] | [[Portal:Daoist Literature|Literature]] | [[Portal:Academic Research on Daoism|Research]]</div> 37177144eae4b23e61f4ba65b350d9ac6d44b9cf 851 847 2020-07-23T04:42:23Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <div class="nomobile"> <div style="white-space: nowrap; padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; overflow-x: auto; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; width: 380px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="color: black; font-size:95%;">'''The Daoist Encyclopedia '''</div> <div style="font-size: 150%;">'''[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]'''</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;"><b>{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</b></span>]] articles in English</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mobileonly"> <div style="margin-top: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="font-weight: bold; color: black; font-size:95%;">The Daoist Encyclopedia</div> <div style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 150%;">[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;">{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</span>]]articles in English</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 auto; text-align: center;">[[Portal:Daoist History and Development|History]] | [[Portal:Daoist Beliefs|Beliefs]] | [[Portal:Daoist Scriptures|Scriptures]] | [[Portal:Immortals|Immortals]] | [[Portal:Temples and Sacred Places|Temples and Sacred Places]] | [[Portal:Religious Practise|Religious Practise]] | [[Portal:Daoist Rituals|Rituals]] | [[Portal:Daoist Music|Music]] | [[Portal:Daoist Literature|Literature]] | [[Portal:Academic Research on Daoism|Research]]</div> [[zh:Template:Main_navigator]] 0efe254e255e39404234bcdda6d1aa2f2491d369 852 851 2020-07-23T04:49:39Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <div class="nomobile"> <div style="white-space: nowrap; padding: 0.5em 0; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; overflow-x: auto; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; width: 380px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="color: black; font-size:95%;">'''The Daoist Encyclopedia '''</div> <div style="font-size: 150%;">'''[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]'''</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;"><b>{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</b></span>]] articles in English</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mobileonly"> <div style="margin-top: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="font-weight: bold; color: black; font-size:95%;">The Daoist Encyclopedia</div> <div style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 150%;">[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;">{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</span>]]articles in English</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 auto; text-align: center;">[[Portal:Daoist History and Development|History]] | [[Portal:Daoist Beliefs|Beliefs]] | [[Portal:Daoist Scriptures|Scriptures]] | [[Portal:Immortals|Immortals]] | [[Portal:Temples and Sacred Places|Temples and Sacred Places]] | [[Portal:Religious Practise|Religious Practise]] | [[Portal:Daoist Rituals|Rituals]] | [[Portal:Daoist Music|Music]] | [[Portal:Daoist Literature|Literature]] | [[Portal:Academic Research on Daoism|Research]]</div> [[zh:Template:Main_navigator]] 0396402510213faa95b9339defaa415ed23514a6 0 627 807 793 2009-12-30T09:35:16Z Admin 1 moved [[Portal:Research]] to [[Portal:Academic Research on Daoism]] wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> ff991da92fcb596be82e4ab92ee4245a4e6b183f 809 807 2009-12-30T09:36:03Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--Daoist Studies Overseas--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Studies Overseas</h2> |- | *[[Research of Daoism in Japan]] *[[Daoist Studies in the Great Britain]] *[[Daoist Studies in Korea]] *[[Daoist Studies in France]] *[[Daoist Studies in Germany]] *[[Daoist Studies in Italy]] *[[Daoist Studies in the U.S.A.]] *[[Daoist Studies in Canada]] *[[Daoist Studies in Russia]] *[[Daoist Studies in Australia]] |} |} 067aef153b0a8b3e4994a84bbd00e581a9e05ad3 0 638 808 2009-12-30T09:35:16Z Admin 1 moved [[Portal:Research]] to [[Portal:Academic Research on Daoism]] wikitext text/x-wiki #REDIRECT [[Portal:Academic Research on Daoism]] 133d736f6fda8cf37242a774dcd85b9bfdab3c44 6 639 810 2009-12-30T09:37:08Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki da39a3ee5e6b4b0d3255bfef95601890afd80709 0 635 811 801 2009-12-30T09:44:42Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--Literature--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Literature</h2> |- | [[Daoist Literature]] is the general name for all kinds of literary works that propagate Daoist doctrines and reflect Daoist life. On the whole, Daoist literature can be classified into four main categories, namely [[Daoist Prose]], [[Daoist Fiction]], Daoist poetry, and [[Traditional Opera]]. |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第二行--> |- <!--Daoist Poetry and Daoist Ci Poetry--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Poetry and Daoist Ci Poetry</h2> |- | *[[Daoist Poetry]] *[[Daoist Ci Poetry]] *[[Collections of Daoist Songs]] *[[Poems on Alchemy]] *[[Poetry about Immortals]] *[[Poetry about Charms]] *[[Feminine Daoist Poems]] *[[Stanzas on Pacing the Void in the Grotto of Emptiness]] *[[Daoist Lyrics]] |} <!--Daoist Prose--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Daoist Prose]]</h2> |- | *[[Tales about Immortals]] *[[Sayings of Daoists]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Traditional Opera--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Traditional Opera]]</h2> |- | *[[Casual Tunes]] *[[Plays on Salvation by Immortals]] *[[Daoist Operas about Legends]] |} <!--Daoist Fiction--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Daoist Fiction]]</h2> |- | *[[Daoist Novels of Legends]] *[[Daoist Novels about the Occult]] *[[Daoist Novels about the Ways of the World]] |} |} cf8666ceec2cdc4454d5c4ad669f6b8a1bd88d69 0 634 812 800 2009-12-30T10:18:14Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--Daoist music--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist music</h2> |- | [[Daoist Music]], or Daoist Ritual Music, is the music used in the Daoist activities of Fasts and Offerings. Its formation and development are closely related to the ancient cult music and the popular music of various regions, so it is religious music with Chinese characteristics and a major part of the Chinese traditional music culture. |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第二行--> |- <!--Classification and Forms of Daoist Music--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Classification and Forms of Daoist Music</h2> |- | *[[Classification and Forms of Daoist Music]] *[[Vocal Music]] *[[Instrumental Music]] *[[Types of Musical Instruments]] |} <!--Schools of Daoist Music--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Schools of Daoist Music]]</h2> |- | *[[Schools of Daoist Music]] *[[Music of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] *[[Music of the Complete Perfection Tradition]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Compilations of Daoist Music Scores--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Compilations of Daoist Music Scores</h2> |- | *[[The Ritual of Jade Tunes]] *[[The Daoist Musical Scores Composed by Imperial Order during the Great Ming Dynasty]] *[[The Orthodox Rhythm of the Complete Perfection Tradition]] |} <!--Daoist Music of Different Places--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Music of Different Places</h2> |- | *[[Daoist Music of the White Cloud Temple, Beijing]] *[[Daoist Music of Suzhou]] *[[Daoist Music of Mt Longhu]] *[[Daoist Music of Mt Wudang]] *[[Daoist Music of Mt Mao]] *[[Daoist Music of Shanghai]] *[[Daoist Music of Mt Lao, Shandong Province]] *[[Daoist Music of the Central Shanxi Plain]] *[[Daoist Music in West Sichuan]] *[[Daoist Music in the Northeast]] *[[Daoist Music in Taiwan]] *[[Daoist Music in Hong Kong]] |} |} 53599aa9a6065c5975cee29eb71804f0ac2e97bd 0 633 813 799 2009-12-30T10:44:38Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第二行--> |- <!--Terms for Daoist Rituals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Terms for Daoist Rituals</h2> |- | *[[Names of the Three Fasts]] *[[Great Ritual Offerings to the Overarching Heaven]] *[[High Priest]] *[[Cheif Cantor]] *[[Inspector of Fasts]] *[[Incense Attendant]] *[[Lantern Attendant]] *[[Scripture Attendant]] |} <!--Examples of Rituals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Examples of Rituals</h2> |- | *[[Anterior Heaven Ritual for Feeding, Saving and Refining Ghosts]] *[[Rituals of Scattering Flowers and Communicating with Spirits Through Lanterns]] *[[Rituals of Purification and Salvation]] *[[Lantern Rituals for the Destruction of Hell]] *[[Rituals for Sending Petitions to the Heavens]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Ceremonial Altars--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Ceremonial Altars</h2> |- | *[[Altars for Fasts]] *[[Altars for Ritual Offerings]] *[[Altars for Commandments]] *[[The Ancestral Altar of All Skills]] |} <!--Daoist Headdresses, Dress and Ritual Implements & Ritual Implements--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Headdresses, Dress and Ritual Implements & Ritual Implements</h2> |- | *[[Daoist Headdresses and Dress]] Ritual Implements *[[Magical Swords]] *[[Magical Seals]] *[[Commandment Plaques]] *[[Magical Staffs]] *[[Bells]] *[[Inverted Bells]] *[[Tablets]] *[[S-shaped Ornamental Objects]] *[[Streamers]] *[[Shallow Pans]] *[[Wooden Fish]] *[[Large Cymbals]] *[[Horsetail Whisks]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--Talismans, Registers, and Magic Skills--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Talismans, Registers, and Magic Skills</h2> |- | [[Talismans, Registers, and Magic Skills]] *[[Talismans]] *[[Registers]] *[[Divine Incantations]] *[[Finger Gestures]] *[[Pacing the Big Dipper]] *[[Magical Transformation Skills]] *[[Praying for Happiness and Offering Sacrifice]] *[[Summoning Spirits for Interrogation]] *[[Exorcism]] *[[Healing Diseases]] *[[Expelling the God of Plague]] *[[Numerology]] |} |} 1a4386cbb9465dda12ddca656f477415305b6778 814 813 2009-12-30T10:47:01Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第二行--> |- <!--Terms for Daoist Rituals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Terms for Daoist Rituals</h2> |- | *[[Names of the Three Fasts]] *[[Great Ritual Offerings to the Overarching Heaven]] *[[High Priest]] *[[Cheif Cantor]] *[[Inspector of Fasts]] *[[Incense Attendant]] *[[Lantern Attendant]] *[[Scripture Attendant]] |} <!--Examples of Rituals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Examples of Rituals</h2> |- | *[[Rituals of Purification and of Sacrifice to the Ancestral Souls]] *[[Rituals of Scattering Flowers and Communicating with Spirits through Lanterns]] *[[Rituals of Purification and Salvation]] *[[Lantern Rituals for the Destruction of Hell]] *[[Rituals for Sending Petitions to the Heavens]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Ceremonial Altars--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Ceremonial Altars</h2> |- | *[[Altars for Fasts]] *[[Altars for Ritual Offerings]] *[[Altars for Commandments]] *[[The Ancestral Altar of All Skills]] |} <!--Daoist Headdresses, Dress and Ritual Implements & Ritual Implements--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Headdresses, Dress and Ritual Implements & Ritual Implements</h2> |- | *[[Daoist Headdresses and Dress]] Ritual Implements *[[Magical Swords]] *[[Magical Seals]] *[[Commandment Plaques]] *[[Magical Staffs]] *[[Bells]] *[[Inverted Bells]] *[[Tablets]] *[[S-shaped Ornamental Objects]] *[[Streamers]] *[[Shallow Pans]] *[[Wooden Fish]] *[[Large Cymbals]] *[[Horsetail Whisks]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--Talismans, Registers, and Magic Skills--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Talismans, Registers, and Magic Skills</h2> |- | [[Talismans, Registers, and Magic Skills]] *[[Talismans]] *[[Registers]] *[[Divine Incantations]] *[[Finger Gestures]] *[[Pacing the Big Dipper]] *[[Magical Transformation Skills]] *[[Praying for Happiness and Offering Sacrifice]] *[[Summoning Spirits for Interrogation]] *[[Exorcism]] *[[Healing Diseases]] *[[Expelling the God of Plague]] *[[Numerology]] |} |} 2c287ab0ec9f4394c3539f970e34342b7b02ecf4 816 814 2009-12-30T11:06:53Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--修持方式--> |- <!--內丹--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Religious Practise</h2> |- | *[[Morning and Evening Rites]] *[[Refining the Vital Breath]] *[[Wandering About and Seeking Masters]] *[[Fasting]] |} <!--Religious Discipline--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Religious Discipline</h2> |- | *[[Formation and Development of Daoist Commandments]] *[[Commandments of the Orthodox Oneness Sect]] *[[Commandments of the Complete Perfection Sect]] *[[Temple Regulations]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Inner Alchemy--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Inner Alchemy</h2> |- | [[Inner Alchemy]] *[[Mind, Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] *[[Essential Matter, Vital Breath and Spirit]] *[[Great Reversion Elixir]] *[[Small Reversion Elixir]] *[[Integrated Cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] *[[Three Flowers Condensing onto the Head]] *[[Transporting through the Three Vehicles]] *[[Meeting of the Three Parts]] *[[Refining the Mind through the Nine Cauldrons]] *[[Intercourse of Dragon and Tiger]] *[[Refinement of Essential Matter into Vital Breath]] *[[Refinement of Vital Breath into Spirit]] *[[Refinement of Spirit Back to Emptiness]] *[[Refinement of Emptiness into Dao]] *[[Reversing Kan with Li]] *[[Centering Merits When Yin And Yang Join]] *[[The Five Vital Breaths Oriented to the Origin]] *[[Rebirth from the Original Fetus and Bones]] *[[Basic Cultivation]] *[[Self-Refinement]] *[[Harmonizing the Breath]] *[[Obtaining the Elixir Drug]] *[[Collecting Elixir Drugs]] *[[Fire Phases]] *[[To Increase Fire]] *[[To Reduce Fire]] *[[To Nourish in Warmth]] *[[Bathing]] *[[Unfixed “Zi” Phase]] *[[River Chariot]] *[[Mysterious Pearls]] *[[Passages and Cavities]] *[[Cosmic Orbit]] *[[Feminine Alchemy]] *[[Cutting the Red Dragon]] *[[Refining the Form through the Supreme Yin]] *[[Body of Original Chastity]] |} <!--Outer Alchemy--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Outer Alchemy</h2> |- |[[Outer Alchemy]] *[[Regulations for External Alchemy]] *[[The Practice of External Alchemy]] *[[Taboos in the Use of Fire]] *[[Cinnabar House and Cauldrons]] *[[The External Alchemy Skill of Refining the Yellow and the White]] *[[Six-and-One Mud]] *[[The Heavenly Palace of Supreme Oneness]] *[[Reducing and Increasing Fire]] *[[Poison Removal Skills]] *[[The Dragon-Bud Elixir Tradition]] |} |} 12c397ee929475fe25f7d72b67560ccd5a6e4443 821 816 2009-12-30T11:08:28Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--修持方式--> |- <!--內丹--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Religious Practise</h2> |- | *[[Morning and Evening Rites]] *[[Refining the Vital Breath]] *[[Wandering About and Seeking Masters]] *[[Fasting]] |} <!--Religious Discipline--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Religious Discipline</h2> |- | *[[Formation and Development of Daoist Commandments]] *[[Commandments of the Orthodox Oneness Sect]] *[[Commandments of the Complete Perfection Sect]] *[[Temple Regulations]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Inner Alchemy--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Inner Alchemy</h2> |- | [[Inner Alchemy]] *[[Mind, Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] *[[Essential Matter, Vital Breath and Spirit]] *[[Great Reversion Elixir]] *[[Small Reversion Elixir]] *[[Integrated Cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] *[[Three Flowers Condensing onto the Head]] *[[Transporting through the Three Vehicles]] *[[Meeting of the Three Parts]] *[[Refining the Mind through the Nine Cauldrons]] *[[Intercourse of Dragon and Tiger]] *[[Refinement of Essential Matter into Vital Breath]] *[[Refinement of Vital Breath into Spirit]] *[[Refinement of Spirit Back to Emptiness]] *[[Refinement of Emptiness into Dao]] *[[Reversing Kan with Li]] *[[Centering Merits When Yin And Yang Join]] *[[The Five Vital Breaths Oriented to the Origin]] *[[Rebirth from the Original Fetus and Bones]] *[[Basic Cultivation]] *[[Self-Refinement]] *[[Harmonizing the Breath]] *[[Obtaining the Elixir Drug]] *[[Collecting Elixir Drugs]] *[[Fire Phases]] *[[To Increase Fire]] *[[To Reduce Fire]] *[[To Nourish in Warmth]] *[[Bathing]] *[[Unfixed Zi Phase]] *[[River Chariot]] *[[Mysterious Pearls]] *[[Passages and Cavities]] *[[Cosmic Orbit]] *[[Feminine Alchemy]] *[[Cutting the Red Dragon]] *[[Refining the Form through the Supreme Yin]] *[[Body of Original Chastity]] |} <!--Outer Alchemy--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Outer Alchemy</h2> |- |[[Outer Alchemy]] *[[Regulations for External Alchemy]] *[[The Practice of External Alchemy]] *[[Taboos in the Use of Fire]] *[[Cinnabar House and Cauldrons]] *[[The External Alchemy Skill of Refining the Yellow and the White]] *[[Six-and-One Mud]] *[[The Heavenly Palace of Supreme Oneness]] *[[Reducing and Increasing Fire]] *[[Poison Removal Skills]] *[[The Dragon-Bud Elixir Tradition]] |} |} f8130ac070c08530164c037f6c1739b1e486fc7a 0 381 817 462 2009-12-30T11:08:14Z Admin 1 moved [[Essential Matter , Vital Breath and Spirit]] to [[Essential Matter, Vital Breath and Spirit]] wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} As specific terms of Inner Alchemy, Essential Matter, Vital Breath and Spirit credit their origins to philosophy and medical science in the era before the First Emperor of the Qin dynasty. In the Book of Changes” ( 《周易》 Zhouyi ), we read the following sentences: “the refined vital breath forms substance when gathering, whereas it creates transformations when spreading out. By observing the transformations of substance, a man can understand the essence of ghosts and spirits”. In ancient Chinese philosophy, besides “refined vital breath”, “refined spirit” was also a popularly used concept. In Zhuangzi ( 《莊子》 Zhuangzi ), “refined spirit” was used in the author’s description about the life of a “Higher Man” ( 至人 Zhiren ). In this case, “refined spirit” referred to a man’s aspiration. Since the era of the Warring States, the Medical School ( 醫家 Yijia ) used to mention “refined spirit” in its texts in parallel with “refined vital breath”. The author of the Simple Questions of the Yellow Emperor ( 《黃帝素問》 Huangdi Suwen ) mentioned, “the interplay of mild internal organs and strong protecting layers around would produce perfect ‘refined spirit’. Without the interplay between them, ‘refined vital breath’ would be totally lost”. In Daoism, by borrowing concepts such as “refined spirit” and “refined vital breath”, new concepts such as “Essential Matter”, “Vital Breath” and “Spirit” came into in popular use. Among the “Three Jewels” ( 三寶 Sanbao ), as called by Daoists, “Essential Matter” stood for the pure substances which constituted the human body. “Essential Matter” was classified into two parts: the Essential Matter of Anterior Heaven ( 先天之精 Xiantian Zhijing ), namely, Original Essence ( 元精 Yuanjing ), would be traced back to the substances preceding all lives; Conversely, the Essential Matter of Posterior Heaven ( 後天之精 Houtian Zhijing ) referred to semen produced in sexual intercourse; in parallel, Vital Breath was divided into two categories: the Vital Breath of Anterior Heaven ( 先天之氣 Xiantian Zhiqi ), or the Original Vital Breath ( 元氣 Yuanqi ), referred to a man’s Essential Matter, which was initiated by the Spiritual Fire ( 神火 Shenhuo ) in the depth of the human body. In contrast, the Vital Breath of Posterior Heaven ( 後天之氣 Houtian Zhiqi ) existed everywhere in the universe, which was breathed in human body, and became an important source for human life. Only by the refinement of Spirit, would the Vital Breath of Posterior Heaven be helpful to the cultivation of Inner Alchemy; Similarly, “Spirit” consisted of two categories. The Spirit of Posterior Heaven ( 後天之神 Houtian Zhishen ), also known as the Spirit of Discernment ( 識神 Shishen ), was an important factor in learning and thinking. In the Book of Dao and its Virtue ( 《道德經》 Daode Jing ), Laozi said that “in learning, a man ought to increase something every day”. Laozi highlighted the role of the Spirit of Discernment in accumulating knowledge. In terms of the Refinement of Inner Alchemy, however, the Spirit of Anterior Heaven played a much more important role. Also known as the Original Spirit ( 元神 Yuanshen ), the Spirit of Anterior Heaven ( 先天之神 Xiantian Shishen ) stood for inborn wisdom. In order to strengthen the Original Spirit, a man ought to decrease the function of the Spirit of Discernment, just as Laozi claimed in Book of Dao and its Virtue, “In learning Dao, a man ought to decrease something every day”. Here, Laozi suggested, a man ought to rid himself of unfavorable functions from the Spirit of Discernment in order to enter a state of intuition characterized by Non-Interference. In this way, a proper function of the Original Spirit would lead to a transformation of the Vital Breath of Posterior Heaven into the Vital Breath of Anterior Heaven, a process which would strengthen the Original Spirit, and, accordingly, bring about a healthy life. [[zh:精氣神]] cc08693face4ed71ca92e5688f1ec4df3e8bd5a0 0 640 818 2009-12-30T11:08:14Z Admin 1 moved [[Essential Matter , Vital Breath and Spirit]] to [[Essential Matter, Vital Breath and Spirit]] wikitext text/x-wiki #REDIRECT [[Essential Matter, Vital Breath and Spirit]] 7f43e0c70a1b11a08e3ef9ce4947aefde817a87d 0 380 819 461 2009-12-30T11:08:17Z Admin 1 moved [[Mind , Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] to [[Mind, Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] wikitext text/x-wiki {{Inner Alchemy}} Among the three terms usually found in books on Inner Alchemy, Mind was regarded as substance, Spiritual Nature as the soul, namely the governing power, of the mind, and last but not least, Bodily Life as the Vital Breath. According to the Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign's Teachings on Cultivating Mind ( 《太上老君說了心經》Taishang Laojun Shuo Liaoxin Jing ), "Mind governs Spirit, whether in motion or at rest". The author argues that Mind controls the movements and functions of Spirit. In this sense, Mind is equal to substance, and Spiritual Nature equal to its function. By comparison, Daoism attaches an importance to the inseparable link between Mind and Spiritual Nature. In the refinement of Inner Alchemy, the Enlightenment of Mind ( 明心 Mingxin ) and the Realization of Spiritual Nature ( 見性 Jianxing ) are equally emphasized. Among the two elements, the Enlightenment of Mind, or the Purifying of Mind, in another term, represents a process of cleaning the human Mind. Even in the years before the First Emperor of the Qin dynasty, "purifying human minds by [[[the Book of Changes]]" ( 《易》Yi ) had been popularly mentioned. In the later periods, Daoism borrowed concepts from the book in expounding Purifying Mind and other ideas about Inner Alchemy. In Chinese, the character “purifying” consists of two parts, namely, “the sun” and “the moon”, which stands for Yang and Yin separately. It suggests that in order to purify human minds, Yang and Yin should be inseparably linked. When the two fundamental elements become one, Original Chaos ( 混沌 Huntun ) will return. Accordingly, the goal of Purifying Mind can only be achieved by ridding human beings of wisdom or desire, and returning to original simplicity, a state in which a complete circulation between Spirit and Vital Breath is attained. In another word, Substance and its Function are completely united. [[zh:心性命]] f80327c86102e19fec18c196355fc06e342c57b3 0 641 820 2009-12-30T11:08:17Z Admin 1 moved [[Mind , Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] to [[Mind, Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] wikitext text/x-wiki #REDIRECT [[Mind, Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] 85b47f596034ccd9bf339da156b1951de968dcc0 0 632 822 798 2009-12-30T11:13:50Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--Temples and Sacred Places--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Temples and Sacred Places</h2> |- | *[[Daoist Temples]] *[[Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms]] *[[The Ten Continents and Three Islands]] *[[The Ten Great Grotto Heavens]] *[[The Thirty-six Lesser Grotto Heavens]] *[[The Seventy-two Auspicious Realms]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第二行--> |- <!--華北地區--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Northern China</h2> |- | Beijing *[[White Cloud Temple (Baiyunguan), Beijing]] *[[Fire God Temple, Beijing]] Tianjin *[[Temple of the Heavenly Matriarch]] Hebei *[[Temple of the Ten Directions (Luquan, Hebei)]] *[[Green Dragon Temple on Mt. Tiangui (Pingshan County, Hebei)]] *[[Shrine of Elder LÜ (Hebei)]] Shanxi *[[Mt. Heng (Northern Shanxi Province and Northwest Hebei province)]] *[[Jiezhou Temple of Emperor Guan (Yuncheng, Shanxi)]] *[[Temple of All-Embracing Heaven on Mt. Mian (Jiexiu, Shanxi)]] *[[Eternal Happiness Temple (Yonglegong), Shanxi]] *[[Water Spirit Temple (Hongdong County, Shanxi)]] *[[Qingtang Temple on Dragon Horn Mountain (Fushan County, Shanxi)]] *[[Temple of the Northern Peak (Hengshan, Shanxi)]] |} <!--Northeastern China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Northeastern China</h2> |- | Liaoning *[[Mt. Qian]] *[[Supreme Clarity Temple (Taiqinggong), Shenyang]] *[[Five Dragons Temple (Anshan, Liaoning)]] *[[Cloud Light Grotto in the Iron Peak Mountain of Nine Cauldrons]] Heilongjiang *[[Temple of Seas and Clouds]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Eastern China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Eastern China</h2> |- | Shanghai *[[White Cloud Temple (Xuanmiaoguan), Shanghai]] *[[Hall of Respect Granted by His Majesty]] Jiangsu *[[Mt. Mao]] *[[Mysterious Essence Temple (Xuangmiaoguan), Suzhou]] *[[Mt. Mao Daoist Temple (Gourong, Jiangsu)]] *[[Qianyuan Temple (Gourong, Jiangsu)]] *[[Temple of Numinous Might (Rugao, Jiangsu)]] Anhui *[[Mt. Qiyun]] *[[King Yu Temple on Mt. Tu (Bengbu, Anhui)]] *[[Temple of Supreme Simplicity on Mt. Qiyun (Anhui)]] Fujian *[[Mt. Wuyi]] *[[Temple of Immortal Pei (Fuzhou, Fujian)]] *[[Mt. Shizhu Daoist Temple (Fuqing, Fujian)]] *[[Temple of Original Sublimity (Quanzhou, Fujian)]] *[[Peach Spring Grotto]] Jiangxi *[[Mt. Longhu]] *[[Mt. Gezao]] *[[Mt. Lu]] *[[The Celestial Masters’ Mansion on Dragon and Tiger Mountain (Yintan, Jiangxi)]] *[[Temple for the Worship of Perfection on Mt. Gezhao (Zhangshu, Jiangxi)]] *[[Daoist Temple of Immortal Ge Mountain (Qianshan County, Jiangxi)]] Shandong *[[Mt. Tai]] *[[Mt. Lao]] *[[The Emerald Cloud Shrine on Mt. Tai (Tai’an, Shandong)]] |} <!--Central and Southern China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Central and Southern China</h2> |- | Henan *[[Yanqing Temple (Kaifeng, Henan)]] *[[Wuhou Daoist Shrine (Nanyang, Henan)]] *[[Mt. Song]] *[[Shongshan Temple of Sacred Middle Mountain (Dengfeng, Henan)]] *[[Supreme Clarity Temple and Venerable Sovereign Platform (Luyi County, Henan)]] Hubei *[[Mt. Wudang]] *[[Eternal Spring Temple (Changchunguan) , Wuhan]] *[[Supreme Harmony Temple and Purple Heaven Temple on Mt. Wudang (Danjiangkou, Hubei)]] *[[Mt. Zhenwu Daoist Temple (Xiangfan, Hubei)]] *[[Temple of the Imperial Lord on Mt. Wunao (Macheng, Hubei)]] *[[Mt. Mulan Daoist Temple (Huangpi, Hubei)]] *[[Temple of the Southern Sacred Mountain (Shishou, Hubei)]] Hunan *[[Mt. Heng (Hunan province)]] *[[Cloudy Mountain Temple on Mt. Yuelu (Changsha, Wunan)]] *[[Great Hengshan Temple on the Southern Sacred Mountain (Hengyang, Hunan)]] *[[Mystery Metropolis Temple on the Southern Sacred Mountain (Hengyang, Hunan)]] *[[River Chart Temple (Changsha, Hunan)]] *[[Temple of the Heavenly Matriarch (Zhijiang, Hunan)]] Guangdong *[[Mt. Luofu]] *[[Three Origins Temple (Sanyuangong), Guangzhou]] *[[Chunyang Temple(Guangzhou, Guangdong)]] *[[Temple of Original Sublimity (Huizhou, Guangdong)]] *[[Aiding Creation Temple (Meizhou, Guangdong)]] *[[Stone Cave Jade Dragon Temple (Chaoyang, Guangdong)]] *[[Immortal Temple of Cloudy Springs on Mt. Xiqiao (Nanhai, Guangdong)]] *[[The Temple of Emptiness (Chongxuguan), Guangdong]] *[[Temple of Extasy (Sulaoguang), Guangdong]] *[[Ancient Temple of the Yellow Dragon (Huanglong Guguan), Guangdong]] |} <!--第四行--> |- <!--Southwestern China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Southwestern China</h2> |- | Chongqing *[[Daoist Temple of the Venerable Sovereign’s Cave]] Sichuan *[[Mt. Qingcheng]] *[[Black Sheep Temple (Qingyanggon), Chengdu]] *[[Eternal Dao Temple on Mt. Qingcheng (Dujiangyan, Sichuan)]] *[[Temple of Accumulated Blessings (Dujiangyan, Sichuan)]] *[[Temple of the Highest Clarity (Dujiangyan, Sichuan)]] *[[Two Kings Temple (Dujiangyan, Sichuan)]] *[[Gaoguan Temple (Jiangyou, Sichuan)]] *[[Mt. Heming Daoist Temple (Dayi County, Sichuan)]] *[[Cloud Platform Temple (Santai County, Sichuan)]] *[[Mt. Jinhua Daoist Temple (Shehong County, Sichuan)]] *[[Mt. Gaofeng Daoist Temple (Pengxi County, Sichuan)]] *[[Wenchang Temple in Zitong (Zitong County, Sichuan)]] Yunnan *[[Dragon Spring Temple and Palace of Supreme Harmony (Kunming, Yunnan)]] *[[Great Dragon Cave Temple (Zhaotong City, Yunnan)]] *[[Mt. Weibao Daoist Temple (Weishan, Yunnan)]] *[[Mt. Yunfeng Daoist Temple (Tengchong County, Yunnan)]] |} <!--Northwestern China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Northwestern China</h2> |- | Shaanxi *[[Mt. Zhongnan]] *[[Mt. Hua]] *[[Lookout Tower Platform (Louguantai), Shaanxi]] *[[Eight Immortals Temple (Baxiangong), Xian]] *[[Golden Platform Temple (Baoji, Shaanxi)]] *[[Supreme Harmony Temple (Yan’an, Shaanxi)]] *[[Jade Spring Temple on Mt. Hua (Huayin County, Shaanxi)]] *[[The East Dao Temple on Mt. Hua (Huayin County, Shaanxi)]] *[[Mountain Guarding Temple on Mt. Hua (Huayin County, Shaanxi)]] *[[Chongyang Temple (Hu County, Shaanxi)]] *[[White Cloud Temple in White Cloud Mountain (Jia County, Shaanxi)]] *[[Dragon Gate Cave Daoist Temple (Long County, Shaanxi)]] *[[Venerable Grandma’s Temple on Mt. Li (Lintong County, Xi’an city, Shaanxi)]] *[[Zhang Liang Temple (Liuba County, Shaanxi)]] Gansu *[[White Cloud Temple (Lanzhou, Gansu)]] *[[Golden Heaven Temple (Lanzhou, Gansu)]] *[[Jade Spring Temple (Tianshui, Gansu)]] *[[Mt. Kongtong Daoist Temple (Pingliang, Gansu)]] *[[West Cloud Temple (Dunhuang, Gansu)]] *[[Longevity Temple (Linxia, Gansu)]] Qinghai *[[Earth Tower Temple (Xining, Qinghai)]] *[[Mt. Xiyuan Daoist Temple (Huangzhong, Qinghai)]] Ningxia *[[Heavenly Capital Mountain Daoist Temple (Haiyuan County, Ningxia)]] |} <!--第五行--> |- <!--Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan</h2> |- | Hong Kong *[[Wan Tusen Seen Koon (Yunquan Xianguan), Hong Kong]] *[[Shang Sin Chun Tong (Xing Shan Zhen Tang), Hong Kong]] *[[Shun Shin Chee Kit Yin Koon (Zique xuanguan), Hong Kong]] *[[Fung Ying Seen Koon (Pengying Xianguan), Hong Kong]] Taiwan *[[The Cultural Institute (Wenhuayuan), Gaoxiong, Taiwan]] |} <!--海外地區--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Overseas</h2> |- | |} |} c626ca5f7cf078e2c2aa5ec2641a533a74fe45f3 0 631 823 797 2009-12-30T12:54:33Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--The Three Pristine Ones, the Four Heavenly Ministers and the Highest Emperors of Heavens --> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] The Three Pristine Ones, the Four Heavenly Ministers and the Highest Emperors of Heavens </h2> |- | The Three Pristine Ones *[[The Primeval Lord of Heaven]] *[[The Heavenly Lord of the Numinous Treasure]] *[[The Heavenly Lord of Dao and its Virtue]] [[The Four Heavenly Ministers]] *[[The Great Jade Emperor]] *The Great Heavenly Emperor of the Highest Palace of Polaris *The Middle Heaven Great Emperor of the North Pole Star of Purple Subtlety *The Imperial God of Earth Others *[[The Emperors of the Soil]] *[[The Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery]] *[[The Queen Mother of the West]] *[[The Three Great Emperor-Officials]] |} <!--The Stellar Sovereigns--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] The Stellar Sovereigns</h2> |- | *[[The Great Perfect Warrior Emperor]] *[[The Stellar Sovereign of the Five Planets and Seven Stars]] *[[The Four Numinous Animals and Twenty-Eight Constellations]] *[[The Big Dipper]] *[[The Sixty Daily Spirits of the Celestial Trunks and Earthly Branches]] *[[The Stars of Luck, Wealth and Longevity]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Divine Generals of the Thunder Agency--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Divine Generals of the Thunder Agency</h2> |- | *[[The Thunder Patriarch]] *[[The Spirit of Wealth]] *[[Numinous Official Wang]] |} <!--Spirits of Mountains, Rivers, Seas and Thunder--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Spirits of Mountains, Rivers, Seas and Thunder</h2> |- | *[[The Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East]] *[[The Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud]] *[[The Five Supreme Commanders of the Thunder Agency]] *[[The Father of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning]] *[[The Dragon King]] *[[The Master of Rain]] *[[The Earl of Wind]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Guardians of Hell--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Guardians of Hell</h2> |- | *[[The Great Emperor of Fengdu]] *[[The Yamas of the Ten Halls]] |} <!--Spirits of the Soil and Local Protector Spirits--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Spirits of the Soil and Local Protector Spirits</h2> |- | *[[The City God]] *[[The Earth Spirit]] *[[The Door Spirits]] *[[The Kitchen Spirit]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Perfect Men and Immortals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Perfect Men and Immortals</h2> |- | The Four Greatest Perfect Man *Perfect Man of Nanhua ([[Zhuangzi]]) *Perfect Man of Pervasive Mystery (Wenzi) *Perfect Man of Dongling (Kangcangzi) *Perfect Man of Emptiness ([[Liezi]]) The Four Greatest Celestial Masters *[[Zhang Daoling (Patriarch of the Celestial Masters)]] *[[Ge Xuan]] *[[Xu Xun (Perfect Lord Xu)]] *Sa Shoujian [[The Five Northern Patriarchs]] *[[Wang Xuanpu]] *[[Zhongli Quan]] *[[Lü Dongbin]] *[[Liu Haichan]] *[[Wang Chongyang]] [[The Five Southern Patriarchs]] *[[Zhang Ziyang]] *[[Shi Tai]] *[[Xue Shi]] *[[Chen Nan]] *[[Bai Yuchan]] [[The Seven Perfect Ones of the North]] *[[Ma Yu]] *[[Tan Chuduan]] *[[Liu Chuxuan]] *[[Qiu Chuji]] *[[Wang Chuyi]] *[[Hao Datong]] *[[Sun Bu’er]] Others *[[The Eight Immortals]] *[[Huang Chuping (Great Immortal Huang)]] *[[The Motherly Matriarch]] *[[Imperial Sovereign Wenchang]] *[[Emperor Guan]] *[[The Three Mao Perfect Sovereign Brothers]] *[[Guanyin (Avalokitesvara)]] *[[The Water-Margin Lady]] *[[The Great Life-Protecting Emperor]] *[[The Saintly Founder-King of Zhang]] *[[The King of the Three Mountains]] |} |} 0e772457dcf2ccc5810a6477b6fe53afabf84635 0 630 824 796 2009-12-30T13:07:21Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--The Daoist Canon--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] 大道</h2> |- | *[[The Daoist Canon]] |} <!--道家思想--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Philosophy</h2> |- | *[[The Book of Dao and its Virtue (Laozi)]] *[[Cheng Xuanying’s Commentary on the Laozi]] *[[Li Rong’s Notes on the Laozi]] *[[Xiang’er’s Commentary on Laozi]] *[[The Perfect Book of Nanhua (Zhuangzi)]] *[[The Perfect Book of the Higher Virtue of Emptiness]] *[[The Book of Secret Correspondences]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Major Scriptures--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Major Scriptures</h2> |- | *[[The Book of Changes]] *[[The Perfect Book of Master Dongling]] *[[The Lofty and Sublime Book of the Limitless Salvation]] *[[The Perfect Book of the Great Grotto of the Highest Clarity]] *[[The Book of the Yellow Court]] *[[The Sublime book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign’s Teachings on Eternal Purity and Tranquility]] *[[The Original Deeds of the Lofty Jade Emperor]] *[[The Book of the Three Emperors]] *[[The Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]] *[[On Realizing Perfection]] *[[Scriptures for the Morning and Evening Rites of the Complete Perfection]] *[[Scriptures for the Morning and Evening Rites of the Orthodox Oneness]] *[[The Perfect Book of Communion with the Mystery]] *[[The Book of Supreme Peace]] *[[The Master Who Embraces Simplicity]] *[[The Book of Western Ascension]] *[[Declarations of the Perfected]] *[[The Supreme Venerable Sovereign’s Book of Commandments for Chanting]] *[[The Book of Laozi’s Conversion of the Barbarians]] *[[The Book of Divine Incantations of the Supreme Pervasive Abyss]] *[[On Sitting in Oblivion]] *[[On the Mysterious Matrix]] *[[The Transmission of Dao by Zhongli Chuan and Lü Dongbin]] *[[The Book of the Five Dippers]] *[[Chongyang’s Compilation of the Complete Perfection]] *[[Essays on Harmony]] *[[Preface to All Daoist Scriptures]] *[[The Thirty-Six Revered Scriptures]] *[[Secret Formulas for Attaining Perfection]] *[[Extracts on Nourishing Spiritual Nature and Prolonging Bodily Life]] *[[Essential Secrets of the Most High]] *[[Hidden Prescriptions for Nourishing Life]] *[[Inscription on Visualising Spirits and Refining Vital Breath]] *[[Prologue to the Sublime Glossary of All Daoist Scriptures]] *[[Records of Mysterious Pearls]] *[[On the Essential Meaning of Ingesting Vital Breath]] *[[The Heavenly Hermit]] *[[On the Possibility of Learning to be an Immortal]] *[[The Pivotal Meaning of the Daoist Doctrine]] *[[The Purse of Pearls from the Three Grottoes]] *[[The Sublime Book of the Mind’s Correspondence with the Nine Supreme Essentials]] *[[Evidential Miracles in Support of Daoism]] *[[The Elixir Mirror]] *[[The Book of Transformations]] *[[The Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel]] *[[The Rhyme for Dispelling Illusion and Rectifying Dao]] *[[Ten Books on the Cultivation of Perfection]] *[[Record of the Realization of Perfection by the Concourse of Immortals of West Mountain]] *[[Tablet of Cui Xu]] *[[The Pivot of Dao]] *[[Collection on Daoist External Alchemy]] *[[Fifteen Essays by Wang Chongyang on the Establishment of the Complete Perfection Teaching]] *[[Direct Pointers to the Great Elixir]] *[[Journey to the West of the Perfect Man of Eternal Spring]] *[[The Essence of the Book of Changes from the Three Heavens]] *[[On Dispelling Doubts and Guiding the Errant]] *[[Extraordinary Supplementary Commentary on the Book of Changes]] *[[The Transmission of Daoist Skills from Heart to Heart]] *[[Records of the Mysterious Hierarchy]] *[[The Record of the Dadi Grotto Heaven]] *[[Records of the Orthodox Sect of the Golden Lotus]] *[[Great Essentials for the Golden Elixir]] *[[The Triple Origin Book of Assistance to Prolonging Life]] *[[The Lineage of the Han Celestial Masters]] *[[Essential Formulas of the Golden Elixir]] *[[The Yellow Emperor’s Book of Formulas of the Divine Elixir of the Nine Cauldrons]] *[[The Supreme Book of Nourishing Life and Embryonic Breathing]] *[[The Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign’s Spontaneous Arising from the Root of Emptiness]] *[[The Highest Ancient Scripture of the Dragon and Tiger]] *[[The Secretly Transmitted Complete Numinous Treasure Skills of Perfect Man Zhengyang]] *[[The Book of Master Tuo Yue]] *[[Book of Rituals of the Orthodox Oneness]] *[[Pointers on Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] |} <!--Biographies of Immortals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Biographies of Immortals</h2> |- | *[[Biographies of Various Immortals]] *[[Biographies of the Immortals]] *[[Supplement to the Biographies of the Immortals]] *[[The Legendary Biographies of the Immortals]] *[[Record of the Assembled Female Immortals of the Walled City]] *[[The Comprehensive Mirror of Perfect Immortals Who Embodied the Dao]] *[[Record of the Immortals of the Three Grottoes]] *[[The Sacred Records about the Emperor of Original Chaos]] *[[Biography of Perfect Man Ye of the Tang Dynasty]] *[[Collection of Stories from the Garden of Immortals]] *[[Chart of the Ranks of the Perfect Souls]] *[[Biographies of the Pervasive Immortals]] *[[The Comprehensive Collection of Investigations into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines since their Origin]] *[[Record of the Immortals Encountered at Ganshui]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Scriptures on Ritual--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Scriptures on Ritual</h2> |- | *[[The Great Collection of Daoist Rituals]] *[[Daoist Regulations]] *[[The Jade Remorse of the Numinous Treasure]] *[[Great Law of the Numinous Treasure of the Highest Clarity]] *[[Guangcheng’s Compilation of Rituals]] *[[The Great Collection of Daoist Skills]] *[[General Treatise on the Transmission of the Scriptures, Commandments and Registers of the Three Grottoes]] *[[Instructions for Conducting the Three Grottoes True Writs Five Skills Ritual of the Mighty Commonwealth of the Orthodox Oneness]] *[[Rules for the Use of the Ritual Robe of the Three Grottoes]] *[[Various Commandments of the Three Grottoes]] *[[Extracts of the Chief Rituals and Commandments]] |} <!--Moralistic Storybooks--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Moralistic Storybooks</h2> |- | *[[On Supreme Correspondence]] *[[Ledger of Merits and Demerits]] *[[The Book of Enlightenment and the Dissemination of Belief in the Emperor Guan]] *[[The Precious Repentance of Patriarch Lu]]) |} |} 7ef9d03f0c8468482ae5d58ecc5186d7660aa042 825 824 2009-12-30T13:11:46Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Daoist Scriptures--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Scriptures</h2> |- | [[Daoist Scriptures]] are both the written records of Daoist teachings and records of Daoist history. In the course of their origination, formation and evolution, they have been classified according to specific categories to form the Daoist Canon (道藏 Daozang). During this process, their social influence spread. Some Daoist scriptures even spread overseas so as to promote the cultural communication between China and foreign countries. In addition to their religious value, Daoist scriptures are also valuable as historic materials in Chinese social history and history of philosophy. What is even more valuable is that a large quantity of Chinese ancient technological data indispensable to the study of Chinese technological history has been kept in Daoist scriptures. Plenty of precious materials about Chinese ancient literature and arts can also be found in Daoist scriptures. As a “museum” of Chinese traditional culture, Daoist scriptures are all-inclusive. They are a treasure for us to understand not only Daoism but also Chinese culture. |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--The Daoist Canon--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] The Daoist Canon</h2> |- | *[[The Daoist Canon]] |} <!--道家思想--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Philosophy</h2> |- | *[[The Book of Dao and its Virtue (Laozi)]] *[[Cheng Xuanying’s Commentary on the Laozi]] *[[Li Rong’s Notes on the Laozi]] *[[Xiang’er’s Commentary on Laozi]] *[[The Perfect Book of Nanhua (Zhuangzi)]] *[[The Perfect Book of the Higher Virtue of Emptiness]] *[[The Book of Secret Correspondences]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Major Scriptures--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Major Scriptures</h2> |- | *[[The Book of Changes]] *[[The Perfect Book of Master Dongling]] *[[The Lofty and Sublime Book of the Limitless Salvation]] *[[The Perfect Book of the Great Grotto of the Highest Clarity]] *[[The Book of the Yellow Court]] *[[The Sublime book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign’s Teachings on Eternal Purity and Tranquility]] *[[The Original Deeds of the Lofty Jade Emperor]] *[[The Book of the Three Emperors]] *[[The Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]] *[[On Realizing Perfection]] *[[Scriptures for the Morning and Evening Rites of the Complete Perfection]] *[[Scriptures for the Morning and Evening Rites of the Orthodox Oneness]] *[[The Perfect Book of Communion with the Mystery]] *[[The Book of Supreme Peace]] *[[The Master Who Embraces Simplicity]] *[[The Book of Western Ascension]] *[[Declarations of the Perfected]] *[[The Supreme Venerable Sovereign’s Book of Commandments for Chanting]] *[[The Book of Laozi’s Conversion of the Barbarians]] *[[The Book of Divine Incantations of the Supreme Pervasive Abyss]] *[[On Sitting in Oblivion]] *[[On the Mysterious Matrix]] *[[The Transmission of Dao by Zhongli Chuan and Lü Dongbin]] *[[The Book of the Five Dippers]] *[[Chongyang’s Compilation of the Complete Perfection]] *[[Essays on Harmony]] *[[Preface to All Daoist Scriptures]] *[[The Thirty-Six Revered Scriptures]] *[[Secret Formulas for Attaining Perfection]] *[[Extracts on Nourishing Spiritual Nature and Prolonging Bodily Life]] *[[Essential Secrets of the Most High]] *[[Hidden Prescriptions for Nourishing Life]] *[[Inscription on Visualising Spirits and Refining Vital Breath]] *[[Prologue to the Sublime Glossary of All Daoist Scriptures]] *[[Records of Mysterious Pearls]] *[[On the Essential Meaning of Ingesting Vital Breath]] *[[The Heavenly Hermit]] *[[On the Possibility of Learning to be an Immortal]] *[[The Pivotal Meaning of the Daoist Doctrine]] *[[The Purse of Pearls from the Three Grottoes]] *[[The Sublime Book of the Mind’s Correspondence with the Nine Supreme Essentials]] *[[Evidential Miracles in Support of Daoism]] *[[The Elixir Mirror]] *[[The Book of Transformations]] *[[The Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel]] *[[The Rhyme for Dispelling Illusion and Rectifying Dao]] *[[Ten Books on the Cultivation of Perfection]] *[[Record of the Realization of Perfection by the Concourse of Immortals of West Mountain]] *[[Tablet of Cui Xu]] *[[The Pivot of Dao]] *[[Collection on Daoist External Alchemy]] *[[Fifteen Essays by Wang Chongyang on the Establishment of the Complete Perfection Teaching]] *[[Direct Pointers to the Great Elixir]] *[[Journey to the West of the Perfect Man of Eternal Spring]] *[[The Essence of the Book of Changes from the Three Heavens]] *[[On Dispelling Doubts and Guiding the Errant]] *[[Extraordinary Supplementary Commentary on the Book of Changes]] *[[The Transmission of Daoist Skills from Heart to Heart]] *[[Records of the Mysterious Hierarchy]] *[[The Record of the Dadi Grotto Heaven]] *[[Records of the Orthodox Sect of the Golden Lotus]] *[[Great Essentials for the Golden Elixir]] *[[The Triple Origin Book of Assistance to Prolonging Life]] *[[The Lineage of the Han Celestial Masters]] *[[Essential Formulas of the Golden Elixir]] *[[The Yellow Emperor’s Book of Formulas of the Divine Elixir of the Nine Cauldrons]] *[[The Supreme Book of Nourishing Life and Embryonic Breathing]] *[[The Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign’s Spontaneous Arising from the Root of Emptiness]] *[[The Highest Ancient Scripture of the Dragon and Tiger]] *[[The Secretly Transmitted Complete Numinous Treasure Skills of Perfect Man Zhengyang]] *[[The Book of Master Tuo Yue]] *[[Book of Rituals of the Orthodox Oneness]] *[[Pointers on Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] |} <!--Biographies of Immortals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Biographies of Immortals</h2> |- | *[[Biographies of Various Immortals]] *[[Biographies of the Immortals]] *[[Supplement to the Biographies of the Immortals]] *[[The Legendary Biographies of the Immortals]] *[[Record of the Assembled Female Immortals of the Walled City]] *[[The Comprehensive Mirror of Perfect Immortals Who Embodied the Dao]] *[[Record of the Immortals of the Three Grottoes]] *[[The Sacred Records about the Emperor of Original Chaos]] *[[Biography of Perfect Man Ye of the Tang Dynasty]] *[[Collection of Stories from the Garden of Immortals]] *[[Chart of the Ranks of the Perfect Souls]] *[[Biographies of the Pervasive Immortals]] *[[The Comprehensive Collection of Investigations into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines since their Origin]] *[[Record of the Immortals Encountered at Ganshui]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Scriptures on Ritual--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Scriptures on Ritual</h2> |- | *[[The Great Collection of Daoist Rituals]] *[[Daoist Regulations]] *[[The Jade Remorse of the Numinous Treasure]] *[[Great Law of the Numinous Treasure of the Highest Clarity]] *[[Guangcheng’s Compilation of Rituals]] *[[The Great Collection of Daoist Skills]] *[[General Treatise on the Transmission of the Scriptures, Commandments and Registers of the Three Grottoes]] *[[Instructions for Conducting the Three Grottoes True Writs Five Skills Ritual of the Mighty Commonwealth of the Orthodox Oneness]] *[[Rules for the Use of the Ritual Robe of the Three Grottoes]] *[[Various Commandments of the Three Grottoes]] *[[Extracts of the Chief Rituals and Commandments]] |} <!--Moralistic Storybooks--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Moralistic Storybooks</h2> |- | *[[On Supreme Correspondence]] *[[Ledger of Merits and Demerits]] *[[The Book of Enlightenment and the Dissemination of Belief in the Emperor Guan]] *[[The Precious Repentance of Patriarch Lu]]) |} |} 4d86573b8ff13430620c465abf743df42b45db45 0 629 826 795 2009-12-30T13:18:29Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Daoist Beliefs--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Daoist Beliefs]]</h2> |- | Daoism is an ancient religion with rich and mature contents. It has a very systematic system of Doctrines and Teachings (教理教義 Jiaoli Jiaoyi), corresponding to the theology of the West. These include faith in Dao and the concomitant Cosmogony and theories on the origin of the creation of all beings and transformations; faith in Immortals (神仙 Shenxian); ideals of human society; advocacy of human values, and so on. Each of the latter has several interrelated aspects, forming a complete system. Owing to historical differences, to different trends in Daoism at different times, and to different sects, different Daoist theorists and leaders have had divergences of opinion stemming from their different understanding of their faith. However, with regards to the aforementioned basic aspects of Daoist faith, all Daoists are in basic agreement. In the following presentation of Daoist creeds, we will limit ourselves to commonly shared teachings while, when necessary, presenting some unique perspectives. |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--The Great Dao--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[The Great Dao]]</h2> |- | *[[The Substance of Dao]] *[[Original Meaning of Dao]] *[[Laozi’s Creative Use of The Concept of Dao]] *[[The Main Meaning of the Concept of Dao]] *[[The Major Functions of Dao]] *[[Virtue]] *[[The Significance of Virtue]] *[[Expression of the Unity of Dao and Virtue]] *[[Dao is ruled by Spontaneity]] *[[The Significance of Spontaneity]] *[[Observing the Way of Heaven and Following its Motions]] |} <!--Cosmogony--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Cosmogony]]</h2> |- | *[[The Creation of the World]] *[[Formation of the Daoist Theory of Universal Evolution]] *[[The Process of The Creation of the World]] *[[The Thirty-six Heavens]] *[[The Netherworld]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate]]</h2> |- | *[[Vital Breath]] *[[The Infinite and the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[The Infinite]] *[[The Supreme Ultimate and the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[Yin-Yang and the Five Agents]] |} <!--Social Ideals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Social Ideals]]</h2> |- | *[[The Ideal of Supreme Peace]] *[[Purity, Tranquility and Non-interference]] *[[Salvation of Humanity]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Ethical Education and Practise--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Ethical Education and Practise]]</h2> |- | *[[Accumulation of Hidden Merits]] *[[The Secret Meaning of Karma]] *[[Norms for Doing Good Works]] *[[Methods of Doing Good Works]] |} <!--Philosophy of Life--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Philosophy of Life]]</h2> |- | *[[Understanding Dao and Establishing Virtue]] *[[Education by Daoist Enlightenment]] |} |} 8c6daff8ce40f07a25cee5b425d48ee5ae2019fd 848 826 2020-07-23T04:35:44Z Admin 1 /* Daoist Beliefs */ wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Daoist Beliefs--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Daoist Beliefs]]</h2> |- | Daoism is an ancient religion with rich and mature contents. It has a very systematic system of Doctrines and Teachings (教理教義 Jiaoli Jiaoyi), corresponding to the theology of the West. These include faith in Dao and the concomitant Cosmogony and theories on the origin of the creation of all beings and transformations; faith in Immortals (神仙 Shenxian); ideals of human society; advocacy of human values, and so on. Each of the latter has several interrelated aspects, forming a complete system. Owing to historical differences, to different trends in Daoism at different times, and to different sects, different Daoist theorists and leaders have had divergences of opinion stemming from their different understanding of their faith. However, with regards to the aforementioned basic aspects of Daoist faith, all Daoists are in basic agreement. In the following presentation of Daoist creeds, we will limit ourselves to commonly shared teachings while, when necessary, presenting some unique perspectives. |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--The Great Dao--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[The Great Dao]]</h2> |- | *[[The Substance of Dao]] *[[Original Meaning of Dao]] *[[Laozi’s Creative Use of The Concept of Dao]] *[[The Main Meaning of the Concept of Dao]] *[[The Major Functions of Dao]] *[[Virtue]] *[[The Significance of Virtue]] *[[Expression of the Unity of Dao and Virtue]] *[[Dao is ruled by Spontaneity]] *[[The Significance of Spontaneity]] *[[Observing the Way of Heaven and Following its Motions]] |} <!--Cosmogony--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Cosmogony]]</h2> |- | *[[The Creation of the World]] *[[Formation of the Daoist Theory of Universal Evolution]] *[[The Process of The Creation of the World]] *[[The Thirty-six Heavens]] *[[The Netherworld]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate]]</h2> |- | *[[Vital Breath]] *[[The Infinite and the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[The Infinite]] *[[The Supreme Ultimate and the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[Yin-Yang and the Five Agents]] |} <!--Social Ideals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Social Ideals]]</h2> |- | *[[The Ideal of Supreme Peace]] *[[Purity, Tranquility and Non-interference]] *[[Salvation of Humanity]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Ethical Education and Practise--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Ethical Education and Practise]]</h2> |- | *[[Accumulation of Hidden Merits]] *[[The Secret Meaning of Karma]] *[[Norms for Doing Good Works]] *[[Methods of Doing Good Works]] |} <!--Philosophy of Life--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Philosophy of Life]]</h2> |- | *[[Understanding Dao and Establishing Virtue]] *[[Education by Daoist Enlightenment]] |} |} 8ad27aa1e7bc2b4729657c88966b9f38a99e5c57 849 848 2020-07-23T04:36:52Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Daoist Beliefs--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Daoist Beliefs]]</h2> |- | Daoism is an ancient religion with rich and mature contents. It has a very systematic system of Doctrines and Teachings (教理教義 Jiaoli Jiaoyi), corresponding to the theology of the West. These include faith in Dao and the concomitant Cosmogony and theories on the origin of the creation of all beings and transformations; faith in Immortals (神仙 Shenxian); ideals of human society; advocacy of human values, and so on. Each of the latter has several interrelated aspects, forming a complete system. Owing to historical differences, to different trends in Daoism at different times, and to different sects, different Daoist theorists and leaders have had divergences of opinion stemming from their different understanding of their faith. However, with regards to the aforementioned basic aspects of Daoist faith, all Daoists are in basic agreement. In the following presentation of Daoist creeds, we will limit ourselves to commonly shared teachings while, when necessary, presenting some unique perspectives. |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--The Great Dao--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[The Great Dao]]</h2> |- | *[[The Substance of Dao]] *[[Original Meaning of Dao]] *[[Laozi’s Creative Use of The Concept of Dao]] *[[The Main Meaning of the Concept of Dao]] *[[The Major Functions of Dao]] *[[Virtue]] *[[The Significance of Virtue]] *[[Expression of the Unity of Dao and Virtue]] *[[Dao is ruled by Spontaneity]] *[[The Significance of Spontaneity]] *[[Observing the Way of Heaven and Following its Motions]] |} <!--Cosmogony--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Cosmogony]]</h2> |- | *[[The Creation of the World]] *[[Formation of the Daoist Theory of Universal Evolution]] *[[The Process of The Creation of the World]] *[[The Thirty-six Heavens]] *[[The Netherworld]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate]]</h2> |- | *[[Vital Breath]] *[[The Infinite and the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[The Infinite]] *[[The Supreme Ultimate and the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[Yin-Yang and the Five Agents]] |} <!--Social Ideals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Social Ideals]]</h2> |- | *[[The Ideal of Supreme Peace]] *[[Purity, Tranquility and Non-interference]] *[[Salvation of Humanity]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Ethical Education and Practise--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Ethical Education and Practise]]</h2> |- | *[[Accumulation of Hidden Merits]] *[[The Secret Meaning of Karma]] *[[Norms for Doing Good Works]] *[[Methods of Doing Good Works]] |} <!--Philosophy of Life--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Philosophy of Life]]</h2> |- | *[[Understanding Dao and Establishing Virtue]] *[[Education by Daoist Enlightenment]] |} |} 72dde5fff2890f74eba1f688868ca1eebadd1d04 850 849 2020-07-23T04:41:23Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Daoist Beliefs--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;padding:0px;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Daoist Beliefs]]</h2> |- | Daoism is an ancient religion with rich and mature contents. It has a very systematic system of Doctrines and Teachings (教理教義 Jiaoli Jiaoyi), corresponding to the theology of the West. These include faith in Dao and the concomitant Cosmogony and theories on the origin of the creation of all beings and transformations; faith in Immortals (神仙 Shenxian); ideals of human society; advocacy of human values, and so on. Each of the latter has several interrelated aspects, forming a complete system. Owing to historical differences, to different trends in Daoism at different times, and to different sects, different Daoist theorists and leaders have had divergences of opinion stemming from their different understanding of their faith. However, with regards to the aforementioned basic aspects of Daoist faith, all Daoists are in basic agreement. In the following presentation of Daoist creeds, we will limit ourselves to commonly shared teachings while, when necessary, presenting some unique perspectives. |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--The Great Dao--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[The Great Dao]]</h2> |- | *[[The Substance of Dao]] *[[Original Meaning of Dao]] *[[Laozi’s Creative Use of The Concept of Dao]] *[[The Main Meaning of the Concept of Dao]] *[[The Major Functions of Dao]] *[[Virtue]] *[[The Significance of Virtue]] *[[Expression of the Unity of Dao and Virtue]] *[[Dao is ruled by Spontaneity]] *[[The Significance of Spontaneity]] *[[Observing the Way of Heaven and Following its Motions]] |} <!--Cosmogony--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Cosmogony]]</h2> |- | *[[The Creation of the World]] *[[Formation of the Daoist Theory of Universal Evolution]] *[[The Process of The Creation of the World]] *[[The Thirty-six Heavens]] *[[The Netherworld]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate]]</h2> |- | *[[Vital Breath]] *[[The Infinite and the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[The Infinite]] *[[The Supreme Ultimate and the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[Yin-Yang and the Five Agents]] |} <!--Social Ideals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Social Ideals]]</h2> |- | *[[The Ideal of Supreme Peace]] *[[Purity, Tranquility and Non-interference]] *[[Salvation of Humanity]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Ethical Education and Practise--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Ethical Education and Practise]]</h2> |- | *[[Accumulation of Hidden Merits]] *[[The Secret Meaning of Karma]] *[[Norms for Doing Good Works]] *[[Methods of Doing Good Works]] |} <!--Philosophy of Life--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Philosophy of Life]]</h2> |- | *[[Understanding Dao and Establishing Virtue]] *[[Education by Daoist Enlightenment]] |} |} 4b16481e458b6c8efc2b79fdebdcd76a111d5925 853 850 2020-07-23T06:36:09Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Daoist Beliefs--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Daoist Beliefs]]</h2> |- | Daoism is an ancient religion with rich and mature contents. It has a very systematic system of Doctrines and Teachings (教理教義 Jiaoli Jiaoyi), corresponding to the theology of the West. These include faith in Dao and the concomitant Cosmogony and theories on the origin of the creation of all beings and transformations; faith in Immortals (神仙 Shenxian); ideals of human society; advocacy of human values, and so on. Each of the latter has several interrelated aspects, forming a complete system. Owing to historical differences, to different trends in Daoism at different times, and to different sects, different Daoist theorists and leaders have had divergences of opinion stemming from their different understanding of their faith. However, with regards to the aforementioned basic aspects of Daoist faith, all Daoists are in basic agreement. In the following presentation of Daoist creeds, we will limit ourselves to commonly shared teachings while, when necessary, presenting some unique perspectives. |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--The Great Dao--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[The Great Dao]]</h2> |- | *[[The Substance of Dao]] *[[Original Meaning of Dao]] *[[Laozi’s Creative Use of The Concept of Dao]] *[[The Main Meaning of the Concept of Dao]] *[[The Major Functions of Dao]] *[[Virtue]] *[[The Significance of Virtue]] *[[Expression of the Unity of Dao and Virtue]] *[[Dao is ruled by Spontaneity]] *[[The Significance of Spontaneity]] *[[Observing the Way of Heaven and Following its Motions]] |} <!--Cosmogony--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Cosmogony]]</h2> |- | *[[The Creation of the World]] *[[Formation of the Daoist Theory of Universal Evolution]] *[[The Process of The Creation of the World]] *[[The Thirty-six Heavens]] *[[The Netherworld]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate]]</h2> |- | *[[Vital Breath]] *[[The Infinite and the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[The Infinite]] *[[The Supreme Ultimate and the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[Yin-Yang and the Five Agents]] |} <!--Social Ideals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Social Ideals]]</h2> |- | *[[The Ideal of Supreme Peace]] *[[Purity, Tranquility and Non-interference]] *[[Salvation of Humanity]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Ethical Education and Practise--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Ethical Education and Practise]]</h2> |- | *[[Accumulation of Hidden Merits]] *[[The Secret Meaning of Karma]] *[[Norms for Doing Good Works]] *[[Methods of Doing Good Works]] |} <!--Philosophy of Life--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Philosophy of Life]]</h2> |- | *[[Understanding Dao and Establishing Virtue]] *[[Education by Daoist Enlightenment]] |} |} 8c6daff8ce40f07a25cee5b425d48ee5ae2019fd 0 628 827 794 2009-12-30T13:36:56Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Ancient China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Ancient China</h2> |- | [[Origin and Formation of Daoism]] *[[Daoist Philosophy and Daoist Religion]] *[[Daoist thought prior to Qin dynasty (pre-221 BC)]] *[[Similarities and differences between religious and philosophical Daoism]] *[[Daoism and the Immoratalists]] *[[Immortals and Magicians]] *[[The Magic and Immortality Tradition]] *[[The Huang-Lao Tradition]] *[[The Supreme Peace Tradition]] *[[The Tradition of the Mighty Commonwealth of the Orthodox Oneness (The Five Pecks of Rice Tradition)]] *[[The Master Yu Tradition]] *[[The Li Tradition]] *[[The Bo Tradition]] *[[The Pristine Water Tradition]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Early Imperial China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Early Imperial China</h2> |- | Daoism during the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties (220-581) *[[The Northern Celestial Masters Tradition]] *[[The Southern Celestial Masters Tradition]] *[[The Numinous Treasure Sect]] *[[The Highest Clarity Sect]] *[[The Lookout Tower Tradition]] Daoism during the Sui and Tang Dynasties (581-907) *[[Methods for Ingesting Original Vital Breath During the Sui and Tang Dynasties]] *[[The Twofold Mystery School]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Late Imperial China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Late Imperial China</h2> |- | [[Daoism during the Song and Yuan Dynasties]] (960-1368) *[[The Heavenly Heart Sect]] *[[The Divine Heavent Sect]] *[[The Pristine Subtlety Sect]] *[[The Donghua Sect]] *[[The Great Dao Doctrine]] *[[The Supreme Oneness Doctrine]] *[[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] *[[The Dragon Gate Sect]] *[[The Encountering Immortality Sect]] *[[The Nanwu Sect]] *[[The Pure Brightness Tradition]] *[[The Doctrine of Mysteries]] [[Daoism during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911)]] *[[The Wudang Tradition]] *[[The Azure Grotto Lineage]] *[[The Middle Sect]] *[[The Eastern Sect]] *[[The Western Sect]] |} <!--第四行--> |- <!--Modern Era--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Modern Era</h2> |- | [[Daoism during the Republican Era (1911-1949)]] *[[Daoist Association of the Republic of China]] *[[The General Daoist Association of the Republic of China]] *[[Chen Yingning]] *[[Yi Xinying]] *[[Yue Chongdai]] *[[Zhang Enpu]] |} <!--第四行--> |- <!--Contemporary Era--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Contemporary Era</h2> |- | [[Daoism in Mainland China]] *[[Taoist Association of China]] *[[Chinese Local Daoist Associations]] [[Daoism in the Minority Regions]] *[[Daoism among the Yao Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Zhuang Ethnic]] *[[Daoism among the Miao Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Tujia Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Gelao Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Maonan minority]] *[[Daoism among the Jing Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Bai Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Qiang Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Naxi Ethnic Group]] Daoism in Hong Kong *[[The Hong Kong Taoist Association]] Daoism Overseas *[[Daoism in Singapore]] *[[Daoism in Japan]] *[[Daoism in Korea]] *[[Daoism in other Southeast Asian countries]] *[[Daoism in Europe and America]] |} |} 1dc3453abe54c60b37284e9d3fbc94604a873b8b 0 267 828 320 2009-12-30T13:37:03Z Admin 1 moved [[Daoism during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (960-7368)]] to [[Daoism during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911)]] wikitext text/x-wiki ==Daoism in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)== The Ming Dynasty can be divided into two periods separated by the reign of emperor Shizong. Before Shizong came to the throne, Daoism still had some support from the rulers and held its status in the upper classes. During emperor Shizong's reign, Daoism, primarily [[the Orthodox Oneness sect]], even witnessed a brief period of prosperity. After his reign, however, Daoism became estranged from the ruling class. As a result, its social status began to decline. Daoism didn't react quickly to the new situation, and its organization and religious tought deteriorated. ===Daoism and the Ming dynasty rulers=== After he established the Ming regime, Zhu Yuanzang, the first Ming emperor, drew up regulations that treated the Three Doctrines fairly, with Confucianism as the leading school. He employed Daoism to testify that his throne was endowed by the heavenly gods, and treated the Orthodox Oneness sect favourably. Zhu Di, the Chengzu Emperor, continued policies in favor of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition. Because he worshipped the Spirit of the Perfect Warrior, he financed the construction of Daoist temples on [[Mt. Wudang]], which led to the flourishing of Wudang Daoism. Among the Ming emperors, the one closest to Daoism was emperor Shizong who, in terms of his worship for Daoism, could match emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty and emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty. Emperor Shizong was fascinated with Daoist Rites, particularly the "Qinci" -- poems written to certain tunes with strict tonal patterns and rhyme schemes, in fixed numbers of line and words. Talent in writing "Qinci" even became the standard for choosing and promoting his officials. In this way, posts as important as prime minister were assigned to incompetent individuals such as Lian Song, who was in charge of the cabinet just because he was good at writing Daoist "Qinci". Emperor Shizong placed much faith in Daoists. Such was his respect for Shao Yuanjie, a Daoist monk of the Temple of Highest Clarity on [[Mt. Longhu]], that he was given the title "Perfect Man" as well as the privilege of running Daoist affairs. The emperor also endowed Tao Zongwu, a Daoist monk recommended to the imperial court by Shao Yuanjie, with the title "State Protector and Lofty Preacher from the Divine Heaven", the privilege of controlling Daoism, and many important governmental positions. He even called Daoist monks "My Teachers". The emperor also trusted Daoist Magical Skills and Medicine for Immortality, which he relied on for longevity. So he gave money and posts to those who offered them to him. But after emperor Muzong, his successor, came to throne, Daoism saw its setbacks. The Orthodox Oneness sect was stripped of its seal and of the title "Perfect Man of Orthodox Oneness". The privilege of controlling Daoism came to the Temple of Highest Clarity instead. Although the title "Perfect Man of Orthodox Oneness" was rehabilitated during emperor Shengzong's reign, the status of the Celestial Masters of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition was by no means as prominent as before. In general, after emperor Shizong's reign, Daoism lost support from governments. While showing their respect to Daoism, the rulers of the Ming regime nevertheless strengthened their control over the religion. By improving its administrative structure, they put Daoism under strict control. In 1368, the Mystery School Academy was established. In 1383, the Daoist Administration Office took its place, controlling all Daoist affairs in the country. Within the Daoist Administration Office, the posts of Left and Right Orthodox Oneness, Preacher, Complete Spirit and Great Mystery were established. Among them Orthodox Oneness, ranked in the sixth class, was the highest post. This shows that the rulers of the Ming regime still held the Orthodox Oneness sect in high regard. At the lower administrative levels, posts such as the Daoist Discipline Office, the Daoist Orthodoxy Office and the Daoist Associations Office were established to control Daoism. All these posts were taken by Daoist monks who had good reputations and understood Daoist scriptures well. They were in charge of controlling Daoist monks' behavior, verifying the number of Daoist monks and temples, dealing with applicants for the status of Daoist monk, etc. The improvement of administrative structure guaranteed that the government could control Daoism effectively. Because the Ming regime employed a dual standard with regards to Daoist affairs, alternatively supporting and controlling the religion, Daoism development was unstable. The Orthodox Oneness sect won the most respect and support from the rulers, which made it politically superior to [[the Complete Perfection sect]]. Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming dynasty, considered that while the Complete Perfection sect focused its practice on selfish attainments, the Orthodox Oneness sect, on the contrary, encouraged good behavior and enhanced social morality, which would contribute to social stability. Accordingly, the rulers paid much more attention to the development of the Orthodox Oneness sect, enabling it to prosper. Because Zhang Zhenchang, its 42th generation Celestial Master, had foretold to Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, that "the state will come to your control", he was given the privilege of controlling Daoist affairs in the whole country. In this way, the masters of the Orthodox Oneness sect won control over Daoism in the whole country. When Zhang Yuchu became the 43rd generation Celestial Master, he won the title "Preacher of Non-Interference and Perfect Exemplar of the Orthodox Oneness" as well as the honor of editing Daoist books for the imperial court. Zhang Yuchu had a very good educational background and special talents in writing. In fact, he wrote several Daoist books, among which was the Ten Rules for Daoist Sects, which criticized the defects existing in Daoist sects at that time, and put forward his new ideas. In the Xian Stream Essays, he discussed the relation between the Schools of Man and Heaven, [[Laozi]], and Inner Alchemy, proposing a combination of Inner Alchemy and Talismans and Registers. Later, the Celestial Masters of different generations were given not only the privilege of controlling Daoist affairs but also high social status. In addition, such Daoist monks from the Orthodox Oneness Sect as Lou Yuanran, Shao Yuanjie and Tao Zongwen also won themselves many respectable titles from the rulers of the Ming dynasty. After the middle of the Ming dynasty, some problems prevalent in the Orthodox Oneness sect -- poor personal quality, undeveloped religious teachings and practices, as well as its estrangement from the rulers -- shook its social status in the upper classes and ultimately weakened its influence in society. Since then, the Orthodox Oneness Tradition has never seen further development. The Complete Perfection sect had kept good relations with the Yuan dynasty. But the rulers of the subsequent Ming regime came to power from the South, and thought highly of the social functions of the Orthodox Oneness sect. Hence, in the Ming Dynasty, the influence of Complete Perfection was limited to the lower classes of society. But there were still many stories circulating about [[Zhang Sanfeng]], the most famous Daoist of the Complete Perfection Sect who, living in the early stage of the Ming Dynasty, declined invitations from the emperors Taizu and Chengzu. Afterwards, he was given the title "Perfect Manifestation of Pervasive Subtlety" by emperor Yingzong, "Brilliant and Lofty Perfect Immortal" by emperor Xianzong and Perfect Sovereign of Pristine Emptiness and Primordial Sublimity" by Shizong. In the Ming Dynasty, the Complete Perfection sect on [[Mt. Wudang]] was comparatively prominent and ultimately became a base for its future development. Based on [[Mt. Qingcheng]] in Sichuan, the Azure Grotto branch of the Dragon Gate branch of the Complete Perfection sect originally came from Mt. Wudang. In contrast with the Orthodox Oneness sect, Daoists in the Complete Perfection Sect, with the exception of Zhang Sanfeng, were less influential in society. They were neither summoned to the imperial court nor given respectable titles by the government. Estrangement from the rulers, on the other hand, made Daoist monks of the Complete Perfection Sect spend more time and energy on studying Inner Alchemy, which led to the emergence of new Daoist sects such as the Eastern sect, as well to the publication of famous books dealing with Inner Alchemy, including the Pointers on Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life. Though the Complete Perfection sect was not so influential in the upper classes during the Ming Dynasty, it was active in the lower class, paving the way for the prosperity of the Dragon Gate branch in the middle of the Qing Dynasty. ==Daoism in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912)== In general, the rulers of the Qing Dynasty neither understood nor believed in Daoism. In order to win the support of the Han people, however, they sometimes turned to Daoism. Because Daoism in that period had close relations with underground religious sects and organizations - which were thought to be potentially rebellious against governments - the rulers of the Qing always remained suspicious of Daoism. Emperor Shunzi repeatedly admonished the Orthodox Oneness sect to "Never mislead the masses", even though he offered support to activities of the Complete Perfection sect in Beijing. Emperor Kangxi considered that there was no such thing as "Longevity", and that it was foolish to seek for a Medicine for Immortality. On the other hand, he continued the tradition of conferring respectable titles on the Masters of the Orthodox Oneness sect. Emperor Yongzheng suggested that the Three Doctrines (Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism) were complementary, which showed that he thought highly of the positive role of Daoism. He also gave favored treatment to Lou Jinhuan, a Daoist monk on Mt. Longhu and a descendant of Celestial Master Zhang. But from Emperor Qianlong's reign onwards, the rulers of the Qing dynasty began to impose more strict control over Daoism, leading to its decreased social importance and stagnant sectarianism and religious theories. Emperor Qianlong limited the development of the Orthodox Oneness Sect to the Mt. Longhu area. The post of "Perfect Man of Orthodox Oneness", originally ranked second class, was reduced to fifth class. During emperor Daoguang's regine, the Celestial Masters were even deprived of the privilege to go to the imperial court in the capital. In this way, the tie between the rulers and the Orthodox Oneness sect was cut off. Nevertheless, the Orthodox Oneness sect maintained varied activities among the people and kept its influence on their daily life. It even spread to remote mountainous areas and to districts inhabited by ethnic minorities. ===The Revival of the Complete Perfection Sect=== Throughout the Ming dynasty, the Complete Perfection sect had remained obscure. In the Qing Dynasty, however, thanks to [[Wang Changyue]], the seventh master of the Dragon Gate sect of the Complete Perfection Tradition, who did a lot of work to revive and strengthen his sect, [[the Dragon Gate sect]] ultimately saw its prosperity and revival. Wang Changyue's religious practice won the sect not only a large number of believers but also the protection and support of the rulers of the Qing regime, which in turn helped to spread the Complete Perfection sect to more districts. The Dragon Gate sect saw its influence grow even in the South. There were many followers of the Dragon Gate in southern districts such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Wudang, Sichuan, etc. Wang Changyue kept the Daoist monks within the bounds of strict discipline, satisfying the demands of the rulers. He also combined the practice of Inner Alchemy with Daoist Commandments, in order to enable the followers to realize their nature and attain to Dao. As a result, the revived Dragon Gate of the Complete Perfection sect not only satisfied the rulers, but provided a spiritual shelter for the people who were emotionally linked to the perished Ming regime. This in turn did good to social stability. Later, the Dragon Gate developed even further, spreading from the North to the South. In Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, the followers of the Dragon Gate increased so quickly that subordinate sects of the branch came into being, bringing forth its further prosperity. In this period, many well-educated officials joined Daoism. Some of them became the main power in reviving the Dragon Gate. They wrote several books on Daoist Doctrines, such as the writings of Ming Yide, the 11th generation master of the Dragon Gate. Also in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the Dragon Gate came to combine itself with the Orthodox Oneness Tradition as well as with the daily life of society. The Dragon Gate established a subordinate sect even on West Mountain (Xishan) in Nanchang, Jiangxi province, the birthplace of the Pure Brightness sect. On Mt. Wudang, the Dragon Gate was so influential that it attracted more than one hundred followers, among whom some went to areas such as Henan, Shanxi, Sichuan and Shaanxi to expand the sect. Up until today, the Dragon Gate remains one of the most important branches of Daoism. To some degree, the Orthodox Oneness sect and the Complete Perfection sect traded roles in the Ming and Qing dynasties. In the Ming Dynasty, the Orthodox Oneness Sect was more active and obtained more support from the government. In the Qing Dynasty, the Complete Perfection sect saw its prosperity and obtained attentions from the rulers. Generally speaking, however, Daoism's social status in the upper classes continued to decline throughout that period, though it continued to develop in remote minority-inhabited areas as well as in the lower classes. Following Chinese migrations overseas, Daoism also spread to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. ==Daoism Penetrates Folk Culture== In general, it can be said that Daoism was at a low tide in the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911). Daoism became especially weak after the middle of the Ming Dynasty. In terms of the development of religious concepts and sects, Daoism was clearly declining in this period. On the other hand, however, its impact on social life and its integration with popular culture as well as folk customs were strengthened. The influence of Daoism could be found even in Ming, Qing, and republican period novels. This shows that Daoism was returning to the lower classes of society, from which it had originally emerged. This becomes undoubtedly clear when we examine its relations with the underground sects of the Ming and Qing dynasties. At its birth, Daoism was a popular religion which later divided into different sects. The mainstream of Daoism became an official religion, even though some Daoists and Daoist sects remained in the lower society, which had always been the soil out of which popular religions emerged. Some rebellions, such as the so-called "Lihong" uprising of the Northern and Southern Dynasties period (420-581), were related to popular religions. Even in the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Daoism remained in close relations with underground sects in the lower society, among which was the Doctrine of Light, a combination of Daoism and Manichaeism, which worshipped Zhang Jiao of the Supreme Peace Tradition as its master and supported the rebellion led by Fang Na in the Song dynasty. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, because Daoist organizations and religious thought were declining, popular religions, which came into being in this period, absorbed Daoist ideas and forms to improve themselves. In this way, Daoism became popularized. Daoism was also linked to the Red Yang Doctrine, which was very popular in the North during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In fact, many scriptures of the Red Yang Doctrine were printed by Daoist temples and taken good care of by Daoist monks who even transferred the scriptures to secret places when governments tried to confiscate them. The full name of the Red Yang Doctrine was "Red Yang Doctrine of the Original Chaos", in which "Original Chaos" was a concept borrowed from Daoism. For instance, Laozi, the forefather of Daoism, had been given the title Emperor of Original Chaos and Higher Virtues". The highest god of the Red Yang Doctrine, called "Venerable Ancestor of Original Chaos", was also linked to Daoism. Other Daoist Immortals such as the "Three Pristine Ones", the "Jade Emperor", the "Perfect Warrior", the "Complete Perfection" and the "Pristine Subtlety" were also counted among the divinities of the Red Yang Doctrine. Daoist scriptures were an important source of the sect's religious texts. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Daoism also had a deep impact on the Yellow Heaven Doctrine, a popular cult which was characterized by a combination of Daoism and Buddhism. In its early scriptures, the Yellow Heaven Doctrine focused on practicing Inner Alchemy to obtain longevity, showing that it was continuing the Inner Alchemy tradition of the Song and Yuan Dynasties. Since the rulers of the Ming Dynasty preferred the Orthodox Oneness sect to the Complete Perfection sect, some followers of the latter turned to the lower classes of society and involved themselves in popular religious sects. Religious ideas of the Complete Perfection sect were incorporated in the Yellow Heaven Doctrine, which also emphasized the Integrated Cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life, by regarding it as a prerequisite to attaining oneness with Spirit. The concept of the Integration of the Three Doctrines" promoted by the Complete Perfection sect, also had a great influence on the Yellow Heaven Doctrine. It is thus obvious that during the Ming and Qing dynasties, Daoism was closely linked to the underground popular sects in the lower class of society. On the other hand, Daoism's lower class and some Daoist sects were, to some degree, integrating into the popular religions. Daoism's decline was characterized by that of the upper class of Daoism. Daoist followers from intellectual circles, as well as Daoist monks of high quality and social reputations were rarely found; and the cultural quality of the average Daoist was declining. In this way, Daoism came to be passed on among people in the lower classes, integrating into folk custom and popular convention. Daoism seemed to be gradually declining. On the other hand, after returning to its popular origins, Daoism became more tightly tied to ordinary people's daily life. Particularly in the rural areas, Daoism was integrated into popular customs. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Daoism became a significant source for popular festivals. From such books as the ''Records of Festivals in the Imperial Capital'' and the ''Records of Festivals in Beijing'', one could find that many popular festivals and local conventions in Beijing were related to Daoist beliefs. The Yanjiu Festival, on the 19th day of the first lunar month, for instance, commemorated the Immortal [[Qiu Chuji]], also known as Master Chang Chun. During the festival, the inhabitants of Beijing thronged the White Cloud Temple, hoping to encounter the Immortal Master Qiu. Another festival was on the 15th day of the second lunar month, which was said to be the birthday of Laozi, the Supreme Venerable Sovereign. During the festival, butchery was banned. Daoist temples held various religious rites and explained the Book of Dao and its Virtue to the public. This shows that during this period, Daoism was remained influential among the common people. Daoist rites came into ordinary people's daily life. In terms of Daoism's large-scale involvement in popular religious sects and its integration into popular festivals and customs, one may question the conclusion that Daoism was declining. Only conclusions on basis of concrete analysis are reliable. It is appropriate to notice and analyze Daoism's different tendencies existing simultaneously in the upper and lower classes of society. [[zh:明清道教]] a08a802aa4ec0e24778d7f894ee7b600d072739d 0 642 829 2009-12-30T13:37:03Z Admin 1 moved [[Daoism during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (960-7368)]] to [[Daoism during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911)]] wikitext text/x-wiki #REDIRECT [[Daoism during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911)]] a3ccd3fb9232c324b9a6a567401a142ac1589fb9 0 1 830 790 2009-12-30T13:42:35Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> ==Index== ===[[Portal:Daoist History and Development| Daoist History and Development]]=== ===[[Portal:Daoist Beliefs| Daoist Beliefs]]=== ===[[Portal:Daoist Scriptures| Daoist Scriptures]]=== ===[[Portal:Immortals| Immortals]]=== ===[[Portal:Temples and Sacred Places| Temples and Sacred Places]]=== ===[[Portal:Religious Practise| Religious Practise]]=== ===[[Portal:Daoist Rituals| Daoist Rituals]]=== ===[[Portal:Daoist Music| Daoist Music]]=== ===[[Portal:Daoist Literature| Daoist Literature]]=== ===[[Portal:Academic Research on Daoism| Academic Research on Daoism]]=== [[zh:首頁]] 5c247af76f8274d2ca1eeaadf0f7122c85a71727 833 830 2020-07-22T07:50:27Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <div class="nomobile"> <div style="white-space: nowrap; padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; overflow-x: auto; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; width: 380px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="font-weight: bold; color: black; font-size:95%;">The Daoist Encyclopedia</div> <div style="font-size: 150%;">[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">已有[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;"><b>{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</b></span>]] articles in English</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mobileonly"> <div style="white-space: nowrap; padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; width: 280px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="font-weight: bold; color: black; font-size:95%;">道教百科全書網站</div> <div style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 150%;">[[首頁|道教文化中心資料庫]]</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">已有[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;">{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</span>]]篇中文條目</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 auto; text-align: center;">[[Portal:Daoist History and Development|History]] | [[Portal:Daoist Beliefs|Beliefs]] | [[Portal:Daoist Scriptures|Scriptures]] | [[Portal:Immortals|Immortals]] | [[Portal:Temples and Sacred Places|Temples and Sacred Places]] | [[Portal:Religious Practise|Religious Practise]] | [[Portal:Daoist Rituals|Rituals]] | [[Portal:Daoist Music|Music]] | [[Portal:Daoist Literature|Literature]] | [[Portal:Academic Research on Daoism|Research]]</div> 78ac938161bbb5e7c980ba266a549402b5dba8a6 834 833 2020-07-22T07:51:11Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <div class="nomobile"> <div style="white-space: nowrap; padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; overflow-x: auto; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; width: 380px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="font-weight: bold; color: black; font-size:95%;">The Daoist Encyclopedia</div> <div style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 150%;">[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">已有[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;"><b>{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</b></span>]] articles in English</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mobileonly"> <div style="white-space: nowrap; padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; width: 280px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="font-weight: bold; color: black; font-size:95%;">道教百科全書網站</div> <div style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 150%;">[[首頁|道教文化中心資料庫]]</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">已有[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;">{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</span>]]篇中文條目</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 auto; text-align: center;">[[Portal:Daoist History and Development|History]] | [[Portal:Daoist Beliefs|Beliefs]] | [[Portal:Daoist Scriptures|Scriptures]] | [[Portal:Immortals|Immortals]] | [[Portal:Temples and Sacred Places|Temples and Sacred Places]] | [[Portal:Religious Practise|Religious Practise]] | [[Portal:Daoist Rituals|Rituals]] | [[Portal:Daoist Music|Music]] | [[Portal:Daoist Literature|Literature]] | [[Portal:Academic Research on Daoism|Research]]</div> de52ba186a7478eea652efe2d38aa7afd947124e 835 834 2020-07-22T07:52:32Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <div class="nomobile"> <div style="white-space: nowrap; padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; overflow-x: auto; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; width: 380px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="font-weight: bold; color: black; font-size:95%;">The Daoist Encyclopedia</div> <div style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 150%;">[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">已有[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;"><b>{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</b></span>]] articles in English</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mobileonly"> <div style="white-space: nowrap; padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; width: 380px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="font-weight: bold; color: black; font-size:95%;">道教百科全書網站</div> <div style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 150%;">[[首頁|道教文化中心資料庫]]</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">已有[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;">{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</span>]]篇中文條目</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 auto; text-align: center;">[[Portal:Daoist History and Development|History]] | [[Portal:Daoist Beliefs|Beliefs]] | [[Portal:Daoist Scriptures|Scriptures]] | [[Portal:Immortals|Immortals]] | [[Portal:Temples and Sacred Places|Temples and Sacred Places]] | [[Portal:Religious Practise|Religious Practise]] | [[Portal:Daoist Rituals|Rituals]] | [[Portal:Daoist Music|Music]] | [[Portal:Daoist Literature|Literature]] | [[Portal:Academic Research on Daoism|Research]]</div> 70457fa750e3dcd6c4ae7cef684092a648d6eac8 836 835 2020-07-22T07:52:44Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <div class="nomobile"> <div style="white-space: nowrap; padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; overflow-x: auto; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; width: 380px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="font-weight: bold; color: black; font-size:95%;">The Daoist Encyclopedia</div> <div style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 150%;">[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;"><b>{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</b></span>]] articles in English</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mobileonly"> <div style="white-space: nowrap; padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; width: 380px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="font-weight: bold; color: black; font-size:95%;">道教百科全書網站</div> <div style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 150%;">[[首頁|道教文化中心資料庫]]</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">已有[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;">{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</span>]]篇中文條目</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 auto; text-align: center;">[[Portal:Daoist History and Development|History]] | [[Portal:Daoist Beliefs|Beliefs]] | [[Portal:Daoist Scriptures|Scriptures]] | [[Portal:Immortals|Immortals]] | [[Portal:Temples and Sacred Places|Temples and Sacred Places]] | [[Portal:Religious Practise|Religious Practise]] | [[Portal:Daoist Rituals|Rituals]] | [[Portal:Daoist Music|Music]] | [[Portal:Daoist Literature|Literature]] | [[Portal:Academic Research on Daoism|Research]]</div> c5900c60b89ceecfa05f52b37fb90d88c628b2f5 839 836 2020-07-22T08:01:23Z Admin 1 Undo revision 836 by [[Special:Contributions/Admin|Admin]] ([[User talk:Admin|talk]]) wikitext text/x-wiki <div class="nomobile"> <div style="white-space: nowrap; padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; overflow-x: auto; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; width: 380px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="font-weight: bold; color: black; font-size:95%;">The Daoist Encyclopedia</div> <div style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 150%;">[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">已有[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;"><b>{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</b></span>]] articles in English</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mobileonly"> <div style="white-space: nowrap; padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; width: 380px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="font-weight: bold; color: black; font-size:95%;">道教百科全書網站</div> <div style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 150%;">[[首頁|道教文化中心資料庫]]</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">已有[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;">{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</span>]]篇中文條目</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 auto; text-align: center;">[[Portal:Daoist History and Development|History]] | [[Portal:Daoist Beliefs|Beliefs]] | [[Portal:Daoist Scriptures|Scriptures]] | [[Portal:Immortals|Immortals]] | [[Portal:Temples and Sacred Places|Temples and Sacred Places]] | [[Portal:Religious Practise|Religious Practise]] | [[Portal:Daoist Rituals|Rituals]] | [[Portal:Daoist Music|Music]] | [[Portal:Daoist Literature|Literature]] | [[Portal:Academic Research on Daoism|Research]]</div> 70457fa750e3dcd6c4ae7cef684092a648d6eac8 840 839 2020-07-22T08:02:18Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> ==Index== ===[[Portal:Daoist History and Development| Daoist History and Development]]=== ===[[Portal:Daoist Beliefs| Daoist Beliefs]]=== ===[[Portal:Daoist Scriptures| Daoist Scriptures]]=== ===[[Portal:Immortals| Immortals]]=== ===[[Portal:Temples and Sacred Places| Temples and Sacred Places]]=== ===[[Portal:Religious Practise| Religious Practise]]=== ===[[Portal:Daoist Rituals| Daoist Rituals]]=== ===[[Portal:Daoist Music| Daoist Music]]=== ===[[Portal:Daoist Literature| Daoist Literature]]=== ===[[Portal:Academic Research on Daoism| Academic Research on Daoism]]=== [[zh:首頁]] 5c247af76f8274d2ca1eeaadf0f7122c85a71727 8 643 841 2020-07-22T08:10:11Z Admin 1 Created page with "/* CSS placed here will affect users of the mobile site */ @media screen and (min-width: 720px) .header .branding-box { width: 18.0625em; }" css text/css /* CSS placed here will affect users of the mobile site */ @media screen and (min-width: 720px) .header .branding-box { width: 18.0625em; } b359a270942b34e52b34a2376cdea28dd0a33af6 842 841 2020-07-22T08:10:45Z Admin 1 css text/css /* CSS placed here will affect users of the mobile site */ cbf473d51de0abebd9e7fa2a85b9888e9dd19f75 8 644 843 2020-07-22T08:10:52Z Admin 1 Created page with "/* CSS placed here will be applied to all skins */ @media screen and (min-width: 720px) .header .branding-box { width: 18.0625em; }" css text/css /* CSS placed here will be applied to all skins */ @media screen and (min-width: 720px) .header .branding-box { width: 18.0625em; } fdacaaaa26cf3ff903eb121753a667cf1ac51d9c 844 843 2020-07-22T10:30:39Z Admin 1 css text/css /* CSS placed here will be applied to all skins */ f23a4358c198efde0025fa6fb8082854aa392a65 0 629 854 853 2020-07-23T07:41:13Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki {{#css: .content li { margin-left: 8px; } .content table { display: table !important; } }} <mobileonly> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Daoist Beliefs--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa; margin: 0; " |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Daoist Beliefs]]</h2> |- | Daoism is an ancient religion with rich and mature contents. It has a very systematic system of Doctrines and Teachings (教理教義 Jiaoli Jiaoyi), corresponding to the theology of the West. These include faith in Dao and the concomitant Cosmogony and theories on the origin of the creation of all beings and transformations; faith in Immortals (神仙 Shenxian); ideals of human society; advocacy of human values, and so on. Each of the latter has several interrelated aspects, forming a complete system. Owing to historical differences, to different trends in Daoism at different times, and to different sects, different Daoist theorists and leaders have had divergences of opinion stemming from their different understanding of their faith. However, with regards to the aforementioned basic aspects of Daoist faith, all Daoists are in basic agreement. In the following presentation of Daoist creeds, we will limit ourselves to commonly shared teachings while, when necessary, presenting some unique perspectives. |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--The Great Dao--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[The Great Dao]]</h2> |- | *[[The Substance of Dao]] *[[Original Meaning of Dao]] *[[Laozi’s Creative Use of The Concept of Dao]] *[[The Main Meaning of the Concept of Dao]] *[[The Major Functions of Dao]] *[[Virtue]] *[[The Significance of Virtue]] *[[Expression of the Unity of Dao and Virtue]] *[[Dao is ruled by Spontaneity]] *[[The Significance of Spontaneity]] *[[Observing the Way of Heaven and Following its Motions]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Cosmogony--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Cosmogony]]</h2> |- | *[[The Creation of the World]] *[[Formation of the Daoist Theory of Universal Evolution]] *[[The Process of The Creation of the World]] *[[The Thirty-six Heavens]] *[[The Netherworld]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate]]</h2> |- | *[[Vital Breath]] *[[The Infinite and the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[The Infinite]] *[[The Supreme Ultimate and the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[Yin-Yang and the Five Agents]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第四行--> <!--Social Ideals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Social Ideals]]</h2> |- | *[[The Ideal of Supreme Peace]] *[[Purity, Tranquility and Non-interference]] *[[Salvation of Humanity]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第三行--> |- <!--Ethical Education and Practise--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Ethical Education and Practise]]</h2> |- | *[[Accumulation of Hidden Merits]] *[[The Secret Meaning of Karma]] *[[Norms for Doing Good Works]] *[[Methods of Doing Good Works]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--Philosophy of Life--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Philosophy of Life]]</h2> |- | *[[Understanding Dao and Establishing Virtue]] *[[Education by Daoist Enlightenment]] |} |} </mobileonly> d74567aaf8df1a96e1c6091828180c5adf6e2343 855 854 2020-07-23T07:41:47Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> <nomobile> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Daoist Beliefs--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Daoist Beliefs]]</h2> |- | Daoism is an ancient religion with rich and mature contents. It has a very systematic system of Doctrines and Teachings (教理教義 Jiaoli Jiaoyi), corresponding to the theology of the West. These include faith in Dao and the concomitant Cosmogony and theories on the origin of the creation of all beings and transformations; faith in Immortals (神仙 Shenxian); ideals of human society; advocacy of human values, and so on. Each of the latter has several interrelated aspects, forming a complete system. Owing to historical differences, to different trends in Daoism at different times, and to different sects, different Daoist theorists and leaders have had divergences of opinion stemming from their different understanding of their faith. However, with regards to the aforementioned basic aspects of Daoist faith, all Daoists are in basic agreement. In the following presentation of Daoist creeds, we will limit ourselves to commonly shared teachings while, when necessary, presenting some unique perspectives. |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--The Great Dao--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[The Great Dao]]</h2> |- | *[[The Substance of Dao]] *[[Original Meaning of Dao]] *[[Laozi’s Creative Use of The Concept of Dao]] *[[The Main Meaning of the Concept of Dao]] *[[The Major Functions of Dao]] *[[Virtue]] *[[The Significance of Virtue]] *[[Expression of the Unity of Dao and Virtue]] *[[Dao is ruled by Spontaneity]] *[[The Significance of Spontaneity]] *[[Observing the Way of Heaven and Following its Motions]] |} <!--Cosmogony--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Cosmogony]]</h2> |- | *[[The Creation of the World]] *[[Formation of the Daoist Theory of Universal Evolution]] *[[The Process of The Creation of the World]] *[[The Thirty-six Heavens]] *[[The Netherworld]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate]]</h2> |- | *[[Vital Breath]] *[[The Infinite and the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[The Infinite]] *[[The Supreme Ultimate and the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[Yin-Yang and the Five Agents]] |} <!--Social Ideals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Social Ideals]]</h2> |- | *[[The Ideal of Supreme Peace]] *[[Purity, Tranquility and Non-interference]] *[[Salvation of Humanity]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Ethical Education and Practise--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Ethical Education and Practise]]</h2> |- | *[[Accumulation of Hidden Merits]] *[[The Secret Meaning of Karma]] *[[Norms for Doing Good Works]] *[[Methods of Doing Good Works]] |} <!--Philosophy of Life--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Philosophy of Life]]</h2> |- | *[[Understanding Dao and Establishing Virtue]] *[[Education by Daoist Enlightenment]] |} |} </nomobile> {{#css: .content li { margin-left: 8px; } .content table { display: table !important; } }} <mobileonly> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Daoist Beliefs--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa; margin: 0; " |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Daoist Beliefs]]</h2> |- | Daoism is an ancient religion with rich and mature contents. It has a very systematic system of Doctrines and Teachings (教理教義 Jiaoli Jiaoyi), corresponding to the theology of the West. These include faith in Dao and the concomitant Cosmogony and theories on the origin of the creation of all beings and transformations; faith in Immortals (神仙 Shenxian); ideals of human society; advocacy of human values, and so on. Each of the latter has several interrelated aspects, forming a complete system. Owing to historical differences, to different trends in Daoism at different times, and to different sects, different Daoist theorists and leaders have had divergences of opinion stemming from their different understanding of their faith. However, with regards to the aforementioned basic aspects of Daoist faith, all Daoists are in basic agreement. In the following presentation of Daoist creeds, we will limit ourselves to commonly shared teachings while, when necessary, presenting some unique perspectives. |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--The Great Dao--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[The Great Dao]]</h2> |- | *[[The Substance of Dao]] *[[Original Meaning of Dao]] *[[Laozi’s Creative Use of The Concept of Dao]] *[[The Main Meaning of the Concept of Dao]] *[[The Major Functions of Dao]] *[[Virtue]] *[[The Significance of Virtue]] *[[Expression of the Unity of Dao and Virtue]] *[[Dao is ruled by Spontaneity]] *[[The Significance of Spontaneity]] *[[Observing the Way of Heaven and Following its Motions]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Cosmogony--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Cosmogony]]</h2> |- | *[[The Creation of the World]] *[[Formation of the Daoist Theory of Universal Evolution]] *[[The Process of The Creation of the World]] *[[The Thirty-six Heavens]] *[[The Netherworld]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate]]</h2> |- | *[[Vital Breath]] *[[The Infinite and the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[The Infinite]] *[[The Supreme Ultimate and the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[Yin-Yang and the Five Agents]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第四行--> <!--Social Ideals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Social Ideals]]</h2> |- | *[[The Ideal of Supreme Peace]] *[[Purity, Tranquility and Non-interference]] *[[Salvation of Humanity]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第三行--> |- <!--Ethical Education and Practise--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Ethical Education and Practise]]</h2> |- | *[[Accumulation of Hidden Merits]] *[[The Secret Meaning of Karma]] *[[Norms for Doing Good Works]] *[[Methods of Doing Good Works]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--Philosophy of Life--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Philosophy of Life]]</h2> |- | *[[Understanding Dao and Establishing Virtue]] *[[Education by Daoist Enlightenment]] |} |} </mobileonly> f28d381a92902c276e2364db9f4dee13d1863674 857 855 2020-07-23T07:49:36Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> <nomobile> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Daoist Beliefs--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Daoist Beliefs]]</h2> |- | Daoism is an ancient religion with rich and mature contents. It has a very systematic system of Doctrines and Teachings (教理教義 Jiaoli Jiaoyi), corresponding to the theology of the West. These include faith in Dao and the concomitant Cosmogony and theories on the origin of the creation of all beings and transformations; faith in Immortals (神仙 Shenxian); ideals of human society; advocacy of human values, and so on. Each of the latter has several interrelated aspects, forming a complete system. Owing to historical differences, to different trends in Daoism at different times, and to different sects, different Daoist theorists and leaders have had divergences of opinion stemming from their different understanding of their faith. However, with regards to the aforementioned basic aspects of Daoist faith, all Daoists are in basic agreement. In the following presentation of Daoist creeds, we will limit ourselves to commonly shared teachings while, when necessary, presenting some unique perspectives. |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--The Great Dao--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[The Great Dao]]</h2> |- | *[[The Substance of Dao]] *[[Original Meaning of Dao]] *[[Laozi’s Creative Use of The Concept of Dao]] *[[The Main Meaning of the Concept of Dao]] *[[The Major Functions of Dao]] *[[Virtue]] *[[The Significance of Virtue]] *[[Expression of the Unity of Dao and Virtue]] *[[Dao is ruled by Spontaneity]] *[[The Significance of Spontaneity]] *[[Observing the Way of Heaven and Following its Motions]] |} <!--Cosmogony--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Cosmogony]]</h2> |- | *[[The Creation of the World]] *[[Formation of the Daoist Theory of Universal Evolution]] *[[The Process of The Creation of the World]] *[[The Thirty-six Heavens]] *[[The Netherworld]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate]]</h2> |- | *[[Vital Breath]] *[[The Infinite and the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[The Infinite]] *[[The Supreme Ultimate and the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[Yin-Yang and the Five Agents]] |} <!--Social Ideals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Social Ideals]]</h2> |- | *[[The Ideal of Supreme Peace]] *[[Purity, Tranquility and Non-interference]] *[[Salvation of Humanity]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Ethical Education and Practise--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Ethical Education and Practise]]</h2> |- | *[[Accumulation of Hidden Merits]] *[[The Secret Meaning of Karma]] *[[Norms for Doing Good Works]] *[[Methods of Doing Good Works]] |} <!--Philosophy of Life--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Philosophy of Life]]</h2> |- | *[[Understanding Dao and Establishing Virtue]] *[[Education by Daoist Enlightenment]] |} |} </nomobile> {{#css: .content li { margin-left: 8px; } .content table { display: table !important; } }} <mobileonly> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Daoist Beliefs--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa; margin: 0; " |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Daoist Beliefs]]</h2> |- | Daoism is an ancient religion with rich and mature contents. It has a very systematic system of Doctrines and Teachings (教理教義 Jiaoli Jiaoyi), corresponding to the theology of the West. These include faith in Dao and the concomitant Cosmogony and theories on the origin of the creation of all beings and transformations; faith in Immortals (神仙 Shenxian); ideals of human society; advocacy of human values, and so on. Each of the latter has several interrelated aspects, forming a complete system. Owing to historical differences, to different trends in Daoism at different times, and to different sects, different Daoist theorists and leaders have had divergences of opinion stemming from their different understanding of their faith. However, with regards to the aforementioned basic aspects of Daoist faith, all Daoists are in basic agreement. In the following presentation of Daoist creeds, we will limit ourselves to commonly shared teachings while, when necessary, presenting some unique perspectives. |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--The Great Dao--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[The Great Dao]]</h2> |- | *[[The Substance of Dao]] *[[Original Meaning of Dao]] *[[Laozi’s Creative Use of The Concept of Dao]] *[[The Main Meaning of the Concept of Dao]] *[[The Major Functions of Dao]] *[[Virtue]] *[[The Significance of Virtue]] *[[Expression of the Unity of Dao and Virtue]] *[[Dao is ruled by Spontaneity]] *[[The Significance of Spontaneity]] *[[Observing the Way of Heaven and Following its Motions]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Cosmogony--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Cosmogony]]</h2> |- | *[[The Creation of the World]] *[[Formation of the Daoist Theory of Universal Evolution]] *[[The Process of The Creation of the World]] *[[The Thirty-six Heavens]] *[[The Netherworld]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate]]</h2> |- | *[[Vital Breath]] *[[The Infinite and the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[The Infinite]] *[[The Supreme Ultimate and the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[Yin-Yang and the Five Agents]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第四行--> <!--Social Ideals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Social Ideals]]</h2> |- | *[[The Ideal of Supreme Peace]] *[[Purity, Tranquility and Non-interference]] *[[Salvation of Humanity]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第三行--> |- <!--Ethical Education and Practise--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Ethical Education and Practise]]</h2> |- | *[[Accumulation of Hidden Merits]] *[[The Secret Meaning of Karma]] *[[Norms for Doing Good Works]] *[[Methods of Doing Good Works]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--Philosophy of Life--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Philosophy of Life]]</h2> |- | *[[Understanding Dao and Establishing Virtue]] *[[Education by Daoist Enlightenment]] |} |} </mobileonly> bfeb30a4aca56963d79d4899018303f33394bc0b 859 857 2020-07-23T07:52:32Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> <nomobile> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Daoist Beliefs--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Daoist Beliefs]]</h2> |- | Daoism is an ancient religion with rich and mature contents. It has a very systematic system of Doctrines and Teachings (教理教義 Jiaoli Jiaoyi), corresponding to the theology of the West. These include faith in Dao and the concomitant Cosmogony and theories on the origin of the creation of all beings and transformations; faith in Immortals (神仙 Shenxian); ideals of human society; advocacy of human values, and so on. Each of the latter has several interrelated aspects, forming a complete system. Owing to historical differences, to different trends in Daoism at different times, and to different sects, different Daoist theorists and leaders have had divergences of opinion stemming from their different understanding of their faith. However, with regards to the aforementioned basic aspects of Daoist faith, all Daoists are in basic agreement. In the following presentation of Daoist creeds, we will limit ourselves to commonly shared teachings while, when necessary, presenting some unique perspectives. |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--The Great Dao--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[The Great Dao]]</h2> |- | *[[The Substance of Dao]] *[[Original Meaning of Dao]] *[[Laozi’s Creative Use of The Concept of Dao]] *[[The Main Meaning of the Concept of Dao]] *[[The Major Functions of Dao]] *[[Virtue]] *[[The Significance of Virtue]] *[[Expression of the Unity of Dao and Virtue]] *[[Dao is ruled by Spontaneity]] *[[The Significance of Spontaneity]] *[[Observing the Way of Heaven and Following its Motions]] |} <!--Cosmogony--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Cosmogony]]</h2> |- | *[[The Creation of the World]] *[[Formation of the Daoist Theory of Universal Evolution]] *[[The Process of The Creation of the World]] *[[The Thirty-six Heavens]] *[[The Netherworld]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate]]</h2> |- | *[[Vital Breath]] *[[The Infinite and the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[The Infinite]] *[[The Supreme Ultimate and the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[Yin-Yang and the Five Agents]] |} <!--Social Ideals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Social Ideals]]</h2> |- | *[[The Ideal of Supreme Peace]] *[[Purity, Tranquility and Non-interference]] *[[Salvation of Humanity]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Ethical Education and Practise--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Ethical Education and Practise]]</h2> |- | *[[Accumulation of Hidden Merits]] *[[The Secret Meaning of Karma]] *[[Norms for Doing Good Works]] *[[Methods of Doing Good Works]] |} <!--Philosophy of Life--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Philosophy of Life]]</h2> |- | *[[Understanding Dao and Establishing Virtue]] *[[Education by Daoist Enlightenment]] |} |} </nomobile> {{#css: .content li { margin-left: 8px; } .content table { margin-top: 0px; display: table !important; } }} <mobileonly> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Daoist Beliefs--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa; margin: 0; " |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Daoist Beliefs]]</h2> |- | Daoism is an ancient religion with rich and mature contents. It has a very systematic system of Doctrines and Teachings (教理教義 Jiaoli Jiaoyi), corresponding to the theology of the West. These include faith in Dao and the concomitant Cosmogony and theories on the origin of the creation of all beings and transformations; faith in Immortals (神仙 Shenxian); ideals of human society; advocacy of human values, and so on. Each of the latter has several interrelated aspects, forming a complete system. Owing to historical differences, to different trends in Daoism at different times, and to different sects, different Daoist theorists and leaders have had divergences of opinion stemming from their different understanding of their faith. However, with regards to the aforementioned basic aspects of Daoist faith, all Daoists are in basic agreement. In the following presentation of Daoist creeds, we will limit ourselves to commonly shared teachings while, when necessary, presenting some unique perspectives. |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--The Great Dao--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[The Great Dao]]</h2> |- | *[[The Substance of Dao]] *[[Original Meaning of Dao]] *[[Laozi’s Creative Use of The Concept of Dao]] *[[The Main Meaning of the Concept of Dao]] *[[The Major Functions of Dao]] *[[Virtue]] *[[The Significance of Virtue]] *[[Expression of the Unity of Dao and Virtue]] *[[Dao is ruled by Spontaneity]] *[[The Significance of Spontaneity]] *[[Observing the Way of Heaven and Following its Motions]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Cosmogony--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Cosmogony]]</h2> |- | *[[The Creation of the World]] *[[Formation of the Daoist Theory of Universal Evolution]] *[[The Process of The Creation of the World]] *[[The Thirty-six Heavens]] *[[The Netherworld]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Yin-Yang and the Supreme Ultimate]]</h2> |- | *[[Vital Breath]] *[[The Infinite and the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[The Infinite]] *[[The Supreme Ultimate and the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate]] *[[Yin-Yang and the Five Agents]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第四行--> <!--Social Ideals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Social Ideals]]</h2> |- | *[[The Ideal of Supreme Peace]] *[[Purity, Tranquility and Non-interference]] *[[Salvation of Humanity]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--第三行--> |- <!--Ethical Education and Practise--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Ethical Education and Practise]]</h2> |- | *[[Accumulation of Hidden Merits]] *[[The Secret Meaning of Karma]] *[[Norms for Doing Good Works]] *[[Methods of Doing Good Works]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px;" <!--Philosophy of Life--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Philosophy of Life]]</h2> |- | *[[Understanding Dao and Establishing Virtue]] *[[Education by Daoist Enlightenment]] |} |} </mobileonly> 20f9e5ad19080aebe15d635cbedd5bdf1f54ec3c 0 630 856 825 2020-07-23T07:48:53Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> <nomobile> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Daoist Scriptures--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Scriptures</h2> |- | [[Daoist Scriptures]] are both the written records of Daoist teachings and records of Daoist history. In the course of their origination, formation and evolution, they have been classified according to specific categories to form the Daoist Canon (道藏 Daozang). During this process, their social influence spread. Some Daoist scriptures even spread overseas so as to promote the cultural communication between China and foreign countries. In addition to their religious value, Daoist scriptures are also valuable as historic materials in Chinese social history and history of philosophy. What is even more valuable is that a large quantity of Chinese ancient technological data indispensable to the study of Chinese technological history has been kept in Daoist scriptures. Plenty of precious materials about Chinese ancient literature and arts can also be found in Daoist scriptures. As a “museum” of Chinese traditional culture, Daoist scriptures are all-inclusive. They are a treasure for us to understand not only Daoism but also Chinese culture. |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--The Daoist Canon--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] The Daoist Canon</h2> |- | *[[The Daoist Canon]] |} <!--道家思想--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Philosophy</h2> |- | *[[The Book of Dao and its Virtue (Laozi)]] *[[Cheng Xuanying’s Commentary on the Laozi]] *[[Li Rong’s Notes on the Laozi]] *[[Xiang’er’s Commentary on Laozi]] *[[The Perfect Book of Nanhua (Zhuangzi)]] *[[The Perfect Book of the Higher Virtue of Emptiness]] *[[The Book of Secret Correspondences]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Major Scriptures--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Major Scriptures</h2> |- | *[[The Book of Changes]] *[[The Perfect Book of Master Dongling]] *[[The Lofty and Sublime Book of the Limitless Salvation]] *[[The Perfect Book of the Great Grotto of the Highest Clarity]] *[[The Book of the Yellow Court]] *[[The Sublime book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign’s Teachings on Eternal Purity and Tranquility]] *[[The Original Deeds of the Lofty Jade Emperor]] *[[The Book of the Three Emperors]] *[[The Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]] *[[On Realizing Perfection]] *[[Scriptures for the Morning and Evening Rites of the Complete Perfection]] *[[Scriptures for the Morning and Evening Rites of the Orthodox Oneness]] *[[The Perfect Book of Communion with the Mystery]] *[[The Book of Supreme Peace]] *[[The Master Who Embraces Simplicity]] *[[The Book of Western Ascension]] *[[Declarations of the Perfected]] *[[The Supreme Venerable Sovereign’s Book of Commandments for Chanting]] *[[The Book of Laozi’s Conversion of the Barbarians]] *[[The Book of Divine Incantations of the Supreme Pervasive Abyss]] *[[On Sitting in Oblivion]] *[[On the Mysterious Matrix]] *[[The Transmission of Dao by Zhongli Chuan and Lü Dongbin]] *[[The Book of the Five Dippers]] *[[Chongyang’s Compilation of the Complete Perfection]] *[[Essays on Harmony]] *[[Preface to All Daoist Scriptures]] *[[The Thirty-Six Revered Scriptures]] *[[Secret Formulas for Attaining Perfection]] *[[Extracts on Nourishing Spiritual Nature and Prolonging Bodily Life]] *[[Essential Secrets of the Most High]] *[[Hidden Prescriptions for Nourishing Life]] *[[Inscription on Visualising Spirits and Refining Vital Breath]] *[[Prologue to the Sublime Glossary of All Daoist Scriptures]] *[[Records of Mysterious Pearls]] *[[On the Essential Meaning of Ingesting Vital Breath]] *[[The Heavenly Hermit]] *[[On the Possibility of Learning to be an Immortal]] *[[The Pivotal Meaning of the Daoist Doctrine]] *[[The Purse of Pearls from the Three Grottoes]] *[[The Sublime Book of the Mind’s Correspondence with the Nine Supreme Essentials]] *[[Evidential Miracles in Support of Daoism]] *[[The Elixir Mirror]] *[[The Book of Transformations]] *[[The Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel]] *[[The Rhyme for Dispelling Illusion and Rectifying Dao]] *[[Ten Books on the Cultivation of Perfection]] *[[Record of the Realization of Perfection by the Concourse of Immortals of West Mountain]] *[[Tablet of Cui Xu]] *[[The Pivot of Dao]] *[[Collection on Daoist External Alchemy]] *[[Fifteen Essays by Wang Chongyang on the Establishment of the Complete Perfection Teaching]] *[[Direct Pointers to the Great Elixir]] *[[Journey to the West of the Perfect Man of Eternal Spring]] *[[The Essence of the Book of Changes from the Three Heavens]] *[[On Dispelling Doubts and Guiding the Errant]] *[[Extraordinary Supplementary Commentary on the Book of Changes]] *[[The Transmission of Daoist Skills from Heart to Heart]] *[[Records of the Mysterious Hierarchy]] *[[The Record of the Dadi Grotto Heaven]] *[[Records of the Orthodox Sect of the Golden Lotus]] *[[Great Essentials for the Golden Elixir]] *[[The Triple Origin Book of Assistance to Prolonging Life]] *[[The Lineage of the Han Celestial Masters]] *[[Essential Formulas of the Golden Elixir]] *[[The Yellow Emperor’s Book of Formulas of the Divine Elixir of the Nine Cauldrons]] *[[The Supreme Book of Nourishing Life and Embryonic Breathing]] *[[The Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign’s Spontaneous Arising from the Root of Emptiness]] *[[The Highest Ancient Scripture of the Dragon and Tiger]] *[[The Secretly Transmitted Complete Numinous Treasure Skills of Perfect Man Zhengyang]] *[[The Book of Master Tuo Yue]] *[[Book of Rituals of the Orthodox Oneness]] *[[Pointers on Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] |} <!--Biographies of Immortals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Biographies of Immortals</h2> |- | *[[Biographies of Various Immortals]] *[[Biographies of the Immortals]] *[[Supplement to the Biographies of the Immortals]] *[[The Legendary Biographies of the Immortals]] *[[Record of the Assembled Female Immortals of the Walled City]] *[[The Comprehensive Mirror of Perfect Immortals Who Embodied the Dao]] *[[Record of the Immortals of the Three Grottoes]] *[[The Sacred Records about the Emperor of Original Chaos]] *[[Biography of Perfect Man Ye of the Tang Dynasty]] *[[Collection of Stories from the Garden of Immortals]] *[[Chart of the Ranks of the Perfect Souls]] *[[Biographies of the Pervasive Immortals]] *[[The Comprehensive Collection of Investigations into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines since their Origin]] *[[Record of the Immortals Encountered at Ganshui]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Scriptures on Ritual--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Scriptures on Ritual</h2> |- | *[[The Great Collection of Daoist Rituals]] *[[Daoist Regulations]] *[[The Jade Remorse of the Numinous Treasure]] *[[Great Law of the Numinous Treasure of the Highest Clarity]] *[[Guangcheng’s Compilation of Rituals]] *[[The Great Collection of Daoist Skills]] *[[General Treatise on the Transmission of the Scriptures, Commandments and Registers of the Three Grottoes]] *[[Instructions for Conducting the Three Grottoes True Writs Five Skills Ritual of the Mighty Commonwealth of the Orthodox Oneness]] *[[Rules for the Use of the Ritual Robe of the Three Grottoes]] *[[Various Commandments of the Three Grottoes]] *[[Extracts of the Chief Rituals and Commandments]] |} <!--Moralistic Storybooks--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Moralistic Storybooks</h2> |- | *[[On Supreme Correspondence]] *[[Ledger of Merits and Demerits]] *[[The Book of Enlightenment and the Dissemination of Belief in the Emperor Guan]] *[[The Precious Repentance of Patriarch Lu]]) |} |} </nomobile> {{#css: .content li { margin-left: 8px; } .content table { display: table !important; } }} <mobileonly> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Daoist Scriptures--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0px; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Scriptures</h2> |- | [[Daoist Scriptures]] are both the written records of Daoist teachings and records of Daoist history. In the course of their origination, formation and evolution, they have been classified according to specific categories to form the Daoist Canon (道藏 Daozang). During this process, their social influence spread. Some Daoist scriptures even spread overseas so as to promote the cultural communication between China and foreign countries. In addition to their religious value, Daoist scriptures are also valuable as historic materials in Chinese social history and history of philosophy. What is even more valuable is that a large quantity of Chinese ancient technological data indispensable to the study of Chinese technological history has been kept in Daoist scriptures. Plenty of precious materials about Chinese ancient literature and arts can also be found in Daoist scriptures. As a “museum” of Chinese traditional culture, Daoist scriptures are all-inclusive. They are a treasure for us to understand not only Daoism but also Chinese culture. |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--The Daoist Canon--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0px; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] The Daoist Canon</h2> |- | *[[The Daoist Canon]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--道家思想--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Philosophy</h2> |- | *[[The Book of Dao and its Virtue (Laozi)]] *[[Cheng Xuanying’s Commentary on the Laozi]] *[[Li Rong’s Notes on the Laozi]] *[[Xiang’er’s Commentary on Laozi]] *[[The Perfect Book of Nanhua (Zhuangzi)]] *[[The Perfect Book of the Higher Virtue of Emptiness]] *[[The Book of Secret Correspondences]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第二行--> |- <!--Major Scriptures--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0px; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Major Scriptures</h2> |- | *[[The Book of Changes]] *[[The Perfect Book of Master Dongling]] *[[The Lofty and Sublime Book of the Limitless Salvation]] *[[The Perfect Book of the Great Grotto of the Highest Clarity]] *[[The Book of the Yellow Court]] *[[The Sublime book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign’s Teachings on Eternal Purity and Tranquility]] *[[The Original Deeds of the Lofty Jade Emperor]] *[[The Book of the Three Emperors]] *[[The Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]] *[[On Realizing Perfection]] *[[Scriptures for the Morning and Evening Rites of the Complete Perfection]] *[[Scriptures for the Morning and Evening Rites of the Orthodox Oneness]] *[[The Perfect Book of Communion with the Mystery]] *[[The Book of Supreme Peace]] *[[The Master Who Embraces Simplicity]] *[[The Book of Western Ascension]] *[[Declarations of the Perfected]] *[[The Supreme Venerable Sovereign’s Book of Commandments for Chanting]] *[[The Book of Laozi’s Conversion of the Barbarians]] *[[The Book of Divine Incantations of the Supreme Pervasive Abyss]] *[[On Sitting in Oblivion]] *[[On the Mysterious Matrix]] *[[The Transmission of Dao by Zhongli Chuan and Lü Dongbin]] *[[The Book of the Five Dippers]] *[[Chongyang’s Compilation of the Complete Perfection]] *[[Essays on Harmony]] *[[Preface to All Daoist Scriptures]] *[[The Thirty-Six Revered Scriptures]] *[[Secret Formulas for Attaining Perfection]] *[[Extracts on Nourishing Spiritual Nature and Prolonging Bodily Life]] *[[Essential Secrets of the Most High]] *[[Hidden Prescriptions for Nourishing Life]] *[[Inscription on Visualising Spirits and Refining Vital Breath]] *[[Prologue to the Sublime Glossary of All Daoist Scriptures]] *[[Records of Mysterious Pearls]] *[[On the Essential Meaning of Ingesting Vital Breath]] *[[The Heavenly Hermit]] *[[On the Possibility of Learning to be an Immortal]] *[[The Pivotal Meaning of the Daoist Doctrine]] *[[The Purse of Pearls from the Three Grottoes]] *[[The Sublime Book of the Mind’s Correspondence with the Nine Supreme Essentials]] *[[Evidential Miracles in Support of Daoism]] *[[The Elixir Mirror]] *[[The Book of Transformations]] *[[The Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel]] *[[The Rhyme for Dispelling Illusion and Rectifying Dao]] *[[Ten Books on the Cultivation of Perfection]] *[[Record of the Realization of Perfection by the Concourse of Immortals of West Mountain]] *[[Tablet of Cui Xu]] *[[The Pivot of Dao]] *[[Collection on Daoist External Alchemy]] *[[Fifteen Essays by Wang Chongyang on the Establishment of the Complete Perfection Teaching]] *[[Direct Pointers to the Great Elixir]] *[[Journey to the West of the Perfect Man of Eternal Spring]] *[[The Essence of the Book of Changes from the Three Heavens]] *[[On Dispelling Doubts and Guiding the Errant]] *[[Extraordinary Supplementary Commentary on the Book of Changes]] *[[The Transmission of Daoist Skills from Heart to Heart]] *[[Records of the Mysterious Hierarchy]] *[[The Record of the Dadi Grotto Heaven]] *[[Records of the Orthodox Sect of the Golden Lotus]] *[[Great Essentials for the Golden Elixir]] *[[The Triple Origin Book of Assistance to Prolonging Life]] *[[The Lineage of the Han Celestial Masters]] *[[Essential Formulas of the Golden Elixir]] *[[The Yellow Emperor’s Book of Formulas of the Divine Elixir of the Nine Cauldrons]] *[[The Supreme Book of Nourishing Life and Embryonic Breathing]] *[[The Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign’s Spontaneous Arising from the Root of Emptiness]] *[[The Highest Ancient Scripture of the Dragon and Tiger]] *[[The Secretly Transmitted Complete Numinous Treasure Skills of Perfect Man Zhengyang]] *[[The Book of Master Tuo Yue]] *[[Book of Rituals of the Orthodox Oneness]] *[[Pointers on Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--Biographies of Immortals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0px; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Biographies of Immortals</h2> |- | *[[Biographies of Various Immortals]] *[[Biographies of the Immortals]] *[[Supplement to the Biographies of the Immortals]] *[[The Legendary Biographies of the Immortals]] *[[Record of the Assembled Female Immortals of the Walled City]] *[[The Comprehensive Mirror of Perfect Immortals Who Embodied the Dao]] *[[Record of the Immortals of the Three Grottoes]] *[[The Sacred Records about the Emperor of Original Chaos]] *[[Biography of Perfect Man Ye of the Tang Dynasty]] *[[Collection of Stories from the Garden of Immortals]] *[[Chart of the Ranks of the Perfect Souls]] *[[Biographies of the Pervasive Immortals]] *[[The Comprehensive Collection of Investigations into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines since their Origin]] *[[Record of the Immortals Encountered at Ganshui]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第三行--> |- <!--Scriptures on Ritual--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0px; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Scriptures on Ritual</h2> |- | *[[The Great Collection of Daoist Rituals]] *[[Daoist Regulations]] *[[The Jade Remorse of the Numinous Treasure]] *[[Great Law of the Numinous Treasure of the Highest Clarity]] *[[Guangcheng’s Compilation of Rituals]] *[[The Great Collection of Daoist Skills]] *[[General Treatise on the Transmission of the Scriptures, Commandments and Registers of the Three Grottoes]] *[[Instructions for Conducting the Three Grottoes True Writs Five Skills Ritual of the Mighty Commonwealth of the Orthodox Oneness]] *[[Rules for the Use of the Ritual Robe of the Three Grottoes]] *[[Various Commandments of the Three Grottoes]] *[[Extracts of the Chief Rituals and Commandments]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--Moralistic Storybooks--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0px; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Moralistic Storybooks</h2> |- | *[[On Supreme Correspondence]] *[[Ledger of Merits and Demerits]] *[[The Book of Enlightenment and the Dissemination of Belief in the Emperor Guan]] *[[The Precious Repentance of Patriarch Lu]]) |} |} </mobileonly> 7170288e0cf31a87fa11d11f08bed363f05662a4 861 856 2020-07-23T07:53:39Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> <nomobile> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Daoist Scriptures--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Scriptures</h2> |- | [[Daoist Scriptures]] are both the written records of Daoist teachings and records of Daoist history. In the course of their origination, formation and evolution, they have been classified according to specific categories to form the Daoist Canon (道藏 Daozang). During this process, their social influence spread. Some Daoist scriptures even spread overseas so as to promote the cultural communication between China and foreign countries. In addition to their religious value, Daoist scriptures are also valuable as historic materials in Chinese social history and history of philosophy. What is even more valuable is that a large quantity of Chinese ancient technological data indispensable to the study of Chinese technological history has been kept in Daoist scriptures. Plenty of precious materials about Chinese ancient literature and arts can also be found in Daoist scriptures. As a “museum” of Chinese traditional culture, Daoist scriptures are all-inclusive. They are a treasure for us to understand not only Daoism but also Chinese culture. |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--The Daoist Canon--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] The Daoist Canon</h2> |- | *[[The Daoist Canon]] |} <!--道家思想--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Philosophy</h2> |- | *[[The Book of Dao and its Virtue (Laozi)]] *[[Cheng Xuanying’s Commentary on the Laozi]] *[[Li Rong’s Notes on the Laozi]] *[[Xiang’er’s Commentary on Laozi]] *[[The Perfect Book of Nanhua (Zhuangzi)]] *[[The Perfect Book of the Higher Virtue of Emptiness]] *[[The Book of Secret Correspondences]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Major Scriptures--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Major Scriptures</h2> |- | *[[The Book of Changes]] *[[The Perfect Book of Master Dongling]] *[[The Lofty and Sublime Book of the Limitless Salvation]] *[[The Perfect Book of the Great Grotto of the Highest Clarity]] *[[The Book of the Yellow Court]] *[[The Sublime book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign’s Teachings on Eternal Purity and Tranquility]] *[[The Original Deeds of the Lofty Jade Emperor]] *[[The Book of the Three Emperors]] *[[The Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]] *[[On Realizing Perfection]] *[[Scriptures for the Morning and Evening Rites of the Complete Perfection]] *[[Scriptures for the Morning and Evening Rites of the Orthodox Oneness]] *[[The Perfect Book of Communion with the Mystery]] *[[The Book of Supreme Peace]] *[[The Master Who Embraces Simplicity]] *[[The Book of Western Ascension]] *[[Declarations of the Perfected]] *[[The Supreme Venerable Sovereign’s Book of Commandments for Chanting]] *[[The Book of Laozi’s Conversion of the Barbarians]] *[[The Book of Divine Incantations of the Supreme Pervasive Abyss]] *[[On Sitting in Oblivion]] *[[On the Mysterious Matrix]] *[[The Transmission of Dao by Zhongli Chuan and Lü Dongbin]] *[[The Book of the Five Dippers]] *[[Chongyang’s Compilation of the Complete Perfection]] *[[Essays on Harmony]] *[[Preface to All Daoist Scriptures]] *[[The Thirty-Six Revered Scriptures]] *[[Secret Formulas for Attaining Perfection]] *[[Extracts on Nourishing Spiritual Nature and Prolonging Bodily Life]] *[[Essential Secrets of the Most High]] *[[Hidden Prescriptions for Nourishing Life]] *[[Inscription on Visualising Spirits and Refining Vital Breath]] *[[Prologue to the Sublime Glossary of All Daoist Scriptures]] *[[Records of Mysterious Pearls]] *[[On the Essential Meaning of Ingesting Vital Breath]] *[[The Heavenly Hermit]] *[[On the Possibility of Learning to be an Immortal]] *[[The Pivotal Meaning of the Daoist Doctrine]] *[[The Purse of Pearls from the Three Grottoes]] *[[The Sublime Book of the Mind’s Correspondence with the Nine Supreme Essentials]] *[[Evidential Miracles in Support of Daoism]] *[[The Elixir Mirror]] *[[The Book of Transformations]] *[[The Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel]] *[[The Rhyme for Dispelling Illusion and Rectifying Dao]] *[[Ten Books on the Cultivation of Perfection]] *[[Record of the Realization of Perfection by the Concourse of Immortals of West Mountain]] *[[Tablet of Cui Xu]] *[[The Pivot of Dao]] *[[Collection on Daoist External Alchemy]] *[[Fifteen Essays by Wang Chongyang on the Establishment of the Complete Perfection Teaching]] *[[Direct Pointers to the Great Elixir]] *[[Journey to the West of the Perfect Man of Eternal Spring]] *[[The Essence of the Book of Changes from the Three Heavens]] *[[On Dispelling Doubts and Guiding the Errant]] *[[Extraordinary Supplementary Commentary on the Book of Changes]] *[[The Transmission of Daoist Skills from Heart to Heart]] *[[Records of the Mysterious Hierarchy]] *[[The Record of the Dadi Grotto Heaven]] *[[Records of the Orthodox Sect of the Golden Lotus]] *[[Great Essentials for the Golden Elixir]] *[[The Triple Origin Book of Assistance to Prolonging Life]] *[[The Lineage of the Han Celestial Masters]] *[[Essential Formulas of the Golden Elixir]] *[[The Yellow Emperor’s Book of Formulas of the Divine Elixir of the Nine Cauldrons]] *[[The Supreme Book of Nourishing Life and Embryonic Breathing]] *[[The Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign’s Spontaneous Arising from the Root of Emptiness]] *[[The Highest Ancient Scripture of the Dragon and Tiger]] *[[The Secretly Transmitted Complete Numinous Treasure Skills of Perfect Man Zhengyang]] *[[The Book of Master Tuo Yue]] *[[Book of Rituals of the Orthodox Oneness]] *[[Pointers on Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] |} <!--Biographies of Immortals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Biographies of Immortals</h2> |- | *[[Biographies of Various Immortals]] *[[Biographies of the Immortals]] *[[Supplement to the Biographies of the Immortals]] *[[The Legendary Biographies of the Immortals]] *[[Record of the Assembled Female Immortals of the Walled City]] *[[The Comprehensive Mirror of Perfect Immortals Who Embodied the Dao]] *[[Record of the Immortals of the Three Grottoes]] *[[The Sacred Records about the Emperor of Original Chaos]] *[[Biography of Perfect Man Ye of the Tang Dynasty]] *[[Collection of Stories from the Garden of Immortals]] *[[Chart of the Ranks of the Perfect Souls]] *[[Biographies of the Pervasive Immortals]] *[[The Comprehensive Collection of Investigations into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines since their Origin]] *[[Record of the Immortals Encountered at Ganshui]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Scriptures on Ritual--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Scriptures on Ritual</h2> |- | *[[The Great Collection of Daoist Rituals]] *[[Daoist Regulations]] *[[The Jade Remorse of the Numinous Treasure]] *[[Great Law of the Numinous Treasure of the Highest Clarity]] *[[Guangcheng’s Compilation of Rituals]] *[[The Great Collection of Daoist Skills]] *[[General Treatise on the Transmission of the Scriptures, Commandments and Registers of the Three Grottoes]] *[[Instructions for Conducting the Three Grottoes True Writs Five Skills Ritual of the Mighty Commonwealth of the Orthodox Oneness]] *[[Rules for the Use of the Ritual Robe of the Three Grottoes]] *[[Various Commandments of the Three Grottoes]] *[[Extracts of the Chief Rituals and Commandments]] |} <!--Moralistic Storybooks--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Moralistic Storybooks</h2> |- | *[[On Supreme Correspondence]] *[[Ledger of Merits and Demerits]] *[[The Book of Enlightenment and the Dissemination of Belief in the Emperor Guan]] *[[The Precious Repentance of Patriarch Lu]]) |} |} </nomobile> {{#css: .content li { margin-left: 8px; } .content table { margin-top: 0px; display: table !important; } }} <mobileonly> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Daoist Scriptures--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0px; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Scriptures</h2> |- | [[Daoist Scriptures]] are both the written records of Daoist teachings and records of Daoist history. In the course of their origination, formation and evolution, they have been classified according to specific categories to form the Daoist Canon (道藏 Daozang). During this process, their social influence spread. Some Daoist scriptures even spread overseas so as to promote the cultural communication between China and foreign countries. In addition to their religious value, Daoist scriptures are also valuable as historic materials in Chinese social history and history of philosophy. What is even more valuable is that a large quantity of Chinese ancient technological data indispensable to the study of Chinese technological history has been kept in Daoist scriptures. Plenty of precious materials about Chinese ancient literature and arts can also be found in Daoist scriptures. As a “museum” of Chinese traditional culture, Daoist scriptures are all-inclusive. They are a treasure for us to understand not only Daoism but also Chinese culture. |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--The Daoist Canon--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0px; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] The Daoist Canon</h2> |- | *[[The Daoist Canon]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--道家思想--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Philosophy</h2> |- | *[[The Book of Dao and its Virtue (Laozi)]] *[[Cheng Xuanying’s Commentary on the Laozi]] *[[Li Rong’s Notes on the Laozi]] *[[Xiang’er’s Commentary on Laozi]] *[[The Perfect Book of Nanhua (Zhuangzi)]] *[[The Perfect Book of the Higher Virtue of Emptiness]] *[[The Book of Secret Correspondences]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第二行--> |- <!--Major Scriptures--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0px; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Major Scriptures</h2> |- | *[[The Book of Changes]] *[[The Perfect Book of Master Dongling]] *[[The Lofty and Sublime Book of the Limitless Salvation]] *[[The Perfect Book of the Great Grotto of the Highest Clarity]] *[[The Book of the Yellow Court]] *[[The Sublime book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign’s Teachings on Eternal Purity and Tranquility]] *[[The Original Deeds of the Lofty Jade Emperor]] *[[The Book of the Three Emperors]] *[[The Three Ways Unified and Normalized of the Book of Changes]] *[[On Realizing Perfection]] *[[Scriptures for the Morning and Evening Rites of the Complete Perfection]] *[[Scriptures for the Morning and Evening Rites of the Orthodox Oneness]] *[[The Perfect Book of Communion with the Mystery]] *[[The Book of Supreme Peace]] *[[The Master Who Embraces Simplicity]] *[[The Book of Western Ascension]] *[[Declarations of the Perfected]] *[[The Supreme Venerable Sovereign’s Book of Commandments for Chanting]] *[[The Book of Laozi’s Conversion of the Barbarians]] *[[The Book of Divine Incantations of the Supreme Pervasive Abyss]] *[[On Sitting in Oblivion]] *[[On the Mysterious Matrix]] *[[The Transmission of Dao by Zhongli Chuan and Lü Dongbin]] *[[The Book of the Five Dippers]] *[[Chongyang’s Compilation of the Complete Perfection]] *[[Essays on Harmony]] *[[Preface to All Daoist Scriptures]] *[[The Thirty-Six Revered Scriptures]] *[[Secret Formulas for Attaining Perfection]] *[[Extracts on Nourishing Spiritual Nature and Prolonging Bodily Life]] *[[Essential Secrets of the Most High]] *[[Hidden Prescriptions for Nourishing Life]] *[[Inscription on Visualising Spirits and Refining Vital Breath]] *[[Prologue to the Sublime Glossary of All Daoist Scriptures]] *[[Records of Mysterious Pearls]] *[[On the Essential Meaning of Ingesting Vital Breath]] *[[The Heavenly Hermit]] *[[On the Possibility of Learning to be an Immortal]] *[[The Pivotal Meaning of the Daoist Doctrine]] *[[The Purse of Pearls from the Three Grottoes]] *[[The Sublime Book of the Mind’s Correspondence with the Nine Supreme Essentials]] *[[Evidential Miracles in Support of Daoism]] *[[The Elixir Mirror]] *[[The Book of Transformations]] *[[The Seven Slips of a Cloudy Satchel]] *[[The Rhyme for Dispelling Illusion and Rectifying Dao]] *[[Ten Books on the Cultivation of Perfection]] *[[Record of the Realization of Perfection by the Concourse of Immortals of West Mountain]] *[[Tablet of Cui Xu]] *[[The Pivot of Dao]] *[[Collection on Daoist External Alchemy]] *[[Fifteen Essays by Wang Chongyang on the Establishment of the Complete Perfection Teaching]] *[[Direct Pointers to the Great Elixir]] *[[Journey to the West of the Perfect Man of Eternal Spring]] *[[The Essence of the Book of Changes from the Three Heavens]] *[[On Dispelling Doubts and Guiding the Errant]] *[[Extraordinary Supplementary Commentary on the Book of Changes]] *[[The Transmission of Daoist Skills from Heart to Heart]] *[[Records of the Mysterious Hierarchy]] *[[The Record of the Dadi Grotto Heaven]] *[[Records of the Orthodox Sect of the Golden Lotus]] *[[Great Essentials for the Golden Elixir]] *[[The Triple Origin Book of Assistance to Prolonging Life]] *[[The Lineage of the Han Celestial Masters]] *[[Essential Formulas of the Golden Elixir]] *[[The Yellow Emperor’s Book of Formulas of the Divine Elixir of the Nine Cauldrons]] *[[The Supreme Book of Nourishing Life and Embryonic Breathing]] *[[The Book of the Supreme Venerable Sovereign’s Spontaneous Arising from the Root of Emptiness]] *[[The Highest Ancient Scripture of the Dragon and Tiger]] *[[The Secretly Transmitted Complete Numinous Treasure Skills of Perfect Man Zhengyang]] *[[The Book of Master Tuo Yue]] *[[Book of Rituals of the Orthodox Oneness]] *[[Pointers on Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--Biographies of Immortals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0px; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Biographies of Immortals</h2> |- | *[[Biographies of Various Immortals]] *[[Biographies of the Immortals]] *[[Supplement to the Biographies of the Immortals]] *[[The Legendary Biographies of the Immortals]] *[[Record of the Assembled Female Immortals of the Walled City]] *[[The Comprehensive Mirror of Perfect Immortals Who Embodied the Dao]] *[[Record of the Immortals of the Three Grottoes]] *[[The Sacred Records about the Emperor of Original Chaos]] *[[Biography of Perfect Man Ye of the Tang Dynasty]] *[[Collection of Stories from the Garden of Immortals]] *[[Chart of the Ranks of the Perfect Souls]] *[[Biographies of the Pervasive Immortals]] *[[The Comprehensive Collection of Investigations into the Divinities of the Three Doctrines since their Origin]] *[[Record of the Immortals Encountered at Ganshui]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第三行--> |- <!--Scriptures on Ritual--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0px; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Scriptures on Ritual</h2> |- | *[[The Great Collection of Daoist Rituals]] *[[Daoist Regulations]] *[[The Jade Remorse of the Numinous Treasure]] *[[Great Law of the Numinous Treasure of the Highest Clarity]] *[[Guangcheng’s Compilation of Rituals]] *[[The Great Collection of Daoist Skills]] *[[General Treatise on the Transmission of the Scriptures, Commandments and Registers of the Three Grottoes]] *[[Instructions for Conducting the Three Grottoes True Writs Five Skills Ritual of the Mighty Commonwealth of the Orthodox Oneness]] *[[Rules for the Use of the Ritual Robe of the Three Grottoes]] *[[Various Commandments of the Three Grottoes]] *[[Extracts of the Chief Rituals and Commandments]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--Moralistic Storybooks--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="margin: 0px; vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Moralistic Storybooks</h2> |- | *[[On Supreme Correspondence]] *[[Ledger of Merits and Demerits]] *[[The Book of Enlightenment and the Dissemination of Belief in the Emperor Guan]] *[[The Precious Repentance of Patriarch Lu]]) |} |} </mobileonly> a29ee6b9bc81cca89eb5f75efc4e1338678a09cf 0 628 858 827 2020-07-23T07:51:43Z Admin 1 /* Ancient China */ wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> {{#css: .content table { margin-top: 0px; } }} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Ancient China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Ancient China</h2> |- | [[Origin and Formation of Daoism]] *[[Daoist Philosophy and Daoist Religion]] *[[Daoist thought prior to Qin dynasty (pre-221 BC)]] *[[Similarities and differences between religious and philosophical Daoism]] *[[Daoism and the Immoratalists]] *[[Immortals and Magicians]] *[[The Magic and Immortality Tradition]] *[[The Huang-Lao Tradition]] *[[The Supreme Peace Tradition]] *[[The Tradition of the Mighty Commonwealth of the Orthodox Oneness (The Five Pecks of Rice Tradition)]] *[[The Master Yu Tradition]] *[[The Li Tradition]] *[[The Bo Tradition]] *[[The Pristine Water Tradition]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Early Imperial China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Early Imperial China</h2> |- | Daoism during the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties (220-581) *[[The Northern Celestial Masters Tradition]] *[[The Southern Celestial Masters Tradition]] *[[The Numinous Treasure Sect]] *[[The Highest Clarity Sect]] *[[The Lookout Tower Tradition]] Daoism during the Sui and Tang Dynasties (581-907) *[[Methods for Ingesting Original Vital Breath During the Sui and Tang Dynasties]] *[[The Twofold Mystery School]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Late Imperial China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Late Imperial China</h2> |- | [[Daoism during the Song and Yuan Dynasties]] (960-1368) *[[The Heavenly Heart Sect]] *[[The Divine Heavent Sect]] *[[The Pristine Subtlety Sect]] *[[The Donghua Sect]] *[[The Great Dao Doctrine]] *[[The Supreme Oneness Doctrine]] *[[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] *[[The Dragon Gate Sect]] *[[The Encountering Immortality Sect]] *[[The Nanwu Sect]] *[[The Pure Brightness Tradition]] *[[The Doctrine of Mysteries]] [[Daoism during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911)]] *[[The Wudang Tradition]] *[[The Azure Grotto Lineage]] *[[The Middle Sect]] *[[The Eastern Sect]] *[[The Western Sect]] |} <!--第四行--> |- <!--Modern Era--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Modern Era</h2> |- | [[Daoism during the Republican Era (1911-1949)]] *[[Daoist Association of the Republic of China]] *[[The General Daoist Association of the Republic of China]] *[[Chen Yingning]] *[[Yi Xinying]] *[[Yue Chongdai]] *[[Zhang Enpu]] |} <!--第四行--> |- <!--Contemporary Era--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Contemporary Era</h2> |- | [[Daoism in Mainland China]] *[[Taoist Association of China]] *[[Chinese Local Daoist Associations]] [[Daoism in the Minority Regions]] *[[Daoism among the Yao Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Zhuang Ethnic]] *[[Daoism among the Miao Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Tujia Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Gelao Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Maonan minority]] *[[Daoism among the Jing Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Bai Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Qiang Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Naxi Ethnic Group]] Daoism in Hong Kong *[[The Hong Kong Taoist Association]] Daoism Overseas *[[Daoism in Singapore]] *[[Daoism in Japan]] *[[Daoism in Korea]] *[[Daoism in other Southeast Asian countries]] *[[Daoism in Europe and America]] |} |} 3af68386a71d0171be7e01305b9fb8a7fd38f21a 860 858 2020-07-23T07:53:17Z Admin 1 /* Ancient China */ wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> {{#css: .content li { margin-left: 8px; } .content table { margin-top: 0px; display: table !important; } }} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Ancient China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Ancient China</h2> |- | [[Origin and Formation of Daoism]] *[[Daoist Philosophy and Daoist Religion]] *[[Daoist thought prior to Qin dynasty (pre-221 BC)]] *[[Similarities and differences between religious and philosophical Daoism]] *[[Daoism and the Immoratalists]] *[[Immortals and Magicians]] *[[The Magic and Immortality Tradition]] *[[The Huang-Lao Tradition]] *[[The Supreme Peace Tradition]] *[[The Tradition of the Mighty Commonwealth of the Orthodox Oneness (The Five Pecks of Rice Tradition)]] *[[The Master Yu Tradition]] *[[The Li Tradition]] *[[The Bo Tradition]] *[[The Pristine Water Tradition]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Early Imperial China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Early Imperial China</h2> |- | Daoism during the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties (220-581) *[[The Northern Celestial Masters Tradition]] *[[The Southern Celestial Masters Tradition]] *[[The Numinous Treasure Sect]] *[[The Highest Clarity Sect]] *[[The Lookout Tower Tradition]] Daoism during the Sui and Tang Dynasties (581-907) *[[Methods for Ingesting Original Vital Breath During the Sui and Tang Dynasties]] *[[The Twofold Mystery School]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Late Imperial China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Late Imperial China</h2> |- | [[Daoism during the Song and Yuan Dynasties]] (960-1368) *[[The Heavenly Heart Sect]] *[[The Divine Heavent Sect]] *[[The Pristine Subtlety Sect]] *[[The Donghua Sect]] *[[The Great Dao Doctrine]] *[[The Supreme Oneness Doctrine]] *[[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] *[[The Dragon Gate Sect]] *[[The Encountering Immortality Sect]] *[[The Nanwu Sect]] *[[The Pure Brightness Tradition]] *[[The Doctrine of Mysteries]] [[Daoism during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911)]] *[[The Wudang Tradition]] *[[The Azure Grotto Lineage]] *[[The Middle Sect]] *[[The Eastern Sect]] *[[The Western Sect]] |} <!--第四行--> |- <!--Modern Era--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Modern Era</h2> |- | [[Daoism during the Republican Era (1911-1949)]] *[[Daoist Association of the Republic of China]] *[[The General Daoist Association of the Republic of China]] *[[Chen Yingning]] *[[Yi Xinying]] *[[Yue Chongdai]] *[[Zhang Enpu]] |} <!--第四行--> |- <!--Contemporary Era--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Contemporary Era</h2> |- | [[Daoism in Mainland China]] *[[Taoist Association of China]] *[[Chinese Local Daoist Associations]] [[Daoism in the Minority Regions]] *[[Daoism among the Yao Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Zhuang Ethnic]] *[[Daoism among the Miao Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Tujia Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Gelao Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Maonan minority]] *[[Daoism among the Jing Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Bai Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Qiang Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Naxi Ethnic Group]] Daoism in Hong Kong *[[The Hong Kong Taoist Association]] Daoism Overseas *[[Daoism in Singapore]] *[[Daoism in Japan]] *[[Daoism in Korea]] *[[Daoism in other Southeast Asian countries]] *[[Daoism in Europe and America]] |} |} a3b2c85a86a41213b2780212993156ccddb056f3 864 860 2020-07-23T08:04:20Z Admin 1 /* Ancient China */ wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> {{#css: .content li { margin-left: 8px; } .content table { margin: 0px !important;; display: table !important; } }} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Ancient China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Ancient China</h2> |- | [[Origin and Formation of Daoism]] *[[Daoist Philosophy and Daoist Religion]] *[[Daoist thought prior to Qin dynasty (pre-221 BC)]] *[[Similarities and differences between religious and philosophical Daoism]] *[[Daoism and the Immoratalists]] *[[Immortals and Magicians]] *[[The Magic and Immortality Tradition]] *[[The Huang-Lao Tradition]] *[[The Supreme Peace Tradition]] *[[The Tradition of the Mighty Commonwealth of the Orthodox Oneness (The Five Pecks of Rice Tradition)]] *[[The Master Yu Tradition]] *[[The Li Tradition]] *[[The Bo Tradition]] *[[The Pristine Water Tradition]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Early Imperial China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Early Imperial China</h2> |- | Daoism during the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties (220-581) *[[The Northern Celestial Masters Tradition]] *[[The Southern Celestial Masters Tradition]] *[[The Numinous Treasure Sect]] *[[The Highest Clarity Sect]] *[[The Lookout Tower Tradition]] Daoism during the Sui and Tang Dynasties (581-907) *[[Methods for Ingesting Original Vital Breath During the Sui and Tang Dynasties]] *[[The Twofold Mystery School]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Late Imperial China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Late Imperial China</h2> |- | [[Daoism during the Song and Yuan Dynasties]] (960-1368) *[[The Heavenly Heart Sect]] *[[The Divine Heavent Sect]] *[[The Pristine Subtlety Sect]] *[[The Donghua Sect]] *[[The Great Dao Doctrine]] *[[The Supreme Oneness Doctrine]] *[[The Complete Perfection Tradition]] *[[The Dragon Gate Sect]] *[[The Encountering Immortality Sect]] *[[The Nanwu Sect]] *[[The Pure Brightness Tradition]] *[[The Doctrine of Mysteries]] [[Daoism during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911)]] *[[The Wudang Tradition]] *[[The Azure Grotto Lineage]] *[[The Middle Sect]] *[[The Eastern Sect]] *[[The Western Sect]] |} <!--第四行--> |- <!--Modern Era--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Modern Era</h2> |- | [[Daoism during the Republican Era (1911-1949)]] *[[Daoist Association of the Republic of China]] *[[The General Daoist Association of the Republic of China]] *[[Chen Yingning]] *[[Yi Xinying]] *[[Yue Chongdai]] *[[Zhang Enpu]] |} <!--第四行--> |- <!--Contemporary Era--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Contemporary Era</h2> |- | [[Daoism in Mainland China]] *[[Taoist Association of China]] *[[Chinese Local Daoist Associations]] [[Daoism in the Minority Regions]] *[[Daoism among the Yao Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Zhuang Ethnic]] *[[Daoism among the Miao Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Tujia Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Gelao Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Maonan minority]] *[[Daoism among the Jing Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Bai Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Qiang Ethnic Group]] *[[Daoism among the Naxi Ethnic Group]] Daoism in Hong Kong *[[The Hong Kong Taoist Association]] Daoism Overseas *[[Daoism in Singapore]] *[[Daoism in Japan]] *[[Daoism in Korea]] *[[Daoism in other Southeast Asian countries]] *[[Daoism in Europe and America]] |} |} 6397199cc20bcb45bf6396b9e0f9f090f34d359b 0 631 862 823 2020-07-23T07:58:35Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> <nomobile> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--The Three Pristine Ones, the Four Heavenly Ministers and the Highest Emperors of Heavens --> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] The Three Pristine Ones, the Four Heavenly Ministers and the Highest Emperors of Heavens </h2> |- | The Three Pristine Ones *[[The Primeval Lord of Heaven]] *[[The Heavenly Lord of the Numinous Treasure]] *[[The Heavenly Lord of Dao and its Virtue]] [[The Four Heavenly Ministers]] *[[The Great Jade Emperor]] *The Great Heavenly Emperor of the Highest Palace of Polaris *The Middle Heaven Great Emperor of the North Pole Star of Purple Subtlety *The Imperial God of Earth Others *[[The Emperors of the Soil]] *[[The Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery]] *[[The Queen Mother of the West]] *[[The Three Great Emperor-Officials]] |} <!--The Stellar Sovereigns--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] The Stellar Sovereigns</h2> |- | *[[The Great Perfect Warrior Emperor]] *[[The Stellar Sovereign of the Five Planets and Seven Stars]] *[[The Four Numinous Animals and Twenty-Eight Constellations]] *[[The Big Dipper]] *[[The Sixty Daily Spirits of the Celestial Trunks and Earthly Branches]] *[[The Stars of Luck, Wealth and Longevity]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Divine Generals of the Thunder Agency--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Divine Generals of the Thunder Agency</h2> |- | *[[The Thunder Patriarch]] *[[The Spirit of Wealth]] *[[Numinous Official Wang]] |} <!--Spirits of Mountains, Rivers, Seas and Thunder--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Spirits of Mountains, Rivers, Seas and Thunder</h2> |- | *[[The Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East]] *[[The Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud]] *[[The Five Supreme Commanders of the Thunder Agency]] *[[The Father of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning]] *[[The Dragon King]] *[[The Master of Rain]] *[[The Earl of Wind]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Guardians of Hell--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Guardians of Hell</h2> |- | *[[The Great Emperor of Fengdu]] *[[The Yamas of the Ten Halls]] |} <!--Spirits of the Soil and Local Protector Spirits--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Spirits of the Soil and Local Protector Spirits</h2> |- | *[[The City God]] *[[The Earth Spirit]] *[[The Door Spirits]] *[[The Kitchen Spirit]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Perfect Men and Immortals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Perfect Men and Immortals</h2> |- | The Four Greatest Perfect Man *Perfect Man of Nanhua ([[Zhuangzi]]) *Perfect Man of Pervasive Mystery (Wenzi) *Perfect Man of Dongling (Kangcangzi) *Perfect Man of Emptiness ([[Liezi]]) The Four Greatest Celestial Masters *[[Zhang Daoling (Patriarch of the Celestial Masters)]] *[[Ge Xuan]] *[[Xu Xun (Perfect Lord Xu)]] *Sa Shoujian [[The Five Northern Patriarchs]] *[[Wang Xuanpu]] *[[Zhongli Quan]] *[[Lü Dongbin]] *[[Liu Haichan]] *[[Wang Chongyang]] [[The Five Southern Patriarchs]] *[[Zhang Ziyang]] *[[Shi Tai]] *[[Xue Shi]] *[[Chen Nan]] *[[Bai Yuchan]] [[The Seven Perfect Ones of the North]] *[[Ma Yu]] *[[Tan Chuduan]] *[[Liu Chuxuan]] *[[Qiu Chuji]] *[[Wang Chuyi]] *[[Hao Datong]] *[[Sun Bu’er]] Others *[[The Eight Immortals]] *[[Huang Chuping (Great Immortal Huang)]] *[[The Motherly Matriarch]] *[[Imperial Sovereign Wenchang]] *[[Emperor Guan]] *[[The Three Mao Perfect Sovereign Brothers]] *[[Guanyin (Avalokitesvara)]] *[[The Water-Margin Lady]] *[[The Great Life-Protecting Emperor]] *[[The Saintly Founder-King of Zhang]] *[[The King of the Three Mountains]] |} |} </nomobile> {{#css: .content li { margin-left: 8px; } .content table { margin-top: 0px; display: table !important; } }} <mobileonly> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--The Three Pristine Ones, the Four Heavenly Ministers and the Highest Emperors of Heavens --> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] The Three Pristine Ones, the Four Heavenly Ministers and the Highest Emperors of Heavens </h2> |- | The Three Pristine Ones *[[The Primeval Lord of Heaven]] *[[The Heavenly Lord of the Numinous Treasure]] *[[The Heavenly Lord of Dao and its Virtue]] [[The Four Heavenly Ministers]] *[[The Great Jade Emperor]] *The Great Heavenly Emperor of the Highest Palace of Polaris *The Middle Heaven Great Emperor of the North Pole Star of Purple Subtlety *The Imperial God of Earth Others *[[The Emperors of the Soil]] *[[The Heavenly Lord of Supreme Oneness and Salvation from Misery]] *[[The Queen Mother of the West]] *[[The Three Great Emperor-Officials]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--The Stellar Sovereigns--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] The Stellar Sovereigns</h2> |- | *[[The Great Perfect Warrior Emperor]] *[[The Stellar Sovereign of the Five Planets and Seven Stars]] *[[The Four Numinous Animals and Twenty-Eight Constellations]] *[[The Big Dipper]] *[[The Sixty Daily Spirits of the Celestial Trunks and Earthly Branches]] *[[The Stars of Luck, Wealth and Longevity]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第二行--> |- <!--Divine Generals of the Thunder Agency--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width: 100%; border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Divine Generals of the Thunder Agency</h2> |- | *[[The Thunder Patriarch]] *[[The Spirit of Wealth]] *[[Numinous Official Wang]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--Spirits of Mountains, Rivers, Seas and Thunder--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width: 100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Spirits of Mountains, Rivers, Seas and Thunder</h2> |- | *[[The Great Emperor of the Sacred Mountain of the East]] *[[The Primordial Lady of the Emerald Cloud]] *[[The Five Supreme Commanders of the Thunder Agency]] *[[The Father of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning]] *[[The Dragon King]] *[[The Master of Rain]] *[[The Earl of Wind]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第三行--> |- <!--Guardians of Hell--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Guardians of Hell</h2> |- | *[[The Great Emperor of Fengdu]] *[[The Yamas of the Ten Halls]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--Spirits of the Soil and Local Protector Spirits--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Spirits of the Soil and Local Protector Spirits</h2> |- | *[[The City God]] *[[The Earth Spirit]] *[[The Door Spirits]] *[[The Kitchen Spirit]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Perfect Men and Immortals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Perfect Men and Immortals</h2> |- | The Four Greatest Perfect Man *Perfect Man of Nanhua ([[Zhuangzi]]) *Perfect Man of Pervasive Mystery (Wenzi) *Perfect Man of Dongling (Kangcangzi) *Perfect Man of Emptiness ([[Liezi]]) The Four Greatest Celestial Masters *[[Zhang Daoling (Patriarch of the Celestial Masters)]] *[[Ge Xuan]] *[[Xu Xun (Perfect Lord Xu)]] *Sa Shoujian [[The Five Northern Patriarchs]] *[[Wang Xuanpu]] *[[Zhongli Quan]] *[[Lü Dongbin]] *[[Liu Haichan]] *[[Wang Chongyang]] [[The Five Southern Patriarchs]] *[[Zhang Ziyang]] *[[Shi Tai]] *[[Xue Shi]] *[[Chen Nan]] *[[Bai Yuchan]] [[The Seven Perfect Ones of the North]] *[[Ma Yu]] *[[Tan Chuduan]] *[[Liu Chuxuan]] *[[Qiu Chuji]] *[[Wang Chuyi]] *[[Hao Datong]] *[[Sun Bu’er]] Others *[[The Eight Immortals]] *[[Huang Chuping (Great Immortal Huang)]] *[[The Motherly Matriarch]] *[[Imperial Sovereign Wenchang]] *[[Emperor Guan]] *[[The Three Mao Perfect Sovereign Brothers]] *[[Guanyin (Avalokitesvara)]] *[[The Water-Margin Lady]] *[[The Great Life-Protecting Emperor]] *[[The Saintly Founder-King of Zhang]] *[[The King of the Three Mountains]] |} |} </mobileonly> 2c384551c86940e916894f5552e4ce7a836b845a 0 632 863 822 2020-07-23T08:03:13Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> <nomobile> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--Temples and Sacred Places--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Temples and Sacred Places</h2> |- | *[[Daoist Temples]] *[[Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms]] *[[The Ten Continents and Three Islands]] *[[The Ten Great Grotto Heavens]] *[[The Thirty-six Lesser Grotto Heavens]] *[[The Seventy-two Auspicious Realms]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第二行--> |- <!--華北地區--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Northern China</h2> |- | Beijing *[[White Cloud Temple (Baiyunguan), Beijing]] *[[Fire God Temple, Beijing]] Tianjin *[[Temple of the Heavenly Matriarch]] Hebei *[[Temple of the Ten Directions (Luquan, Hebei)]] *[[Green Dragon Temple on Mt. Tiangui (Pingshan County, Hebei)]] *[[Shrine of Elder LÜ (Hebei)]] Shanxi *[[Mt. Heng (Northern Shanxi Province and Northwest Hebei province)]] *[[Jiezhou Temple of Emperor Guan (Yuncheng, Shanxi)]] *[[Temple of All-Embracing Heaven on Mt. Mian (Jiexiu, Shanxi)]] *[[Eternal Happiness Temple (Yonglegong), Shanxi]] *[[Water Spirit Temple (Hongdong County, Shanxi)]] *[[Qingtang Temple on Dragon Horn Mountain (Fushan County, Shanxi)]] *[[Temple of the Northern Peak (Hengshan, Shanxi)]] |} <!--Northeastern China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Northeastern China</h2> |- | Liaoning *[[Mt. Qian]] *[[Supreme Clarity Temple (Taiqinggong), Shenyang]] *[[Five Dragons Temple (Anshan, Liaoning)]] *[[Cloud Light Grotto in the Iron Peak Mountain of Nine Cauldrons]] Heilongjiang *[[Temple of Seas and Clouds]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Eastern China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Eastern China</h2> |- | Shanghai *[[White Cloud Temple (Xuanmiaoguan), Shanghai]] *[[Hall of Respect Granted by His Majesty]] Jiangsu *[[Mt. Mao]] *[[Mysterious Essence Temple (Xuangmiaoguan), Suzhou]] *[[Mt. Mao Daoist Temple (Gourong, Jiangsu)]] *[[Qianyuan Temple (Gourong, Jiangsu)]] *[[Temple of Numinous Might (Rugao, Jiangsu)]] Anhui *[[Mt. Qiyun]] *[[King Yu Temple on Mt. Tu (Bengbu, Anhui)]] *[[Temple of Supreme Simplicity on Mt. Qiyun (Anhui)]] Fujian *[[Mt. Wuyi]] *[[Temple of Immortal Pei (Fuzhou, Fujian)]] *[[Mt. Shizhu Daoist Temple (Fuqing, Fujian)]] *[[Temple of Original Sublimity (Quanzhou, Fujian)]] *[[Peach Spring Grotto]] Jiangxi *[[Mt. Longhu]] *[[Mt. Gezao]] *[[Mt. Lu]] *[[The Celestial Masters’ Mansion on Dragon and Tiger Mountain (Yintan, Jiangxi)]] *[[Temple for the Worship of Perfection on Mt. Gezhao (Zhangshu, Jiangxi)]] *[[Daoist Temple of Immortal Ge Mountain (Qianshan County, Jiangxi)]] Shandong *[[Mt. Tai]] *[[Mt. Lao]] *[[The Emerald Cloud Shrine on Mt. Tai (Tai’an, Shandong)]] |} <!--Central and Southern China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Central and Southern China</h2> |- | Henan *[[Yanqing Temple (Kaifeng, Henan)]] *[[Wuhou Daoist Shrine (Nanyang, Henan)]] *[[Mt. Song]] *[[Shongshan Temple of Sacred Middle Mountain (Dengfeng, Henan)]] *[[Supreme Clarity Temple and Venerable Sovereign Platform (Luyi County, Henan)]] Hubei *[[Mt. Wudang]] *[[Eternal Spring Temple (Changchunguan) , Wuhan]] *[[Supreme Harmony Temple and Purple Heaven Temple on Mt. Wudang (Danjiangkou, Hubei)]] *[[Mt. Zhenwu Daoist Temple (Xiangfan, Hubei)]] *[[Temple of the Imperial Lord on Mt. Wunao (Macheng, Hubei)]] *[[Mt. Mulan Daoist Temple (Huangpi, Hubei)]] *[[Temple of the Southern Sacred Mountain (Shishou, Hubei)]] Hunan *[[Mt. Heng (Hunan province)]] *[[Cloudy Mountain Temple on Mt. Yuelu (Changsha, Wunan)]] *[[Great Hengshan Temple on the Southern Sacred Mountain (Hengyang, Hunan)]] *[[Mystery Metropolis Temple on the Southern Sacred Mountain (Hengyang, Hunan)]] *[[River Chart Temple (Changsha, Hunan)]] *[[Temple of the Heavenly Matriarch (Zhijiang, Hunan)]] Guangdong *[[Mt. Luofu]] *[[Three Origins Temple (Sanyuangong), Guangzhou]] *[[Chunyang Temple(Guangzhou, Guangdong)]] *[[Temple of Original Sublimity (Huizhou, Guangdong)]] *[[Aiding Creation Temple (Meizhou, Guangdong)]] *[[Stone Cave Jade Dragon Temple (Chaoyang, Guangdong)]] *[[Immortal Temple of Cloudy Springs on Mt. Xiqiao (Nanhai, Guangdong)]] *[[The Temple of Emptiness (Chongxuguan), Guangdong]] *[[Temple of Extasy (Sulaoguang), Guangdong]] *[[Ancient Temple of the Yellow Dragon (Huanglong Guguan), Guangdong]] |} <!--第四行--> |- <!--Southwestern China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Southwestern China</h2> |- | Chongqing *[[Daoist Temple of the Venerable Sovereign’s Cave]] Sichuan *[[Mt. Qingcheng]] *[[Black Sheep Temple (Qingyanggon), Chengdu]] *[[Eternal Dao Temple on Mt. Qingcheng (Dujiangyan, Sichuan)]] *[[Temple of Accumulated Blessings (Dujiangyan, Sichuan)]] *[[Temple of the Highest Clarity (Dujiangyan, Sichuan)]] *[[Two Kings Temple (Dujiangyan, Sichuan)]] *[[Gaoguan Temple (Jiangyou, Sichuan)]] *[[Mt. Heming Daoist Temple (Dayi County, Sichuan)]] *[[Cloud Platform Temple (Santai County, Sichuan)]] *[[Mt. Jinhua Daoist Temple (Shehong County, Sichuan)]] *[[Mt. Gaofeng Daoist Temple (Pengxi County, Sichuan)]] *[[Wenchang Temple in Zitong (Zitong County, Sichuan)]] Yunnan *[[Dragon Spring Temple and Palace of Supreme Harmony (Kunming, Yunnan)]] *[[Great Dragon Cave Temple (Zhaotong City, Yunnan)]] *[[Mt. Weibao Daoist Temple (Weishan, Yunnan)]] *[[Mt. Yunfeng Daoist Temple (Tengchong County, Yunnan)]] |} <!--Northwestern China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Northwestern China</h2> |- | Shaanxi *[[Mt. Zhongnan]] *[[Mt. Hua]] *[[Lookout Tower Platform (Louguantai), Shaanxi]] *[[Eight Immortals Temple (Baxiangong), Xian]] *[[Golden Platform Temple (Baoji, Shaanxi)]] *[[Supreme Harmony Temple (Yan’an, Shaanxi)]] *[[Jade Spring Temple on Mt. Hua (Huayin County, Shaanxi)]] *[[The East Dao Temple on Mt. Hua (Huayin County, Shaanxi)]] *[[Mountain Guarding Temple on Mt. Hua (Huayin County, Shaanxi)]] *[[Chongyang Temple (Hu County, Shaanxi)]] *[[White Cloud Temple in White Cloud Mountain (Jia County, Shaanxi)]] *[[Dragon Gate Cave Daoist Temple (Long County, Shaanxi)]] *[[Venerable Grandma’s Temple on Mt. Li (Lintong County, Xi’an city, Shaanxi)]] *[[Zhang Liang Temple (Liuba County, Shaanxi)]] Gansu *[[White Cloud Temple (Lanzhou, Gansu)]] *[[Golden Heaven Temple (Lanzhou, Gansu)]] *[[Jade Spring Temple (Tianshui, Gansu)]] *[[Mt. Kongtong Daoist Temple (Pingliang, Gansu)]] *[[West Cloud Temple (Dunhuang, Gansu)]] *[[Longevity Temple (Linxia, Gansu)]] Qinghai *[[Earth Tower Temple (Xining, Qinghai)]] *[[Mt. Xiyuan Daoist Temple (Huangzhong, Qinghai)]] Ningxia *[[Heavenly Capital Mountain Daoist Temple (Haiyuan County, Ningxia)]] |} <!--第五行--> |- <!--Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan</h2> |- | Hong Kong *[[Wan Tusen Seen Koon (Yunquan Xianguan), Hong Kong]] *[[Shang Sin Chun Tong (Xing Shan Zhen Tang), Hong Kong]] *[[Shun Shin Chee Kit Yin Koon (Zique xuanguan), Hong Kong]] *[[Fung Ying Seen Koon (Pengying Xianguan), Hong Kong]] Taiwan *[[The Cultural Institute (Wenhuayuan), Gaoxiong, Taiwan]] |} <!--海外地區--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Overseas</h2> |- | |} |} </nomobile> {{#css: .content li { margin-left: 8px; } .content table { margin-top: 0px; display: table !important; } }} <mobileonly> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--Temples and Sacred Places--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Temples and Sacred Places</h2> |- | *[[Daoist Temples]] *[[Grotto Heavens & Blissful Realms]] *[[The Ten Continents and Three Islands]] *[[The Ten Great Grotto Heavens]] *[[The Thirty-six Lesser Grotto Heavens]] *[[The Seventy-two Auspicious Realms]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第二行--> |- <!--華北地區--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Northern China</h2> |- | Beijing *[[White Cloud Temple (Baiyunguan), Beijing]] *[[Fire God Temple, Beijing]] Tianjin *[[Temple of the Heavenly Matriarch]] Hebei *[[Temple of the Ten Directions (Luquan, Hebei)]] *[[Green Dragon Temple on Mt. Tiangui (Pingshan County, Hebei)]] *[[Shrine of Elder LÜ (Hebei)]] Shanxi *[[Mt. Heng (Northern Shanxi Province and Northwest Hebei province)]] *[[Jiezhou Temple of Emperor Guan (Yuncheng, Shanxi)]] *[[Temple of All-Embracing Heaven on Mt. Mian (Jiexiu, Shanxi)]] *[[Eternal Happiness Temple (Yonglegong), Shanxi]] *[[Water Spirit Temple (Hongdong County, Shanxi)]] *[[Qingtang Temple on Dragon Horn Mountain (Fushan County, Shanxi)]] *[[Temple of the Northern Peak (Hengshan, Shanxi)]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--Northeastern China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Northeastern China</h2> |- | Liaoning *[[Mt. Qian]] *[[Supreme Clarity Temple (Taiqinggong), Shenyang]] *[[Five Dragons Temple (Anshan, Liaoning)]] *[[Cloud Light Grotto in the Iron Peak Mountain of Nine Cauldrons]] Heilongjiang *[[Temple of Seas and Clouds]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Eastern China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Eastern China</h2> |- | Shanghai *[[White Cloud Temple (Xuanmiaoguan), Shanghai]] *[[Hall of Respect Granted by His Majesty]] Jiangsu *[[Mt. Mao]] *[[Mysterious Essence Temple (Xuangmiaoguan), Suzhou]] *[[Mt. Mao Daoist Temple (Gourong, Jiangsu)]] *[[Qianyuan Temple (Gourong, Jiangsu)]] *[[Temple of Numinous Might (Rugao, Jiangsu)]] Anhui *[[Mt. Qiyun]] *[[King Yu Temple on Mt. Tu (Bengbu, Anhui)]] *[[Temple of Supreme Simplicity on Mt. Qiyun (Anhui)]] Fujian *[[Mt. Wuyi]] *[[Temple of Immortal Pei (Fuzhou, Fujian)]] *[[Mt. Shizhu Daoist Temple (Fuqing, Fujian)]] *[[Temple of Original Sublimity (Quanzhou, Fujian)]] *[[Peach Spring Grotto]] Jiangxi *[[Mt. Longhu]] *[[Mt. Gezao]] *[[Mt. Lu]] *[[The Celestial Masters’ Mansion on Dragon and Tiger Mountain (Yintan, Jiangxi)]] *[[Temple for the Worship of Perfection on Mt. Gezhao (Zhangshu, Jiangxi)]] *[[Daoist Temple of Immortal Ge Mountain (Qianshan County, Jiangxi)]] Shandong *[[Mt. Tai]] *[[Mt. Lao]] *[[The Emerald Cloud Shrine on Mt. Tai (Tai’an, Shandong)]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--Central and Southern China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width: 100%; border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Central and Southern China</h2> |- | Henan *[[Yanqing Temple (Kaifeng, Henan)]] *[[Wuhou Daoist Shrine (Nanyang, Henan)]] *[[Mt. Song]] *[[Shongshan Temple of Sacred Middle Mountain (Dengfeng, Henan)]] *[[Supreme Clarity Temple and Venerable Sovereign Platform (Luyi County, Henan)]] Hubei *[[Mt. Wudang]] *[[Eternal Spring Temple (Changchunguan) , Wuhan]] *[[Supreme Harmony Temple and Purple Heaven Temple on Mt. Wudang (Danjiangkou, Hubei)]] *[[Mt. Zhenwu Daoist Temple (Xiangfan, Hubei)]] *[[Temple of the Imperial Lord on Mt. Wunao (Macheng, Hubei)]] *[[Mt. Mulan Daoist Temple (Huangpi, Hubei)]] *[[Temple of the Southern Sacred Mountain (Shishou, Hubei)]] Hunan *[[Mt. Heng (Hunan province)]] *[[Cloudy Mountain Temple on Mt. Yuelu (Changsha, Wunan)]] *[[Great Hengshan Temple on the Southern Sacred Mountain (Hengyang, Hunan)]] *[[Mystery Metropolis Temple on the Southern Sacred Mountain (Hengyang, Hunan)]] *[[River Chart Temple (Changsha, Hunan)]] *[[Temple of the Heavenly Matriarch (Zhijiang, Hunan)]] Guangdong *[[Mt. Luofu]] *[[Three Origins Temple (Sanyuangong), Guangzhou]] *[[Chunyang Temple(Guangzhou, Guangdong)]] *[[Temple of Original Sublimity (Huizhou, Guangdong)]] *[[Aiding Creation Temple (Meizhou, Guangdong)]] *[[Stone Cave Jade Dragon Temple (Chaoyang, Guangdong)]] *[[Immortal Temple of Cloudy Springs on Mt. Xiqiao (Nanhai, Guangdong)]] *[[The Temple of Emptiness (Chongxuguan), Guangdong]] *[[Temple of Extasy (Sulaoguang), Guangdong]] *[[Ancient Temple of the Yellow Dragon (Huanglong Guguan), Guangdong]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第四行--> |- <!--Southwestern China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Southwestern China</h2> |- | Chongqing *[[Daoist Temple of the Venerable Sovereign’s Cave]] Sichuan *[[Mt. Qingcheng]] *[[Black Sheep Temple (Qingyanggon), Chengdu]] *[[Eternal Dao Temple on Mt. Qingcheng (Dujiangyan, Sichuan)]] *[[Temple of Accumulated Blessings (Dujiangyan, Sichuan)]] *[[Temple of the Highest Clarity (Dujiangyan, Sichuan)]] *[[Two Kings Temple (Dujiangyan, Sichuan)]] *[[Gaoguan Temple (Jiangyou, Sichuan)]] *[[Mt. Heming Daoist Temple (Dayi County, Sichuan)]] *[[Cloud Platform Temple (Santai County, Sichuan)]] *[[Mt. Jinhua Daoist Temple (Shehong County, Sichuan)]] *[[Mt. Gaofeng Daoist Temple (Pengxi County, Sichuan)]] *[[Wenchang Temple in Zitong (Zitong County, Sichuan)]] Yunnan *[[Dragon Spring Temple and Palace of Supreme Harmony (Kunming, Yunnan)]] *[[Great Dragon Cave Temple (Zhaotong City, Yunnan)]] *[[Mt. Weibao Daoist Temple (Weishan, Yunnan)]] *[[Mt. Yunfeng Daoist Temple (Tengchong County, Yunnan)]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--Northwestern China--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Northwestern China</h2> |- | Shaanxi *[[Mt. Zhongnan]] *[[Mt. Hua]] *[[Lookout Tower Platform (Louguantai), Shaanxi]] *[[Eight Immortals Temple (Baxiangong), Xian]] *[[Golden Platform Temple (Baoji, Shaanxi)]] *[[Supreme Harmony Temple (Yan’an, Shaanxi)]] *[[Jade Spring Temple on Mt. Hua (Huayin County, Shaanxi)]] *[[The East Dao Temple on Mt. Hua (Huayin County, Shaanxi)]] *[[Mountain Guarding Temple on Mt. Hua (Huayin County, Shaanxi)]] *[[Chongyang Temple (Hu County, Shaanxi)]] *[[White Cloud Temple in White Cloud Mountain (Jia County, Shaanxi)]] *[[Dragon Gate Cave Daoist Temple (Long County, Shaanxi)]] *[[Venerable Grandma’s Temple on Mt. Li (Lintong County, Xi’an city, Shaanxi)]] *[[Zhang Liang Temple (Liuba County, Shaanxi)]] Gansu *[[White Cloud Temple (Lanzhou, Gansu)]] *[[Golden Heaven Temple (Lanzhou, Gansu)]] *[[Jade Spring Temple (Tianshui, Gansu)]] *[[Mt. Kongtong Daoist Temple (Pingliang, Gansu)]] *[[West Cloud Temple (Dunhuang, Gansu)]] *[[Longevity Temple (Linxia, Gansu)]] Qinghai *[[Earth Tower Temple (Xining, Qinghai)]] *[[Mt. Xiyuan Daoist Temple (Huangzhong, Qinghai)]] Ningxia *[[Heavenly Capital Mountain Daoist Temple (Haiyuan County, Ningxia)]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第五行--> |- <!--Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width: 100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan</h2> |- | Hong Kong *[[Wan Tusen Seen Koon (Yunquan Xianguan), Hong Kong]] *[[Shang Sin Chun Tong (Xing Shan Zhen Tang), Hong Kong]] *[[Shun Shin Chee Kit Yin Koon (Zique xuanguan), Hong Kong]] *[[Fung Ying Seen Koon (Pengying Xianguan), Hong Kong]] Taiwan *[[The Cultural Institute (Wenhuayuan), Gaoxiong, Taiwan]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--海外地區--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width: 100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Overseas</h2> |- | |} |} </mobileonly> d7e749967a502d7b5f5f941460fd29f543e9cae2 0 633 865 821 2020-07-23T08:07:36Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> <nomobile> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--修持方式--> |- <!--內丹--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Religious Practise</h2> |- | *[[Morning and Evening Rites]] *[[Refining the Vital Breath]] *[[Wandering About and Seeking Masters]] *[[Fasting]] |} <!--Religious Discipline--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Religious Discipline</h2> |- | *[[Formation and Development of Daoist Commandments]] *[[Commandments of the Orthodox Oneness Sect]] *[[Commandments of the Complete Perfection Sect]] *[[Temple Regulations]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Inner Alchemy--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Inner Alchemy</h2> |- | [[Inner Alchemy]] *[[Mind, Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] *[[Essential Matter, Vital Breath and Spirit]] *[[Great Reversion Elixir]] *[[Small Reversion Elixir]] *[[Integrated Cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] *[[Three Flowers Condensing onto the Head]] *[[Transporting through the Three Vehicles]] *[[Meeting of the Three Parts]] *[[Refining the Mind through the Nine Cauldrons]] *[[Intercourse of Dragon and Tiger]] *[[Refinement of Essential Matter into Vital Breath]] *[[Refinement of Vital Breath into Spirit]] *[[Refinement of Spirit Back to Emptiness]] *[[Refinement of Emptiness into Dao]] *[[Reversing Kan with Li]] *[[Centering Merits When Yin And Yang Join]] *[[The Five Vital Breaths Oriented to the Origin]] *[[Rebirth from the Original Fetus and Bones]] *[[Basic Cultivation]] *[[Self-Refinement]] *[[Harmonizing the Breath]] *[[Obtaining the Elixir Drug]] *[[Collecting Elixir Drugs]] *[[Fire Phases]] *[[To Increase Fire]] *[[To Reduce Fire]] *[[To Nourish in Warmth]] *[[Bathing]] *[[Unfixed Zi Phase]] *[[River Chariot]] *[[Mysterious Pearls]] *[[Passages and Cavities]] *[[Cosmic Orbit]] *[[Feminine Alchemy]] *[[Cutting the Red Dragon]] *[[Refining the Form through the Supreme Yin]] *[[Body of Original Chastity]] |} <!--Outer Alchemy--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Outer Alchemy</h2> |- |[[Outer Alchemy]] *[[Regulations for External Alchemy]] *[[The Practice of External Alchemy]] *[[Taboos in the Use of Fire]] *[[Cinnabar House and Cauldrons]] *[[The External Alchemy Skill of Refining the Yellow and the White]] *[[Six-and-One Mud]] *[[The Heavenly Palace of Supreme Oneness]] *[[Reducing and Increasing Fire]] *[[Poison Removal Skills]] *[[The Dragon-Bud Elixir Tradition]] |} |} </nomobile> {{#css: .content li { margin-left: 8px; } .content table { margin: 0px !important;; display: table !important; } }} <mobileonly> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--修持方式--> |- <!--內丹--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Religious Practise</h2> |- | *[[Morning and Evening Rites]] *[[Refining the Vital Breath]] *[[Wandering About and Seeking Masters]] *[[Fasting]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--Religious Discipline--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Religious Discipline</h2> |- | *[[Formation and Development of Daoist Commandments]] *[[Commandments of the Orthodox Oneness Sect]] *[[Commandments of the Complete Perfection Sect]] *[[Temple Regulations]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第二行--> |- <!--Inner Alchemy--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Inner Alchemy</h2> |- | [[Inner Alchemy]] *[[Mind, Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] *[[Essential Matter, Vital Breath and Spirit]] *[[Great Reversion Elixir]] *[[Small Reversion Elixir]] *[[Integrated Cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life]] *[[Three Flowers Condensing onto the Head]] *[[Transporting through the Three Vehicles]] *[[Meeting of the Three Parts]] *[[Refining the Mind through the Nine Cauldrons]] *[[Intercourse of Dragon and Tiger]] *[[Refinement of Essential Matter into Vital Breath]] *[[Refinement of Vital Breath into Spirit]] *[[Refinement of Spirit Back to Emptiness]] *[[Refinement of Emptiness into Dao]] *[[Reversing Kan with Li]] *[[Centering Merits When Yin And Yang Join]] *[[The Five Vital Breaths Oriented to the Origin]] *[[Rebirth from the Original Fetus and Bones]] *[[Basic Cultivation]] *[[Self-Refinement]] *[[Harmonizing the Breath]] *[[Obtaining the Elixir Drug]] *[[Collecting Elixir Drugs]] *[[Fire Phases]] *[[To Increase Fire]] *[[To Reduce Fire]] *[[To Nourish in Warmth]] *[[Bathing]] *[[Unfixed Zi Phase]] *[[River Chariot]] *[[Mysterious Pearls]] *[[Passages and Cavities]] *[[Cosmic Orbit]] *[[Feminine Alchemy]] *[[Cutting the Red Dragon]] *[[Refining the Form through the Supreme Yin]] *[[Body of Original Chastity]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--Outer Alchemy--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Outer Alchemy</h2> |- |[[Outer Alchemy]] *[[Regulations for External Alchemy]] *[[The Practice of External Alchemy]] *[[Taboos in the Use of Fire]] *[[Cinnabar House and Cauldrons]] *[[The External Alchemy Skill of Refining the Yellow and the White]] *[[Six-and-One Mud]] *[[The Heavenly Palace of Supreme Oneness]] *[[Reducing and Increasing Fire]] *[[Poison Removal Skills]] *[[The Dragon-Bud Elixir Tradition]] |} |} </mobileonly> 1d58c258361ce9acf827474b5bcd2526767aea7f 0 636 866 815 2020-07-23T08:09:37Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> <nomobile> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第二行--> |- <!--Terms for Daoist Rituals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Terms for Daoist Rituals</h2> |- | *[[Names of the Three Fasts]] *[[Great Ritual Offerings to the Overarching Heaven]] *[[High Priest]] *[[Cheif Cantor]] *[[Inspector of Fasts]] *[[Incense Attendant]] *[[Lantern Attendant]] *[[Scripture Attendant]] |} <!--Examples of Rituals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Examples of Rituals</h2> |- | *[[Rituals of Purification and of Sacrifice to the Ancestral Souls]] *[[Rituals of Scattering Flowers and Communicating with Spirits through Lanterns]] *[[Rituals of Purification and Salvation]] *[[Lantern Rituals for the Destruction of Hell]] *[[Rituals for Sending Petitions to the Heavens]] |} <!--第二行--> |- <!--Ceremonial Altars--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Ceremonial Altars</h2> |- | *[[Altars for Fasts]] *[[Altars for Ritual Offerings]] *[[Altars for Commandments]] *[[The Ancestral Altar of All Skills]] |} <!--Daoist Headdresses, Dress and Ritual Implements & Ritual Implements--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Headdresses, Dress and Ritual Implements & Ritual Implements</h2> |- | *[[Daoist Headdresses and Dress]] Ritual Implements *[[Magical Swords]] *[[Magical Seals]] *[[Commandment Plaques]] *[[Magical Staffs]] *[[Bells]] *[[Inverted Bells]] *[[Tablets]] *[[S-shaped Ornamental Objects]] *[[Streamers]] *[[Shallow Pans]] *[[Wooden Fish]] *[[Large Cymbals]] *[[Horsetail Whisks]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--Talismans, Registers, and Magic Skills--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Talismans, Registers, and Magic Skills</h2> |- | [[Talismans, Registers, and Magic Skills]] *[[Talismans]] *[[Registers]] *[[Divine Incantations]] *[[Finger Gestures]] *[[Pacing the Big Dipper]] *[[Magical Transformation Skills]] *[[Praying for Happiness and Offering Sacrifice]] *[[Summoning Spirits for Interrogation]] *[[Exorcism]] *[[Healing Diseases]] *[[Expelling the God of Plague]] *[[Numerology]] |} |} </nomobile> {{#css: .content li { margin-left: 8px; } .content table { margin: 0px !important;; display: table !important; } }} <mobileonly> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第二行--> |- <!--Terms for Daoist Rituals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Terms for Daoist Rituals</h2> |- | *[[Names of the Three Fasts]] *[[Great Ritual Offerings to the Overarching Heaven]] *[[High Priest]] *[[Cheif Cantor]] *[[Inspector of Fasts]] *[[Incense Attendant]] *[[Lantern Attendant]] *[[Scripture Attendant]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--Examples of Rituals--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Examples of Rituals</h2> |- | *[[Rituals of Purification and of Sacrifice to the Ancestral Souls]] *[[Rituals of Scattering Flowers and Communicating with Spirits through Lanterns]] *[[Rituals of Purification and Salvation]] *[[Lantern Rituals for the Destruction of Hell]] *[[Rituals for Sending Petitions to the Heavens]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第二行--> |- <!--Ceremonial Altars--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Ceremonial Altars</h2> |- | *[[Altars for Fasts]] *[[Altars for Ritual Offerings]] *[[Altars for Commandments]] *[[The Ancestral Altar of All Skills]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--Daoist Headdresses, Dress and Ritual Implements & Ritual Implements--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width: 100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Headdresses, Dress and Ritual Implements & Ritual Implements</h2> |- | *[[Daoist Headdresses and Dress]] Ritual Implements *[[Magical Swords]] *[[Magical Seals]] *[[Commandment Plaques]] *[[Magical Staffs]] *[[Bells]] *[[Inverted Bells]] *[[Tablets]] *[[S-shaped Ornamental Objects]] *[[Streamers]] *[[Shallow Pans]] *[[Wooden Fish]] *[[Large Cymbals]] *[[Horsetail Whisks]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--Talismans, Registers, and Magic Skills--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Talismans, Registers, and Magic Skills</h2> |- | [[Talismans, Registers, and Magic Skills]] *[[Talismans]] *[[Registers]] *[[Divine Incantations]] *[[Finger Gestures]] *[[Pacing the Big Dipper]] *[[Magical Transformation Skills]] *[[Praying for Happiness and Offering Sacrifice]] *[[Summoning Spirits for Interrogation]] *[[Exorcism]] *[[Healing Diseases]] *[[Expelling the God of Plague]] *[[Numerology]] |} |} </mobileonly> 1f449ed34a61ab268b1da347b538f923ed97142a 0 634 867 812 2020-07-23T08:11:13Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> <nomobile> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--Daoist music--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist music</h2> |- | [[Daoist Music]], or Daoist Ritual Music, is the music used in the Daoist activities of Fasts and Offerings. Its formation and development are closely related to the ancient cult music and the popular music of various regions, so it is religious music with Chinese characteristics and a major part of the Chinese traditional music culture. |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第二行--> |- <!--Classification and Forms of Daoist Music--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Classification and Forms of Daoist Music</h2> |- | *[[Classification and Forms of Daoist Music]] *[[Vocal Music]] *[[Instrumental Music]] *[[Types of Musical Instruments]] |} <!--Schools of Daoist Music--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Schools of Daoist Music]]</h2> |- | *[[Schools of Daoist Music]] *[[Music of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] *[[Music of the Complete Perfection Tradition]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Compilations of Daoist Music Scores--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Compilations of Daoist Music Scores</h2> |- | *[[The Ritual of Jade Tunes]] *[[The Daoist Musical Scores Composed by Imperial Order during the Great Ming Dynasty]] *[[The Orthodox Rhythm of the Complete Perfection Tradition]] |} <!--Daoist Music of Different Places--> |class="MainPageBG" style="border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Music of Different Places</h2> |- | *[[Daoist Music of the White Cloud Temple, Beijing]] *[[Daoist Music of Suzhou]] *[[Daoist Music of Mt Longhu]] *[[Daoist Music of Mt Wudang]] *[[Daoist Music of Mt Mao]] *[[Daoist Music of Shanghai]] *[[Daoist Music of Mt Lao, Shandong Province]] *[[Daoist Music of the Central Shanxi Plain]] *[[Daoist Music in West Sichuan]] *[[Daoist Music in the Northeast]] *[[Daoist Music in Taiwan]] *[[Daoist Music in Hong Kong]] |} |} </nomobile> {{#css: .content li { margin-left: 8px; } .content table { margin: 0px !important;; display: table !important; } }} <mobileonly> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--Daoist music--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist music</h2> |- | [[Daoist Music]], or Daoist Ritual Music, is the music used in the Daoist activities of Fasts and Offerings. Its formation and development are closely related to the ancient cult music and the popular music of various regions, so it is religious music with Chinese characteristics and a major part of the Chinese traditional music culture. |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第二行--> |- <!--Classification and Forms of Daoist Music--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Classification and Forms of Daoist Music</h2> |- | *[[Classification and Forms of Daoist Music]] *[[Vocal Music]] *[[Instrumental Music]] *[[Types of Musical Instruments]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--Schools of Daoist Music--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Schools of Daoist Music]]</h2> |- | *[[Schools of Daoist Music]] *[[Music of the Orthodox Oneness Tradition]] *[[Music of the Complete Perfection Tradition]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第三行--> |- <!--Compilations of Daoist Music Scores--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width: 100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Compilations of Daoist Music Scores</h2> |- | *[[The Ritual of Jade Tunes]] *[[The Daoist Musical Scores Composed by Imperial Order during the Great Ming Dynasty]] *[[The Orthodox Rhythm of the Complete Perfection Tradition]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--Daoist Music of Different Places--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width: 100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Music of Different Places</h2> |- | *[[Daoist Music of the White Cloud Temple, Beijing]] *[[Daoist Music of Suzhou]] *[[Daoist Music of Mt Longhu]] *[[Daoist Music of Mt Wudang]] *[[Daoist Music of Mt Mao]] *[[Daoist Music of Shanghai]] *[[Daoist Music of Mt Lao, Shandong Province]] *[[Daoist Music of the Central Shanxi Plain]] *[[Daoist Music in West Sichuan]] *[[Daoist Music in the Northeast]] *[[Daoist Music in Taiwan]] *[[Daoist Music in Hong Kong]] |} |} </mobileonly> 3d5553d4c3c1bc4c6a75e520641688166b06106e 0 635 868 811 2020-07-23T08:12:50Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> <nomobile> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--Literature--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Literature</h2> |- | [[Daoist Literature]] is the general name for all kinds of literary works that propagate Daoist doctrines and reflect Daoist life. On the whole, Daoist literature can be classified into four main categories, namely [[Daoist Prose]], [[Daoist Fiction]], Daoist poetry, and [[Traditional Opera]]. |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第二行--> |- <!--Daoist Poetry and Daoist Ci Poetry--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Poetry and Daoist Ci Poetry</h2> |- | *[[Daoist Poetry]] *[[Daoist Ci Poetry]] *[[Collections of Daoist Songs]] *[[Poems on Alchemy]] *[[Poetry about Immortals]] *[[Poetry about Charms]] *[[Feminine Daoist Poems]] *[[Stanzas on Pacing the Void in the Grotto of Emptiness]] *[[Daoist Lyrics]] |} <!--Daoist Prose--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Daoist Prose]]</h2> |- | *[[Tales about Immortals]] *[[Sayings of Daoists]] |} <!--第三行--> |- <!--Traditional Opera--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Traditional Opera]]</h2> |- | *[[Casual Tunes]] *[[Plays on Salvation by Immortals]] *[[Daoist Operas about Legends]] |} <!--Daoist Fiction--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:50%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Daoist Fiction]]</h2> |- | *[[Daoist Novels of Legends]] *[[Daoist Novels about the Occult]] *[[Daoist Novels about the Ways of the World]] |} |} </nomobile> {{#css: .content li { margin-left: 8px; } .content table { margin: 0px !important;; display: table !important; } }} <mobileonly> {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--Literature--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Literature</h2> |- | [[Daoist Literature]] is the general name for all kinds of literary works that propagate Daoist doctrines and reflect Daoist life. On the whole, Daoist literature can be classified into four main categories, namely [[Daoist Prose]], [[Daoist Fiction]], Daoist poetry, and [[Traditional Opera]]. |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第二行--> |- <!--Daoist Poetry and Daoist Ci Poetry--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Poetry and Daoist Ci Poetry</h2> |- | *[[Daoist Poetry]] *[[Daoist Ci Poetry]] *[[Collections of Daoist Songs]] *[[Poems on Alchemy]] *[[Poetry about Immortals]] *[[Poetry about Charms]] *[[Feminine Daoist Poems]] *[[Stanzas on Pacing the Void in the Grotto of Emptiness]] *[[Daoist Lyrics]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--Daoist Prose--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Daoist Prose]]</h2> |- | *[[Tales about Immortals]] *[[Sayings of Daoists]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--第三行--> |- <!--Traditional Opera--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cedff2;background-color:#f5faff;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5faff;" ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Traditional Opera]]</h2> |- | *[[Casual Tunes]] *[[Plays on Salvation by Immortals]] *[[Daoist Operas about Legends]] |} |} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;" <!--Daoist Fiction--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] [[Daoist Fiction]]</h2> |- | *[[Daoist Novels of Legends]] *[[Daoist Novels about the Occult]] *[[Daoist Novels about the Ways of the World]] |} |} </mobileonly> 9430d0ea1481093bd631d2303e24ae8b02295c4f 0 627 869 809 2020-07-23T08:13:21Z Admin 1 /* Daoist Studies Overseas */ wikitext text/x-wiki __NOTOC__ __NOEDITSECTION__ __NOTITLE__ <!-- 頂欄開始 --> {{main_navigator}} <!-- 頂欄結束 --> {{#css: .content li { margin-left: 8px; } .content table { margin: 0px !important;; display: table !important; } }} {| style="width:100%;border-spacing: 8px; margin: 0px -8px;" <!--第一行--> |- <!--Daoist Studies Overseas--> |class="MainPageBG" style="width:100%;border:1px solid #cef2e0;background-color:#f5fffa;vertical-align:top;color:#000;"| {|width="100%" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="5" style="vertical-align:top;background-color:#f5fffa;" |- ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cef2e0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3bfb1;text-align:left;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">[[File:taiji.png|25px]] Daoist Studies Overseas</h2> |- | *[[Research of Daoism in Japan]] *[[Daoist Studies in the Great Britain]] *[[Daoist Studies in Korea]] *[[Daoist Studies in France]] *[[Daoist Studies in Germany]] *[[Daoist Studies in Italy]] *[[Daoist Studies in the U.S.A.]] *[[Daoist Studies in Canada]] *[[Daoist Studies in Russia]] *[[Daoist Studies in Australia]] |} |} 2b5f078c12d9013017d6f2f6b97db5233e44c25b 8 645 870 2020-07-24T07:58:16Z Admin 1 Created page with "/* CSS placed here will affect users of the Vector skin */ #mw-panel .portal .body li { font-size: 1em; } #mw-content-text { font-size: 1.4em; } .vectorTabs li a { fon..." css text/css /* CSS placed here will affect users of the Vector skin */ #mw-panel .portal .body li { font-size: 1em; } #mw-content-text { font-size: 1.4em; } .vectorTabs li a { font-size: 1.1125em; height: 2.1em } .vectorTabs span a { padding-top: 0.85em; } .vectorTabs .icon a { padding-top: 2.37692308em !important; } .vectorMenu h3 span { padding-top: 0.85em; font-size: 1.1125em; } .vectorMenu li a { font-size: 1.1125em; } #searchButton, #mw-searchButton { font-size: 1.1125em; } #searchInput { font-size: 1.1125em; } #p-search form { margin: 0.2em 0 0; } #p-personal li { font-size: 1.05em; } #footer li { font-size: 1.0em; } 96a1815ffbf74067877d68331f7e124addb240c6 10 626 871 852 2020-07-27T04:19:07Z Admin 1 wikitext text/x-wiki <div class="nomobile"> <div style="white-space: nowrap; padding: 0.5em 0; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; overflow-x: auto; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; width: 480px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="color: black; font-size:95%;">'''The Daoist Encyclopedia '''</div> <div style="font-size: 150%;">'''[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]'''</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;"><b>{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</b></span>]] articles in English</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mobileonly"> <div style="margin-top: 10px; padding: 0.5em 0; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #cccccc; background: #fcfcfc; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; line-height: 1.8em;"> <div style="padding: 0 2em; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center;"> <div style="font-weight: bold; color: black; font-size:95%;">The Daoist Encyclopedia</div> <div style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 150%;">[[FYSK: Daoist Culture Centre - Database:About|FYSK Daoist Culture Centre Database]]</div> <div id="articlecount" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; font-size: 85%;">[[Special:Statistics|<span style="color: green; font-size: 120%;">{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}</span>]]articles in English</div> </div> <div style="padding-right: 2em; font-size: 90%; display: flex; flex-direction: row;"> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[Introduction]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#003366">■ </font>[[FYSK]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#116699">■ </font>[[Guide]]</div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 1em;"> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Contact Us]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#666666">■ </font>[[Donation]]</div> <div><font size="-2" color="#333333">■ </font>[[FAQ]]</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="margin: 0 auto; text-align: center;">[[Portal:Daoist History and Development|History]] | [[Portal:Daoist Beliefs|Beliefs]] | [[Portal:Daoist Scriptures|Scriptures]] | [[Portal:Immortals|Immortals]] | [[Portal:Temples and Sacred Places|Temples and Sacred Places]] | [[Portal:Religious Practise|Religious Practise]] | [[Portal:Daoist Rituals|Rituals]] | [[Portal:Daoist Music|Music]] | [[Portal:Daoist Literature|Literature]] | [[Portal:Academic Research on Daoism|Research]]</div> [[zh:Template:Main_navigator]] 9e9f4cea446e125b7fd703379e40205b35d82551